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THE DEMOCRAT. MINERAL POINT, - - • Wlfl. FRIDAYTDEciMBKR 1, 1879. PUNGENT PARAGRAPHS. A Japanese geographical society has recently been founded at Yeddo. Six thousand tons of steel rails hare been purchased in Germany for the Shenandoah Valley railroad, in West Virginia. The latest British emigration returns show that 56,019 persons emigrated in the last quarter—Bo,llo were English, 6,727 Scotch, and 12,182 Irish, M. Emm.k Oi.uvku says that Thiers was familiar with all the manifestations of the human spirit, except the syn thetic speculations of philosophy. Emigration Commissioner Kilobrew of Tennessee, will soon sail for Europe in the hope of inducing emigrants to this country to settle in that state. The old Webster mansion at Marsh field, Mass., destroyed by lire, is to ho replaced hy another building as similar to it as possible. There is said to tie a great rush of Burmee and Blum adventurers across the frontier into’Hiarn attracted thither hy a reported discovery of immense Held of sapphires. Southern colored people have a great and superstitious fear of the ground where anybody lias been hanged, and the proprietor of the lot on which Jor dan Hheats was hanged, in Georgia, pro poses to make it a watermelon patch next year. Canon Karr will, it is said, he made dean of Worcester, with a handsome residence and $6,000 a year, and then, although the canon will ho a lugger gun than ever, his brethren will take none of his Worcester sauce on matters in general. A curious calculation has boon made by a continental statistician us to the amount drawn hy the various sovereigns from lire civil list. According to th ! s it appears that the czar has $26,000 per day and the sultan SIB,OOO, Bath, the city of Bean Nash and Michael Angelo Bantam, protests against street railroads as “uncalled for injurious and calculated to injure her." The population oonsisls'ohiefly of super annuated persons. Hiiickt-ikon covered will) gum of the euphorbiaooa, common and luxuriant in tropical climates, was immersed in Chatham, England, dockyard, whore everythin# rapidly bflOomcH foul, and when taken out becomes quite clean. The gum is hitler and poisonous; honco marine animals avoid it. Ah if to beguile her woe willi the fancy that it will bring her nearer to her son, with whose death the hope of her life went out, the ex-Em press Eu genio, it is announced in the cable dis patch, ih about to make a pilgrimage to Zululand. Important alterations are going to bo made at the Paris morgue. An autopsy room, a fngorillo apparatus for preserv ing corpses, histological laboratories, chemical und molding rooms are to lie installed, together with a library, a ken nel, a frog-pond, and in short every thing necessary for a school of legal medicine. ‘ — r Onk of the marked ellects ot the re vival of business is the employment of an unusually large number of children in tire MassuolmseltH mills. This faet keeps the police busy in prosecuting owners who are violating the compara tively new law which dotlnes the con ditions under which children may be pul at such work. Thk old church at Ban Balvatoro in Venice has been reopened this autumn after ten years and eight months spent in restoring it. The enroll contains two works by Titian—the groat altar piece of the Transfiguration and an Annun ciation, both works of his later years as well as several other noteworthy pictures of the Venetian school. At a Mansion house dinner, London, the toast-master was desired to propose tho health of "the three cousins," rep resentatives of distinguished nations, who chanced to ho present. Ho there upon proceeded to give out that ho was desired hy the lord mayor to propose The II per cent, consols’’—probably a toast which came nearer the heart* of tho audience. A ivin sr a in.k of the Derby borough police force on duty at Uitoxoter came upon a largo elephant quietly engaged in grazing hy tho roadside. The officer at once proceeded to lead the stranger to the look-up, more than half a mile sway, and eventually succeeded in se curing iU Boon afterward the animal was claimed hy a circus proprietor, from hose premises it had escaped. VERY LATEST NEWS A Record of Important Events Domestic and Foreign. WASHINGTON. Hon. James M. Edmunds, postmaster at Washington, D.C., died outlie 14th inst. John Hay, of Ohio, was confirmed hy the senate on the lllir Inst, as assistant secretary of stale; and Henry Harmon, of N. 11., as second auditor of the treas ury. The senate finance con mlllee, says