ikpnHtran.
VOLUMK 48. NUMBER 48.1
WBOI.E NUMBER 2494. j
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
WEEKLY GOSbIP AND REVIEW
Congress does not make much headway in the
transaction of business. Both branches adjourn
ed over Friday and Saturday, and the short daily
sessions of this week have been productive of
very litt'e besides ill temper. The Senate,
especially, is a perfect bear garden. There are
a few senators, notably Edmunds and Conkling,
who see in every move made a covert attack on
the administration and resist it accordingly?
A motion by Mr Trumbull to revive the joint
retrenchment commute, with full powers to look
after abuses in the various departments of the
government and to suggest reforms, has proved
the special red rag that has aroused the ire of
these White House bulls, and it took several cau
cuses, as well as an open session of the Senate, to
bring the matter to a conclusion in the nega
tive. The failure of the attempt to get this
committee is partially atoned for by resolu
tions that have passed the House, at the
suggestion of Mr Dawes and Mr Lynch of Me
ordering the several committees ol that branch,
framed especially to look after the executive
department of the government, to perform their
duties, as they have not done practically, for
many years. But these committees are likely to
have neither the disposition nor the ability to do
the work a.- fooraugblv as a special committee
with power t j send for persons and papers would,
and the attitude the Senate has placed itself in
upon the sub.; ct of reform is very pitiable. Mr
Boar of this state reported a bill on Wednesday,
providing for a commission to investigate and re
port on the whole subject of wages and labor,
and supported it in an admirable speech. The de
mocrats wore at first inclined to oppose, but the
commission is likely to be authorized by the
votes of both parties. The apportionment bill
has been the steady diet of the House during the
week, and is likely to pass in the form recom
mended by Mr Mercur, fixing the number of
members of the House at 280, in which case
Massachusetts will gain one, and few states will
lose any of their present representatives, unless
they deny a considerable number of persons the
right of suffrage, contrary to the provisions of
the fourteenth amendment. Gen Banks has re
ported a bili appropriating $250,000 for the
expenses of the Geneva conference, and it is
likely to be speedily passed, an attempt to have
it go through the appropriations committee
having failed. One appropriation bill is already
through the House, that appropriating $480,000
to supply the deficiencies for taking the census.
The eight-hour bill that passed the House
last week is still delayed in the
Senate, and no progress has been
made there with Mr Sumner's bills to smooth the
way to a return to specie payments, or to reform
the internal revenue service, the latter having
been introduced on Monday. It is now very evi
dent that, as usual, little real work will be done
before the holiday recess, which is to run from
December 21 to January 8. Senator Morton tried
to get a resolution through the Senate to finally
adjourn the session on the third Monday in May,
but-the independent and working senators prefer
to wait and see how business is disposed of
before fixing the day of adjournment. Thera are
but few changes in the Senate committees as
finally made up. Mr Cameron remains at the
head es the committee on foreign relations, and
Mr Sumner was made chairman of the commit
tee on privileges and elections, but has been re
lieved from serving at his own request.
The time is drawing near for the meeting
of the Massachusetts Legislature, and the
canvass for the offices at its disposal is get
ting lively. Probably Mr Coolidge will be re
elected president of the Senate, though Mr Rich
ardson of Lowell is also a prominent candidate,
and Mr Sanford of Taunton is now the most
prominent candidate for speaker of the House,
though there arc several contestants for the place,
among them Mr Cogswell of Yarmouth and Col
Wright of Boston. The disgruntled Butler men
are trying to defeat the re-election of Mr Robin
son as clerk of the House, but with no prospect
as yet of being successful. The veteran
clerk of the Senate and Sergeant-at-Arms Mor
rissey, are pretty sure to be re-elected.—The con
test for member of Congress in the ninth district,
to succeed Mr Washburn, is daily becoming hot
ter, and the convention to decide on the nomina
tion is called for next week Wednesday, at
Greenfield. Col Crocker of Fitchburg seems to
be the leading candidate from Worcester county,
and Hampshire county is eagerly pressing the
claims of two candidates, Mr H. G. Knight of
Easthampton, and ex-District Attorney Spauld
ing of Northampton. Owing to this division of
interest in Hampshire, we should judge that
Col Crocker stood the best chance of getting the
nomination. Mr Washburn has already re
signed his seat in Congress, to take effect Janu
ary 1, but the day for the election to fill the va
cancy, has not yet been designated.
New Hamsphire, which always leads off in the
spring elections, is already making preparations.
The democratic, prohibition and labor conven
tions have just been held, and the democrats have
renominated Gov Weston. The republicans have
not yet put their ticket in the field, but they
mean to have one which will carry the day at the
election in March —Things political are still very
much mixed up in Georgia. The republicans
have declined to nominate a candidate for gover
nor at the new election, and report says that Gov
Oinly relies upon aid from Washington to keep
him in place against the claims of any man the
democrats may choose. —The senatorial contest in
California is virtually decided, the republicans of
the Legislature having nominated Aaron A. Sar
gent to take the place of Mr Cole.
