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Am giwaf w, jgttft. I Ri JWAlf, Editor.' PUBLISHED EVERY" SATUItDAY. L . - -. - CURRENT TOPICS. The Mississippi River Levoo bill, in troduced in the House by Mr. Young of Tennessee, providos for tho issue of bonds, guaranteed by tho United States, to the amount of 46,000,0OO, and cre ates a Levee District, embracing tho States adjacent to the Mississippi Kiver, from Missouri to the mouth. A Levee Board is created of five members, com posed of three army olllcers and 'two civilians, tho salarios of the latter to be $3,000 a year each. The Board is required to make a survey of tho river and report to Congress a plan ' for ' the reclamation of all overflowed lands and those now protected by levees, anJ the means of such reclamation by levees, out-offs and outlets. The whole 6ost is not to ex ceed the amount of tho authorized bonds $45,000,000. , .: The States in which the lands lie are to impose a di rect tax on the lands to be benefited, the tax to bo collected by the United States Government and devoted to the pay ment of the interest on tho bonds, and tho creation of a sinking fund for their linal paymont. Tho bill also provides for a tonnage tax on the commerce of tho river to assist tho payment of the expenso of the work, A TitEATr has beon arranged with Mexico permitting troops to cross the border in pursuit of marauders, provid ed they do not enter towns, interfere with tho civil authority, or proceed more than 50 miles from tho frontier. Gov. Porter of Tennessee has call ed an extraordinary session of the State Legislature, for the purpose of adjust ing the State debt, levying a tax to meet interest on the new bonds, etc. Canada has decided that Sitting-Bull shall remain where ho is, during tho coming winter, and in spring shall go to tho Red Deer River, on a reservation there. This latter is tho region that Sitting-Bull himself appliod for, as it is in a good hunting-ground. Hon. D. W. Vooruees has been ap pointed by Gov. Williams of Indiana United States Senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of tho late Senater Morton. , Mr. Thomas A. Edison, a well known electrician of Newark, N. J., claims to have invented (but not yet perfected) an instrument whicn no cans the Fhonorrraph, bv moans of which human speech can bo permanently registered and reproducoa witn every tone exactly as uttered, at any time. The instrument is not unlike the tele phone in construction, and tho vibra tions of a metallic diaphragm cause to be permanently impressed upon an un winding strip of paper, various indent ations, somewhat after the manner of printing telegraphic messages. Theso indented slips, bearing tho phono graphio record of the words uttered, are then run through what is termed a re productor, very similar in principle to tho first apparatus, and this causes the vibration of another diaphragm to cor respond to the indentations on the pa per, reproducing exactly the original tones of tho speaker. Mr. Edison has 'so far experimented upon his invention as to feel confident of its practical utility, and expects soon to be ablo to put it to public test. The wonderful possibili ties of this invention, by which tho ac tual tones of a great orator or singer, or of a dear parent or friend, can be trans mitted to posterity, render it the crown ing discovery of this age of scientific progress. The Commissioner of the General Land I flicc, in his annual report, says tho sales of public lands for cash are about 100,000 acres more than the pre vious year, while tho number entered under the homestead and timber-culture laws is 785,123 less. There were certi fied for railroad purposes "00,791 acres. Total disposals of public lands, 478, 922,452 acres. Public surveys have been extended over 713,572,737; total of un aurveyed lands, 1,101,197,183 acres. Tiik meeting of the French Parlia ment the 7th, was attended with con siderable excitement, but every thing passed off quietly. The Chamber elect ed M. Grery, Republican, Provisional President. The DeBroglie Ministry, at the request of President MacMahon, hare withdrawn their resignations. The ifonUeur says that President MacMahon baa no intention of resigning, as bad been previously rumored. A horrible doable murder occurred in Monroe County, 111., on the 3d Honry Goetz, a young German farmer, and his wife, who owned and worked a small, farm on what is known as tho Columbia bottom," were, the victims ; the assassin was a man named Carl Strahl, who had worked around in the neighborhood for some years, and was generally considered a shiftless and vicious character. Tho murder was first discovered by a neighbor on the 7th, who found tho house deserted and tho dead ' body of Mrs. Goetz lying in the cellar. " Tho body of her husband had evidently been re moved and secreted. The neighbors at once started in pursuit of the murderer, who had driven off a pair of mules and a wagon, and had also taken a cow, which he tied behind. He was easily traced to the Mississippi River at East Carondelet, where he had sold the cow and then proceeded to St. Louis, where he had endeavored to dispose of the team, but was arrested on suspicion of the property being stolen and locked up just about tho time his pursuers arrived in the citv. He was induced volentarily to go across the river upon some pretext, whore he was at once arrested and taken back to Monroe County. Carl Strahl. the murdoror of Henry Goetz and wife in Monroe County, 111., an account of whose capture in St. Louis and return to the locality where the crime was committed has been here tofore given, made a full confession to tho Coroner of tho countv. and himself led the way to the place in the woods where lay the ' dead 1 ' body of Henrv Goetz. At tho conclusion of the inquest, and after the murderer had affixed his signature to his written confession as taken down by tho Coron er, in tho presence of some '60 or, more of the residents of tho vicinity, theprison- er was suddenly seized by the infuriated by-standers, a rope placed around his neck, and in a few moments he was dangling from the limb of a tree. His body was subsequently cut down and buried beneath the; tree upon which he was hanged. News is received from JSan Antonio to the effect that a party ,of Mexicans, numbering nearly 100, pursued a party of thieving Indians across the border I into Texas, overtook them near the Guadaloupe Mountains, killed six, captured othersjand recov ered the stolen stock. The Indians had left their reservation in New Mexico and gone to dopredathg in the vicenity of San Diego, Mexico. An Associated Press dispatch of the 10th says that at a caucus of Republican Senators, held on tho 10th, it was de veloped that a majority of the Senators were not in accord with the President as to his Southern and Civil-service policies, but at the same time loss than a majority wore disposed to make any formal issue with the President regard ing the same. Samoan affairs are said to be in a frightfully muddled condition, and the Samoan Secretary of State is now on his way to Washington to ask our Gov ernment to assume a protectorate over tho island. It is reported that the Brit ish and German Consuls have been run ning affairs wilh a high hand, levying fines on tho natives and otherwise mak ing themselves obnoxious, and Mr .Grif fith, the American Consul, has for some . . j i . t . i reason Dcen ousieu irom ins uuhsuwib and forced to take refugo on a French vessel. The other side of the story, which has just . i . r 1 come to nanu, is mat onsiu Griffith's troubles grew out of his taking forcible possession of the property of a British resident, to satisfy an American claim, and that tho bold Briton repos sessed himself of his goods by force and had them placed under the British seal pending the settlement of the matter. Griffith then tried to get tho natives to attack tho warehouse, but they declined because he could not raise the 2,000 they demanded for the enterprise. A committee of safety has been organized to preserve jteace. It has been proposed by Representa tive Hewitt, in an amendment to the Appropriation bill, that the Commissioner-General to tho Paris Exposition be directed to put up an American kitch en at which the various methods of cook ing Indian corn shall b exhibited and tho products thereof distributed, with recipes in the different languages. Mr. Hewitt made a long and somewhat fervid speech on the advantage to our com merce and to the digestion of Europe of such an arrangement, and his sugges tion met with great favor at the hands of the committee and was unanimously adopted. The October reports of the various Cotton Exchanges show that unfavora ble rains have prevailed daring the month throughout a large portion of the cotton-growing region. The average : yield as compared with last year shows j an estimated deficiency of from 5 to 20 ' per cent., although