a dispatch of Dec. 11, postponed until after the Christmas recess, the Warner silver hill, the trade dollar trill and Hay ard’s resolution concerning Hie green backs, on the ground that those subjects require more attention than (tan be given them In the brief time intervening Ire fore Hie holidays. Representatives of the national board of trade, In session in Washing lon, appeared before Hie bouse committee on conference, Dec, 13, and made strong arguments in favor of congress regulat ing freight charges on railroads, and in favor of a permanent commission to su pervise matters relating thereto. A company has been incorporated un der Hie laws of the District of Columbia, whh a capital of SIO,OOO, to publish a weekly newspaper, devoted entirely to the interests of Hie army and navy. Mr. Edmund Hudson, of Hie Boston JfirruUl, will take editorial charge of the paper. Ho says a dispatch of the 16th Inst. Tilk Hmithsoniaii institute received from M. Keister, of Berlin, on the Nth Inst., announcement of the discovery, hy M. I’allsa, at Bala, on the 11th of Decern her, 1876, of a planet of the tenth magni tude, In 6 hours 3 minutes of right as eenslon, 38 degrees and 46 minutes of declination, with a daily motion of 6(1 seconds in right ascension and■) minutes south. Capt. Dodok, who so valiantly pro. ceeiieit with Ills colored company to the relief of Capt. Bayne, will he promoted to till a vacancy occasioned hy the re tirement of Lieut. Col. Henry Brinco from active service, who has passed the age of ID, says Washington Inlormation of the 16lii inst Ha vs a Washington dispatch of Dec. 141li: 'The contested election ease of Ig. nalliis Donnelly against W. W. Wash hum, In the Third congressional district of Minnesola, has been postponed until Jan. 8. when it will be taken up for oral argument. Mr, Donnelly, the contestant, was a member of the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, and fortieth congresses. Brevlous to this he was lieutenant gov ernor of Minnesota, and has served in the M imiesola senate. Judge McCrary took leave of the em ployes of the war department and the heads of bureaus on the afternoon of December 11 Hi, and thanked them for their uniform fidelity and efllciency. About 4 o'clock he received his com mission as judge of the eighth cir cuit, and, as soon as he had signed his name to Hie correspondence ortho day and reiiuisilions, he took leave of Ills attendants, and became a Judge instead id' a cabinet minister. The president Invited all the cabinet and their wives to dine with Judge McCrary that night, and Hie evening was pleasantly spent at the While House. Judge Mc- Crary left for Dos Moines Hie following morning, and Hunator Ramsay was sworn in as secretary of war. FI It US ANl> C’AHUAIjTIIW. 'l'iik Continental hotel at Alliance, ()., 1 mined on the I lith Inst. Loss if I -1,0110. Tartly Insured. Till''. (louring mill of Allen Lawton, it Hloiiu’h Tralrle, near CJulncy, 111 , was destroyed by tire Dec. !4tU. Loss about 910,000; no Insurance. Cause unknown. An aecldnnt occurred on the Addison railway at Latrnhus Point, Vt., on Lake Champlain shore, on the night of the tilth Inst., causing the death of engineer O. I*. Hllnson, llreman Kd. Markham ami bridge tender, D. F. Lyman. The train left Ito t land In llni afternoon for Ticon dcrogn, N. Y., and was wrecked Just lie tore reaching the bridge across (lie lake, An oil well in I ted Itoek, Ta,, caught lire on the 13th Inst, and the llair.es com inunloallng with several oil tanks in the place, the whole tow n was soon In llaiues. ■turning oil Hewed down through the streets and every building was swept out of exlalenun. The seene was terrible he. yond exoresslon. The loss Is estimated at fully 9800,000. Three hundred fami lies were rendered homeless. Tiiurk nii'ii working In a cut near Flattsiuonth, Neb,, on the approaches of Iho new milrord bridge there, were hurled under an embankment which caved In on them. When dug out all three were dead. One man was recog nized as Homer Itohlnson. The other two were not known. No says a dispatch of Dec. Uitli. W ill me the family of Mr. Nweeny, llv lug six miles from llelvldere, HI., were In town Thursday, says a dispatch of the Utli, attending the funeral of one of their children who had died with diph theria, their house look lire and was hurued to the ground Two children, who were sick with the same disease, were with dlttleully rescued from the tlames, and removed to the neighbors. Mr. Hweeney has been pecilllatly un fortunate, Hie Child whose luneral he