ANDERSON C. H., S. C.
THURSDAY MORNING FEB 1, 1872.
tS9* Mr. Wilkes has introduced a bill to in?
corporate the town of Townville, in the county
of Anderson.
We return thanks to Geo. W. Childs,
Esq., proprietor of the Philadelphia Ledger, for
a copy of the "PuWie Ledger Almanac" for
1872^?3 valuable publication.
We are indebted to the committee of
ladies for an invitation to attend a Fair and
-cold collation for the benefit of Shiloh Church,
.to be given at the residence of E. J. Earle, Esq.,
van Wednesday, February 14th.
rbnm ? * ? ?
sl^^j?" We have received a call from Mr. N.'
Tbrter, traveling agent of the Charleston
.DaUy Newa, who is on a tour through the upper
part of the State, looking after the interests of
our valued cotemporary,
too -? ? -
' J?* We regret to learn the demise of Col.
Samuel Donnald, which occurred at his resi?
dence in Dona Ids vi lie on last Friday night,
fsk>m a stroke of paralysis. Col. Donnald was
a worthy citizen of Abbeville, and was known
to many of our readers.
In addition to the proposed new county
of> Washington, with the seat of government at
Honea Path, we notice that an effort is being
made in the Legislature for the establishment
of/ 'another county from portions of Edgefield,
Abbeville, Newberry and Laurens, to be kno^wn
fa'Nmety-Six, with the court house at the vil?
lage of that name.
0 'bS? It was stated last week that the price
?r^Mapes* Phosphate had again been reduced,
bat it seems that an error occurred in getting
cp the advertisement. The cash price in
Charleston is $45 per ton ; on time, $55. This
nr a reduction from last year, and places it
among the cheapest, as it has long been among
the most reliable fertilizers offered to the farm
mg community. Mr. C. A. Reed is the author?
ised, agent for Anderson County, and will be
pleased to give further information to those in?
terested. _^ ^_
Snow and Cold Weather.
1 A heavy snow fell in this vicinity on Thurs?
day night last, and was followed by another
snow on Friday night. The weather for the
oast three weeks has been unusually cold, and
altogether we have experienced the severest
winter known for many years.
JDO " ? ? * ?
Shipments of Cotton.
j We are indebted to O. H. P. Fant, Esq., the
accommodating Agent at this place, for the in?
formation that the shipments of cotton from
this" Depot, from Sept 1st, 1871, to January
SXjjh, 1872, inclusive, reached 5,700 bales. This
does not include cotton passing over the Blue
Ridge Railroad, and re-shipped at this point.
Homicide in Walhalla.
. JVfl are informed that a bloody rencontre
toolr place in Walhalla last Saturday night, in
a liquor saloon on Main street, between John
Petty and John Dale, resulting in the latter be?
ing shot in three or four places, from the effects
of- which he died on Monday afternoon. Both
were drinking characters, and a difficulty arose
between them several days before, terminating
fuoally as above stated. Petty was arrested and
lodged in jail.
Grand Chapter of Sooth Carolina.
The annual convocation of the Grand Royal
Arch Chapter of South Carolina will be holden
in the city of Charleston ocr Tuesday, 13th inst
Delegates will pass for one fare over the various
railroads, paying full face at the place of start?
ing, and returning upon the certificate of the
Grand Secretary. It is sincerely hoped that
there will be a general attendance, as business
of importance will be presented for considera?
tion.
? ? ??
The South Carolinian.
Col. J. P. Thomas has retired from the edi?
torial control of the Columbia Phoenix, and has
started a new daily paper in Columbia, under
the name of the South Carolinian. His con?
nection with the Phoenix was severed in conse?
quence of a refusal by the proprietor of that
paper to publish an editorial on the Blue Ridge
Railroad scheme. We are in receipt of several
numbers of the South Carolinian, in which Col.
Thomas is effectually using the weapons of
t ruth and vigilance against the corrupt State
government and its plundering officials. We
learn that a handsome list of subscribers to his
new journal has already been forwarded from
oar town, which is a substantial evidence that
the efforts of Col. Thomas are duly appreciated
in this community. We extend a cordial wel?
come to the South Carolinian, and trust its en?
ergetic and talented editor will receive a merit?
ed support from the people, whose cause he has
espoused, and whose best interests will be stren?
uously advocated by his able pen.
The Court.
At the tune we went to press last week, the
CTrenh Court was engaged upon criminal busi?
ness, but on Thursday mormng the petit juries
were discharged from further attendance du?
ring that week, and required to be present on
Monday last, when the Sessions business was
resumed. In the meantime, such cases as did
not require a jury were adjudicated.