The woman suffrage convention held in Wash
ington last week by the Boston, or respectable
wing of the reform party, was voted a great suc
cess by everybody except Mrs Woodhull and her
special adherents, who, of course, found it dull.
The Woodhullists are to have a convention of
their own in the same city after Congress gets
back from the holiday recess.—The national
board of trade, which has been having a meeting
at St Louis, adjourned on Moilday after discuss-
fog many questionin' importance to the business
of the country and expressing its opinion on some
of .hem. It strikes us that 'he contraction of the
paper currency of the country at the rate of 8 pea
cent per annum, only, is a good deal slower con
traction than the country needs, if wo are to get
back to specie payments within any seasonable
time; but a national board of trade ought to
know.—The prosecution of the Tammany thieves
at New York makes little visible progress now,
but it is being pushed as fast as possible, perhaps.
—There is nothing of interest from Utah, this
week.—The trial of Mrs Wharton, the alleged
Baltimore poisoner, is still going on, and the
testimony of the prosecution bears hard upon the
prisoner, but perhaps she may yet be able to es
tablish her innocence.
Treasurer Spinner at Washington is shocked to
find two of his trusted clerks defaulters to a large
amount, and the prospect that there are many
more dishonest officials in the public service
makes the people in favor of full investigation,
if the administration senators are not.—The in
ternational society at New York bad made ar
rangements to parade last Sunday in honor of
Rossel, the young French patriot, but the pro
cession was forbidden by the police, and the
governor declined to interfere, as he did in
behalf of the Orangemen last summer.
But the internationalists have resolved to
parade next Sunday, at all events, with per
mission f they can get it, if not without.—The
Ocean National bank at New York has fallen into
bad odor on account of real or supposed connec
tion with Tweed, and has been forced to suspend
Several cotton firms in the same city, having sold
short before the recent rise, have been forced to
suspend.—Thore has been an unusually large
number of fires the past week, some of them
occasioning heavy losses. —The weather at the
West has moderated, and the snow blockade on
the railroads has been raised. But ho c severe
the cold has been may be judged by the story
that comes to us from NebrasKa, of the freezing
to death of 17 emigrants from one party.
The engrossing topic in foreign news, the past
week, has been the condition of the Prince of
Wales, who, after steadily improving for several
days, suffered a serious relapse on Thursday night
week, and has since 1 ain at the very point of death.
The latest dispatches, however, are a trifle more
encouraging; he slept during Wednesday night
and the graver symptoms of the disease were
somewhat abated on Thursday, so that the Eng
lish public, which had before given up ail hope
of his recovery, feels a little encouraged. —The
French National Assembly has resumed its sit
tings at Versailles, received President Thiers’s
message, which contains nothing especially sig
nificant, and bad several stormy debates, which
presage an exciting session.—The czar of Russia
has given the political gossips something to talk
about by a speech with which he accompanied a
toast to the Emperor William at a banquet, the
other day, and in which he expressed the hope
that the present friendly relations between Russia
and Germany might continue, as in them is to be
found the guarantee of peace to Europe. The
czar’s eldest son, however, has had an interrup
tion of friendly relations with the Ger
man embassador at St Petersburg, having
lost his temper in a private dispute with him on
Tuesday, and gone so far as to make a personal
assault upon the embassador, causing much ex
citement, of course.—The municipal elections
have been held in Spain, and resulted in repub
lican victories in a majority of cases.—The Paris
ians have been suffering from a cold snap of ex
traordinary vigor, the Seine having been frozen
over, the ground covered with snow and the
thermometer down nearly to zero.—The observ
ers sent from England and some continental
countries to the southern hemisphere, to observe
the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, telegraph
that they were very successful, most satisfactory
and interesting observations having been made.
There is important news from Cuba, that the
insurgents, aside from the negroes, are willing to
return to their allegiance to Spain. There is
nothing very improbable in this, but there will
have to be confirmatory evidence before it is ful
ly believed.—Things in Mexico are “as they
were.’’ What with open enemies and traitors
among his professed friends, the chances of Juar
ez continuing in power much longer are not very
brilliant.
ThejGrand Duke Alexis was so much pleased
with his visit to Boston that he prolonged his
stay there till Thursday night. The heavy fes
tivities attending his reception were all over by
Sunday night, and since he has been enjoying
himself after his own fashion, and getting a truer
view of American life than would be possible
wiiile he remained in the hands of a reception
committee. —Mayor Gaston was re-elected at the
municipal election in Boston on Monday, though
the city government is republican in both
branches. Several other cities in the state also held
their elections on Monday, with results elsewhere
stated.—The weather has been appropriate to
winter in temperature, but there is no sleighing
yet. A few inches of snow fell Wednesday night,
but it soon melted away again.—A week from
Monday is Christmas, and New Years follows a
week later. Our merchants have made ample
preparations for the holiday season, and prrdmt
people have already begun to purchase their
presents.
POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
The correspondent of the Tribune asserts that
the senatorial petition to Mr Fish to remain in
office, to which he has graciously acceded, arose
from the opposition that Mr Conkling and several
other senators have to Judge Edwards Pierre
pnnt, who would surely have been offered the
place had Mr Fish persisted in his intention to
retire. But it seems that Judge Pierrepont was
not Gen Grant’s first choice for the place, for the
same correspondent says a present member of
Gen Grant’s cabinet, whose appointment would
have caused more surprise than any which the
president has vet made, was offered the place,
and replied that “pecuniarily he could not afford
‘to accept the position anv better than, politically,
‘the president could afford to appoint him."
Another man to whom f be place has been offered,
at least informally, is George William Curtis, and
now Secretary Boutwell’s name, is mentioned.
There are still some reasons to believe a change
will be made as soon as the “right man” can be
found to succeed Mr Fish.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1871.
The latest report about cabinet changes kt
Washington is that Socretarv Robeson may lie
allowed to make a wedding trip at the public ex
pense by being appointed minister to tome for
eign country; and that Attorney General Aker
man really will retire within a few wteks, all re
ports to the contrary notwithstanding, and will
be given a district judgeship, or some such Hie
appointment. Ex-Senator George H. Williams
of Oregon is mentioned for the vacancy, as he
has been for almost every cabinet position sinc-j
the present administration came into power, and
there is no doubt he would make an excellent
cabinet officer, and that his appointment would
bn pleasing to the Pacific coast. But. because we
think it of more importance that the South should
be represented in the cabinet than that the Pa
cific states should be, we are glad to see’Jtbat
there is talk of promoting Gen B. H. Bristow,
the present solicitor general, who has really done
a large share of the work of the attorney gen
eral's office since Mr Akerman's incumbrency.
Gen Bristow made a very honorable record in
the war, has been a member of the Senate in
Kentucky, the state from which he bails, and
is an honest man, besides being a thoroughly
competent lawyer; indeed, he is said to have won
from J edge Hoar special praise as one of the best
prosecuting officers in the country. He has
fairly earned promotion, and the president could
hardly do better, and might do much worse,
than to make him attorney general.
The Georgia Legislature has passed a bill pro
viding for the raising of a committee of three,
with full powers, to investigate the indebtedness
of the state Tbi« committee is to meet in At
lanta, March 1.1872, and to remain in session j
not more than 60 days. In that time, it is to find j
out how many state bonds have been issued:'
what is their aggregate amount; by whom and
for what purpose they have been negotiated; how j
much money has been paid for them; wneu and j
to whom the payments have been made;—in
short, the committee is to ascertain all the facts
end report to the Legislature at the next session.
All persons holding state bonds of a later dae
than July, 1868, are required to report them to
the committee for registration before the Ist of
April. Failure to report is made prima facie evi
dence of fraud. The state treasurer is forbidden
to nay interest on bonds issued since July 4,
1868. pending this investigation, and it is distinct
ly provided that nothing in the act shall be con
strued as pledging the state to pay any bonds
which after registration may turn out to have
been Illegally or fraudulently issued. That is to
say, the committee’s work is’ purely preliminary,
and determines nothing, one way or the other,
upon the question of payment. That question
the L°gislature reserves for its own considera
tion, after it shall he put in possession of all the
facts. The Savannah Republican says that the
democratic majority have made up their minds
to two things. All the honest debts of the state
are to be paid, and all fraudulent ones are to be
repudiated.
The board of aidermen w r n
or misgovern, Chicago, last year, gained about
as bad a reputation for downright rascality and
corruntion as any city officials in the country,
outside of Tammany, but we bad indulged the
hope that the new men who came into office with
Mayor Medili, on the “fire proof ticket.’’ would
prove of a somewhat different stamp. The pres
ent outlook, however, is not at all calculated to
strengthen that hope, and, unless a full investi
gation shall show that the new board has been
grossly traduced, wo shall bo forced to believe
that, in the matter of aidermen, Chicago has
only exchanged bad for worse. It is asserted by
several journals of the city tbatseveral, if not all,
of the persons appointed to office by the common
council, Monday night, were approached by cer
tain aidermen, and required to give a money
consideration to secure their success. Several
unsuccessful candidates make a public statement
declaring their willingness to make affidavits of
the fact that money was demanded of them by
aidermen, and that, on their declining to give it,
they were emphatically told that they could not
have the places. The press of the city demands
an investigation of these stories, and, if the as
sertions are substantiated, it is to be hoped there
is virtue enough left in Chicago to make exam
ples of the offenders.
The contest which has been going on at Sacra
mento, the last few days, for the republican
nomination for United States senator to succeed
Mr Colo, has ended in a victory for Aaron A
Sargent, who received 54 votes in 'the caucus, to
13 for Mr Cole and five for all others. Mr Sar
gent is a native of Massachusetts, having been
born at Newburyport in 1827, but emigrated to
California in 1849, whore he studied law and was
admitted to the bar in 1854. Ho was elected
representative to the 37th Congress, and after
ward to the 41st Congress. He was ro-electcd at
the September election, and, as Mr Cole holds his
serf till March 3,1873, will be able to servo out
his term in the House before bis promotion to the
Senate.