was attending when his house was con sumed being the seventh lie has lost with in the past six weeks Iroiu this disease. FOHKIUN. Hrvkh.U. large lain! ;i>ritatlo \ iuimmin>J:a were li*Ul In the west *t' Ireland on the llili. The meeting ni Hell inn whs pro sliled over hy 11 Catholic clergyman. Several clergymen participated ns speakers. One speaker declared ilial one cause of their distress 'ms American competition. It was authoritatively announced in St. Petersburg, Deo. Mill, that the reports relative to a Ireah attempt against the life of the czar are grossly exaggerated, although It was admitted that the police, in investigating the cireumslanees of the recent attempted assassination of the c/.ar at Moscow made discoveries show ing that fresh crimes were contemplated. Skvkum, generals in the Spanish army resigned on the 13'h Inst,, as soon as they heard of the fate ot the Premier Marline* Pampas' ministry. Many liberal news, papers deplore til a resignation of the Premier, and think that s the conserva lives were divided, King'Alfonso ought to have entrusted the government to Bogasta and the liberals instead of to those who tor two months past have op posed and defeated the abolition and free trade policy of Pampas. The newspa per* express alarm concerning the effect of the lesignalion in Cuba. Hpkakino of the Atghan campaign the liberal journals of England, says a cablegram of the 15th inst, dccl re that Gen. Roberts is fighting for life. His whole force of 5,000 men is pitted against the entire Afghan army, the strength of which is unknown, but it is admitted to tie 10.000 strong. Tribe* are rising on every side. The Kohislan is, who were lately reported as surren dering their arms, nevertheless send 3.000 troops. What Lord Lylton called a “hostile Ghu/.nee gathering," means 7.000 soldiers, well armed and well led. Military critics agree that the Afghan movements show surprising strategic ability. Nevertheless, it is believed that Gen. Roberts is likely to overcome the present at'.ack, as lie holds strongly for tified positions about Cabul; but, unless lie is victorious an insurrection in Cabul is certain. Caudahar is also threatened by 11,000 troops advancing from Herat. The Candahareos arc likewise rustless. CRIME. 'l'nK (rial of Frank Hoyden, charged with poisoning his sister at Worces ter, N. H., terminated on the 11th inst., when the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty. The verdict was received with loud cheers, while the prisoner wept like a child. Char. Brockman, the son of a promi nent Cincinnati grocer, shot and fatally wounded Win. Burke on tho'night of the 18th inst., after an encounter in which Burke and his friends had fallen upon Brockman and beaten him severely, Brockman gave himself up to the proper authorities. At Canton, 0,, on the 14th inst, the Jury found Gustave Ohr guilty of mur der in the first degree, the crime consist ing in killing, in June last, a man hy the name of John Wlialtmaugh,ncar Alliance. Geo. Maine, who inis already been found guilty of murder in the first degree, was Glir’s accomplice. Wmuc the Grant procession was pass ing the custom house in Cincinnati on the lilli liiHl,, and while the clerks were temporarily ah-eut, thieves broke open one of Hie inner doors of one of the safes and secured from $BOO to $l,OOO belong ing to one of the employes. The gov eminent loses nothing, hut it was a nor row escape. Tub people of Oxford, Mich., discov ered that a grave robbery had been com milled there Dee.. 12lh, and groat excite ment prevailed. Tim robbers were track ed to Rochester, where two men with three bodies were captured. The corpses wore all recognized and taken back to Oxford for decent burial. The ci'izens are determined to make it hot for the ghouls. .1 a Men Lon a CUB was shot und killed at, i I’lava, in Illinois, Dec lilli by C. M. Bennett. It appears that Lou acre had been engaged to Bennett’s sister, but the engagement had been broken off the day before He went to Bennett’s house with the avowed intention of marrying the girl anyway, but was ejected. He then threatened to kill Bennett, where upon the latter shot him through the head, ami the coroner’s Jury Justified Um aet. A dispatch of Dec. 12lh says a travel ing man was murdered at the Mansion House at Hie vena l’oint,Wls., on the night previous. He had collected several linn dred dollars, hut hud, fortunately, depos ited all except $l5O in the hank, and when ho retired that was all the money he had on his person. This morning lie was found in ills room