The New York Herald Newspaper, December 3, 1860, Page 4

4 NEW YORK JAMES GORDON BEWNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIE“OR. OFFICE F. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU 878. lon mcatl soll! Be at the Men oi trent tm How Fork TERMS, cash tn atoance. ish of the sender, None but Dank THE DAILY HERALD two cents per copy, $7 per annum THE FAMILY HERALD on Weinanday, at four conte por per anu. fw EKLY HERALD. evory Saturday, a oo aot, ‘Or $3 per annum; the Purvpaan Edition coory We 4 FM oats Be in bi por annum to any partes Great Britain, | $0 $8 toary, He Fomtinest, both. to include postage; the Tedisco om the Lat Lith and Bhat of each moni, at abs ont, copy «1 $1 50 pes 4 y KY CORRES. DENCE, containing “ wrvdieRE Li COREE ORME, nar arett | Lem gee Gow FoRRIGN CORMKAPONDENTS 430m Regvesrep to Beal 4 LETTEMS AMD PAGK- con of amemymous correspondence, We do not oations ‘NT! oad every day; advertisements in- Ly Hewatp, Pawty fama, and én the mpeam Editions. executed with neatness,”cheapness and de- Kberally po. Parricuran.y AGES BENT Us NO NOTIVE oh Volume XXV.. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, AOADEMY OF MUSIO, Fourteenth street.—lialian Opera— Tus Jawess. WIBLO’S GARDEN, Brondway.—Macseta. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway, apposite Bond street. — RBicuaxp HE BOWERY THEATRE, Bovery.—Sracoina & Rocen's | Baorstxiax Tuocrs. WALLAOK’R THEATRE, Broadway.—Monrny Hrro outs. LAURA KEENE’S THEATRE No. €4 Brosdway.— BusrERs. NEW HOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Porssu—War Look OF THE GueN. BARNUM’S AMERICAN Mvening—Fosa Biaen—Asr rims, 40. KUM, Broadway.—Day and CwipRen—Livina Cuxiosi- BRYARYS’ MINSTRELS, Mochanios’ Hali, 472 Broadway.— Boursquas, Sonos, Danct Jeep Ur. CAMPBEL! “STAELS, Miblo’# Saloon, riAN SONGS, Dances, Bvaumsqows, do — CANIERBUSY MUSIC Darces, Boxtesques, do. OOOPER INSTITUTR— Ray J. 0. Furrowsa’s Lecroas OX THE AMAZON—1S AXTENT- VROETATION aD ANIMALS Lub, G63 Broadway.~Sonas. Monday, December 3, 1860. ew Vor The News. Our despatches from Washington given this | hi. important character. rday the greatest excite morning are of a } During the whole of y ment prevailed, and many of the most extravagant rumors were current. A plan, which appeared to find favor, had Leen proposed, to refer that portion of the Message of the Presi Jen’ discnssing the seces- sion movement to a committee of one from each of the different States, to be appointed by the delega- tious thereof, who sball have fu! rge of the sub- an amendment to the constitution which shall settle all present and future difficulties. This, give time for reflection and friendly conference. Mr. ject, and report within thirty day it was thought, would Cobb resigned his position as Secretary of the Trea- sury on Saturday, to take eflecton Wednesday next This, it was believed, would be followed by the resignation of the Georgia Senators an The South Carol all in Washington yesterday, but had not deter- Dar ing the day several consultations were held be Repre sentatives. a delegation were mised whether they would take their seats. tween Northern and Southern members, and con- servative men were of opinion that some plan would be adopted to prevent the disruption of the Union. The President's Message will not be sent i] Taesday. Its tone is said to be calm and onciliatory, but firm and clear, In espatches from Washington this morning will be found a synopsis of the annual reports of the departments, so far as they have been com The Colifornia Overland Pony Express, with ad vices from San Francisco to November 21, pas Fort Kearny yesterday morning at four o'elox All the election retarns had not been received, but it was conceded that Lincoln had carried the State by 700 to 1,000 plurality. In Oregon his} majority ever Breckinridge was 318, Douglas being lowest ofall. Great anxiety existed in California for in- telligence from the Eastern Btates. Accounts from Lower California state that the band of filibusters who had been committing depredations there had been driven out, aud the try was quiet. The steamer Golden Age left San Francisco on the 21st ult., with five hundred and twenty passengers, and $1,078,713 in specie for New York. On Saturday night, off Barnegat, in the snow storm, the schooner Shark, Captain Patterson, from Galveston to New York, came into collision with the schocner Ship Carpenters, Captain Fountain, loaded with coal, from Delaware to Providence, which went down immediately. By the bamano and active exertions of Captain Patterson, Captain Poantain, his crew and his wife were reseued and conveyed to this city; bat, unfortunately, his child, two years 1, was lost. Mrs. Fountain had a very narrow escape. Rey. William A. Rortlett, of Breoklyn, delivered an elog the Brooklyn Tabernacle | d strongly aguinst the course he a ionists, viewing them in the light ftors of the law, and belonging’ to the class of beings who would rather rule in hell than dwell nheaven. He expressed himself oppored to those rho would break up ordo anything tending to lestroy this great Christian confederacy because it night contain some imperfections, and allotted to hem the position of men who would reject the san and his light because there were a few dark spots on his dise, and the moon and her soft rays because she showed some featares on ber surface not quite so bright asthe rest. He sated slavery to be the dragon or beathenish god of the country at the Presest time, from the manner in which it has been introduced into the pulpit and mixed with Christ- anity. A sermon was preached last evening at Shiloh chureb, by the Rev. Henry Garnett, on the subject of the death