The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-17 00:00:00

STATE OF JAMAICA.

An official publicat►on on the state of the British West
India Islands gives a favourable account of the prospects
of Jamaica. Perfect tranquillity wai maintained in the
colony throughout the year 1866, and has been continued
ever since. In August 1866 there were eight military
outposts in different parts of the island, but five of them
were withdrawn during 1867, the three retained being no
more than the extent of the colony demands. In no case
have these troops been called out for internal service. The
sugar crop of 1866 was rather above the average, and so
was that of 1867. Moreover, the old prejudice against
everything but sugar cultivation is fast dying out, and
attention is, being given to several industries for which
nature has prepared the island. Railway and telegraphic
communication have been extended. Altogether Governor
Sir J. P. Grant, is of opinion that "security and
tranquillity are beginning to have their natural effect in
turning the attention of capitalists to a colony whose
natural resourees_are unbounded."

(From the Anglo-American Times?
_ _ ._

The charge of bribery so persisted in by the
New York Evening Post against ex-Governor Fen-
ton has not been without its effect at Washington,
where it created some stir. The Post asserts that
Senator Fenton's influence with General Grant was
nearly destroyed by the exposure. His friends re-
commended him to take no notice of the malicious
attempt to damage his
thesreputatEiovnen;inag curious
Post
makes
to meet charges which
while calling on the Senator to commence legal
proceedings for his vindication either against it, or
against Mr. Murphy, who declares he saw the
cheques for $20,000 presented to Governor Fen-
ton's agent for the signing of the Erie Bill
within three hours. There is, however, a difficulty
in the way, as statements made before a Legislative
Committee are privileged, as is, the report of such
statements ; hence the law shields both Mr. Murphy
and the Evening Post. But Governor Fenton ought
,not to look for their punishment so much, as to
clear himself from the imputation, and the investi-
gation of a legal tribunal might be the best means
to accomplish this object.
Mr. Butler has reported a bill from the Recon-
struction Committee for the removal of disabilities
from loyal citizens. The bill provides for a general
system for the removal of political disabilities, by
petition to the United States Courts, in States or
Territories where the persons applying resided dur-
ing the war, admitting that the applicant believes
the Confederate General and State Government to
have been rebellious and treasonable, and truly
repeats of all acts done by him in maintenance
thereof, &c.
The Session has been prolonged by the debates on
the Tenure-of Office Act, an Act which has given rise
to more talk in both Houses than any subject since
Impeachment. When the Vice-President laid before
the Senate the house Concurrent resolution to ad-
journ till the 6th April, Mr. Sumner opposed it,
and some little sparring took place between him
and Senator Anthony, who thought there was no
good reason why Congress should not then ad-
journ. " What does the Senator propose to do with
Georgia ?" asked Sumner. "Leave it to take care of
itself," was the reply. " But what does my excellent
friend say to Virginia ?" was the next question.
His excellent friend considered it unnecessary to
do to anything to Virginia this Session. "Or with
Texas?" continued Sumner. Mr. Anthony sup-
posed Texas would stand pretty nearly where it
had stood for the last few years, which the Senator
from Massachusetts considered to be an abandon-
ment of those States, while the other thought it to
be no more an abandonment than of Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, and the rest. Mr. Sumner pointed
out the difference, showing how the former needed
Congressional protection; and thus the precious hours
slipped away while the Senators haggled over the
time they would give.
The House seems to have closed its business last
Saturday, but the Senate was sitting during this
week, as on Tuesday they rejected the Alabama Claims
Treaty, with only one vote in its favour. On Fri-
day of last week Congress received a message from
the President, transmitting copies of the correspon-
dence. The adjournment, the telegram states, is
to the 7th December, which will be a Tuesday but
as, according to the Constitution, Congress must
meet—in the absence of a special law —on the first
Motlday in December, the 6th of that month must
be the day meant. Reuter's telegram also says that
the Senate was specially to meet last Monday for
the ratification of treaties, and it is perhaps out of
" pure cussedness" that, instead of ratifying the
most important, they tore it into pieces, with but
one man to gather up the fragments. On Thurs-
day they rejected the Darien Canal Treaty, though
on that day they ratified the Naturalization Treaty
with Great Britain.