in an titmouse v* is slate, where he was left for dead. Ufcii investigation lie was found to have litfeii relieved of all his money, which has led to the belief he was murdered for that object only. Noeluc of the murderer was discovered although strict search was at once instituted. What is widely known as the Chap man trial,which had been In progress at Ottaw a, 111.,f0r three weeks,came to n coo elusion last Saturday, says a dispatch of Doc. Istll. Chapman, It will be re mein bon'd, was tried a venr ago for stealingsl4,ooo Iroui the bulled Htales express company at La Salle, Illinois. He was acquitted on the charge of embezzlement, and the press and people fully endorsed thever diet. Since that time Chapman lias been an extensive traveler, and expended about $O,OOO. He spent this sum In about six months. Ho was shadowed by the express company, mid on the evidence obtained 1m was re arrea'ed on the charge of perjury. VV hen taken into jail and re lieved <d' Ills diamond pin and gold watch, lie coolly denied his guilt. During Um whole trial he has exhibited great cuitfi deuce in liis case, alleging that a man could not lie tried, for the same offense the second time, just a year ago Friday evening Chapman listened to the vet diet of not guilty, and walked out of the court room a free man. This time the sentence was guilty, and tlie Jury fixed his time in the penitentiary at seven years. OKNKICAL SOT’KS. Thk people of Columbus, Ohio, gave Gen. Grant a warm reception on the 12th lust. Tit i, public schools of Petersburg, Va , ceased for one mouth on the 13th lust,, (lie stale uot having contributed its full quota of funds, Thk bark Monrovia sailed from New York for Liberia on the 15th lust, with 75 colored claimants. Gkn. Grant's reception In Pittsburg,. Pa, on the 151 th inst., was attended with great demonstrations of welcome on the part of the citizens. Hami ki. I). Mnui.kton, ticket-taker in the Grand Opera House, New York city, has been indicted by the grand Jury, says a dispatch of Due. 19th, lor a violation ot the civil rights law, he having refused admlss on to the theatre to William U Davis, colored. Thk board of state canvassers com pleled its work outlie New York election returns Dec. 1 lilt, and declared elected all the republican candidates except slate engineer, Horatio Seymour, dr,, demo entile candidate, having a majority vote for that position. Got,. Zi ti Ward, lessee of the Arkan sas slate penitentiary, says a Little Bock telegram of the 15th, has closed a con tract for the construction of the Little Bock ami Pißc Bluff railroad. Work will begin at once and four hundred con victs will be employed. The road is to be completed and in operation July Ist, 1880. A Nkw York dispatch of Dec. 13th says the twenty-two complainants to ths Bynod of Long Island from the decision of (he Brooklyn presbytery in the case of Bov. T. Dewitt Ta'lmaJge, publicly denounce the statement read by Dr Tal msdge In his pulpit on the Sunday pre j vious, as a tissue of falsehoods, and as sert that they shall hold him responsible as a false accuser. There has been a severe storm in the Red rivet country for two days, the ther mometer falling very low, says a telegram of Dec. 18th. Reports from different points indicate from 35 to 40 degrees be. low zero. A Hreckenridge special to the Pioneer-Preet, says two children of Win. Owens’ were frozen to death, and two men, 11. G. Htordert and James Nolan, are missing, supposed to be lost in the storm and frozen. Justice Hunt, of New York, says he lias not only not resigned his position on the supreme bench ol the United Hlates, hut has given no intimation that he con templatcd any such act. A dispatch of Hie 12th inst. says the judge is slowly improving in health. Tnis report seems to put at rest the story of Ben. Edmunds’ appointment to Judge limit's place. An oleomargai ine establishment under full headway,was discovered in Bt. Louis on Hie 11th inst. Health Commissioner Francis was interviewed on the subject, but said he was powerless to act. Ho knew great frauds were practiced or the people, and that artificial butter, made ol grease, tallow, and other refuse mat ter, was placed upon the market as gen uine butter. His hands, however, were tied. The invasion of Hie Indian territory by squatters, says a Bt. Jjouis special of Hie lltli inst , promises to bo repeated in a few weeks, and Hie invading band seems likely this time to be a larger one than that recently expelled from the territory by the United Hlates troops. C. C. Carpenter, prominent