some favored locali ties estimate an increase. , ,, It is rumored that the House! Commit tee of Ways and Means will report.early In January;" a bill comprehending' very marked revisions of the tariff laws, reaching, in fact, the basis of a tariff for revenue only. . r .' ! , Tub political complexion of the New York Legislature just chosen is not con clusive as to the " Sanatorsnip. , Mr. Conkling's term expires in 1879, but a new House and half of the Senate will be elected next November and the choice of a Senator will not take place until after the meeting of tho Legislature thus reconstructed. Of the hold-over Sena tors tho Republicans have largely the majority, , Delegate Cannon, of Utah, has in troduced a bill to enable that Territory to become a State, to be called Deseret. In anticipation of tho proposed re- monetization of silvor, the Director of tho Mint has had prepared, a new die for the silver dollar, whish if adopted will add to our currency a remarkably beautiful coin and give some relief to the Liberty seated on vacancy and look ing into nothing, which has disfigured our silver currency for twenty years. The new die has on the obverse a medal lion head of Liberty, with sprigs of cotton and corn in place of the traditional fillet. The execu tion of the head is remarkably free, and the arrangement of the hair on the forehead and the disposition of the lines around the chin and neck are treated with remarkable grace and freedom.- Tho reverse has an eagle dis played. The mottoes on the coin will bo "United States of America" and E pluribus Unum," with the date. Where the second motto is to go, " In God we trust," is not yet determined, but it will not be left off. A study was made of an eagle from life, J ut it proved unsatisfac tory, and the ait 'que type was followed. y o The Pop L been stricken with paralysis. HisJdition was such on the 12th that his physicians stated that he might die at any moment, and even if he rallied he could not long survive. WAR NEWS. A Turkish report of tho 6th states that Chevkct Pasha with a strong force Is advancing to the rolief of Plevna, and that notwithstanding Russian progress west ward, the Turks are confident the garrison will hold out. . Mohemet Ali is reportedas having arrived at Sofia to organize a com mand for the defense of the Western Bal kan passes. The Russians on the 8th wore erect ing siege batteries in front of Kars. The Tnrks attacked them, supported by the fire from the forts, but were driven back into their lntrenchments. A dispatch from Mukhtar Pasha, dated Erzeroum, 9th, noon, says that at 4 a. m. the Russians attacked the Turkish fortified position, but were repulsed with great slaughter. A press dispatch says the battle lasted 11 hours and was fiercely con tested throughout. The Russians finally gave way and were pursued several miles, losing many guns, though but few prisoners. Previous to the battle the situation at Erzeroum was very critical, the inhabitants demanding the authorities should capitulate, reinforcements not hav ing arrived. The Turkish army at Plevna is believed to bo in a very critical situation, and it wa9 thought Osman Pasha could not hold out many days longer. The Russians have a field telegraph completely around Plevna so they can concentrate immediate ly on any point attacked. A Constantinople dispatch of the 10th says that 40 of the retainers of ex-Sultan Mured have been arrested, and it is rumor ed strangled, because of an allcgsd con spiracy to reinstate Murad. The Turks have resolved to defend Kars to the last ex tremity. Dispatches of the 12th report that heavy fighting had been going on at Plevna for two days, in which the Turks had se cured some advantages. FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. In the Senate, on the fith, the House bill to authorize the free coinage of the standard silver dollar and restore its legal tender character was read by title and referred to the Committed on Finance. The resolution calling lor the copies and reports to the Gov ernment, made under the twentieth section of the act of July 1, lsni, to aid In the con struction of a railroad from the Mis souri Klvcr to the racWo Ocean, ws taken up and a (freed to. After a brief executive session the Senate adiurned nntil Thursday In the Mouse, alter the ex piration of the morning hour, consideration was resumed of the bill to repeal the third section of the Kemimption act. Several amendments were offered. Mr. Phillips