On Monday morning, the most important
case upon the Sessions docket was called up.
The State r?. George W. Rankin, indicted for
keeping a public nuisance, will be long remem?
bered by the citizens of Anderson. Maj. Ran?
kin is the proprietor of a mill upon Three-and
Twenty Creek, in the northern portion of this
County, and it is alleged in the indictment that
his mill-dam has created a vast deal of sick?
ness in the neighborhood. It is a matter of |
fact that the vicinage was unusually sickly the
past season, scores of persons suffering from
chills and fever, and bilious fevers. A large
amount of testimony has been introduced on
both sides, and at this writing (Wednesday
afternoon) witnesses are still being examined.
Tha case will occupy at least one day longer.
The Solicitor is assisted by Messrs. Reed &
Brown for the prosecution, while the defence
is conducted by Messrs. McGowan & Moore, I
and Thomas Thompson, Esq., of Abbeville. j
Cumulative Voting.
The subject of minority or proportional rep?
resentation, which has been explained in these
columns at various times during the last several
years, is receiving a large share of attention
throughout the country. Our readers are aware
that the plan of cumulative voting, adopted in
Illinois and Pennsylvania, Becures to each po?
litical party a representation equivalent to its
strength, instead of the majority electing an
entire ticket and the minority electing none.
The application of this principle is sought to
be effected in Kansas, and a proposition to
adopt cumulative voting has been introduced
into the Wisconsin Legislature. The subject
has been frequently discussed in this State, and
last spring it was thought by many to be the
best panacea for our political woes it was possi?
ble to obtain, under existing circumstances.?
.We believe that proportional representation is
right and proper, and secures more uniformly
the voice of the people in administering public
affairs than any system of representation yet
devised. Senator. Cardoza, of Kershaw, pro?
poses to amend the Constitution of South Car?
olina, so as to adopt this principle in all elec
' tions hereafter, and for this purpose has intro?
duced thefollowingjoint resolution,\vh ich is now
npon the calendar of the Senate. Should this
resolution pass both Houses by the requisite
majority, the people will be called upon next
fall to pronounce their judgment upon the
question, which will be thoroughly discussed
in the coming campaign:
joint resolution proposing an amend?
MENT TO THE constitution of THE STATE
OF SOirTH carolina.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Repre?
sentatives of the State of South Carolina, (two
thirds of both Houses concurring,) That the
following Article be submitted to the qualified
electors of the State, at the next general elec?
tion for Representatives, as an amendment to
the Constitution of the State, which, if a ma?
jority of the electors qualified to vote for mem?
bers of the General Assembly, voting thereon,
shall vote in favor of such amendment, and
two-thirds of each branch of the next General
Assembly shall, after such an election, and be?
fore another, ratify the same, shall become part
of the Constitution, namely :
Article XVI.?To the end that the electors
of South Carolina may exercise their right of
suffrage freely and without undue constraint,
and may obtain for themselves complete repre?
sentation in the government of their affairs, the
plan of free or cumulative voting shall be law?
ful, and is hereby authorized, in all cases where
more persons than one are to be chosen or elec?
ted to the same office for the same time or term
of service; each voter duly qualified, shall be
entitled to as many votes as the number of per?
sons to be chosen, and may poll them for one
or more: of said persons in such ratio as he may
deem proper.
An Unusual Proceeding.
. The following preamble and resolution was
recently offered by Mr. Yocnm, who represents
Chester in the House of Representatives.
Thinking that its purpose was to reach news?
paper reporters, instead of which it was inten?
ded to develope the bribery by which the Gov?
ernor defeated the impeachment resolution be?
fore the recess, the members generally voted
for its immediate consideration and adoption.
Under the resolution, the speaker appointed
three members to investigate the alleged defa?
mations of character, and the committee began
to work in earnest. The facts of the case be?
coming known to the friends of Gov. Scott,
it was determined to squelch the whole busi?
ness, and on Friday last one of the Executive
henchmen moved that the aforesaid committee
i be discharged without a report This motion
was immediately resisted by the opposition,
! but their efforts again proved futile, and the
j motion was adopted and the committee dis?
charged. The chairman, Mr. Yocum, says that
he has information, which he threatens to make
public, and which would no doubt affix the
guilt of bribery upon his Excellency and his
satellites. We trust that he will be induced to
furnish the press with all the facts in his pos?