in the first invasion of the territory, and somewhat noted as the promoter of im migration schemes, is *n Hi. Louis mak. ingarrangements lor the nev excursion. He says about the first of February near ly 4,000 men will start for Hie territory in different parties and from dif ferent points, the largest party, and the one with which Carpenter will be eonnectcd, starting from Kansas City. A large number of those who go will be Missourians, who will travel in wagons Others, including an Indian party, will go as far as possible by rail. The immi grants propose to establish themselves on a tract sixty by one hundred miles In area, and ceded by Hie Indians to the government in 1880. The immigrants claim that tills land, not being part of the reservation, i is government land, and open to settlers. They do not apprehend trouble from the Indians, fearing only opposition by Hie United Hlates govern ment. The object of tli4 departure fortlie Territory in winter,it is said,is to give the squatters time to put in crop# lu the spring. Carpenter’s statements us to the nnniherwho will lake part in the expedi tion are .deemed somewhaUcxaggeratcd, hut the* enterprise lias been decided upon, and that the Territory w ill be in vaded again admits of idle doubt. W Id lleaa'H in India. Times of India Some vry interesting statistics arc published by the Government regarding llio destruction of wild animals and venomous snakes in British India, and ot the number of human beings and cattle killed by them. The general results ot the reports from various local Governments show (hat too number ol persons killed by wild animals in 1877 was 2,'J18, and in the following vear 3,- 444; by venomous snakes, 1(> 777 and 10.81.2 in the same years respectively. Cattle killed by wild animals and snake* in 1877 and 1878 numbered 53,- 107 and 18,701 in each year. In 1877 22,851 wild animals were destroyed,and iu the following year 22,487; and of venomous snakes. 127,-05 in the •for mer and 117,058 in the latter year. The amount of reward paid for the de struction of wild beasts and poisonous snakes was, in 1877, 103,017r5., and in 1878 08,180 rs. The general results, therefore, are that the number of per sons killed lias increased, while the number of cattle so killed, the number of wild animals and sokes destroyed, and the amount of rewards paid show a decrease. The increase in the num ber of persons killed by wild animals is attributed to a great extent to the deaths from wolves in the Northwest ern Piovinces and (hide, which have increased from 380 in 1877 to 021 in 1878. The Lieutenant-Governor has invited the attention of district officers to the subject wilh a view of more effec tive) measures being taken for the de struction of these animals. With refer ence to deaths from snake-biles, the number of persons thus killed has de creased front 10 'O4O in 1870 to 16,812 in 1878, while the number of cattle has decreased from 2,1*15 iu 1877 to 1,825 m the year under review. The returns showing the number of cattle killed are doubtless, as observed by the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces, le<s trustworthy (ban those of “per sons." Hut bis Excellency the Gover nor-General in Council trusts that the reports of the current year will show the extent to which the suggestion that municipal bodies should offer rewards for the destruction of snakes in towns and large villages hits been acted upon, and with what results. This matter is one of importance, and should not be lest sight of. What I hey "ay. l.>‘\ .1, I*. Hmnktn, I> I, of Wufhlimton, I>. • tit; i •- t-f WiirucrV Nik* Kidney and I.U r i’urv: ‘I .'ouM not it lia* gicut virtue.’* Ucv. <’ V Ilull l ~ l. !.. Sovivtary o| llmwiftl rnUmhlty, • itlnc* ihut lor “no other icinc i\ tm iu< IdM tor one monu-nt in compaii*on w'Hh tliif “ I'. \V Nell, ot iK'trott, Mich., null ih , that It completely cured him ot a very ►ethnic * Itiojlie liver complaint. .1 ll Hhcrlov k, ot H* h i ►ter.