The President's appointments this week, all which
we may presume the Senate has confirmed, were Mr.
J. Lathrop Motley, of Massachusetts, to succeed
Mr. Reverdy Johnson as Minister to St. James's ;
Mr. John Jay,'of New York, to succeed the Minister
at the Court of Vienna; Ex-Governor Curtin, of
Pennsylvania, in succession to Gen. Cassius Clay
at St. Petersburg. His Excellency S. Sanford, now
United States Minister Resident at Brussels, to be
Minister at Madrid, vice Gen. John P. Hale. Mr.
Horace Rublee to Berne, Switzerland, in succession
to Mr. George W. Warrington ; Mr. Thomas Nel-
son to Mexico ; Mr. William Thompson to be Con-
sul at Southampton, probably the gentleman who
eight years ago held the post whom Mr. Brittan
succeeded ; Mr. Meredith Reade to be Consul-Ge-
neral at Paris, vice the lion. John G. Nicolay ; the
Hon. Freeman 11. Morse to be Consul-General in
London. These two latter appointments have just

been created by Congress, and Mr. Morse is pro-
moted by the new Administration from the post he
has long held as Consul, and on this point there

appears to be an error in the telegram, for holding
the office of Consul he cannot be nominated to it,
though it would require a new exequalur for the in-
cumbent of the new post.

In consequence of the recent hardships and ill-
treatment of emigrants on the voyage to America,
the Government at Berlin, in co-operation with
that of \Vashington, has consented to the sketch of
of a treaty, drawn up by Consul-General Rosing,
in New York, from the North German Confede-
ration, and it is hoped that it will soon be per-
fected.

The following is the bill reported by Senator
Sumner from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
to facilitate telegraphic communication between
Europe and the United States :

" The bill provides that whenever telegraphic commu-
nication shall hereafter be established between the United
States and any foreign country by means of lines or cables
in ay part thereof Withia tto juriadiotiou of tho Uoitod

States, the same shall be subject to the following condi-
tions, to wit :—The United States Government shall have
the same privileges and control over them as any foreign
Government ; the United States shall have priority in the
use of the lines by an operator of its own selection; the
rates for the transmission of the Government messages
shall be fixed by the Postmaster-General unless othei wise
stipulated; the lines shall be kept open to the public for
the transmission for daily publication of market reports
and commercial intelligence ; and messages shall be for-
warded in the order of their receipt. It shall at all times
be within the power of Congress to determine the tariff
of charges on messages sent over such lines, and to estab-
lish rules and regulations in regard thereto. Before ex-
tending such lines within the jurisdiction of the United
States, a written acceptance of the above terms must be
filed with the Secretary of state, subject to the foregoing
conditions, to the terms of grants heretofore made by Con-
gress, and to the rights of property and State jurisdic-
tion. The consent of Congress is hereby given to the
laying and maintaining of telegraphic cables and lines be-
tween the United States and such foreign countries as
confer similar privileges on companies incorporated in this
country."
According to a despatch from General Custar,
telegraphed from St. Louis on the 24 inst., he
had discovered Indian signs on the 13th March.
His command of 1,500 men, commenced marching
more than twice the distance made by the Indians,
the tents and all surf Ins clothing being burned.
On the 15th a recently abandoned camping ground
was reached, with a herd of ponies in charge of two
Indians, and while capturing them a body of In-
dians were discovered, from whom it was ascer-
tained that 260 Cheyenne Lodges were near.
" Medicine Arrow," a Chief of the Cheyennes and
other noted Chiefs then rode up, and Custar learned
that the bloodthirsty " Dog Soldiers" tribe were
among them. Postponing his intention to attack
them, as the Cheyennes held as captives Mrs Morgan
and Miss White, till he could secure these white
women, be accompanied " Medicine Arrow" to his
village, where he found all preparing for flight.
He ordered the arrest of " Big Head" and " Dull
Knife," but it was only when the rope and tree
were ready to hang the chiefs that the Indians de-
livered up the captives. The General did not lose
a man, and as be has secured several Cheyenne
Chiefs, these Lodges will be compelled to come in,
when the war may be considered at an end.
The following telegram was received at New
York from San Francisco, April 1 :--New and rich
developments in the White Pine silver regions are
reported, and people are flocking thither in great
numbers. There are from 10,000 to 15,000 per-
sons already located there. The weather continues
stormy and the roads are almost impassable for the
whole distance between Elks and Hamilton. The
way is lined with " stalled" teams and waggons
loaded with merchandise and nearly buried in the
mud. Pneumonia prevails to an alarming extent,
and several cases of small-pox are reported at
Hamilton. The Indians in the neighbourhood are
becoming hostile, and it is suggested that the mili-
tary authorities should establish a post in Snake or
White River Val'ey to protect the miners. A band
of Indians recently attacked a party of prospectors
and killed and scalped two of them in the Snake
Mountains. Silver mines have been discovered
near Sonomo, about 70 miles from San Francisco,
and people are rushing there and staking off claims.
They have already held a meeting and established
mining laws.
From the statement made to the Spanish Cortes
it appears that affairs are not progressing so satis-
factorily in Cuba as the home country was, till
lately, led to believe. General Cespedes, the rebel
leader, has replied to General Dulce's declaration
of war to the knife by a decree that all persons
taken hereafter, except regular Spanish soldiers,
are to be put to death. A steamer plying between
Havana and Cardenas has been seized by the rebels,
and it is said the so-called Peruvian monitors are
really in the service of the same party. Expedi-
tions continue to be fitted out; but the accounts from
Cuba are contradictory, and copfused in the New
York papers. The Philadelphia Public Ledger thus
summarizes the progress of the insurrection :
" The Cuban Revolution commenced at Yara on
October 10th, 1868, by the pronunciamento of Car-
los Manuel de Cespedes, with 127 followers. It is as-
serted that at the present time the revolution has ex-
tended over a circuit of 20,000 miles, two-thirds of
the area of Cuba. Within these limits there are
147 cities and towns, half of which, it is reported,
are held by the insurgents. The following esti-
mates have been made of the strength of the revo-
lutionists or patriotic party :—Out of the 150,000
men able to behr arms on the island of Cuba,
45,000 are in the ranks of the patriot!, 30,000 of
them being stationed in the Eastern, and 15,000 in
the Central Department. The total population of
the district in rebellion is 548,738, of which there
are in the Eastern Department 126,368 whites,
86,374 negroes free before the revolution, and
51,778 slaves just emancipated by the patriot
leaders. In the Central Department the numbers
are 172,567 whites, 42,444 negroes formerly free,
and 69,207 slaves newly freed. The estimated
wealth of the real estate in the territory held by the
patriots was, in 1862, $550,000,000, and its indus-
try and commerce were reckoned as representing
a capital of $774,000,000. the annual productions
were—Sugar, $62,000,000 ; tobacco, $15,000,000;
other produce, $52,C00,000.
It was reported on Thursday at the Clubs that
Mr. Reverdy Johnson had received a telegram from
the President, ordering him not to attend the
banquet at Fishmongers' Hall. We have reason to
believe that this a mere " sensational" rumour. A
near relative of Mrs. Johnson's, Mr. Bowie, was
killed in Kansas City, by a most unfortunata fall,
little more than a fortnight ago, and most probably
this was the intelligence received "by telegram"
which prevented Mr. Johnson from attending the
dinner.
We give some of the names of those sent by the
President to the Senate on the 2d April for execu-
tive appointments, and it was a day of fierce ex-
citement at Washington. At ip.m. General Por-
ter pushed through the dense crowds, and deposited
in the Senate Chamber the sealed packages contain-
ing the nominations. He then went to the Secre-
tary's office, where he posted a list for the informa-
tion of the public, around which gathered a surging
mass. The men nominated were the only people
absent, therefore the faces fixed on the list were a
study. The exclamations and the imprecations were
loud and deep ; and there was a general skedadling
of Congressmen, with their office-seekers after them,
who were anxious to know the reason why they
had been left out in the cold. Extra cars were