of John Brown, yesterday being, as they stated, ‘‘the anniversary of his martyrdom. The service was opened ty the Rev. Mr. Ambrose who also offered up prayer, and the Rev. jantine (also white) read the 58th chapter The preacher was more than usually of Isaiah excited in his remarks, at one time cansing a slight attempt at applanse, which was repeated, and 1 times elt @ bearty Utteriag. The charch d to overfiowing—more than half the con @regation being white. The Rev. Mr. Prime (co- lored) delivered the benediction, Oar report is unavoidably crowded out i The regular mot Aly meeting of the City Trac Missionary Boctety was held inst evening at the South Baptist church, in Twenty-firth street, Mr. A. RB. Whitmore presided on the occasion. The tissionaries from the different wards gave interest tog acconnta of their labors during the month and the resulta attending them. The Rev. Mr. Barling. ham, the pastor of the church, delivered the usual address, and was listened to by @ very attentive bat not very numerous audience. The report of Judge Gould's sentence on Muili- Ran will be found in another colamn. The Board of Aldermen will not meet until Wednesday evening. The prosecution against J. Egbert Farnham for piracy, in bis well known connection with the slave pacht Wanderer, has been discontinued, and « HERALD. none y the district of Savanuah, Ga. The sales of cotton on Saturday embraced about 1,200 bales, which wore made chietly to spianers, The market | was Irregular, and closed nominal, at previous quotations. | The correctness of the telegraphic despatch aanouacing & heavy deciize in New Orleans was douoted by some por- | Song, Spinners being the chief operstors in this market | probably teo ted to sastain prices better than would other- | bave beor the case, Exporters also have, during the | Woek, taken a fair amount for shipment at about 4, to 0-224 per lb, freight. Flour was heavy, aed common and Western grades wer: lower, while salce | were to ® moderate extent, Whoat was heavy and fell off abou$ two cents per bushel. Corn was heavy | and rather cheaper, while sales were fair, Pork was | boavy at $16 16 for mess, and at $11 for prime, Sugars wore comparatively quiet, and sales confined to small lows of Cubas, with about 600 boxes. Coffee was dull, with & tendency to lower rates. Froighta wore steady, with rather more offering for shipment. Among the engege- ments were flour to Liverpool at 3s. 84. a 83. 64.; coro stliid. to bulk, and wheat, in chip's bags, at 12); 1 To London about 30.000 bushels of wheat were taken, in bulk, at 12% d. a 133¢d., and 14,000 im ship’s bags at 14d. The Meeting of Congress To-Day-~ State of the Country—Uanion or Disunion. ‘The last session of the Thirty sixth Congress begins to-day. It is constitutionally limited to some ninety days duration, and yet its proceed- ings for Union or disunion, for good or evil, may affect the destinies of the American people for generations to come, All eyes from every quarter of the confederacy are turned to Wash- ington, for the universal impression fs that the | Presiden: and Congress can, if they will, aud probably will, do something that may operate | to save the Union, and to restore harmony be- tween the North and the South. For some days past the newspaper reporters at Washington have been representiug Mr. Bu- chapan as exceedingly perplexed in reference to the opinion of his annual Message upon the question of the right of a sovereign State to the sovereign right of secession. But our dea patches of last evening inform us that the lve sident will be conciliatory but fra; and we | presume that, after recognizing the existing perils of disnnion, he will appeal (o the wisdom and patriotism of Congress to provide a reme | dy, if possible, for the menacing sections! dis cords and excitements of the day. It was said that the delay in the preparation of the Mes- | eege was to prevent s rupture of the Cabinet, but it appears that Mr. Cobb has resigned his place ae Secretary of the Treasury. It is intimated that the President will re commend a new compromise between the con- flicting slaveholding and non slaveholding sec tions of the Union through a revision of the federal constitution. Upon this subject the constitution ilself provides, that “the Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it neceseary, shall propose amendments to this constitution, or, on the application of the Le. gislatures of two-thirds of the several States shall call a convention for proposicg amend. ments, which, in either case, shall be valid, to all intents aud purpoges, as part of this consti tution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by con- ventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congrees.” Here it will be seen that Congress has n0 power to call » constitutional convention until application shall have been made for it by two- thirds of the States; and that Congress can only propose to the States amendments to the constitution through a vote of two-thirds of both houses. Can this vote be secured in this Congreee upon propositions to amend the con” stitution on the subject of slavery that will be satisfactory to the South? No. What then? The two bonses may puss resolutions recom. mending State action on the subject, and the <4 pee! of all obnoxious Northern State laws agaiast th tive Slave act; they may also provide additional aafegnards to slave property; they may restcre the Missouri compromise line, and extend it to the Pacific Ocean; but the questions still reour, can these things, ia this Congress: be done’ Or, if done, will they suffice to ar- rest a dissolntion of the Union? Aseuming that these proceedings, or others of a