governments, or in any way endeavor to turn him upon hi? own gallant achievwulMits, ite hurries Jo* away from the subject to some point of scientific interest which he presume* will more oourern and engage yourself: or he says or does something that makes you think he is occupied with hi, own inferiority in some matter which you r conversation presents to hiin One is obliged to struggle with Liui to maintain the tone of respect which his character and achieve inents deserve , and when the inter view is over, a feeling of disappointment retrains for the failure in your efforts to ran sack the man as you wished and to render the tribute which you owed hiiu. We wish we could be sure that bo will hot, in bis forthcoming work, give us the drama without its hero :or we wish the expedition and it? hero had a chronicler as wortliv as he would be were he not the prin cipal character in the story. Dr. Kaue'e Narrative of the Expedition, cow preparing, and in process of publication by Messrs. Cbilds & Peterson of Philadel phia, will embrace the important discoveries made in the frozen regions far beyond the reach of all the predecessors of the Ameri can exploring party, and their perilous ad ventures, crowded with romantic incidents, which in the language of the Socrctary of the Navy, not only exite our wonder, but borrow a novel grandeur from tbe truly be nevolent consideration? which animated and neived him to the task.— [Giabsm s Maga zine, Feb. 1556. mil HO WW I HCOMfLE. BEDFORD. Pa. Friday Morning. Feb 8. 1856 "Fearless and Free." pavid over. r.iuTo3 ASP proprietor Organlfation of the House. We are happy to announce to onr readers that the House of Representatives was or ganised on Saturday last, hy the election of N. P. Banks, Jr., Amerioan and Repub lican, as Speaker. Ever since Congress met, about two months ago, the Loeofoco* have been blaming the Americans for not •rgatiting the Honse, and endeavoring to hnmbng the people, by representing that tue T.oeos were in no wise responsible. W c have frequently endeavored briefly to correct them* misrepresentations; and the result show* we were correct, and that the action of the Loeofoco members of Congress was the principle, if not the sole cause, why Congress was not organized at least six weeks ago. At the commencement of the •Session the triangular fight got up between the friends of Banks, of Richardson, and of Fuller, and it very soon became mani fest that no one could be elected without adopting the plurality rulo—that is, the rutc which allows the highest candidate to be elected, even though he may not have a majority over all. The Americans and Re publicans who supported Campbell of Ohio* for a few days, and then nominated Bank*, gave the latter on an average abont 30 votes more every ballot, than the Loeofoco* eould give their nominee, Richardson. No election could be had however, because some thirtv odd straglers persisted in scattering their vote* on Fuller and others. Some six weeks ago, when this state of thing* already exi! ;d, the Americans and Republicans re paired in caucus, to offer the plurality rule* an# to carry it in the House if possible.— They have offers# it again and again, al most, if not quite, every day for weeks past, and voted for it to a man, with one single exception, (L. D. Campbell,) but never sue jeeded in carrying it until last Saturday, and when carried the Speaker was elected the ae day. The plurality rule could not b adopted or carried, because the Locofo cos resolved in caucus, and re-resolvcd again nnd again, to oppose it; and they did op pose it almost to a man, (#n)y two or three of (-he* ever voting for it until the last day,) and thus defeated the only plan by which an organisation mold be effected. Such are the fact, and it does seem to us the most impudent, and dishonest charge imaginable, uuder these circumstance*, to represent the American party as re*j>onsib!e for tho delay in the election of Speaker.— We never had very much faith iu the supe rior intelligence of the I-ocofcco party, but thown who make charges like these must have still less than we have. We cannot belitxt- that ar.y party, or any intelligent man, can. bare any difficulty in seeing where (he responsibility li" in this matter, and we hope no ooc will hesitate to hold that party accountable, which so duterminndiy resisted tho plurality rule, and which at least is so signally defeated, as it most richly deserved-. Goort commences next week, end from appearance, it will be pretty throng. The sleighiog is still excellent, and tnow a ccupls fret deep. A.n old tiuao winter, ! lbit 0: . The Catholic Mirror chronicles the death at the Carmeiile Convent in the city of Bal timore, on the 19th inst. of sister Veronica, who had been suffering for some time past with consumption, in the 41st year of her age, and the 15th of her religions profes sion. Iter real name was Juliet Ann Sax tpn, a uative of St. Mary's county, in this State. We do not remember ever to have seen the death of a nun announced in the public print* before; aud conclude that this de parture of the Mirror from its customary silence is referable in some measure to the disposition, recently nmuifested, to make legal inquiry into the ultimate fate of im mured recluses, whioh the American party assert to be one of tbo rights of society.