The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-28 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 28, 1869.

MI.SCELLANEUUS NEWS.

Chrenigif has become an institution. it is the parent ii
of the many cheap dinners for the young which have
since been established. He himself boasts that its
fame is world-wide. On Saturday last, in his speech
to the ladies, who came to see his annual dinner
given—and the attendance was both numerous and
distinguished"—he announced that he had re-
ceived two letters congratulating him on his work.
They were two amongst many ; but they im-
pressed him more than the others, for they came
the one from Cuba, the other from Hayti. Of course,
though none but ladies were present, M. Hugo must
needs talk politics, and his politics are always revolu-
tionary:—" Permit me (he asked) as the occasion
presents itself, of sending a word of sympathy to
those two gallant peoples which have raised the cry
of liberty. Cuba has delivered itself from Spain,
as Hayti has delivered itself from France. Hayti,
in 1792, in freeing the blacks, secured the triumph
of the principle that one man has not the right
to possess another : Cuba will effect the triumph of
the other principle—not less great—that one
nation has not the right to possess another."
M. Hugo made one very bright remark. He went
on to preach the beauty of assisting children. The
true succour for the unfortunate, he said, was the
abolition of misery, and that would be attained.
"Let us, then (he exclaimed), aid progress by assist-
ing children. Let us assist children, by all means,
by good nutriment and by good instruction. Help
to children must be, in our troublous times, one of
our principal considerations. The child must be our
care. And why ? Do you know his true name ? The
child is called the Future."