conciliatory character, may prevent the destruction of the confederacy, they can only be effective from immediate action thereon. The Sonth Carolina State Convention on the secession ferne meets on the 17:h December, and as early as ihe 1sth itis expected that the propored ordinance will be passed declaring the State an independent Power to all intents and purposes. After the passage of this ordi- nance, we fear that it will be easier for South | Carolina to draw all the other Southern States | to her side than to restore South Carolina to the | Union. The secession of that State, then, be- | ing the immediate and paramount difficulty, whet Is the course that patriotism would sug geet to Congress to ward off this danger? A little delay, a little time from South Caro- Jina for reflection, is the firet necessity. Bat | how is itto be gained? We can think of no | better plan to secure this point than the ap pointment of a joint committee of the two , houses of Congress, representing every other | State in the Union, to repair to Columbia, South Caroline for the purpose of a conference with & committee of said State Convention on the day of its meeting, and in behalf of a recogai- tion of the Union yet a little longer. This peace committee itself might posribly fail; but the tremendous interests at stake, of all the people of all the States, are certainly worth this experiment of eelf-preservation. The plan agreed upon yesterday in Washington was to stave off debate in the House on the Presi- dent's Message and refer it at once to a special | Committee of thirty three, one from each State, in order to reach a settlement of the question before it is too late for the South to recede. In the face of this great peril of disunion, it would be here a waste of time to consider the probabilities, in this Congress, of the admission of Kansas, of the passage of the Homestead bill, of Pacific road bills, tariffs or anything else in the ordinary routine of legislation. Evea the regular appropriations fer the stand ing necessiiies of the government be- come secondary issue at a crisis | lke this; and it is possible that the session may terminate without the usual bills of supplies to carry on the machinery of the | several departments. In this event, one of the ' first demands upon the incoming administration will be an extra session of Congress, calling for . epecial elections in most of the Southern States, & proceeding which, however imperatively re- quired, would only increase our existing seo- tional embarracements. We are in the midst of clouds sad darkness, from which we can discover no encouraging line of escape. Nor is the fear of violent per- sonal collisions and scenes of revolutionary iecord in our federal halis of legistation the ‘amallest of our apprehensions. Let us hops, | entered in the United Statca Court in | at all evente, that all parties, sections and fa:- | ¢ificulties bave arisen, as tions of this belligerent Covgresas will reassem- ble fully impressed wih tbe duty and policy of forbearance and conciliation, and, peradven- ture, from this overshadowing tree of danger we may still gather the flowers and the fruit of safety and peace. and partake of them again together, North and South, in uniom and har- mony. ‘The Great Iseuc of the Day—How are We to Meet Ict The solution of the great question, para mount over all others atthe present moment— the perpetuity or dissolution of the coufede- racy— commences to-day in the federal capi tal, and one of the greatest misfortunes at the present crisis is the paucity of able statesmen, gifted with wisdom and acumen, to meet the ieeue with that firmnees, moderation and fore- sight which it demands; for there would seem tobe not one real statesman in Congress, not one equal to the task of grappliog with this gigantic difficulty, and mastering it. The momentous issue now to be met ia that of the rigbte of the South and secession of the Southern States. The constitution guarantees to the South the right of holding slaves as property, and confirms its right to remove that property into other States and Territories; it gives the South equal rights with the North in the public domain, and promises to protect it in the enjoyment of all these rights under the wgis of the most solemn compact ever en- tered into between man end man. Tke domi- nant party of the North, which has just elected a President, who received only one third of the populer vote, denies theee righis, and ignores the pledges of the constitution. Ten or eleven of the Northern States have passed “Personal Liberty bills” which nullify the Fugitive Slave law—enacted in compliance with those guaran- tees of protection which the constitution gives, and they thus effect a prectical dissolution of the compact. Under the spirit which dictated theee unconstitutional evactments over 60,000 slaves have from time to time been reduced from the Southern States, the value of which is upwards of sixty millions of doilese. There are now not much less than 40.000 fugitive slaves in Canada, and about 2,000 scattered over the Northern States, which represent over forty millions of the pro perty of the South. It is true that many of the more conservative republicans are in favor of the repeal of theee laws, but the leaders of the party are opposed to any such conciliatory com- promise, aud the only attempt mads to repeal one of these obnoxions statutes bas just failed in the Legislature of Vermont. So much for this eggreasive spirit antagonistic to the rights and intereets of the South so far as fugitive tlavee are concerned, Now, in regard to the rights of the Sonthern States to the public domain, how stands the question ° All the