* N. V., c r.lilc** that U cu ed him of Hrlchi* ili>eißo of Bcxorth ytmnT itnitdlnj:, and Hint he he lievv- It to In* tilt* ntoht vultuible remedy over ill** Mti ii. Tlu>c uio MUnpli'* ot hundred* of olhei U’Mimonial*. A ll VK'Ks (roni Japan state that M. Fujita, the largest contractor in the country, M. Nsaano, one of tho first merchants, and sixty of their principal friends, have been arrested for having caused to ho produced in Germany forged treasury bonds to the value of about 15.000,000 francs, which they managed in such a way that they were put in circulation by the treasury itself. The discovery of this fact produced a crisis unexampled in Yokohama. A terrinle panic in the Bourse ensued, and the most scandalous scenes bntk place. Cause and l fleet- The main Can** of i* Indignation, and that I* c turn'd by wcakno* of the Mom a* h No one can have sound nerve* and good health without uvtng Hop Batten* to trcn£lhcn the Momach. purify the blood, and keep the liver and kidney* active, to carry off all the poleonon* and * aMe matter of the *y(om. be other column. — AUvcncc, A stitch in time frequently saves the entire garment. —httjfaio Krprr sa. THE XLVI COXGHKSS. Tuesday. Dec. Otb.— Senate— Mr. Day ard, from the committee on finance, re ported the senate bill tor the interchange of substdary silver coin, and asked its in definite postponement. Ho ordered. Also the senate bill to authorize the sec retary of the treasury to issue ten mil lion dollars of 4 per cent, bonds, for the payment of arrears of pensions, aud asked its indefinite postponement. So ordered. Without debate or discussion, the senate, this afternoon, confirmed the nomination of secretary McCreary to be United Slates circuit juilgv for the eighth circuit. Tuesday, Doe. o— Hovit 7*l r. Pound introduced a joint resolution proposing an amendment to th* constitution, pro viding Hi at after 'he 4th of March, 1885, the president and vice president shall hold cflici for six tears, and shall be in eligible for more thau one term comecu tive, and that members of congress be elected for three years. Referred. The speaker then had called Hie list of Mates for bills for reference. Mr. Myers introduced a bill to retire the national bank circulation, and substitute the U. H. treasury notes therefor. Sir. Frost introduced rcsolut ion> of sympathy with the distressed people of Irelan I. Mr. Kelley—proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting general legisla tion on appropriation bills, and allow ing a veto ol any one or moie of the items in such bills. Numerous other bills of less importance were introduced when the bouse adjourned. Wednesday, Dee. 10 —Senate— Among the bills introduced were the following: To authorize the erection of a statue in honor of Chief Justiee John Marshall; to recognize and pay ceitain claims due by the stale sf West Virginia, to citizens thereof, for services rendered the United itate* in the late war and which are properly chargeable to the United States. On motion of Air. Ingalls, the bills now on the calendar reported by him, April ", 1879, for the relief of I lie central branch of ths Union Pacific railway company wa* Indefinitely postponed. The resolu tion offered by Davis of West Virginia, calling on the secretary of the treasury for settlement of the amounts paid out of lb* treasury since 18(14, ou private claims growing out of the lute war, was finally adopted by a party vote, the dom v -rats voting for ami the republicans against it. The concurrent resolution to adjourn from Dec. 10 to Jan. 6, was adopted. Wednesday, Dec. 10.— Home- Mr Burrows, of Michigan, introduced ajoint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution declaring that polygamy shall not exist in (lie United Hlaics and that congress shall have power lu enforce Hi is provision by appropriate legislation. Consideration of the political assessment bill was postponed until January |7. A long debate occurred on the question oi fixing the salary of the supreme rourt reporter. The salary was finally fixed at $4,000. Thursday, Dec. 11. — Senate —Senate Allison, from tbs committee on Indian affairs, reported with two amendments, a Joint resolution that the secretary of the interior lie authorized through a com mission "f five persons, to bo appoiuled by the president, to negotiate with the L’lo Tor their removal from Col orado. Tnis resolution provoked a long deba'-e, but was finally adopted with nu nmeiuluieut that in no case should those Indians In- sent to the Indian Territory. Several piivato appropriation bills were passed. The bill appropriating $260,000 lor the erection of military posts on the Hio flramle frontier, was passed. After a shoii executive session the senate adjourned until Monday. To i'Ksoay, Dec. 11— House. —Mr. Acklin, introduced a bill authorizing tlie appointment by the president of a commission of engineers to examine the surveys ofthccoateaiplaled canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Mr. Hhelby offered a preamble aud resolution, recit ing that u largo number of citizens of certain stales bare been induced through false