session :
Whereas, certain defamatory statements have
appeared in the columns of the New York Sun,
of December last, purporting to emanate from
the regular correspondent of that journal in
Columbia, who occupies a seat at the reporter's
table, corroborated, subsequcntlv, by an almost
similar statement from the Washington corres?
pondent of the New York Herald, as constitu?
ting the result of an interview with a member
of this Legislature, which said statement, to?
gether with others, have been most extensively
copied throughout the Union, and more gene?
rally by the press of South Carolina, in which
it is charged that undue influences were em?
ployed in certain proceedings upon the floor
of this House ; ana whereas said statements
materially affect the Speaker of the House and
others, and are calculated to prejudice the
party interests representiug the majority of
this Legislature:
Be it Resolved, That a committee of three
members of this House be appointed by the
Speaker to enquire into the facts connected
with all such allegations, and report the same
at the earliest possible moment?said commit?
tee to have power to send for persons and pa?
pers. _
The Democratic Programme.
It is understood that the National Democrat?
ic Executive Committee will not meet in Wash?
ington this winter, but will postpone their ses?
sion until after the Republican Convention is
held at Philadelphia in June, when there will
be ample time for all the elements of opposi?
tion to unite against the present administration,
should Grant be re-nominated, and to call a
national conveution to nominate a Presidential
opposition ticket This view meets the ap?
proval of leading Democrats in Congress, and
would seem to indicate pretty strongly the
adoption of the '?passive policy," so warmly
urged by the Missouri Democracy. We think
the course suggested will prove wise and proper,
as there is no harm to result from awaiting the
I action of the Republican Convention before
placing candidates in the field.
B@~ We learn that a personal difficulty oc?
curred in Abbeville last week between Mr.
Hugh Wilson, of the Abbeville Pre** and Ban?
ner, and Mr. J. Walter Grey, in which the for?
mer received a slight flesh wound by a shot
from Mr. Grey's pistol. The difficulty/irigina
ted from remarks made by Mr. Wilson in con?
nection with the late fire, but as it is a personal
matter, we refrain from giving the particulars.
J5?y* We are in receipt of "The Tribune Al?
manac and Political Register for 1872." In
addition to the usual astronomical calculations
of an almanac, this little volume furnishes a
vast amount of political and statistical infor?
mation, together with carefully prepared re?
turns of elections held last year, in comparison
with those of former years. Price 20 cts. Ad?
dress "Tribune," N. Y. i
Mr. Crittenden's Bill.
The House of Representatives, after a con?
siderable amount of discussion, has adopted
Mr. Crittenden's bill to provide for the election
of County Treasurers and County Auditors. It
passed in the following form, and it is hoped
that the Senate will take prompt action upon
the measure when it reaches that body :
"That at the next general election, to be held
on the third Wednesday in October, 1872, and
every second year thereafter, there shall be
elected, in and for each County, one County
Treasurer and one County Auditor, who shall
hold their offices for the term of two years,
and until their successors are elected and qual?
ified."
It is not often that we can endorse the edito?
rial utterances of the Columbia Union, but the
following article on the above subject is worthy
of commendation, emanating as it does from a
Radical source:
The bill for the election of County Treasu?
rers and Auditors, by the people, is a good
measure. All offices of this kind, together with
those of Justices of the Peace, or Trial Justices,
should be filled by election, and not by appoint?
ment. Indeed, there are but very few offices
that should be entrusted to executive discre?
tion. The people are much better judges of
the fitness and qualifications of the men who
should be selected, than it is possible for the
Governor or the Legislature to be.
County Treasurers and County Auditors
should be chosen from among the best men in
the respective counties; men of intelligence,
capacity and energy, for the duties of those po?
sitions are such as require more than ordinary
ability. Should the Legislature pass the bill
providing for the election of these officers by
the people, the next step will be to fix the sal?
aries of County Treasurers at a sum not to ex?
ceed fifteen hundred dollars per annum. There
are plenty of good men who would be glad to
discharge the duties of the office at this salary,
and it would save to the State at least fifty
thousand dollars per annum?more than enough
to pay the salary of the State officers for an en
tiro year.
An Important Law.
The attention of our readers is directed to the
following Act recently passed by the Legisla?
ture, and. which is vitally important to all own?
ers and purchasers of real estate:
an act to mobe effectually provide fob
the recording of all conveyances of
real estate.