leading politicians of the republican party— Seward, Chase, Trumbull, Sumner, Wil- son and Doolittle—in their speeches and letters and converrations since the election, have declared emphatically that the success of Mr. Lincoln is the great public verdict against any more extension of slave territory. If it is, what becomes of the right of the fifteen South- ern States to the public lands, upon every acre of which they have an equal claim with the eighteen Northern States which elected Lincoln? If their property upon that domaia is not to receive the protection which the constitution folly and absolutely guarantees to it through- ont the entire territory of the United States, of | what avail js that instruqent at all, and what becomes of the compact which it confirmed and aiuifed? Avcording to the report of the Land ice, the whole territory of the United Sictes 250,000 squere miles, of which 50,000 ie composed of public land—the pro- perty equally of the whole people, North and South—or fourteen hundred millions of acres; being more than two-thirds of the entire geo- graphical extent of the country, and almost three times as large as the United States were at the adoption of the constitution. Is the | election of Mr. Lincoln by one-third of the voters of the Union to deprive the people of the South of their right to this magnificent do- main, which it virtually would do if it inaugu- rates the policy of no more slave territory? Thue, even with the repeal of the “Personal Liberty bills,” the question would not be set- tled, because they form only one part of the impending crisis, The South requires new guarantees for the protection of its interests and the maintenance of Its rights, and any one who supposes that its most coneervative leaders would accept iny othet terms for @ continuance of the Union misoon- ceives their sentiment and their language. In ali the public meetings held at the South, whether by Union men or secessionists, the ssme policy is dectored in regard to their rights. Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, in bis great Uaion speach, which ie so much praised throughout the entire country for its moderation aud conservatiem, and Governor Magoffin, of Kentucky, whore let- ter is viewed in the same light, take the ground absolutely and distinctly that the South must have new guarantees ; that the Personal Liberty bills muet be repealed by the State Lezislatares or eet aride by Congress; that the right of the South ia the Territories and the pubiie domain tonst be recognized, or the North and the South muet eeparate. It is a mistake to suppose that there gentiemen— conrervative and moderate as they are— are for Union under s!l ciroumstances They are conditions! Union mea ouly. If the Personal Liberty bills are repealed, and the Tights of the South are recognized and protected in the Territories and the public domain, thay are for Union ; if not, they are for secession as much as South Carolina is. Either new guar antees must be given or the North and South must eeparate; that is the alternative, and ii is well to uoderstand it. Mr. Stephens says so, Governor Magoffin saya 40, all the Union reo jutions, speeches and letters emauating from the South say eo. With five States already ripe for secession, and the whole South united in favor of «#para- tion, unless the abolition agitation at the North ia stopped and the rights of the Sonth guaran teed, it la clear that the issue wust be met at once. When thie country was compored of British colonies the grievances of the peo ple compelled a revolution and a separa tion from England. When the thirteen origi nal States undertook to carry on the government under ‘Articles of Confedera tion,” the diMienlties that surrounded them compelled the adoption of the existing con stitution, which was a compromise of the conflic'ing interests of the day. Now new NEW YORK HERALD. MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1860. complicated as those which beset the infancy of the confederacy, and ‘he only way to meet them is bya Nationa Convention and a new compromise. Congress should at once recommend to the several States to apply for a National Convention, eo that Con- grees may be able to call one together according to the provisions of the constitution. Meantime the two houses ehould adopt every available measure within their province, manifesting a de- sire to beal all these disturbances in a manner ratisfactory to the South, and to restore harmony between the two conflicting sections of the country ; and according to our despatches re- ceived last night from Washington, there ap- pears to be a determination to grapple the question at the threshold and amend the con- stitution. There seems to be no other way left now to meet the vital issue before us. Doveias anp Preece Savina tue Uston.—Io these s'rapge and eventful times, in which no one can foresee what a day may bring forth, one of the most curious of the startling political phenomena of the hour is the spectacle of Dong las and Pierce saving the Union which they have both done eo much to destroy. Douglas, in a speech at Washington on Saturday evening, displayed extraordinary eolicitude about the fate of the Union, and “urged all Union men, all constitution-loving men, to eink their bick- erings and unite to save the country first, and quarrel, if they pleased, afte:wards.”’ This is excellent, coming from the man who is the father of the repeal of the Missouri com promisce—a measure which has operated like the opening of Pandora’s box—and whose persistence in continuing a candidate of the democratic party at Charleston and Bal timore, in opposition to the declared wishes ot the representatives of the fifteen Southern States, with those of Oregon and Californis, led to the breaking up of the Convention and of the party, which has reeulted in the triumph of Lincoln and the consequent “peril and danger” to the Union, which Mr. Douglas is at last enabled to discover, in com- mon with Horace Greeley and Thurlow Weed. To the very last moment Mr. Douglas refused to enter into any combination with ‘the Union and constitution loving men” against the com- mon foe, and be would not “sivk his bicker- ings or unite to save the country ret and quarrel afterwards.” He is now wise almost too late. Avd poor Pierce, in a private letter to a friend in Washington, which fouad its way into one of the papers of that city on the same day on which Senator Douglas made his speech to a party of eerenaders, waxes eloquent upon “the fearful crisis which is now upon us,” and which he says “he foresaw for years,” and “deprecated the causes which he knew must produce it.’ The prime cause of “the fearful crisis” was the administra. tion meaeure of the repeal of the Missouri compromise, introduced by Mr. Douglas in the Senate in 1854, under the auspices of Pierce, to obtain a renomination, which became a trap for the South, and which gave birth to the repub- lican party and Jed to all the troubles in Kansas, by which the republican party were built up. At that time the anti-slavery element was dor- mant, and the abolitionists were regarded as a handful of insane fanatics, while the secessionist and disunion element in all the Southern States was in a small minority. The compromise measures of 1850—eettled by the great statesmen of the confederacy, including Webster and Ciay— had given peace to the country, and had put a quietus upon the disturbing anti-slavery agita- tion. Upon the basis of tuis settlement, poor Pierce, because he was too obscure to be known, was elected in 1852 by an overwheiming ma- jority over one of our great historic men; but bardly did he become warm in his nest at the White House when he became the instrument in the hands of the fire eating secessionists at the South in his ambitious effuris to obtaia a renomination, and unsettled that settlement made in 1850. The two men, therefore, who are of all others moet responsible for the creation and enccess of the republican party, and for the dis- ruption of the United States which is imminent, are Douglas and Pierce, both Northern men, who ere now making such unavailing efforts at the pumps after scuttling the ship. Exectiox or Scuoot Orricers.—Our citizens should bear in mind that they will be called upon to-morrow to vote for School Commission ers, Lorpectors and Trustees, who are to have charge of the educational department of our city goverument for the coming year—really the most important interests of our city. Tae several par- ty cliques have brought ont their candidates— some good, some indifferent—out of which they will be called upon to choose. As with the can- didates for our municipal legislatnre, we trast that our citizens will pay no regard to the nu- merous attempts that are being made to induce them to vote for these candidates upon party iseues, but will carefully scrutinize the several candidates, and select from the long list of pames presented euch as are known to be good men and qualified to take charge of this impor- tant branch of our government. The education of the youth in a city like New York is a matter that ebould be gaarded with o jealous eye by the voters and taxpay- ere. Itisa question that goes home to every inbabitant of the metropolis, and is worthy of their most careful consideration. We trust that the voters throughout the city, when they go to the polls to-morrow, will look upon the subject as it deserves, and select candidates with as much care as a merchant would inquire into the qualifications and specialities of a con- fidential clerk. No person will discharge his duty to coming generations without taking special care in the choice of school officers. The interest of humanity, the prosperity of our city, depend, more than is generally sup- posed, upon the character of those who coatrol the educational interests of the city. Swe to it that none but good men are aelected. Naval Intelligence. The United Sistes frigate es, Capt Goalde- Dorough, wee a) Rio Janeiro on the Za of Ooi der, ‘the United States steam sloop-of war Brook'ya, Capt Welker, from Chiriqui, arrived bere carly yemtertay morning and ‘Off the Naval Hospite:, whoa phe exchanged the customary salaie with the reosiriog ship Penneyivania, The Rrooklyn bas on board tne Ob’ 1 Saree ying Commirsionere The Brookiyn has been to commirrion twenty three months, and @/'| probably be pail of bere, the follow f* & correct list of her ines wages Seaman Wr tain jtere, Wan, Mitcoell, RT Chagmen, MA’ Adare; Sargeon, Jaa MoUle land, Chief Enginver, J Folia ebee, Porser, eos H Looker, Firet Lieutenant Martocs, G RB. \ Apeietant Surgeon, T W_ Leach: Macted Mitahi» wen. F & Bunce, J. W Koly, #8 Mile, AR Yara, Wiest ipmen. Manly, & Ro Patdwk, Cantein ® Genk, EC Gatandin; Paymanter’s vlert, Porbes Marker; Tints Aveiatant Eogineer, Wm ; Second Anewman: foginerre, MP Jordan. G BS. Tower, J. W Whitaxer, third Amiatent Boginows, Henry Layder, J Noll, & F Vayar, Boatewnin, J K. Bartlett: Gunner, T R Wieon Casperior Daniel Joore, Satimaker, Freacte Brown — Nortoik Herald, Now MEETING OF CONGRESS. INTERESTING FROM WASHINGTON. Summary of the Annual Reports from the Departments, THE WORK BEFORE CONGRESS, &e., &o., &o. Wasucrom, Dec 2, 1360. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR. ‘The report of the Secretary of War will oxhibit « beaitby state of affairs im that important arm of our go Verpment, Its operations and movements during the past year bave been a series of successes. Tho various campaigns againat;the unfriendly and hostile Indians have proved, in every instance, entirely successful and mos of the warlike tribes have been brought to subjection. Daring last year great reduction in the expenditures bare been made, amounting to several millioas of dollars. ‘The Secretary will, it is said, recommond breech-loadin guns for general use in the service; also (bo important recommendation of last year of restoring to the War Department the superintendence aud control of the In- dians. Exportence shows that the Interior Department ought not to have anything to do with tbe Indians. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. ‘The Secretary of the Navy’s report will be exceedingly tnteresting. He will undoubtedly report ihe recom- mendations of the Board who recently reported to him upor the subject of the construction of sailing vessols into war steamers, and also for a further Increase of steamships of war. 1t is obvious that the present naval force is inadequate to protect American citizens and advance our commercial interests in various quarters of the world. The appropriations required for this depart ment will not exceed cloven millions of dollars. REPORT OF THE SECRATARY OP TAR INTERIOR. The report of the Secretary of the Iuterlor, which covers an extensive field, larger io fact than any other three departments of the governmont. having under its jurisdiction the Ger eral jand Office, The Indian, Patent, Pension and Ceneus Bureaus, will be very interoeting, and exbibit a flourishing condition of affairs in all its ram! cations. ‘The Census office bas now ® clerical force of one hun- dred and twenty-seven, all of whom are actively employ- ed tu their respective duties, The exprnee of the eighth census will excord that of the seventh considerably, owing to the augmentation of population and the various branches of industry, ‘The Superintendent ts of opinion that he will be ena bled, during the appreaching seseion of Congress, not only to report the apportionment in the Thirty-elghth Congress, but to present to that boty the population of the several States and Territories, classified by sex and condition, and to report the various products of agrical- ture and the aggregate of manufactares. It bas boon suggested to Seoretary Thompson by feveral Senators to urge upon Congress tho establishment of a ttalistical bureau. Congress and, in fact, the govern- ment, are without aay goneral reliable source of ascer- telumeot of our internal trade and tho annual prodactioas of ogricallure, manufactures, kc. THE POSTMASTER GENERAL'S REPORT. ‘The report of the l’ostmastor General presents no new feature of taterest. Birce Postmaster Holt has had charge of that department be has made many changes and re. duoed tte expenses several million dollars. ‘The report of the Secretary of the Treamury ta not yet ‘completed. THE WORK LXFORE CONGRESS. The Secession Movement—The Result of the Presi- dential Election—The Tariff—Pacific Rail- road—The Acquisition of Cuba—Admission of Kansas—Organization of New Ter- ritories—Polygamy in Utah—The Franking Privilege—The Mile- age of Members—The In- yestigating Committees, an, fiery — The second session of tho Thirty sixth Congress of the United States, which opens im the Capitol af Washington at noon to day, the Sd of Doeweber, will probably take rank in bistory as the moet tmportant and excitiog tession tbat bas yet been held. Thers are sone appre. howsions, indeed, thet it will alao be the last. Whether it be #0 or not will depend apon the connsois that may prevail there, upon the moderation with which the peo. ple North and South will act in the preeont alarming crt fis, and upon the course which the executive arm of the government me, purtue in causing the conttitution ant lawn of the United States to bo faithfully observed and obeyed throughout the entire longth and breadth of the republic. ‘THR SECESSION MOVEMENT. ‘The firet ecesion of this Congrees was characterized by scenes of turbulence sod excitement such as bad never defore taken place in the legislative balls of the nation. The House of Representatives was divi ted into t #0 bos. tile camps, the object of their atrugglo being tho Speaker. thip. For more han two months the business of the country was entirely neglected and sacrificed, the poll- ticians being only intent on the election of thetr reapecti re caudidates. This stroggloended tu the setting aside of the reapective nominees of the various parties, aad in tho cleotion of Mr. Speaker Penn'ngton; bot i. ji] feelings which it aroused and inflamed died not with the ftettiement of the question. They continued to increase in tptensity and to spread from the halls of Congress all throvgh the nation at large, wotil now, by the election of a sectional candidate to the Pre. fidenoy, the North and Sonth fod themselves arrayed in Ap attituce of deadly hostility towards each other. Some of the Southern States, foremost among which stands Sonth Carotina, are taking measures for the avowed par- pose of dissolving their connection with the confederacy, and of thus breaking up the entire fabric of government; for it ta with these Sta'es as with the heavenly bodies in the frmameot — Let but one planet from ite orb be barind, Planeta and mune rush lawiees through the world If one State or commonity, or mani -tpality, be allowed to proclaim and mairtain its politicos! indspendence 0° the Union of States, whether it be South Carclive or Dei ware, or the city of Charleston or New York, the link is broken in the chain, asd thore t# 00 longer any bond to bold