March 5, 1861; The New York Herald
Yesterday was a great day in Washington, the occasion being the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, and the retirement of his predecessor, James Buchanan. On another page we give a full account of all the proceedings of the day from early dawn–the military and civic display, the precautions against attack, the scenes at the capital, inaugural address and cermemonies, installation of Vice President Hamlin and closing scenes of the Thirty sixth Congress, and a variety of other interesting matter pertaining to the event.
The Thirty sixth Congress of the United States came to a termination at noon yesterday. The Senate continued its Sunday night’s session through to nine o’clock yesterday morning when it took a recess for one hour, reassembling again at then. The debate of Sunday night on the motion to adopt the Corwin resolution, as it passed the House, was continued, and after different proposed amendments had been voted on and defeated, the original resolution was finally adopted by 24 yeas to 12 nays. A vote was then taken on the Crittenden resolutions, and they failed by 19 yeas to 20 nays. Several reports were then made to the Senate, and the joint resolution correcting clerical errors in the Tariff bill passed. At twelve o’clock Vice President Breckinridge made his farewell address, after which Mr. Hamlin took the oath as the new Vice President, and the Senate was declared adjourned sine die. Vice President Hamlin then took the chair, and the proclamation of the extra session was read.
The House met at ten o’clock yesterday. Great excitement and confusion prevailed, and, as usual in the hurry incident to the closing of a session, many bills were rushed through, and much business hastily transacted, but nothing of a very important nature. At twelve o’clock Speaker Pennington delivered his closing address to the members, and pronounced the final adjournment of the House of Representatives of the Thirty sixth Congress.
It appears, according to our advices from the national capital, that Lord Lyons, the British Minister, has notified the government at Washington that his government will not recognize merely a proclamation of the blockade of the Southern ports on the part of Mr. Lincoln’s administration, but that a blockade, to be considered such, must be effectual. It is stated, too, that the French government, also , will soon give similar official notification, and that this course will probably be followed by all the leading European Powers having commercial interests at stake.
In the Louisiana State convention yesterday a resolution was passed to unite today in a public reception to General Twiggs, late commander of the Department of Texas under the government of the United States, and inviting him to a seat on the floor of the Convention. A resolution was introduced in the Convention instructing the Louisiana delegates in the Southern Congress not to cede any of the public domain to the confederation.