Section 1. Beit enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the State of South
Carolina, now met and sitting in General As?
sembly, and by the authority of the same, That
every conveyance of real estate wjthin this
State, hereafter made, shall, within thirty-three
days, be recorded in the o?ee of the Clerk of
the County in which such real estate shall be
situated, except in the County of Charleston,
where all such conveyances shall be recorded,
within the same time, in the office of the Reg?
ister of Mesne Conveyance; and every such
conveyance, not so recorded, shall be void, as
against any subsequent purchas.r in good faith
and for a valuable consideration, of the same
real estate, or any portion thereof: Provided,
Such subsequent purchaser shall have first re?
corded his said conveyance.
Sec. 2. Different set* of books shall be pro?
vided by the Clerks of the several Counties, for
the recording of deeds and mortgages, in one
of which sets all conveyances, absolute in their
terms aud not intended as mortgages, or as
sureties in the nature of mortgages, shall be
recorded, and in the other set all such mort?
gages, or sureties in the nature of mortgages,
shall be recorded.
Sec. 3. All Acts or parts of Acts, inconsis?
tent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby
repealed.
Approved January 8th, 1872.
The Impeachment Failure.
Impeachment has again proved a failure in
the House of Representatives. Whipper's res?
olution, introduced on the 22nd of Jauuary,
came up for action on last Wednesday. The
resolution proposed to impeach R. K. Scott,
Governor of South Carolina, for high crimes
and misdemeanors in office. On the question
of adopting the resolution, the yeas and nays
were ordered, and resulted as follows: Yeas,
40; nays, 41. It required eighty-eight votes to
carry the resolution, and there were not enough
members in attendance, if all had been in favor
of it. Wc presume that no further attempt at
impeachment will be made, as it is manifest that
Scott has a sufficient number of members under
his power to prevent success at any time. The
only alternative left to his opponents in the
Republican ranks is to go before. the colored
people in the approaching campaign, and do
their duty in bringing about his defeat at the
next election.
aim -
Legislative Matters.
The correspondent of the Charleston News
furnishes the following items of interest:
the blue bidge scheme.
The finance committee of the Senate repor?
ted a bill to cancel the liability of the State on
the guaranty of the bonds of the Blue Ridge
Railroad. The bill provides that the State
shall assume all the debts and liabilities of the.
several companies constituting the Blue Ridge
Railroad upon the surrender of the four mil?
lion bonds guaranteed by the State. The treas?
urer is authorized to use for this purpose any
bonds now in his possession except the Sterling
loan, and also, if necessary, to issue bonds of
the State. The Blue Ridge Railroad Company
is authorized, if the directors desire, to change
its name to the Tennessee and South Carolina
Railroad Company, and to extend the road and
branches anywhere within the State. All sales
of the Blue Ridge Railroad stock by the com?
missioners of the sinking fund are confirmed.
The bill came up in the Senate to-day and was
denounced as an iufamous measure by Leslie,
Cardozo and others. The outstanding liabili?
ties of the Blue Ridge Railroad were stated at'
between five and six hundred thousand dollars.,
but senators declared that they did not know
how much they were, and that the bill, as drawn,
would authorize the issue of twenty million, or
any other amount, of bonds. The bill was fi?
nally postponed to Tuesday.
an eably adjoubnment in prospect.
The beginning of the end has come, and the
speedy dissolution of this remarkable Legisla?
ture of 1871-2 is plainly foreshadowed. The
session so far has been eminently unsatisfacto?
ry in every respect. It has been wasted time
so far as legislation is concerned, for final ac?
tion has been taken on but few measures, and
on none of any special interest; it has been
most barren of news or sensations for the news?
paper men, except such as they have been
obliged to make for themselves; it has been
harassing to the State officials, because they
have been suspended like Mahomet's coffin,
midway between the heaven of exculpation
and the earth of impeachment, and it has been
simply disgusting to the members themselves,
because there has been a scarcity of money in
the lobby, and they have had to get along as
best they could on their dry six dollars per di?
em. 'The Senate is committed to a final ad?
journment on the 10th proximo, and is putting
through ita labors with the bells on in view of
that arrangement, and the House is rapidly
running to seed with a prospect of speedy ex?
tinction. This may be a false surmise after all,
but it is pleasant to cherish the hope, and
among the scanty pleasures of this place it
would be cruel to deprive ourselves of this in?
nocent hope.
A Voice from "Sewanee."
The Corner Stone?Green''* Viao?University
Coal Mine?Putledge's Paint.
,. Almost the first query made by a stranger
visiting Sewanee is, "Have you any grand and
beautiful scenery ?" If this question has not
been already answered by the mountain rail?
way journey up here?as the huge iron horse,
puffing and blowing, wildly plunges through a
gorge at one instant and around the brink of a
fearful chasm at the next?the wild and grand
scenery changiug at every moment?it will be
satisfactorily answered after a few day3 of ad?
venture on the University domain. Until the
visitor has seen all the "Views" and "Points,"
he has enjoyed a meagre portion of the gran?
deur of Sewanee; for he who anticipates a
magnificent stone College and a superb Gothic
Cathedral here, will be ruefully disappointed.
