The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-30 00:00:00

ward their, interests. Blaine of Maine and Dawes
of Massachusetts are thought to .be the strongest
candidates. Following them are Banks of Massa-
chusetts, Kelly of Pennsylvania, Garfield of Ohio,
and Cullom of Illinois. Mr. M'Pherson will, it is
thought, be unanimously elected for the Clerkship ;
Mr. Otis S. Buxton, long assistant doorkeeper, and
lately promoted on the resignation of Lippincott,
will be re-elected for the higher office, though there
are many candidates.
Judge Pitman has been elected President of the
Senate, and Mr. Jewell Speaker of the Massachu-
setts-Legislature. Out of the 280 members of both
Houses 108 have sat before ; hence two-fifths are
men with previous Legislative experience. We are
informed that the rnenbers are composed as follows :
—39 are manufacturers, 38 traders, 31. lawyers, 29
farmers, 28 merchants, 16 "in the shoe business,,"
12 Mechanics, 12 gentlemen, 10 clergymen, B'•clerks,
6 physicians, 5 carpenters, 5 millers, 4 printers, 4
shipmasters, 2 editors, &c., among the 280 mem-
bers. It will be seen that merchants, manufac-
turers, and men of business generally are in a large
majority over farina's, mechanics, ani professional
men.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.
On Tuesday the galleries were crowded to hear
General Butler's speech on the currency, and the
attention of all remained fixed on that gentleman,
notwithstanding the length at which he spoke,
occupying an hour and a half. Immediately he
finished there was a rush and a bustle, and it is not
easy to judge of its effect on the Representatives,
but all here acknowledge its ability. Some say that
four of the Justices are in favour of declaring the
Legal-TenderActconstitutional ; the names given are
Grier, Davis, Miller, and Swayne, with the Chief Jus-
tice Chase doubtful, but inclined to favour it. Against
it are Justices Nelson, Field, and Clifford, And, it
is thought, under any circumstances, the decision
will be postponed. In Mississippi the Conserva-
tives are ready to accept negro suffrage, and incor-
porate it if allowed to frame a new Constitution,
for which they ask Congress on the understand-
ing that there shall be no disfranchisement of
whites, while according political equality and suf-
frage to the negroes. The Reconstruction Com-
mittee desire to obtain the evidence of Generals
Reynolds, Shepard, and Gillem, on the condition of
Texas and Mississippi. The two latter Generals
have already arrived here, and the former is due.
The Committee wish to report on the action neces-
sary to restore these States to a peaceful and pros-
perous condition. On Monday the repeal of the
Tenure-of-Office Bill was proposed in the House of
Representatives by Mr. Washburne, and carried,
the previous question being moved. General Butler
advocated it, as identical with that he had intro-
duced, and referred to the Judiciary Committee,
from whom there could not be a report this sesiion.
He hoped there would be a direct vote upon the re-
peal of the law, as all had made up their minds.
The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee said that
the majority had decided to report in favour
of the repeal of the bill. Mr. Washburne's bill
comes into effect on the 4th of next March, and
.'being,pa4sed by 121 yeas to 47 nap it-goes: to the
Senate for concurrence. -The Court of Appeals of
Kenthekv•has decided that the widow of a Con-
gressman, and not the executor, is entitled to re-
ceive-bis back pay. The case came up in Ole estate
of Henry Girder, who died Sept. 8, 1866, when a
member of the Thirty-ninth Congress, with the
sum of $3,127 of compensation owing. On appeal
the Court reversed the decree of the inferior tribu-
nal, who held that an anti-nuptial contract by
which she relinquished her right to her husband's
estate was valid and included this clai.n, but the
Superior Court held that the sum was not her hus-
band's at the time of his death, but became hers
then, the law intending it as a pure gift and an act
of benevolence.