The Hartford Courant inquires very propcrl
if somebody will not offer a resolution in Con
gross to right the wrongs to Admiral Farragut's
memory, and then it relates some of these
wrongs, which have not been made public before.
It says that, after the official funeral of Admiral
Farragut at Portsmouth, ordered by telegraph
from the navy department, it was found that a
stature forbids paying funeral expenses, and
Mrs Farragut was obliged to pav over SIO6O of
expenses, among them SIOO for the expenses
of the band from the receiving ship Ohio, and
almost all resulting simply from the fact that
the government took charge of the funeral.
Another thing, Mrs Farragut obtains no pension,
because the admiral, after all his great services,
and though he was not on the retired list, was
not on any official duty at the time of his death.
Mrs Farragut may not absolutely need the
pension, but that is no reason why she should
not have it; and as to the failure of the govern
ment to pay the expenses of the funeral it had
ordered, —and a very meager one it was,—on ac
count of a technical objection.it is simply in
decent. We| second the call of the Courant
upon Congress for legislation that shall show that
the people and their representatives appreciate
the services of Admiral Farragut, and which
shall atone as far as may be for the neglect that
he and his memory have suffered at the hands of
the present administration.
We should have thought it a public misfortune
if Judge Kelley had got the place lie wanted, and
which Pennsylvania and Pig Iron wanted for
him. But we see nothing to regret or find fault
with in his appointment to the head of the select
committee on the reorganization of the civil ser
vice. That is a place in which be can be of great
service to the country. Judge Kelley is the man
who wrote, March 8, 1870, to his constituents:
If the acceptance of a renomination is to be
‘understood as implying a willingness on my part
‘to be longer regarded as an employment agent,
‘I must beg leave to decline the honor, gratified
‘as I would be to receive it freed from this condi
‘tion, and tendered in so complimentary a man
'aer.” It is matter of record that he asked the
nominating convention to pass a resolution de
nouncing the interference of members of Con
gress in the selection of subordinate employes
‘in the public oflices and workshops.” These an
tecedents give us great hope of the judge in his
new position. He has now u grand chance to
bring the country into his debt. We shall be
both disappointed and grieved if he fails to im
prove it.
William M. Evarts and Caleb Cushing, two of
the counsel of the United States at the Geneva
conference, deny that they have made any com
plaint about Bancroft Davis’s preparation of the
case for this government, but, on the contrary, as
sert that they are highly pleased with it. Nor do
they fear that prejudice will come to the Ameri
can side of the question from the selection of
counsel not having been completed earlier
than it was. We are glad Messrs Evarts and
Cushing are able to make this s’atereent, whica
is prompted. tbev say, by a consideration of what
11 due to Mr Deris, already absent from tb<
the country in discharge of his duties as agent
under the treaty, a» well as the manifest pro
priety of united counsels In the conduct of this
matter, so Important to the interest and feelings
of the whole people of the country.
Mr Dudley Field, counsel for Gould, Fisk, and
the Erie ring generally, is a very confiding man,
and his belief in the immaculateness of bis
profitable clients is very pleasing, not to say
touching. He don’t believe that anybody tarn
pered with the jury in the late gold case, but if
there did, he is equally sure the persons wbo of
fered bribes were not emissaries of Fisk and
Gould, but enemies of these gentlemen, indeed,
ho has “affidavits” from both to show that
neither of them approached any member of the
j nrv, or authorized any one to do so Of course,
if Mr Field is armei with an “offl iavit,” there
is nothing more to be said. Everybody who has
eyes is a witness that James and Jay will steal,
but they would not lie; oh, no.
The woman suffrage convention at Wash
ington, last week, passed resolutions pray
ing for a constitutional amendment abol
ishing the political disabilities of their sex.
I The resolutions demand such an amend
i ment as a right due to women as citizens and
■ax payers, declare that it would promote the
public welfare and private morality, and request
Congress to establish it in the District of Colum
bia and the territories. The resolutions also ex
press the hope that the supreme court will decide
doubtful points of constitutional law in favor ol
i the legal and political equality of the sexes, and
j call upon republicans and democrats to support
the movement Among the speakers were Julia
Ward Howe, Henry C- Blackwell, Rev MrHinck-
I ley, Mary 4 L'vermore, Elizabeth R. Churchill
i and Ada Bowles.
Newton Booth was inaugurated governor of
California at San Francisco on Friday. Ex Gov
Haight participated in all the ceremonies. His In
augural address takes strong grounds in favor of
legislative action reducing and regulating fares
on the Pacific railroad. It also favors the repeal
of the law permitting county subsidies of 5 per
cent to railroads, the admission of colored child
ren to the public schools, and Congressional ac
tion to restrain Chinese immigration, but giving
the Chinese full protection against mob violence,
and permitting them to testily in the courts.