— If this were not the case, why is the natural death of this Carmelite and the disease of which she died, published to tlio world, seeing that Miss Juliet Ann Saxton has been civilly dead, and her property prob ably sequestered to "pious uses," for near fifteen years? How oan the death of a nun cencern secular people, exoept to gratify gaping curiosity? Of suoh, the law, virtually ceases to taka cognisance frotn the moment of her inoaroeration, or her religious profession, (which aro different names for the same thing.) From that moment, she is alike beyond the pale of society and the protection of law, literal ly abandoned by both. From that moment bar lift and death are exclusively an eccle siastical affair, the sole interest in and con trol ovar which pertain to an alien priest hood, who do not ebooae that a Coroner's jnry, which somettle of scandal might call for, should uador any pretext, intrude upon the privacy of convents, bringing into thoae sacred abodes, a legal inquisition into sup posed crime, however strongly suspicion may attach. In charity, let us hope that crime and violent death are unknown with, in the privileged precincts of a convent, and that therefore coroner's inquests can have no business there; yet, their very exclusion implies the existence of an order of persons io our midst, who are above the law and mock it; and it is remarkable, that while the dwelling of every secular institution whether it be an almshouse, jail, pen iten tiarv or benevolent asylum, is subject to the most rigid scrutiny of the law, monastic re ligious houses are exempted and practical ly set the officers of the law at defiance.— The abstract right of entry of a coroner's jury is undeniable, but the impossibility of gaining evidence to authorize its proceed ing, makes it null and void. Sister Veronica died of consumption!— She suffered long with the insidious disease that she was told to regard as a proof of her vocation—of the acceptability of her sacratice, —but which was brought ou by ex posure, mortification, aud perhaps undue constraint and toil. Poor lady, she "died by inches," with no kindly hand of near af fection, no fond mother or sister dear, t 0 smooth the pillow for the aching head, to fan the fevered, hectic cheek, to receive life's latest sigh; these sad offices were transfer, red to stranger hands; most likely, they were gently administered; but of the disap pointment, remorse and anguish of near fif teen years, no sympatbytiog euccor knew, for she was secluded from the law's protec tion and relief. How idle areour boasted liberties, when the bare possibility of such a life andsuctyt death are considered. Let the common jailor but exercise inhumanity towards a condemned criminal, and his impunity would arouse the land; let a cruel master oppress his slave, and his rights of property would be no defeuse against the condemnation of the community and the punishent that would surely follow, let the unnatural parent rx pose his child, and ample legal remedies are within reach; yet the possibility of in humanity aud oppression in a convent is never inquired into, though the frequency of consumption in those locked Hp walls is ample demonstration that it proceeds from natural causes—misery, privation and ex posure. How long the evil will be endur ed in tliis age of enlightenment and of Civil and Religious liberty,no man can fore see, but the people, the fountain of power in the State, are accountable to Him, "who in every step by which we have advanced to the character of an independent nation, has distinguished us by some token of his Providential agency," for every hour of suffering and wrong and every death that occurs, unaccounted for, under the odious and unlawful tyranny of the Conventual system,—a system, that "uuder color of re ligion" * * * "injures others in their nat ural and civil l ights" contrary to the pro vision and express letter of the 33d Article of the "Declaration of Rights," of the poo ple of Maryland.— Frederick, Examiner. THE FRACAS AT WASHINGTON. MU. OHEELKr's ACCOUNT OT RUST** AT TACK ON lIIM. (Editorial CjrrnponUnct of the X. I*. Tribune> WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 1856.—1 have heard since I came here a good deal of the personal violence to which I was exposed, but only one man has offered to attack me till to-day and he was so drunk that be made a poor fist of it. In fact, 1 do not remember that any man ever seriously at tacked me till now. 1 was conversing with two gentlemen on my way down from the Capitol, after the ad journment of the House this afternoon, when a stranger requested a word with me. I stopped, an l my friends went on. The stranger, who appeared in the prime of life, six feet high, ind who must weigh over two hundred, thus began— •ls vour name Greeley V 'Yes.' ♦Are yoa a non-oombatant!' 