representations of certain persons, to leave their homes for Hie purpose of immigrating to other slates, ami that they have tailed for want of funds to reach their destination, aud are without rood aid proper clothing, and providing for a select conmllte* to investigate Iho causes of such immigration, to sit, dur ing recess, and report such measures as Hie exigency may require. Mr. Converse, from the committee on public lauds, re ported a bill amending Hie act to grant additional rights to homestead settlers on the public lands within railroad limits, approved March ;iil, 1879. Converse Mated that under that act homesteaders who occupied 80 acres, were authorized to select 80 addi tional acres without payment of registry fees. The present bill* simply provided that the registry fees should be paid for. The bill was p issed. The invalid pen sion appropriation bill was reported, ordered printed and recommitted, li sppropriates $33,000,000; about $3,000,- OOil more than lust \ear. Friday, Pec. 12— Senate. —'The senate was not in session. Friday Dec. 13.— Hour. —Among the bills introduced were tbo following: For Ibe appointment of an Inter Oceanic commission to determine the best plan and route for tbo establishment of com muuicaUon for trade amt commerce be. tween the Atlantic and Pacific, across tbc Isthmus of Darien; to prevent the retire inenlof greenbacks and in favor of sub stituting them for national bank notes, and for the fiea coinage of sil ver The fortification bill, which wss the same as that of last year, with only slight modification, was passed. Among ths amendments was one appro priating $350,000 for batteries for the de fense of Galveston. The pevuion bill was also finally considered in committee of lbs whole, and passed. It appropri ates $88,434,000, as against $20,260,000 last year. The house then took up pri vate bills, and after a long discussion, passed a bill appropriating $20,000 as an indemnity and compensation to the wid ow and heirs 6f Henry Leef. in conse quence of the Illegal seiiaro of the bark Mary Therm, by tbo Vailed States con sul at Rahtu, Brazil. The elaira had been before congress for thirty years, sad had five times besu reported favorably to the bouse by the committee on commerce. The house adjourned until Monday. Monday, Doc. 15. — Souite — Mr. Vonr hces presented the petition of 7,000 cx soldiers and sailors, praying to be paid in greenbacks the difference in the value of the greenbacks in which they were paid lor their services to the government and the value of gold at the time of pay. raent. Mr. Butler, of South Carolina, introduced an amendment to the senate joint resolution Introduced by Mr. Bay ard, withdrawing the legal quality of greenbacks. The resolution as proposed to be attended, will read: “That from and after January Ist, 1885, the treasury notes of the United States shall be re ceivablc for all dues to the United States, except duties on imports, and shall not otherwise be a legal tender; and any of said notes that shall hereafter be issued shall bear this superscription.” The vice president presented a communica tien trom the postmaster-general recom mending a deficiency appropriation of $’06,212 for extra star mail route:-. Voorhces also introduced a resolution providing for the appointment of a com mittee of five senators to investigate the causes leading to negro immigration. Monday, Dec. 15 — House. —Among the bills introduced were the following ; To encourage American ship building, and for the appointment of a committee to report a basis for a reciprocity treaty with the British provinces; requiring the secretary of the treasury to paj- out all gold and silver coin, legal tender notes and national bank notes in the treasury not required for current expenses, in the purchase of government bonds: annul ling and revoking the court-martial find ings and sentence in the case of General Fitz John Porter, restoring him to ser vice as colonel in the army, and provid ing for the payment of all arrearages as major general up to the Ist of Septem ber, 'OO, and as colonel thereafter: providing that in case of the non-surrender of the Ute Indians en gaged in the White river massacre within thirty days, the tribe shall bo dtc.arcd public enemies to the United States, and its rights to its reservation shall be de clared forfeited; for the organization of the territory of Okohoma, out of the present Indian territory; providing for the payment of arrears f pensions to the widows and minor children of per sons who died of injuries received