had abused him, he managed to say something both being there little better off than ten years ago.
to the world and against those papers. At present, ho Georgia and Tennessee have tripped the Republican
observed, nobody knows the truth except that one party and the true Union people, and he (Butler)
woman, and it was not for him or for his congrega- intended to aid in preventing more trickery from
time for enemies or friends, to sit in judgment upon any State. A delegate then read a memorial set-
the case. He avowed then as now that the relation j ting forth how completely Virginia had complied
between that man and woman was honourable and ; with every requirement, and therefore asking for ad-
innocent. At the trial the truth may be elicited, i mission as a State of the Federal Union, the Senators
but it is a maxim in law that people are to be held and Representatives chosen by her to be adMitted
innocent until they are proved guilty, as well as a to their seats in Congress. The General desired
maxim in justice, in religion, the maxim being that the addition of three or four lines to the Report,
charity covers a multitude of sins. He was very pledging the Legislature and the people that the
severe on the Pharisee, decked in whitest robes, provisions of the Constitution as it stands will be
sweeping through the streets with the proudest faithfully carried out, and without trickery, as in the
mien, making his philanthropies very wide and cases of Georgia and Tennessee. Such a pledge he
conspicuous, while dropping his bitter scorn on and the Committee would accept as sufficient from
innocent and harmless people. He was accused of Virginian gentlemen, and the State would be in the
breaking up the foundations of society, but they Union before the week expired. That pledge being
break up the foundations of society who break up frankly given, General Butler expressed his satis-
the foundations of confidence, who make people faction, and desired the Committee to meet that on
distrust one another, who fill the air with malig- Reconstruction, of which he is chairman, and Vir-
Dant rumours of poison. At the inquest Daniel giuia will be admitted almost immediately. '.l he
M'Farland said that he was 49 years old; born in Committees have been very busy. That of the
Ireland; by profession a lawyer; residence 50, East Census has decided to report an amendment to the
Twenty-sixth-street; and he reserved his defence by bill before the House, fixing the members in Con-
advice of counsel. The notorious John J. Eckel gress at 300. There will be a hard struggle oa
died on the 3d instant in the Albany Penitentiary, the subject, but it is likely to be carried, being
where he was serving out his three years' sentence favoured by both the West and South. It will give
for illicit distillation. The remains were brought to each Representative a constituency including
here on Monday evening, and Mr. M'Alister, a men, women, and children, of upwards of 130,000
Methodist preacher,performed the service in an un- persons, as information points to the fact that the
dertaker's shop, none of the relatives, and a few . population will go rather over than under 40,000,000.
friends being present, mostly attracted by curio- The Committee on Indian Affairs has a bill to abo-
sity. Eckel, many years ago, was accused, in con- lish certain unfair treaties with Indians now in
junction with Mrs. Cunningham, of murdering Dr.: operation, and to prohibit the making of such
Burdell, but even on his deathbed he made no treaties in the future. Congress will be asked to
allusion to that tragedy. At the funeral, however, take the matter in hand to provide for the support
it is said that two ladies, shrouded in deep mourn- of Indian tribes, and it will be shown that not only
ing, followed the remains to the grave, and that are the Indians shamefully swindled by the agents,
these ladies were Mrs. Cunningham and her daugh- I but the Government as well. A New York paper,
ter Augusta. I gave you an account of a shooting alluding to the Revenue frauds perpetrated in
affray in the Eighteenth Ward in my last. Florence Alaska immediately on the Stars and Stripes flat-
Scannell, the candidate for Alderman, who was tering over Sitka, asks if the flag is the em-
shot, was elected, but has died, and disturbancea blem of dishonesty, as thefts and frauds not
are anticipated in revenge. At a meeting, one of only follow, but flourish under it. General Tho.
his friends declared they would elect his body, if he
died, to the office of Alderman, and then they would
tell all the world that Tammauy murdered him.
In Ninth-avenue, last Tuesday, there was a row in
Dwyer's saloon. Burke, a leader in the great riot
of 1863, was shot by Donahue, the Democratic
candidate for Alderman. Donahue, who sent two
bullets into his opponent, by way of settling the
argument, was arrested, but discharged by Jestice
Dodge, as Burke could not be found, and would
not g►ve evidence if found. It is the Irish way
of finishing a discussion, with which the law has
nothing to do, having no business whatever to in-
terfere with it; still I must say were it not that
ruffians spring, fully fledged, into the vacant places
caused by each other's pistols (and it is as well to
have one ruffian as another), the mode they adopt
of killing each other off would not be without its
advantages. If they would keep their pistols with
the contents wholly for themselves the law might,
with a grim satisfaction, allow them to work tbeir
wicked will ; but, alas ! it is only in their convivial
moments that they thus act, or when squabbling
over the plunder. The police have been ou the
watch to prevent mischief. Among the serious
failures is that of the importers Messrs. B. Falconer
and Co., a firm occupying a high position both on
this and on your side. The indebtedness is, I be-
lieve, entirely in England, and the firm offer to
settle on the basis of 13s. 6d. in the pound. Ido
not know what the English creditors will say to this ;
but under the circumstances it is thought to be the
best that can be done, for the fact should not be
unknown or overlooked in England that the firm
suffered a disastrous shrinkage iu the value of their
assets through the extraordinary and uulooked-for
fall in the value of gold. The liabilities of Ben-
jamin Loder's house reached $250,000, and a meet-
ing of the creditors has been held. I should not
neglect to add to my letter Recorder Hackett's
opinion, as given in his charge to the Grand Jury
on the Richardson-M'Farland case. On its coming
up he animadverted severely on the journalists, the
ministers of the gospel, and others, who gave a
benediction to bigamy, and consecreted lechery by
prayers at the bed of death ; adding, if there has
been bigamy, fearlessly investigate the matter, no
matter how elevate 1 in life the eiders and abettors
may be. The immigrants from European ports,
from the Ist Janu iry to the first week in DdCeM-
her, have been .251,162 against 203,101 for the
corresponding period of last ye :r. There has
been another accident on the Erie Road. A pas-
senger train at the opening of the Bergen Tua-
nel came into collision wish a cattle train, to
the loss and mangling of the poor sheep, though
fortunately no passengers were killed. A Mr. St.
John, of Mobile, has given notice to Fisk, Gould,
and Co., that he has filed papers as proprietor of
300 preferred Stock, preparatory to an application
to restrain them from using the net earnings of the
road, except in payment of dividends, according to
the original contract,on that stock. Mr. Blaeh field, a
well-known Boston artist, left in the Sco!ia, com-
missioned to paint 16 pictures from original models.
The Mediterranean fruit steamers appear to be
doing well, the Northumbria with a very valuable
cargo having arrived here on Wednesday evening
from Messina Nov. 8, L'alertno 10th, and Gibraltar
18th. Two Wall-street bankers have been arrested
for snaking a fraudulent statement of their business
to escape charges by the Internal Revenue Assessors.
They are Messrs. Julius and Woolberg, of No. 6;
and Connnissioner Wells held them to bail in $5OO.
I cannot tell what the end wi►l be of the Custom-
house drawback frau-ls. It is rumoured that if the
prosecution against Blatchford be pressed some
sensational revelations against persons in high posi-
tion will be the result. Caldwell has been arrested
at Prescott, Canada, and Colonel Whitby, with
several Government witnesses, has gone there to give
evidence against him. The absence of the District-
Attorney, at Washington, has prevented a decision
by the United States District Court on the Spanish
gunboat case, but the Mosquito fleet is likely to
be discharged from custody, and, in anticipetion of
this, the Junta, and friends of Cuban independence,
are getting up indignation meetings. John King,
an Arkansas lawyer, committed suicide at the New
York Hotel on Thursday night. It is said that he
was suffering from delirium tremens.