added to the evening trains to take back the de-
jected multitude, and never did a more disconsolate
party reach the Empire City.
The Senate took days to decide on confirming
Longstreet's nomination. Scarcely any party knew
how to vote ; the Radicals opposed him as a pro-
minent Southern.Geueral ; the Democrats. felt in-
clined to oppose him in consequence of his late Re-
publican tendencies. Senators Cameron awl Scott
led in opposition to the confirmation, asserting cruel
and heartless conduct while marching his army
corps through Pennsylvania "when Gettysburg was
fought. It is nbt a little amusing to find the
Pennsylvanian Senators referring to Blackwood's
Magazine to know what occurred under their own
noses in Pennsylvania. A British officer serving
with General Lee asserted in the Magazine that
Longstreet would have devastated the country,as that
General said, but for fear of demoralising his troops.
But the writer, it is alleged misunderstood
the remarks, as Longstreet was censured by Lee for
not going further, and he gave as his reason that
he might under the rules of modern warfare, but he
desired to preserve the morale of his troops. Seve-

ral leading Republicans signified their intention of

voting for Longstreet, as did some Southern Sena-

tors, and it was calculated that he would have a

majority of six. Governor Warmouth and Lieut.-
Governor Dunn oppased him, the latter strongly,

being at the time in Washington.

At a meeting of the California Academy iof
Sciences, held on the Ist March, specimens of meat

that recently fell from the sky were presented by
Dr. Kellogg, who said that this meat had been
found over 20 acres of ground. Mr. Houck was

,nformed that muscle, bone, and nerves bad been

gathered, some imbedded in the soil, belonging
either to small animals or fish. This meat was al-

eged to have fallen about three o'clock p.m., when

,he sky was clear, and to have struck the heads and

shouldersof individuals. Report6wereread fronalper-