open ed the debate by a spweoh in furor of the bill reported by the Coinmittee on Ranking and Currency. At the close of the speech the subject went over till to-momw,ahcr w hich the House adjourned. The Senate was not In session on the 7th. In the House, the Bern tnpt Ion Bppeal bill was discussed at lenatb.Mcssrs. Gardner, Riddle, Keller, and others speaklns; In favor of tbe proposed bill, and Messrs. triee, Blstr (N. II.) and others strains It. The epeaker laid before tbe lion-e the resigns t ton of the ttrv. lr. Poisa! as Cnaplaln. Ia the Senate, on the 8th, a resolution was agreed to twtrocttn; tbe Committee oa Judiciary to inquire and report whether any legislation i accessary " order to author ize the roent out of any moneys received or to be received from the Republic of Melt- j ro, or otherwise, to Americas) claimants of a w ards made bv t be Committee created s nder the treaty between tbe I aited States and that republic, ratiftcanoas wbereol were ri- . chanRed on the 1st of Febniory. 1869. The resolution iudiuihbu uy ""-".!.. i.. In upon tbe l'resideut for information in rnuard to the rescue of persona from the StSrlt County (Texas) Jail by out laws from Mexico, In August last, was taken up and agreed to; also the rosolu tlon calling upon the Secretary of tho In terior for Information as to the number of miles of Northern l'aoltlo Kallroad construct ed, what changes had been mado In the line, eto Tho House wont Into Com mittee of the Whole upon the Army Ap propriation bill.. A lengthy debute ensued, and was participated. In by Messrs. Atkins, Singloton, Sclilc oher, Fos ter, Hlackburn. Conger, Money, Phillips, Calk ins Luttrell, Townsend, Mills, I'ridouiore, Clymer, Wright, Culberson, Ilunnlntr, "'". Banks, Blount, Crittenden and Sparks. With out action tho committee rose and tho House adjourned. In the Senate, on the 0th, a number of bills wore introduced and reterred. The Vice President appointed Senator Kirkwood a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Iugalls a member of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, and Senutor Saunders a member of the Committee on Railroads, to 1111 the vacancies on these committees occasioned by the death of Senator Morton. Adjourned till Monday In tho House, Mr. Swann, Chairman of the Committee oti Foreign Affairs, presented u communication from the Secretury of State in reference to the Paris Exposition. They estlmuted the expense of an American ropresontatlom at MM.OOO. Ordered printed and recommitted, llev. D. W. D. Harrison was elected Chaplain. Tho House went Into Committee of the Whole on the Army Appropriation bill, but after a long discussion aguln adjournod without dollnito .action. The Senate was not in session on the 10th Tho House again took up ktho;Arniy Ap propriation bill- In Committee of the Whole, and after considerable discussion, tho bill passed through the committee. The com mittee rose and reported the bill, but as It was found that tho amendments agreed to In the committee conflicted, and as It required time to stralgHten them out, the House adjourned. In the Senate, on the 12th, a number of bills were Introduced and reforred, among thorn the following: By Senator Wlndom, to establish a Department of Commerce; by Mr. Conovcr, to provide for the survey of an Interior water route und puiiul from the Mis sissippi River to the Atlantic Senutor Maxey submitted a resolution Instructing the Com mittee on Military An" airs to Inquire Into tho expediency of constructing defensive works on tho Rio Grande frontiers. Laid over for the present. Hon. 1). W. Voorhees was sworn in n h Sfiiuit.or from Indiana. Senutor Booth wusnppointed Chairmun of the Com mittee on patents, in mace oi cuimiur Wudleiirh. recently annotated Chairmun of the Committee on Privileges and Elections. Senutor Davis of Illinois was excused from further service on the Committee on Pensions, and. Senator Saunders was excused from fur ther service on the Committee on Transpor tation Routes to the Seaboard. SonatorConk lingrosetoa personal explanation concern ing a recent publication in the New York Herald which purported to give his (Conk ling's) expressed opinions on certain pel-sons and matters. The Senator said the statement contains some remarks which he made in casual conversation at times, and contains other remarks which he never made at any time. A number of appointments were con- tinned in executive sossion, among them the