'That is according to circumstances.' The words were hardly out of my mouth, when h struck mo a s'.unning blow on the right side of my head, and followed it by two or three more, as rapidly as possible.— My bands were still in my great coat pock ets, for I had no idea that he was about to strike. He staggered me against the fence of the walk from the Capitol to the Avcnue > but did not get me down. I rallied as soon as possible, and saw him standing several feet from me, with ooveral persons standing J or rushing in between us. 1 asked, Who is this man? I don't know him,' and under stood him to anwer, with an imprecation, 'You'll know nie soon enough,' or 'You'll I know me hereafter,' when he turned and went down towards the street. No one answered my inquiry directly, but some friends soon came up. who told tne that my assailant was Albert Rust, M. C. from Arkansas. He gave me uo hint of any cause or pretext be uiav have had for this assault, but I must infer that it is to be found in my strictures in Monday's Tri bune (letter of Thursday evening last) on his attempt to drive Mr. Banks out of the field as a candidate for Speaker, by passing ] a resolution inviting ail the present candi- I dates to withdraw. I thought that a rneau trick, and said so most decidedly; I certain* i think no better of it, now that I have made the acquaintance of its acfbor v The bully turned and walked down along I followed, conversing with two friends.! Crosaing Four-and-a-half atreet, they drop ped behind to speak to a-qnaintances, and 1 I, walking along toward the National llo tel, soon found myself in the midst of a hud dle of strangers. One of these turned short upon me—l saw it was my f orU i r assailant—and said, 'Do you know roe now? I answered, 'Yes, you arc Rust, of Arkan Has,' He said something of what he would * do if I were a combatant, and I replied tha ( I claimed no exemption on that account. He now drew a heavy oane which I had not seen before, and struck a pretty heavy blow at my head, which I caught on my left aru with no other damage than a rather severe bruise. He was trying to strike again, and I was endeavoring to close with him, wht-; B everai persons rushed between and separ: ted us. I did net strike him at all, norl.y a finger ou him; but it certainly would hatt t been a pleasure to iwe, had 1 been able, to perform the public duiy of knocking hir. down. I cannot mistake the movement ol his baud ou the Avenue, and aiu sore it must have been toward a pistol in his belt And the crowd which surrounded us \TI nearly all Southern, as he doubtlest knw before be renewed his attack on c. 1 THIRTF-FOIRTH CO3GRESS. Find Session. WAHBI.WOTON, Feb. 2. The Seuate is is not in i-rssion io-da\. HOUSE—Mr Smith, of Tennessee, sa ; . be had heretofore voted against the electi • , of a speaker by a plurality vote, but yesterday'e vote indicated some chance of electing, as speaker, a man of sound nation, al views, he now offered a resolution to (i.-i effect. A motion to lay it on the table was no;-, atived, by 10 majority. The plurality resolution was then ado;- < ted by a vote of 1 111 yeas to 104 r.ays.- - The announcement wae bailed with tune applause. Mr. Orr unconditionally withdrew LH name as the caucus candidate, there heic.- now a probility ol the concentration of greater strength upon his colleague, Mr. Aiken. Mr. Boyce moved to rescind the resolu tion. The motion was laid on the table—ve;.- 117, nays 101. (Applause.) Mr. Jones, of Tennessee, referring to th-> term* ef the resolution—that if there shall be no election by a majority ou the ues-. three trials the candidate receiving th highest rote shall be declared Speaker,— remarked that the Republicans were drille r and ready for the contest, and in order tr give the opportunity to other gentlemen t. come here understandiugly, moved an ad journment till Monday. The motion was disagreed to—yeas 84 nays 13d (Applause and impatient cries o: "call the roll." Mr. Walker moved to rescind the plural ity resolution. Mr. Payne moved that the House ad journ. (Hisses in the galleries.) The motion was disagreed to, and gm applause from the galleries followed. Mr. Orr. s*id, if the House was to be anoy ed by applause from the gallaries, ho woull move to clear them, excepting those occu pied by ladies. Mr. Pane made an ineffectual motion t r rescind the plurality resolution. The House tlieu proceeded to again ballc : for Speaker, with the following result:— Banks, 10*2 j Aikeu, 93 Fuller, 14. Messrs. Barclay and Hickman, Deuiocist r voted for Mr. Wells, and -Messrs. Dann„ Harrison, Moore, and Scott for Mr. Camp bell, of Ohio. Necessary to a choice 108. The next rote, with the exception that Mr. Puller lost one, was the same as the first. The third vote was the same as the second, excepting that Mr. Aiken lost one. Mr. Fuller, of Pennsylvania, repeated what he had said on two former occasions, namely, that ho was not and did not desire to be a candidate. One hundred sud thirty votes had satisfied him that be w:. not the choice of a majority of this body, and on no other terms or conditions would be eoosent to take that position. Mr. Barclay rem* r ked otb^l/'HauA,