True, we have every accommodation that the
limited means of the University will permit,
and our able corps of Professors is sufficient to
compensate for the absence of marble halls ;
but we must calmly await the events of the
future, ere we can hope to build the University
upon that standard of magnificence which its
founders so fondly intended tc establish. I am
digressing, however.
In my last sketch, I spoke of the history and
location of the University. In the present one
I will speak of Sewanee scenery.
Among the points first visited, the
corner 8tone
stands prominent. It is situate within view of
the present College site, but is now designated
only by the scattered fragments of what was
once a beautiful block of Tennessee marble,
and which was intended to denote the erection
of the central building of the University.?
Here, on the 10th day of October, 1860, among
a concourse of more than five thousand people,
this memorable stone was laid. Gen. John S.
Preston, of South Carolina, was the orator of
the day, and speeches suitable to the occa?
sion were delivered by other distinguished vis?
itors present. A brass band from Nashville
was in attendance, and when the stone was
laid, that grand paraphrase of the 148 Psalm,
I "0, all ye works of the Lord,
Praise Him and magnify Him forever,"
was sung?the clergy and people chanting the
first line, and the brass baud pealing forth the
soul-stirring air of the second. What a memo?
rable and impressive occasion! This vast mul?
titude upon the summit of a wild mountain?
where the white man had scarcely ever trod
before, and which had hitherto reverberated to
the foot-steps and war-whoop of the savage?
swelling the air with an anthem to Him who
had laid the foundations of all mountains.?
While we linger around these time-honored,
not to say classic, shades, what a crowd of
mingled sensations arise in retrospccting the
dead past, tinged, as it is, with the sad memo?
ries of the last decade. Many who were pres?
ent on this occasion have rested from their la?
bors, while many still living are anxiously
regarding the growth and prosperity of a Uni?
versity which has forever been crippled, to some
extent, by the ravages of the late sad conflict.
Leaving the Corner Stone, a brief walk
brings us abruptly to the mountain brow, and
we are now at
greex'8 view,
the most beautiful on the domain, and named
in honor of our present Chancellor. Below
lies a slumbering and expansive valley, and is
girt by the blue and distant spurs of the Cum?
berland. The silence of the cove is broken
only by the sound of a neighboring cascade,
and the plaintive wailing of the wind as it
courses downward through the gorges; while
the eye delights to rest upon the varied scenery
below. The silvery brooklets, all resplendent
in the rays of the sun, turning here and there
a rustic mill; the numerous rural, but comfort?
able cottages, dottiug the landscape far and
near; the fields teeming with the prolific har?
vest, and the orchards laden with an endless
variety of fruit, all tend to form a pleasing and
entertaining picture. We do not behold the
magnificent stone dwellings and the immense
fields of clover, for which the Shenandoah
Valley has become famous, but we do see a
marked indication of diligent and well repaid
labor greeting the eye in every direction.
Retracing a few steps, and proceeding more
southerly along the brow, wc are soon on the
road to "The Point"?distant about two and a
half miles.
Before reaching this, we arrive at the locali?
ty of the
university COAL mine,
and to visit this, a brief but precipitous walk
midway down the mountain side is required.
Arriving at the entrance, few visitors are per?
suaded to proceed further. The low, dripping
j walls, and the gloomy pathway renders an ex?
pedition therein by no means prepossessing,
and thus the miners are seldom bored with en?
quiring visitors. This mine was discovered
and worked prior to the war. Now it supplies
the University with a much better article of
coal than our neighboring sister, Tracy City,
can furnish ; and as soon as its resources are
sufficiently developed by the authorities, it will
supply Sewanee with coal for years to come.?
In truth, an inexhaustible belt of coal underlies
this entire spur.
Ascending the mountain, a few steps bring
us to
rutledge's point,
the grandest and most expansive view on the
domain, and named in memory of Bishop Rut
ledge, of Florida, whose demise occurred in
1866. This view not only comprises a commaud
of the valley seen from Green's View, but in?
cludes several additional coves?all covering
an extent ot thousands of acres. There is a
rock overhancing the Point, and from which is
presented a spectacle that neither tongue nor
pen cau describe. Surrounding spurs, with
their cragged cliffs covered with the moss of
ages, and from whose interstices the creeping
ivy and graceful fern project; the distant ex?
tended valley, all as seemingly quiet as at the
first dawn of creation ; the long belt of the
blue Cumberland, melting at the horizon into
the hue of heaven, and visibly girding three
fourths of the entire landscape before us?all
contribute to make a subject for which the ar?
tist may often sigh but seldom find.