together the rea. The guveromental etitice, erect ed with euch ekill, wisdom and bravery, would tmmod) ately tumble to pieces and anarchy reign supreme How is (his to be preventec! That is the frat question 0 which the Corgrets of the pation @1ll be called pon to pres, Ti wl) be presented im the President's savas merenge 11 i Understood that Mr Boohsnan, while ro commending couciliation, will avoid takiag any deo ded stand against the right of eeceesion Te bellewes, bow ever, with Mr. Madieon, that the covmiitution hae boon accepted by all the Staton “forever,” aod “ withoat condition,” and with General Jackso@rthat there cas be ne peceaion cxcopt an armed seceesion, and that “armed secession \# treason,’ «lich matt be pat dows by the executive power of too aoxtion, Taree of bia Cabinet advisers—Mesars Cobb, Floyd aod homo Fon—Aare reported to cotertain views aifferiog somewhat from thoee of the President, if pot ow the coves tutional question of the right of sscrsston, at least epon th dom aed expedirney of resorting b> fores to prevent » State Ciravlving ‘te connection with the Uolon The matter, however, will pase from af mit iatrativety logis lative Couvrela, Cong: ere will thar be mate the supremo tribural for Geold'ng both qusetions—that of the apatract tigbt of srosssion aod that of tbe expediency of coercing recusint Btstes tate observances of thelr federal obligations «And altbuagh | if a lamen able fect thet +6 Bare ow fo statrrrmsa fo our eationsl counsiia, that our gyatea of pariiaan polilice ke asa produced only dwarfed aad tianted sarioabares of | uns statesmen, 1! the magaite ls of ¢ water torus © ES balance the iniellectual litteness of the tricrs, aad the 0) €8 Of (he olviliged werld will be directed to the federal Capitol, tntentiy watching the progress of the grevt cause to wh ch He existence of the republic Isat ctake. Wo do bope that the men who have been bcnored with seats ia the Senate and House of Repreeentatives will rise for the occasion above tho level of their ordinary mesnnees, will realize the awful responsibility devolving upon tnem, and will, without reference to State or party lines, rouder fuch @ verdict as ww dispei the darkenisg clouds aad restore conficenco in the perpetuity of the Union. It fe not unlikely that the debate on this qaestion will extend from the opeuing of the seraion over th» Christmas holidays, unless, indeod, some definite movement oa the part of discoatented States may rouder an earlier de- terminstion absolutely neceseary. It is quite clear, how- ever, that, until this question be disposed of and set as reat Gnally, there will be no chance of the ordinary busi- péee of legislation being attended to. DECLARATION OF THE RESULT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL BLECTION, Before parting (com this subject it might be proper at this point to refer to the formality prescribed by the Copetitution of having the votes of the electors of the several States for President and Vice President counted by a joint convention of the two houses, partioularly as it 1g seid tbat an objection is to be ralecd on account of some ioformality tn regard to the electoral vote of Georgia, In tbat Siato Preaidential electors must have majorities of the whole vote cast, whereas in other States simple plu- raliiies are sufficient, With Douglas, Breckinridge and Bell tickets voted for, !teo bappened thai none of them received a majority. The Biate law provides that is the event of such a contingency the Legislature shall pre- soribe the mcde of proceeding. That mode may be by eppointment. But then, by a law of Congress of 1845 it is provided that all the States shall vote for electors on the fame day, The phrase ‘‘vote for" is oquivalent, in the sense in which tt is used, to the word “choose” The meuning 1s that electors eball be chosen in all the States on the same day, If it were not so, some one or more States might hold baok, and having ascertained bow all ‘tbe otbers bad gone, constitnte themselves the arbiters of the quesiion. ‘The comstitution itself requires that the day cn which clectore shall give their votes ebal! be the same throughont the United States. That day is fixed for the first Wednerday in December. If the cleotoral vote of the state be not given on the day prosoribed, it cannot be given at sil. Thus Gvorgia would baye no voice whatever in the election, To be sure the fault would be her own, and besides, her yote would have no ¢ffeoton the issue, But then the circumstsnce may bo seized huld of for the purpose of producing a diffioulty im the convention of the two houses. Four years ogo & somewhat analogous circumstance occurred. When the votes of the several States wero opened and rcad in the joint convention of the two houses, on the second Wedaceday in February—tho day fixed by the act of 1792—it appeared that the electoral yote of Wisconsin was not given on the 31, but on the 4hof December. Senator Mason, the presiding officer of the convention, unheeding the informality, coucted ia the vote of Wisconsin and announced the result. Thir gave rise to several very delicate and difficult questions which were not then, and have not since been, settled The functions of the ¢lectors ceased, it was heid, oa tue 84 of December, and any other five men had as gooda right as they bad, on the morning of the 4th, to cast the vote of Wiscousin. How was the legality of thoir action to be decided? Senator Mason, as tho presiding oMosr, held ‘bat bie simple duty was to count the votes and ‘announce the resalt; but then that very thing placed all the power of accepting or rejecting in his bands aad in his alone. Ho would not entertain any motion on the part of a Senator