The Sanate confirmed the following nomina
tions, Monday; Frederick Watts of Pennsylvania,
as commissioner of agriculture; Francis A. Walk
er of Massachusetts, commissioner of Indian af
fairs; David M. Armstrong of New York, consul
general at Rome; also the following consuls
James L Graham, Jr. of New York, at Florence,
Matthew McDougal of New York, at Dundee, and
Josiah M. Lucas of Illinois, at Chee Foo; Charles
Chesney, solicitor of internal revenue; Eugene A.
Fiske of Massachusetts, principal clerk of private
land claims in the general laud office; William
McMichael of Philadelphia, assistant attorney
general of the United States; George S Bates.
United States attorney for Utaa; Edward R
Rowe, United States marshal tor southern Lli
nois; Joseph W. Fisher, chief justice of Wyom
ing; James McKearns, United Slate? marshal lor
eastern Pennsylvania; James Neville, United
States attorney for Nebraska; George Anderson,
United Slates attorney for eastern Tennessee;
William Spence, United States marshal for mid
die Tennessee; David B. Johnson, Jr., associate
justice of the supreme court of New Mexico;
Lewis H Douglass, son of Fred Douglass, mem
ber of the Legislative Assembly of the District of
Columbia; and the following postmasters—Em
erson A. Hough at Collinsville, Ct., William J.
Stuart at Norfolk, Mass and Charles W. God
dard, at Portland, Me.
Here is a little item of news which some of the
younger members of the Massachusetts medical
society mar profitably read and "make a note
of.” Dr J. L Curtis is a practicing physician in
Elba, New York. He has been repeatedly asked
to join the Genesee county medical society, but
until quite lately he has declined to do so, prefer
ring to tight disease entirely on bis own hook.
He has some original theories which he carries
out in his practice, and a year or two ago he
found that reports of a very injurious character
were in circulation. It was being whispered
about that he was a quack, had no education,
and couldn’t get into the medical society cu that
account. He thereupon applied to the society for
admission. His application was rejected. He
I brought suit, and the supreme court of New
York, after examining his diploma and other
proofs of competency to practice medicine, has
ordered the society to reverse its action and ad
mit him to membership. The bearing of this lit
tl jhistcry lies in the application of it.
I Senator Morton is trying again for the republi
can nomination for governor of Indiana, his
I chief competitor being cx-Cocgressman God-
I love S. Orth. It is thought ihat Mortoa
wants the place merely as a stepping-stone
to aid his reelection to the Senate, and
the democratic papers accuse him not only of
being the leader of the Indianapolis “ring, but
charge that relatives for whom lie has procured
i lucrative offices are public peculators, and that
i Morton himself has used bis influence in the Sen
ate foreign committee and with the administra
tion to get this government to take up the claim
of “Gen” Sturm against Mexico, a claim in
which it is said, even, that Morton has a personal
Interest. The reputation that Senator Morion
gained as the war governor of Indiana has been
on the wane for some time, and will soon be dis
sipated entirely, at the rate things are now going.
According to a report from the census office
made to Congress on Monday, there are in the
states and territories 8,433,475 male citizens over
21 years of age. of whom 48,329 are deprived of
the right of suffrage for cau.es other than crime
or rebellion. The'figures in five of the New Eng
land states are given in the following table
Defrived
I Male citizens, oi suffrage.
Maine, 153,160 849
New Hampshire, 63,361 689
Vermont, 74 867 Jo"
Missachusctrs, 319,770 1.249
Rhode Island, 43,996 2,885
New York has 983,255 voters, and only 469
male citizens deprived of suffrage for the causes
specified. Il thus appears that Rhode Island,
with less than 44,000 who might be voters, ex
cludes almost exactly as many as the four north
ern New England states, with nearly 625,000 who
might be voters.
The national executive committee of the Union
league of America met at Philadelphia on
Wednesday. An able discourse was delivered by
Gov Geary of Pennsylvania, in which he particu
larly warned the republican party against the
passive policy now proclaimed by the democrats,
and denounced it as a snare. The national offi
cers were re elected for next year, and a series of
resolutions was adopted heartily endorsing the
administration of Gen Grant and pledging the
Union league to sustain the republican nominee,
whoever he may be, lyr president in 1872.
William L Proctor, republican, was re-elected
mayor of Ogdensburg, N. Y., on Wednesday.
MISCKLLANEO Vb.
We do not see why there was not just as much
ground for Gov Hoffman's revoking the order
of the New York police forbidding the procession
of the International society on Sunday, as for his
revoking a similar order forbidding the parade
of the Orangemen last July, but in reply u> an
appeal made to him, he replied through his pri
vate secretary that "the law places the whole
‘matter in the hands of the police authorities,”
and declined to interfere. The reason given by
the police commissioners for forbidding the pro
cession was that it would disturb church-goers
and church services; but parades of milttarv
companies and Masonic bodies, attended by mill
tary bands, as the) generally are, do this, and w»
have never known that a military or Masonic fu
neral has been forbidteu on Sunday in New
York. Clearly some new understanding or rule
is needed about this matter of procession- 1 Al!
citizens ought to have equal rights, and if the re
cent action in New York indicates that rhe privi
lege of parade is to be much more limited than it
has been, the majority of citiz-ns will greatly re
joice. But everybody ought to be served alike,
and the decision about any contemplated proces
sion should be made on well esablished grounds,
and not rest on the whim of any man, or body of
men.