The eye never grows weary in looking from
this Point. At each successive visit new beau?
ties are discovered, and after gazing for hours
upon this sublimely beautiful landscape, the
beholder is wont to cast a wistful, lingering
look behind as he departs. Other thoughts
than those of ecstacy arise. One cannot con
template such a scene without emotions of as?
tonishment and awe. As he thus beholds Na?
ture decked in her robes of grandeur and beau?
ty, he is the better enabled to hold communion
sweet tlirough Nature up to Nature's God,
and the more unreservedly to subscribe to that
grand and sublime truth, "Out of nothing made
He everything."
JAPHET.
Our Washington Correspondence.
Washington, D. C, Jan. 27, 1872.
The anxiety of the administration for an
early adjournment was again manifested by
Senator Morton?the President's bugle?call?
ing up his resolution of adjournment in the
Senate yesterday. There was considerable bit?
terness of a personal character indulged in.
When Senator Schurz offered his amendment
not to adjourn until a civil service reform bill
had been passed, the sneer which accompanied
Senator Morton's "not much," settled the ques?
tion of civil service reform. Senator Schurz
quoted Senator Morton against himself in his
present haste for adjournment, and desired to
know if this measure is not a political trick,
what is it ? Morton looked black as a thunder?
cloud, and growled out that he would not an?
swer the insinuation. Schurz disclaimed any
insinuation, only that he had quoted Morton
against Morton. The tones and manner of
these gentlemen, who are ho longer lodgers in
the same garret, showed the feeling which ex?
isted between them. No sooner had this
passage blown over than the irrepressible
Charles Sumner lugged his negro friends into
the question by offering a resolution that civil
rights should be given to colored people before
amnesty to rebels. Senator Hamlin said on
this very important amendment the Senate
should deliberate calmly, and he suggested the
singing of "Old Hundred." Sumner did not
like the ludicrous turn things were taking, and
he replied rather sharply that the Senator from
Maine had better lead off. Sumner stood all
the while the laughing was going on, and
at last he said he believed he now stood
alone, as he had stood before, and he was the
only true friend of the colored people. At
this point Senator Wilson spoke in rather a
low tone, that Sumner had no right to say such
things, as it placed others in a false light.
Sumner heard the remark, attempted to go on,
hesitated, and after a few words inaudible in
the gallery, sat down very much affected and
hurt at what had been said. To be laughed at
was much for the dignified Chawles to stand,
but to bear the sharp criticism of his colleague
was more than the Sumnerian nature could
withstand, and he sunk into his seat, well
nigh crushed in spirit, amid the compla?
cent looks of the Grant clique, who reveled in
his discomfiture. The administration resolu?
tion was carried, and the 29th of May designa?
ted for the adjournment of Congress. A few
Grant Radicals had opposed any stated time,
but they all wheeled into line like so many
sheep after a bellwether.
The Ways and Means Committee on the
syndicate and Secretary Boutwell's manipula?
tion of matters financial will make a white?
washing report on Tuesday next in the House.
The Democratic members of the Committee
will make no minority report, but will state
why they cannot endorse the Secretary's action,
and will show most conclusively that the syn?
dicate pocketed over two millions of interest
money, from the interest for three months on
the government bonds lying idle on deposit,
which the Secretary had no more right to per?
mit than he has to give away that same sum
from the public funds to any other ring, clique
or firm. The truth is, the Treasury of the
country has been manipulated by the Jay
Cooke ring for some years past, and this syndi?
cate swindle is only a continuation of the farm?
ing out system which appears to permeate
every department of the Government.
The Radical leaders in both Houses of Con?
gress, especially in the Senate, are scared at
! the proportions which the Schurz-Truinbull
reform movement has assumed. Some of the
more timid are for conciliation, but the Mor?
tons, Chandlers and Conklings are for reading
the recusants out of the party, which probably
will be done.