following: John L. Stevens, Minis ter to Swoden and Norway ; Edgar M. Marble, of Minhicriln. AHHiHtlltlfc Attorney-General : John D. Dufrees, I'ublic Printer; Kenneth itayner, solicitor or tno Treasury; r.imry ni. Itruyton, Collector Internal Revenue for Gnl. ..1..A T I'.iuu !iitw.i,m re. signed. United States Marshals Robert II. Crittenden, for Kentucky; Joseph L. Mor- phes, for Northern Missouri In the House, tho Army Appropriation bill, re ported from the Cominilteo of the Wholo on Saturday, came up for consideration us the regular order, and after a lengthy discus sion, passed without division. The following iimnniliiiniits to the bill were nrevlouslv con curred in: By Mr. Schleicher striking out the clause prohibiting tho recruiting of tho nrmv hflvnnri the ntiinhcr of enlisted men on the rolls the first of November. By Mr. Cul berson providing that four cavalry rogl mnntu lm rnnrnited to ono hundred men each company, to bo employed in de fense of the Mexican and Indian frontiers of Texas, provided nothing herein shall author ize recruiting Dcyona iiti.uuu men. uupuu llcans voted solidly against this amendment and were Joined by Messrs. Uidtlings, Mills and Schleioher. The amendment Eroviding that stuff ofllcers shall not o entitled to or rcoeivo any additional rank, pay or allowances was rejected yeas, 123; nays, 131. The uegativo vote was given by Republicans, backed by Messrs Black burn, Carlisle, Cook, Harrison, EickhofF, Mul loif Potter, Willis and Randolph. A large number of bills were introduced and refer red, including the bills to amend the laws In relation to mailable matter of the third class; designating the time for the meeting of Con gress the ilrst Monday In January ; to reduce the number of military cadets : for payment of all cotton seized after the 2th of Muy, lii5 ; also, to refund tho tax on raw cotton collect ed from 186S to 1868 ; to prohibit by constitu tional amendment the payment of claims arising out of the late rebellion, etc., etc. THE NEGATIVE VOTE ON TnE SILVER BILL. The following Is a list of the mem bers of the House voting against the adoption of the Bland bill for the rccolnage of silver: Bacon, Now York; Bullou, Rhode Island; Blair, New Hampshire; Brcwer.Mich igan; Briggs, New Hampshire; 'lamp, New lork; Uliittenaen, ftew lorn; iiauin, Massachusetts; Cole, Missouri; Davis, N. Carolina; Denison, Vermont; Eatnes, Rhode Island; Field, JIasiicliusetts; rrye, Maine: Gibson. Louisiana: Hardenberg. Now Jersey; Hart, New York; Heudco, Vermont; ilcwitt, ew lorK; Joyce, ermont;iA'onaru, 1.1 ill million , ii imoivj , ."iiiim , iiui.ini.iH.n- igtin; Morse, Massachusetts; Norcross, Mas sachusetts; I'eililie, New Jersey; Powers, Maine; Reed, Maine; Rice, MasMichusetts; Schleicher, Texas; Stephens, Georgia; Swann, Maryland; n uid, i'ennsyivauia; oou, -now York. The November Elections. Elections were held on Tuesday, Xov. C, in 13 States, viz.: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Xcw York, Xew Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Mississippi, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebras ka. Illinois elected only county officers; Kansas and Nebraska only certain State olllcers; while all the others chose mem bers of the Legislature, and Massachusetts, Xew Tork, Xew jersey, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Minnesota also full or partial lists of State officers. In five of the States named the Legislatures chosen will have to elect United States Senators viz.: Xew York In place of Mr. Conkling; Pennsyl vania In place of Mr. Cameron; Maryland in place of Mr. Dennis; Wisconsin In place of Mr. Howe; and Georgia in place of Mr. Gordon. The chief interest la tbe election cen tered In tbe States of Massachusetts, Xew York, Xew Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, In each of which the canvass was fairly contested, and both parlies claimed to hare frreater or lest hope of ine cess. Maryland, Virginia, and Mis stssippi were conceded to the Democrats, and Minnesota, Kansas and Xebratka to the Re publican. The general result in the several States b a follows: j Massachusetts Rice, Republican candi- I date for Governor, ts elected by a plurality j of about 18,000 over Gaston, the Democratta candidate. ,- v .rr. y Connecticut-The Republicans have made some gains In members of the Legislature;, no State officers were chosen, j Xew York The entire Demoeratio ticket is elected by majorities ranging from 12,000 to 