Inas states that the Treasury agents for the pro-
tection of the fur trade islands of St. George '
and St. Paul prevent the Government from get-
ting $lOO,OOO per annum, excluding traders for
the benefit of privileged persons. Awo ,g the
claims submitted to the Mexican Commission are
the registered" Woodhouse Bonds" of the Mexican
Government held by American citizens. A reason
urged why they should be paid is, that o❑ them
Juarez supported the Army operating against
Maximilian. Mr. Paul Gerard, a Frenchman of
good family and means, was married on Tuesday
to Miss Mary B. Wormley, a handsome Washing-
ton lady, having a tinge of colour. M. Gerard has
to settle a libel suit before he takes his bride to Paris,
where the same prejudices do not exist as here.
At the tasteful dejeuner some of our first citizens
appeared, and everything was conducted on a libe-
ral scale. Special Commissioner Wells will send
in his Report next week, and it is looked for with
interest, as his conclusions exercise great influence
on a powerful section. The Reconstruction Com-
mittee will meet daily until the case of Georgia is
decided, that of Virginia being now as good as
settled. The Committee on Ways and Means is
considering the President's and Secretary Bout-
well's Report. The arsenals, at Watertown, New
York, and near some other great cities where land is
valuable, are to be sold, and, with the proceeds, a
large arsenal is to be constructed ; at least, so it is
proposed, and two thousand five hundred acres of
land are to be purchased in the mountains of New
Jersey, within five miles of the Erie Railroad,
as an Army Eastern powder depot. Twenty of the
new torpedo boats have been ordered by the Govern-
ment, the recent experiment being considered
highly satisfactory. Military cadets and midship-
men are to be instructed in the system of signal-
ling introduced by General Myers, and found ser-
viceable during the war; by day it is worked by
flags, and at night by torches, and is used
by the army as well as the navy with secret cyphers
for communications between them. The Colo -
redo, carrying 44 guns, with the flag of Com-
modore John Rogers, is Ala to sail for Singa-
pore to relieve Commodore Rowan, in command
of the United States fleet in Asiatic waters.
Commodore Charles Steednaan succeeds Rogers
in command of the Boston Navy Yard. The
disputed relative rank of the navy, line, and staff
callers is still undetermined, but will be set-
;Jed ty the House Navy Committee, who are
uneasy under the pressure of interested parti,s.
Senator Grimes, the former Chairman of the Senate
Committee, was the champion of the line officers,
and the staff officers rejoice in his having been suc-
ceeded Ly Senator Cragin.

RAILIVAY INTELLIGENCE.

BUFFALO AND LAKE HURON.