The latest coalition movement, and one
which meets great favor here in Democratic
and Radical reform circles, is the proposition
of the Pennsylvania Independent Reform Re?
publicans, as they call themselves, to place the
name of Ex-Gov. Andrew G. Curtin, of that
State, on the opposition ticket, second to that
of Ex-Senator Hendricks, of Indiana, whom
they claim is the most available candidate
around whom to rally all the different opposi?
tions to Gen. Grant, whose renominatiou is
conceded. Mr. Hendricks' great popularity all
over the country, and Gov. Curtin's immense
strength in the Keystone State, which it ?; es?
sential to carry, seems in their estimation to be
the proper combination to rid the country of
the incubus which now is dragging us down to
destruction nationally, financially and morally,
through the personal and official conduct of
those who disgrace the highest places in the
Government. PALMETTO.
TnE Divorce Law.?The editor of the
Aiken Tribune, in a letter from Columbia,
writes as follows concerning the divorce law
recently enacted by the Legislature:
The most practical public measure which has
engaged the attention of the General Assembly
at its present session, and one that is likely to
be fraught with as many important results as
any other that has been discussed since the
close of the war, is the divorce law just passed.
This provides, first, that when the validity of
a marriage shall be denied or doubted by either
of the parties, tb 'ier may institute a suit for
affirming the marriage ; and upon due proof of
the validity thereof, it shall be decreed to be
valid, and such decree shall be conclusive upon
all persons concerned. And secondly, that a
divorce from the band of matrimony may be
decreed for the following causes : 1. Adultery.
2. When either party wilfully abandons or de?
serts the other, for the period of two years,
provided, that when the suit is instituted by
the party deserting, it appears that the desier
tiou was caused bv the extreme cruelty of the
other party, or that the desertion by the wife
was caused by the gross or wanton and cruel
neglect of the husband to provide suitable
maintenance for her, he being of sufficient abil?
ity so to do. The rest of the act is mainly de?
voted to a prescription of the processes of law
by which a divorce may be obtained, and to fix?
ing provisions for alimony and for the main?
tenance of the wife and children in suitable
cases. The law is a step in the right direction,
and, whilst meeting a social necessity that has
long been experienced, is so thoroughly guar?
ded in its scope and authority that it docs not
violate to any considerable degree that conser?
vatism of the past which has always forbidden
the granting of divorces in this State under
any circumstances whatever.
ITEMS-EDITORIAL AND OTHERWISE.
? Brick Pomeroy has been sued for $25,000,
for a breach of marriage promise.
? General McClellan has sailed from New
York for a short tour in the West Indies.
? The New York Spirit of the Times nomi?
nates Hon. Charles Sumncr for the Presiden?
cy.
? The St. Paul (Minn.) Daily Press says that
Gen. Hancock refuses to be a candidate for
President.
? Massachusetts has a mile of railway for
every five miles of territory and every 1,000
population.
? Representatives of Mississippi farmers are
visiting South Carolina for the purpose of pro?
curing laborers.
? A Society for the prevention of cruelty
to animals has been organized in Raleigh,
North Carolina.
? Anderson Baker, a colored man, died in
Marianna, Florida, on the 16th inst., at the ad?
vanced age of 119 years.
? The trial of Nelson for the killing of Gen.
Clanton will take place in KnoxvilTe on the
fourth Monday in this mouth.
? The Kentucky House of Representatives
has voted to repeal the law of that State mak?
ing insanity a cause of divorce.
? The bill has passed both Houses of the
Kentucky Legislature, allowing colored per?
sons to testify in the State courts.
? The London Lancet thinks that during
the coming spring, or early in the summer,
cholera will reappear in Western Europe.
? Dr. Joseph J. Warlaw, and family, of Ab?
beville, have recently removed to Walhalla,
with the intention of remaining twelve months.
? The Nebraska Legislature has declared by
resolution the Chair of the Executive vacant.
The Governor refuses to recognize the act de
posinghim.
? Gen. M. W. Ransom has been nominated
for United States Senator from North Carolina,
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
ex-Go v. Vance.
? President Grant has made good his defal?
cation of $5,000 druing the Mexican war, send?
ing his check for the amount, without interest,
to theproper accounting officer.
? Hop. A. G. Thurman, United States Sen?
ator from Ohio, will deliver the annual address
before the literary societies of the University
of Virginia on the 26th of June next.
? A bill has been introduced in the Legisla?
ture to encourage building on the burnt districts
of Charleston. It provides for the exemption of
all new buildings from taxes'for five years.
? The resignation of Col. B. S. Jones, Sherr*
Iff* of Laurens county, has been accepted by
the Gogernor, but as yet there is no intimation
of a successor.
? A new fifty dollar counterfeit of the last
greenback issue is said to be a close imitation
of the genuine. All persons fortunate enough,
to handle fifty dollar hills ought to be on their
guard against this counterfeit.
