ongress by
petitions from all quarters. The Legislature of Virginia, and the
Constitutional Convention of the same State, now in session, have both
passed resolutions in its favor. Several other States have done, or are
about to do the same thing. The session is already so far advanced,
however, that the subject will probably be left without action for the
next Congress.

The Senate Committee on the Post-office has reported in favor of
granting to a company the right of way and subscription to the stock of
an Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company.

Mr. Kaufman, a member of the House, from Texas, died very suddenly on
the thirty-first of January. His funeral took place on the Monday
following, February 3d. Mr. Kaufman was born in Pennsylvania in 1813,
graduated in Princeton College in 1833, practiced law in Louisiana, and
removed to Texas in 1835.

The subject of most general interest in the political world is the
election of United States Senator, in a number of the States, for the
term commencing on the 4th of March. Several elections have taken place,
and others have not been accomplished in spite of repeated ballots. In
New-York, the Constitution provides for an election on the first
Wednesday of February. On that day the Whig candidate, ex-Governor
Hamilton Fish, received a majority of 37 in the House: the Senate, after
two ineffectual ballots, adjourned. A special law will therefore be
required to elect a senator. In Massachusetts, the Democratic candidate,
Robert Rantoul, Jr., was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by Mr.
Webster's acceptance of a place in the Cabinet. All attempts to elect a
senator for the ensuing term have failed up to this period. Mr. Sumner,
the Free Soil candidate, lacked but two votes of an election on the
twelfth ballot, but afterwards lost. It was finally postponed to the
twenty-seventh of February. In the Ohio Legislature, ten successive
ballots were cast without arriving at an election, after which the
subject was indefinitely postponed. In Rhode Island, General Charles T.
James, the Democratic candidate, was elected; in Florida, Stephen R.
Mallory, in place of Hon. D. L. Yulee, both Democrats; and in Delaware,
James A. Bayard, Democrat, in the place of Mr. Wales, the present Whig
senator. Hon. Henry Dodge was reelected by the Legislature of Wisconsin,
by a majority of one, on the fifth vote. In Pennsylvania, Hon. Richard
Brodhead was elected in place of Mr. Sturgeon, both membe