The report of the directors states that of the
amount announced in the last report as paid by the
Grand Trunk Company, in settlement of the sums
due to the company up to June, 1868, £12,500 had
been paid to the bondholder& trustees. After pro-
tracted uegociations, conducted in a firm yet con-
ciliatory spirit by the present directors of the com-
pany, Messrs. M. H. Maxwell, S. It Healey, A.
Ashton, and J. J. Stitt, they were now happy to
report that such modifications and concessions had
been secured as enabled them to recommend for
adoption a new arrangement in lieu of the exist-
ing Parliamentary agreement, and in settlement
of all questions in dispute between the two coin.
panics. The agreement provided a rentcharge,
payable by the Grand Trunk Railway to the
Buffalo and Lake 1-luron Company in per-
petuity, by half-yearly instalments within two
months after the Ist of January and the Ist of July
in each year, say—for the year ending the Ist of
July, 1869, .£42,500 ; ending the Ist of July, 1870,
£45,000 ; ending the Ist of July, 1871, £50,000;
ending the Ist of July, 1872, £55,000 ; ending the
Ist of July, 1873, £60,000 ; ending the Ist of .July,
1874, £65,000; ending the Ist of July, 1875,
£66,000; ending the Ist of July, 1876, £67,000 ;
ending the Ist of July, 1877, £68,000 ; ending the
Ist of July, 1878, £69,000 ; and for every subse-
quent year £70,000. To the amount of £12,000
per annum the rent-charge was to rank next before
the First Equipment Bonds of the Grand Trunk
Company, and the balance would rank next after
the Second Equipment Bonds, which the Grand
Trunk were now authorised to raise. The ordi-
nary shares of the Buffalo Company were to be
exchanged--one-half, or say £615,000 for the like
amount of Grand Trunk Fourth Preference ; one-
half, or say £615,000, for the like amount of Grand
Trunk Ordinary Stock. The £42,500 of the rent-
charge payable for the Year 1868-9 was to be liqui-
dated in Grand Trunk Second Equipment Mort-
gage Bonds at par, but available only upon the
New agreement being ratified by the Canadian Par-
liament. The formal embodiment of the agreement
was now being prepared by the solicitors of the two
companies, and would be submitted to the pro-
prietors at meetings specially called for that pur-
pose. The terms now proposed might be considered
far short of what this company believed they were
fairly entitled to, still, in view of existing circum-
stances, and to avoid, if possible, a harassing and
Costly struggle too likely to follow their rejection,
the board unanimously advised their acceptance.
The injury which the two companies had it i❑ their
power to inflict upon each other would be poor
compensation for the indefinite postponement of
any share iu the prosperity which appeared again
about to dawn upon Canadian enterprise. The
capital account to the 30th of June last showed that
£1,701,056 had been expended, leaving a hilance
of £74,015.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.
The great feature of the week here has, of course,
been the opening of Congress. Unfortunately the day
was very stormy, half rain, half snow, with plenty of
wintry gusts, but it was remarked how hearty and
cordial in their greeting of each other, the members
were. Most of them met for the first time since
they separated in the Capitol, and they had to aiscuss
distant travel, for many of them have been to Eu-
rope or across to the Pacific, or roaming over the
mountains of Colorado. Samuel S. Cox, and George
W. Brooks, who fills Secretary Boutwell's place, 11.
C. Burchard, who takes that of Mr. Washburne, and
W. H. Barnum have been sworn in, making up the
roll to 201. Mr. Morrill, of Maine, has been chosen
Chairman of the Committee ou Appropriations ;
Mr. Cragin, of New Hampshire, is the new Chair-
man of the Naval Affairs Committee, and Mr.
Schurz takes the late Senator Fessenden's place on
the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The death of
the Senator from Maine is to be announced on
Monday next, and many of his friends will speak
on the occasion. The nomination to the United
States Circuit ju•lgeships have been presented to
the Senate. Among them is a relative of Mrs.
Grant, who is strongly favoured by Western Penn-
sylvania. The mines are George Shepley, First
District ; Lewis B. Wooiruff, Second ; William
bl•liennan, Third ; George A. Pearl; Fourth
William B. Woods, Fifth; George H. Yeaman,
Sixth ; Thomas Drummond, Seventh ; John F. Dil-
lonof lowa, Eighth ; and Lorenzo S iwyer, Ninth.
General Butler received a committee of the
Virginia Legislature at hi; house, as Chairman
of the Reconstruction Committee. He denied
that he was opposed to the admissio❑ of Vir-
ginia, but he is cautions, Georgia having broken
faith, which gained admission by a fraud, which can.
and will be summarily deal with. Cons►ress will
compel Georgia to keep her plighted tali h. Ten-
nessee has also broken every biond and pledge, set-
ting at naught the principles of the Republican
party and the laws of the laud, the coloured man