Frederick A. M trden, chief of the division of
accounts in the United States treasury at Wash
ington, last arrested for embezzling 412,000, is a
Boston man, formerly a merchant in that city,
and was recommended by Cangressman Gooch
Seth Johnson, a clerk in the cash room of the
same establishment, whose cosh is S4O 000 or
850,000 short, is from Mohawk, N. Y, and has
been in the treasury for eight years. Both these
men possessed to the fullest extent the confidence
of Treasurer Spinner, and Marden was one of the
treasury agents sent to Europe on the syndi
cate business. Whether the two defaulters were
in co'lusion or not does not seem to be known
certainly, but probably they were. Mr Spinner
is personally responsible for the amount of the
defalcations, but Congress will probably pass a
bill assuming the loss. Indeed, Mr Sp nncr has
nor property enough to make it good even if
if he should give up everything. But we Rare
say he will keep a closer watch over his clerks
hereafter. At any rate he ought to.
Vre have already mentioned the disagreement
of the jury in the case of Weldon, McGiff and
Shauiey,—the Brooklyn inspectors and can
vassers who are charged with false counting and
ballot-box Stuffing at the recent election. linow
turns out that the jurors stood eleven for con
viction and one for acquittal; and, further, this
twelfth man told the others immediately alter
they went out and before there had been any
discussion, that he “had made up his mind, and
‘would not agree with the rest under any circum
‘staaces.” The foreman reported this language
to the court, and the jury were finally discharged
at midnight when it became quite evident that
the man meant what be said. The district at
torney expressed himself as satisfied that corrupt
inliuenees had been at work. The obstinate jury
man, one John O'Neil, attempted a reply, but
was promptly shut up by the court. The evidence
against Weldon and his associates is overwhelm
ing, and they have been held tor re-trial under
increased bail.
A dispatch received at London on Wednesday
be the telegraph line of southern India and the
Red sea cable announces a successful observation
f ths total ecliuse of the sun in the southern
hemisphere on Monday. The party of observers
consisted of Mr Newman Lockyer, the astronom
ical writer; J. P Mac Lean, R N CaptTupman,
H. N. Moreley, R G. Friswell, W. J. Lewis and
Rev ii. Abbay. At Suez, on the outward path of
the party, Signor Respighi, the distinguished
Italian asttonmne r, joined the expedition; where,
also, it was joined by M Janusen, the distin
guished French savant. The photographs of the
corona obtained are reported as perfect, and the
result must be conclusive of several points re
garded by modern astronomers as needing more
thorough demonstration.—A dispatch from Jaffa,
Ceylon, reports that most satisfactory and inter
esting observations were taken of the eclipse mere.
The Erie railway company restored 50,000 shares
of Erie stock claimed by the English bondhok
ers, Wednesday afternoon. The certificates were
handed to Commissioner White, who transferred
them to the counsel for toe claimants. The re
maining 10,650 shares are claimed by Gould and
Fisk as their personal property, and are still held
subject to the referee's decision as to ownership.
At a meeting of the Erie stockholders, this after
noon, W. B. Clarke, president of the New Y'ork
s.ock exchange, Reuben Manley and A. D. Wil
liams were appointed a committee to confer with
the Am rican stockholders opposed to the pres
ent management of the road. Jolin Swan was
present on behalf cl’ the English shareholders.
A future meeting is to be called.
A gentleman who arrived at Kansas City, Mo.,
on Saturday, informed the Times that on the
Sunday previous a terrible affair occurred in Sa
line county, Neb. A party of emigrants were
passing through the county westward, when, the
i cold constantly increasing, they concluded to en-
I camp. Tney were on a piece of high prairie,
I several miles Irom any house, but three miles
from them was a piece of timber land. After un
hitching their teams the men started to procure
I fuel. Not returning for several hours, the women
j left the children arid started to hunt them up.
Ine next day the bodies of 17 persons who had
I perished from the intense cold were found. The
i children left in the wagons were the only sur
j t Ivors.
The Ocean national bank at New York sus
pended Tuesday morning. It appears by the
weekly statements made to the clearing house,
that the institution has been running below the
legal reserves tor some time. The bank was se
riously crippled by the robbery ci' its vaults June
27,1869, when about $100,600 of securities were
I taken, and depositors have lost confidence in its
i management, because William M. Tweed and
Cornelius Corson were among its directors. S G.
Davis has been appointed receiver. llr Collen-
I der, the bank examiner, reports that the bank
has ample assets, and will pay all its liabilities
The motion for a new trial in the case cf Dr A.