in the war of the rebellion; for the establish meat of a branch mint at Indianapolis; to encourage the education of the col ored race; granting bounty lauds to the soldiers of the United States, who served in the war of 1801. stealing messages. Interesting Gossip in Beganl )< Such Thefts*—The Women Thieves 1 Lin coln's Day. I’litliutelphlK TVlcfrrapfc. The advance publication of the presi dent’s message is a subject of no small interest here. In several instances por tions of President Lincoln’s messages were published, and the matter was at tempted to bo investigated by the judi ciary committee of the noose. When it was found that the inquiry would bo likely to lead to a good deal of scandal connected with the ladies of the White House, it came to a very abrupt termi nation by the president going to the capitol himself and directing that the investigation should be suspended. The next instance was in the time of “ Andy ” Johnson, when, through the oblivious condition of Ins son Dick, a copy of the message was banded to a correspondent to read over and see what he thought of it. The correspondent look advantage of the opportunity and had a stenographic copy made, returned tiio manuscript ami pronounced it an excellent message. The next morning tlie president was considerably aston ished when lie found the document in print. President Grant’s military methods were 100 much for the ingenuity of Washington correspondents, and in no instance did the text of his messages appear before their submission to con gress, except what lie gave to one or two of his confidential friends or a corres pondent. It was the custom of the General, when he had completed his message, to take his private secretaries, Pruden, Snifhu and Luckey—into on* of the most remote apartments of live Ex ecutive Mansion, and there set them to work to make six manifold copies for the use of the press, which, when fin ished, were taken by the president, placed in an envelope and held until the committee of congress reported the two houses organized. He then sub mitted the manuscript copies for the use of the two houses, and upon the re turn of Private Secretaries Generals Porter or Babcock, he authorized the disposing of the six manifold copies. While Mr. Boutwell was secretary of the treasury, on one occasion his an nual report was made public in advance of its transmission to congress. Upon investigation it was shown conclusively that the copy was given out by his pri vate secretary. He was immediately dismissed and placed upon the black list, ami subsequently died in this city in absolute poverty, as the punishment of his breach of faith to his superior. The present administration seems to have been very unfortunate with respect to the premature publication of the pres ident’s messages, each message having been made public in advance of its transmission to congress. Although as a rule all the important features of the messages are anticipated, the eagerness to secure the text always makes the document a good marketable commodity. As high as $1,500 was of fered for President Grant’s messages. The present message, however, was sold for |S(K), while Secretary Sherman’s re port brought $450, the proceeds being divided between three parlies, the pur loiner and two middlemen who efleeted the sale. Telephones and Talking Fish. London Telegraph. That the telephone would eventually piove a source not only of great grati fication but of valuable instruction no body ever doubted, it ban however re mained for some thoughtful scientific gentleman to utilize it in a way which will comend itself to all who'lovingly observe nature. One of these anxious to know how far the animal world as similated itself to our own lately intro duced a telephone into some water which contained a tish. To bis aston ishment he found that the creature alone and unable to talk to anything else was actually talking to itself. E. 8. Teal now comes forwardand, in a letter to a scientific contemporary, confirms this assertion. He. too, has bee:, lis tening and he finds that the large *‘mahsr” —Barbu Mucrocephalva—con verse with a peculiar cluck or per suasive sound which may he heard as far as foity feet from the water. He has also discovered that a large bivalve exists in some parts cf eastern Assam wIA-h actually “sings loudly in con cert.” after this it would he interesting to know what the pike says to the roach before swallowing iu If we are expert enough to read ciphers, surely we might without great difficulty learn the language of the jack.