? Gen. Joseph Lane, of Oregon, the candi?
date of the Breckinridge party in 1860 for Vice
President of the United Statt?, was seventy"
years old on the 15th of December. He is still
in good health in both body and mind.
? The Charleston papers announce the death
of Col. Joseph Whaley, a planter of Edisto Is-:
land, and a man of high and resolute charac?
ter. This distinguished Carolinian closed an
honorable life, aged eighty-five years.
? The Philadelphia Press puts forth as ark
argument sustaining the wisdom of the Nation-,
al Republican Committee, that the nominees of
National Conventions held in Philadelphia
have always been singularly successful in the.
election following.
? Maj. Martin R. Delaney, a colored aide-,
de-camp to Gov. Scott, has sent in his resigna?
tion to his Excellency, saying that self-respect
and justice to the cause of his race will not
permit him to hold such a relation to the Gov?
ernor without a compromise of principle.
? The scourge of small pox has never been
so wide-spread and terrible throughout the.
world as in the present winter. In America,
however, the crisis is passed, and news from all
quarters show its rapid decrease. In England
it seems to be growing.
? Gov. Conley, of Georgia, granted forty
three pardons to criminals during the few weeks
that he held office, including Foster Blodgett
and the rest of the Radical ring indicted for
embezzlement and other offences in connection
with the management of public funds.
? Gen. George W. Cass, of Allegheuy conn-!
Ly, is spoken of as the most probable Derao-:
cratic candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania
this year. He is a nephew of Hon. Lewis Cass,
and is a gentleman of tine executive ability and
great personal popularity, and is a Democrat of
the old school.
? Hon. Wm. Allen, of Ohio, is the only
surviving member of the United States Senate
of 1837 and 1838, when Clay, Calhoun and
Webster were members, and when the Senate
contained a galaxy of talent that was unsur- -
passed in Legislative bodies. Mr. Allen is re-.
markably hale and vigorous for a man of his \
years.
? Reviewing the year 1871, the Manchester
(Eng.) Examiner states that the cotton districts
have had a return of those busy times which
certain prophets told us some years ago had
gone for ever. The cotton manufacture, so far
from having disappeared as one of the staple
industries, has more capital embarked in it a?
this moment, and finds employment for a lar?
ger number of work people, than at any former
period.
? The trial of Mrs. Wharton, charged with.
poisoning Gen. Ketchum at Baltimore fast sum
mer, has at last terminated in the acquittal of -
Mrs. "Wharton. The trial lasted six or eight
weeks, and more than fifty witnesses were ex?
amined. The cost of the trial is put down at
$16,000. Mrs. Wharton is to be tried again in
April for attempting to poison Van Ness.
? At the last election in Ohio, it was deci?
ded that a convention should be called for the -
revision of the Constitution, and a bill is now
before the Legislature providing for the elec- .
tion of members on the first Monday in April,
that being the day of the little town elections. ?
It also provides that the conventiou shall meet.
at an early day to enable it to frame a Consti?
tution in time to submit it to the people in Oc?
tober, and thus avoid the expense of a special '
election.
? Gen. R. S. Ewell died at his residence in
Marrey county, Tenn., on Thursday last. His
wife died a few days before. Gen. Ewell was a
distinguished Confederate officer during the
late war, and fought nobly from the beginning
to the end of the struggle. In giving direc?
tions regarding his tombstone, he laid particu?
lar stress upon the fact that he did not desire
any word employed in the inscription that
could reflect in any way upon the government
of the United States.
? The Greenville Mountaineer says: There
are marked evidences of improvement in our
city. Various buildings are being erected and
completed, old ones are being repaired, and
plans for the erection of new ones arc being
discussed. The population is also evidently
increasing, and, although the advance toward,
improvement is not very rapid nor assuming
gigantic proportions, yet it is so manifest as to
attract the attention of any who have their eyes
open when they walk about.
? A petition has been presented to Congress
from Mrs. Lee, widow of Gen. Robert E. Lee,
asking that an appropriation be made to pur?
chase the Arlington estate, whereupon she will
give the government a clear title. This estate
was the property of Mrs. Lee, bequeathed by
her father, George W. P. Curtis, and occupied
by herselfand family until the commencement
of the late civil war. It was sold for non-pay?
ment of a direct tax of $92.07, and hid in by
the United States government for $2G.S00, no
portion of which sum has ever been paid to the
owner of the property, and Congress has here?
tofore refused to restore the estate to Mrs. Lee's
possession. It is asserted in the petition that
the amount of the tax was tendered before the
sale took place, and that the tax commissioner
refused to accept payment.