R Mediicott, who was recently convicted of the
murder of Dr I. N. Ruth at Lawrence, Kan., last
spring, was overruled on Saturdav, and he was
sentenced to be hanged January 26. A bill of
I exceptions was filed by his counsel, and the case
will go to the supreme court, which meets early
in January. The general impression among
lawyers Is that the supreme court will grant a
new trial.
The explosion of a coal oil lamp caused a fire
on Sunday night in a dwelling on Perth street,
Philadelphia, in which the body of a man, who
died of small pox, was consumed. A mother and
three children were turned out of the house, and
the neighbors refused them shelter for fear of the
small-pox. They were subsequently conveyed to
the station house.
The rolling mill ofMeKnight Co., at Blr
mingham, Pa., was burned on Friday morning.
Toe loss on the machinery was $60,006, on the
building $25,000, and on the stock $23.000 —total
SIOB,OOO, insured for $70,000.
The entire east side of the public square of
Rockrille, the shire town of Park county, Ind
was totally destroyed by fire, on Friday night;
the losses were as follows: W. H. Harding $35,-
000, insured for $25,000; Bates Browning
SIO,OOO. insured for S800O; smaller losses S6OOO,
insured for S3OOO.
Murphy Lockhart's buildings at Jefferson
ville, Tex., were burned on Wednesday morning.
The following is a list of the sufferers: Murphy
Co., Finlastel Co., V. L. Lewis, Jackson i
Dresden, S Higbee, H. J. Ablowitcb, Crawford
Crawford, Lockhart Co., J. Bruckmann, H.
B. Orton and Boney Brooks. The estimated
loss is SIOO,OOO, and the insurance $56,000.,
Edward Cooper, who was formerly connected
with the Brooklyn Union, is now one of the most
enthusiastic pioneers in Greeley, Col. Both he
and his sou are crack marksmen, and the other
day shot six antelopes, five prairie dogs and
numerous rabbits, before breaklast.
The buildings of the Franklin manufacturing
companv on Mill street, Paterson, N. J., were
burned on Wednesday morning; loss 5150,000,
large ly insured in New York city anti Hartford
companies.
The trial of Madame Ann E. Byrnes at New
York, Tue-day, for causing the death of
Marv Russell by abortion, last August, was con-
PRICF.: fl VP. CKMIS
•XOO PKK YKAB
cluded to day, and resulted in her conviction and
sentence to seven years in the state prison.
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
chubch aim ministry.
Rev John M. Chapin of this dty will he or
dained and installed pastor of the Congregational
church in West Springfield, next June.—Bev
H. M Grout, formerly pastor of the Congrega
tional church in West Springfield, has taken an
editorial position upon the Boston Congregatiow
allst.—Rev George W. Phillips will be installed
over the Plymouth C mgregation&l church m
Worcester, the 28th of this month.—Rev B. F.
Manwell of the Blandford Congregational church
has gone tn Nebraska—Rev Mr Howe, rector of
the Milford Episcopal church, has resigned in
const qnence ot inability to find a suitable resi
lience for his family.—Rev P. S. Boyd cf Shel
burne Fails has accented a call to Amesbury
Rev Percy Brown of Philadelphia has accented a
call to St James Episcopal church at Boston
Highlands —Rsv James Powell ot the Newbury
port North Congregational church has declined a
call to a San Francisco Congregational church,
at a salary of SIOOO in g< id and cis traveling ex
penses.—Rev Mr Fairnanks has been called a
second time to the C mgregational church in
Ayer, At a salary of SI2OO, the first call at SIOOO
being dcclirri —Rev Taomae J Mumford of the
Dorchester Unitarian church has resigned, and
after January will become editcr-tn chief of the
Christian Register.—Rev C. C. Watson has been
installed over the Congregational church at Hins
dale, N. H —Fifteen members of the Congrega
tional church at Man-Heid Center, Ct, have died
in the past three years, whose aggregate ages
were 1163 years, an average of nearly 80.—The
Methoditt church at Snrlevville, C:., has been
holding a revival, and from 30 to 49 conversions
are reported —A revival is also in progress at the
Waterbury, C’., Methodist church.—Rsv Edward
Hungerford of Brooklyn, N Y., has r ier called
to the Center church of Meriden, Ct —Prof John
son of Trinity college, Hanford, has been called
to the rectorship of Trinity church in the same
place, at a salary of s2ooo.—Rev J. Logan Tom
linson has been installed over the G ngregational
church at Simsbury, Ct —Rev Mr Breckenridge
ol Birmingham. Ct, has accepted a call to Mid
dletown, Ct.—Rev George T. Dowling has been
installed over the Third Baptist church at Provi
dence, R I —Rev Sabin T. Goodell was ordained
at Provideree, R 1., a Rw days since, as mis
sionary to Burmaa.—Rev N. L. Colielt of Prince
ton seminary has been called to the pastorate of
rhe Presbyterian church at Alien*-wn, Pa—Rev
J. P. Foster of Syracuse, N. Y., has accepted a
cail to the Calvary church at Homer. N. Y.—Rev
Robert Nevin, son of Rev Dr J. W. Nevin of
Lancaster, Pa., has sailed lor Rome, where he
will become pastor of the American Episcopal
church.