19,000, although tbe Republicans have se cured a majority on joint ballot in tho Leg islature. In New York City, John Morris soy, the anti-Tammany candidate for State Senator In the Seventh District, Is elected.. Xew Jersey Gen. MeClellan Is elected Governor.togethor with the rest of the Dem ocratic State ticket, by from 12,000.'to 15,000 majority. Legislature strongly Democratic. Pennsylvania Entire Demoeratio State ticket chosen by from 8,000 to 10,000 ma jority. ' i i Maryland The Democratic candidate for Comptroller (the only State officer chosen) elected by a large majority. Virginia Holllday, Democratic candldate for Governor, elected without opposition. ' Mississippi Governor Stone re-elected no Republican ticket run. Illinois Chicago elects tho entire Repub lican ticket The State-house appropriation, is defeated. ' Wisconsin Entire Republican State tick et elected by from 5,000 to 6,000. majority. Legislature Republican. Minnesota Entire Republican Stato ticket elected by about 12,000 majority. Kansas The Republican nominees, Hum phrey for Lieutenant-Governor and Horton for Chief -Justice, are elected by a largo ma jorityprobably from 20,000 to 30,000. Nebraska Republican by about 10,000' majority. WIT AND WISDOM. A libel Some vile old traduoer says that for the period of a month before marriage and a month after death, men regard their wives as angels. General Nepokoitchitsky, Nicho las's Chief of Staff, went from Warsaw to war, seeP He must be " the largest Pole " that knocks the persimmons. Graphic. . A tramp called at a house on West Hill the other day and asked for some thing to eat. He was so thin, he said,, that when he "ad a pain he couldn't tell whether it was a touch ef the colic or the backache. Hawkeye. An American savant named Smith observes that " you rarely if ever see a politician with smooth hair, a great scholar with fine hair, an artist with red hair, a fop with coarse hair, or an edit or whose hair is carefully adjusted." " The Lord will provide" is an ex cellent motto, but "The Lord helps those who help themselves" is equally good. The patriot who sits all day in the sun on a dry-goods box before the village store, whittling and talking 'bout last 'lection, though he have all the faith in the world, musn't expect to go home to supper and find quail and buttered toast waiting for him when he gets there. N. Y. Commercial Adver tiser. In a Connecticut district school a few days since a little boy six years old waa seen to whisper, but denied doing so when reproved by the teacher. He was told to remain after school, when the teacher, trying to impress upon his youthful mind the sinfulness of ' not speaking the truth, asked him if they did not tell him in the Sunday-school where bad boys went who told false hoods. Choking with sobs he said: " Yes, marm, it is a place where there is afire, but I don't just remember the name of the town." A Desperate Fight. A fatal encounter between a couple of men, named respectively F. Bedell and Andreas Mille, took place at the sum mit, across tho valley from Tuscarora, the particulars of which are given as follows : lledell called Mille out of his tent and said he was going to settle an old grudge between them, the former being under the influence of liquor. A desperate fight ensued, continuing nntil' b)th were exhausted, Redell returning to his tent. Shortly after, however, be came back armed with a revolver, and again called Mille out to finish the fight. The latter also had a revolver,, but it contained only one load, and tak ing the weapon he stepped forth, when Redell fired, the ball striking Mille in: the abdomen and passing clear through his body. Mille returned the fire but missed his aim, when a hand-to-hand combat between them ensued, Mille get ting his antagonist's pistol and firing over his shoulder at Redell, who was at his back and holding him around tho waist. After another straggle both fell to the ground, and Mille dropped his pistol, but, freeing himself, he sprang to his feet, seized an ax, and with it dashed out Bedell's brains. Mille is suffering intense pain from his wound, which, it is thought, must prove fatal. Elko (Aer.) Independent. Jcxtrs Bacmgartex, 1 Philadelphia engraver, has just completed a new great seal of the United States, for the use of tbe State Department at Wash ington. This is the only seal made for the State Department since the original seal was made, at the foundation of the Government. "L