Chauncy H. Snow has been appointed Govern-
ment Director of the Union Pacific Railroad vice
Rollins, electel to the State Senate of Missouri.
Gen. Grant gave a dinner party, at which Attorney-
General Evarts, Gen. Rawlings, Moses H. Grinnell,
and several Congressmen were present, and as usual,
under such circumstances, Evarts is rumoured to
retain his present post. He has come out with a
letter, which was read in the Criminal Court oe
Wednesday on the subject of the indictments
against Jeff. Davis and .J. IL Surratt, charged with
engaging in the rebellion. Mr. Evarts in this letter
calls the attention of the District Attorneys to the
full nature of the President's Proclamation of par-
don, in order that as opportunity offers they may
enter a nolle proscqui for the Government upon such
indictments, and directs doubtful cases to be re-
ported to himself. District Attorney Carrington, in
obedience to the Attoi ney - General's notification, en-
tered a nolle prosequi in the case of Jefferson Davis
and of John C. Breckenridge, but as that of Sur-
ratt differed, he would report to the A`torney-
General. If Surratt is to escape, of which now
there appears to be no doubt, it is certainly hard
that Dr. Mudd is to wallow all the rest of his life
in the mire of the Dry Tortugas. The President
received a deputation from Maryland on Wednes-
day, with a petition asking for his pardon, which
he said he would forward for the consideration of
the Attorney-General. A claim has been allowed,
after long dispute, of $34,000 against the Govern-
ment in favour of Mr. Cochran, a banker, whose
country residence, Harewood, was taken as an hos-
pital during the war. Quartermaster-Gmeral
Meigs reported against the claim, but a board
of army officers, with General Hardy as Pre-
sident, over-ruled his opinion. This banker
has another claim against the Government for
$lOO,OOO. A singular tragedy occurred in the
galleries of the Senate Chamber while Mr. Howard
was speaking on the Sue Murphy Bill last Wednes-
day. Richard B. Dorsey, an old man, who for
years has taken his seat t 3 listen to the debates,
suddenly dropped, and being carried to the repor-
ters' table by the doorkeepers was found to be dead.
The great assembly of negroes I before mentioned
came off on Wednesday at the Union League Hall,
the delegates from the States numbering 300. The
editor of the Anti-Slavery Standard, Aaron M.
Powell, and others, were made honorary members,
and Fred. Douglas, of New York, permanent Pre-
sident. I told you that the House had resolved that
the Capitol should be the scene of the Inauguration
Ball, when the Rotunda and other portions were to
be gaily decorated and lighted. But on the question
coming up in the Senate it was defeated by 30 against
22, on the plea that it would be inappropriate and
undignified to dance in the Capitol. Davis and
Whyte, the two Democratic members of the com-
mittee, had reported in favour of the resolution,
and Senator Patterson, the President's son-in-law,
joined the yeas.
General Longstreet has had an interview with
Grant. Judge Lawrence, of Ohio, has returned
and taken his seat in the House, as has Senator
Morrill, of Maine, who is going to fight the ques-
tion of his defeat by Hannibal Hamlin. ,Talking of
the latter gentleman, he was in 1860 on the ticket
with Lincoln, and when the chief was re-elected
Hatnlin was turned out to make way for Andrew
Johnson. He felt like a goose when defeated with
the shears, but, verily, he has had his revenge.
Indeed, Andrew Johnson's failure may have done
much to help him back into notice. Efforts are
being made for the re-admission of the excluded
States. The Virginia Committee has been in con-
ference with the Judiciary Committees of the
Senate and the House, and a bill is to be proposed
for the admission of Virginia on the adoption of
a constitution, with all the features of the most ob-
jectionable clauses omitted. An amnesty will
follow the ratification of the constitution, and not
Only do the majority of both Houses sanction the
scheme, but Grant and Schofield do also. The
advocates of women suffrage have assembled at
Washington, and are hard at work getting up
memorials and holding meetings. Lucy Stone
lectured to a large audience—Senator Wilson pre-
siding.

THE MANUFACTURE OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS.
A most intere:ting and Instructive little work, describing briefly
but with great clearness, the rise and progress of watch and
clock makin , has just been published by Mr J. W. Benson, of
2, Old Bond-street, 99, Wcstbourne-grove, and the City Steam
FaCtory, 58 and 60, Ludgate-hill. The hook, which is profusely
illtistrated, gives a full description of the various kinds of watches
and Clocks, with their prices; and no one should make a purchase
witkbut visiting the above establishinents or consulting this truly
valuable work. By its aid persons residing in any part of the
United Kingdom, India, or the Colonies, are enabled to select for
themselves the watch best adapted for their use, and have it sent
:to; them with perfect safety. Mr. Benson, who holds the appoint-
Ine,!lt to the Prince of Wales, sends this pamphlet to any address
(121- 'receipt of two postage ?tamps, and we cannot too stiongly
recommend it to the notice of the intending purchaser.