Rev J. S. Batchelder was installed over the
Congregational church at Web*ter on Wednes
day.—itev Mr Tolman, who has been supplying
the Congregational church in Lenox, has received
a call mere, at a salary of *I3OO and nse of par
sonage Rev Nelson Scott has accepted a cad to
the Congregational chorea at Las: Granville.—
Rev Edward Humphreys, of tueßaptist church at
Granville Corners, has resigned on account of
ill-health and removed to Amherst —R»v Dr
C W. Annable of the old Cambridge Baptist
church hi s sem in cis resignation, to take effect
March 1 —Rev D. W. Waldron has been called to
the Maverick Congregational church In East Bos
ton —Mary H. Graves was ordained pastor of
the Unitarian church in Mansfield on the 14th.—
Tne church at Miliord has reiused to accept the
resignation of Rsv S. C. Kendall, its pastor, but
will give him a six mentns’ vacation instead
Rev S. D. Hosmer has resigned the pastorate of
the Congregational church in Nantucset.—Meet
ings have been started on Tuckernuck, a small
isiand adjacent Nantucket, and four conversions
are reported m a population not exceeding 40.—
Rev Robert Southgate has accepted a can to the
Congregational church at Wlrite River Village,
Vt.—Prof George N. Webber will supply for the
present the First Congregational church at St
Albans, Vt.—Rev James C. Houghton of Bur
lington, Vt., is preaching for the Congrega
tional church at Brownington, Vt.—Rev A. A.
Smith has been called to the Congregational
church at Irasburg, Vt.—Rev F. E. M. Batchel
der is engaged to supply the church at Day
ville, Ct., for one year.—Rev Mr Underwood of
Scotland, Ct., has resigned.—Rev Merrick Knight
oi' tae Rocky Hill ,Ct.) Congregational church
has sent in ais rtsignaiion, to take iffset April 1.
CANADA PRESBYTERIES.
It is propose.! to unite all the Presbyterian
bodies in this country under a general same,
and with that object a conference was held in
Montreal a short time since, at which it was de
cided that the negotiating churches shall enter
into union with the theological and literary in
stitutions which they now have, namely: Queen’s
college, Kingstcn; Knox college, Toronto; tue
Presbyterian college, Montreal; Morrin college,
Quebec, and Theological hall, Halifax. The in
i tention is to endow all the institutions, an effort
to that end having been made some time since by
what is exiled the Canada Presbyterian church,
the sum to be raised being $230,009. A similar
I course has been adopted by the church of Scot
land toward Queen's college. The proposition
meets with much favor, and is almost certain to
be successful. The Presbyterians are numerous
in Ontario, and, in so far as they are concerned,
the scheme of union will be carried into effect;
but, although legislation may ba obtained in the
next session of Parliament, it is rot probable
that the scheme can be fully carried out in less
than three years, that being the time limited for
the eudownment of the colleges.
MISCELLANEOUS.
We are not sure but colored evangelists ate
better fitted for their peculiar work than their
white co-workers; at any rate. Rev Mr Corey,
principal of the Colver institute for freedmen at
Richmond, Va, makes an exhibit which but few
white seminaries can equal. He says Fifteen of
our young men, missionaries in this state, have,
during the vacation, preached 916 sermons, or
ganized 10 churches, and report 1559 baptisms.
Twelve of these men have contributed SSOO from
their earnings toward the repairs of our school
building. Mv students s’and by me nobly.
The new church at Blsckinton (Adams) was
lately dedicated: Prof Tatlock of Pittsfield
preached the dedicatory sermon. He was the
first clergyman who preached at Blackinton
regularly, about tweutv vears ago. The text was
from Ist Samuel. 12:34, "Consider bow great
things He bath done for you.” Prof Griffin of
Williamstown, Prof Perry of Williams college,
and Kev Mr Bachekior of Pownal, Vt, took part
in the exercises. This church is the free gilt of
Sanford Blackinton. of Blsckinton, and is 44
by 66 feet on the ground, with a spire 114 feet in
h’ight. The belfry contains a bell weighing 700
pounds, and bears the following inscription;
"This is consecrated to the service of Almighty
God It is presented with this church, by San
ford Blackinton, to the people of this village, for
their free use forever. Blackinton, November,
1871.’’ The church contains 60 pews. 58 of which
reined for an aggregate of SBOO. There is no
regularly organiz d church at Blackinton, all da
nominations worshiping together.
Tie spirit of non resistance is spreading to
other sects than the Shakers and Quakers. Fven
the Baptists, who have been hitaerto a prom
inent bram h of the church militant, hate now a
representati >n among the meek Christians, -tie
--rct or m ciiScation cf a sect has its origin in
Ohio and comprises about 60 member* who will
not bring any lawsuit nor pay any attentim to
anv which may bo brought agaixist them. Taoir
motto is to “let the world weg s;s it win.'