or member in reference to the question, nor would he estertaio an appeal from his decision, Ia vain ind'gcant Senators and members represented the dap- ger of such a precedent; in vain did Seuators Toombs and Dougias, and Butler and Crittenden, protest sgainst the vote of Wisconsin being counted uuder such circam- stances, and againet the porition taken by the presiding officer. He remained inflextble in that position, and ag toon as the tellers had signed @ cortificate of the eount, the Senate retired from the Horse hall, and bota bodies wrangled for the remainder of the day over the various knotty pointaitavolved, without settling anything. Senator Toowbs is represented as having expressed his intention to dirpute the constituttonality of the proceed- ing of counting the votes of the soveral States, omiting that of Georgia, on the ground that ali the dates must participate, and that an election wherein all do not psr- Meipate ia null and void. Absurd and untenable asthe proposition ta, it {¢ not at al! improbable that alr, Tyombs may attempt to propouad and support ti. It would regularity devolve on Vice President Breskin- ridge to preside over the convention of ihe two houses, on the recoud Wednesday In February; but owing to bis having been bimeelf ove of the Presidential oxad!- dates, he will probably feel that it would te tmpro per for him to preside, and the Secate wi elect a Prevident pro tem. The selection might be, but wo bope will not be, made with @ viow of giviog ef fect to the objection in the matier of Georgia's yubo, No good can come of preseing euch an ohjyotion. The form in which the result of the count will be anaounced will ve ae follows — declaring the poner of vote given for tbe four ap G6 prositlog says:— | Ts farther exeoution of aS t order of the two , the presiding cilicer ther “fore declares tiias Abra- bo™ Livooin, of the State of Iliinois, beving the groatest numer of ‘votes for President, thay Sumber being a mojnity of the whole numixr of bi lore, has been duly elcoted es a Lae 4 for the term preseril ‘constitu commence on the 4:h of March, 1861 Hs alsy deslares that Hannibal Hamlin, of the State of Maine, having the greatest number of voter for Vice, end that bum ver being @ majority of the whole number of electora, bem been duly elected Vico President of the United Sates for the term preseribed by tre covatitation, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1861. APPROPRIATION BILLS. There are a great many very important sobjeote awatt- lng ection om the part of Cougrest; but with the over- shadowing importance of this secestion movemnat there is ot the faintest proapret of anything clao biog atiendod to except it be the paseage of the regular snucal Sppropriation bil’. Tk would not be surpria- tog if even these wore negiccted, eithor from design or otherwise, One party might intergore obrtactes in the way of the passege of the ap roprixtion Dilis for the purpose of embarrassing the insoring administration: and even ibe repadiiosns themestre: voight manifest an tnd'sposition to preas thelr passage Mr the take of giving Mr Livcotn an excuse, ouside of roe sion troubles, for convening Congress \a extra seesion § > would be, therefore, by no means surprisivg if,o0 the 4th of March pext, several of the regoier suaual appro priation bie remained upscted on. We hare very littic confidence in the petty politicians who maker» the per tomnel of both houses. The @ppropriation bila ere for the following purpeecs — For the support of the army. For tbe sopport of the Neer’ For the support of the V #1 Uffloe Department For tho support 0° the dilrtary Acatemy For the legielative, executive and judicial expenme of goveroment. For the c nsvlar and dipiomatic expr psae For the expenses of the Indian Department aad to fuidt treaty #tipulations with the lottass For the pay ment of juwallt and other penalons. Fer tundry civil expeares of the gorerament. For fortifsations and otber works of dewaes. For the maintenance of light howres, &). It would require et leatt s month to hare thease various Dilla acted on ipteliigentiy, There ie ve + Htile pros sect of *neh length of time being spared from exciting potitice) iesue: tons, ‘TBR TARIFY. The diseustion of the tariff question aad the arrange ment of new rates of Cusiems oosupled mucd time 2 the House of Representatives tast sestion. [t was a Prem. dential measure, nluhougd the curtoss Bpeotacie was pre- rented of ite being araatied and oppoeol by his politeal friends, and advocated end supported vy bie political enemies. The vote upoe tts prseage to the Tours, taken on the 11th of May, thowed 105 ayes to 64 noes, It was Gieursed to « limited extent tn the Sepate, and on the 16th of Juae its further consideration was peatponed to the segond Mooday ‘. Decomber, Sy avo of twenty-five to twonty three, That role was afterwards, oo the 40th, reconsidered by & you of thirty three Ha» feventeen; bat as tho wresion insted for oniz five fey jowgrr, and there ww 8 grec. proms of Gusinem, Ow farther action waa taken Is ls not now s.apgoial order for the 10th of December ana it i not very likely Haat the question Of tho tariff wi. receire any consularssion at all THE PACIFIC RAILROAD The Pelee com m|ttes of Afeea appotated by * a Hoose devoted ® large park of the lest session to Toru to mature A Pacite Railzond DIL, whick migtt, If era oats factory Wo all rections aud jutenests, at ieaes array « mn jowity Of Doth Rouren la its favor.” TO Gaah, however, they were rot wucoesatel. Mx, Ourtia, of own, chairman of the select, commitias, Gi report a Bul'kod Papip ood pported tb tn & Masia epee, bak ha frond it hay. 6 cauke the Woty vo Toletly ‘ny ated (5 te posal =