The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-13 00:00:00

CUBA.

Advices received in Habana, from the interior of sub
island, mention an alarming state of suffering from famine
The troops under Colonel Hidalgo aro reported to have
found a hut co9taining the bodies of eight persons,
who had died from starvation. The Diario of Habana
denies tho statement which was made in regard
to the rendezvous of Spanish war-vessels in the
harbour of New York, and calls the story an
invention, the object of which is to excite Americans
against Spain, and adds that its publicatioln is intended
to produce irritation. A remarkable engagement took
place between the Catalan volunteers who garrisoned San
Jose, and tho insurgents. Fifteen hundred, say the
Spanish accounts, were repulsed by eighty. The insurgents
numbered 1,500, but they failed to capture the
fort. Captain General de Rodas, in a letter to the Habana
agent of the New York Associated Press, denies the
Spanish fleet story, of which American and Habana jour-
nals are speaking, and, as such rumours might create
trouble and ill-feeling, ho notifies that such a project does
not really exist. Tho report was probably caused by the
fact that some Spanish frigates were going to Brooklyn for
repairs. A thousand soldiers have arrived at Habana by
tho Spanish mail steamer from Cadiz.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
NEW YORK, Nov. 27.

The sensation of the week is the attempted
assassination of Mr. Albert D. Richardson, for
many years connected with the Tribune, author of
"Beyond the Mississippi," and of other works, and
a writer, too, in the Atlantic Monthly, the article
in the December number, " John Chinaman," being
from his pen. In the spring 1867 Mr. Richardson
lived in the house wherein an actress, Mrs. M'Far-
land, lived as a boarder. The lady was frequently
escorted from the theatre by Mr. Richardson, an
attention resented by David M'Farland, her hus-
band, who, though not living on the best terms with
her himself, appeared determined that nobody else
should be on good terms with her either. So it
happened that on a March evening, as the pair
were returning to the boarding-house, they were
confronted by the jealous husband, pistol in hand,
and a sensational scene occurred, which left Mr.
Richardson with a ball in his thigh, and the indig-
nant lady determined to have nothing more to do
with her homicidal spouse. Mr. Richardson, on
recovering from the effects of his wound, dropped
the affair, in consideration of his own rashness and
the lady's good name ; but the husband never
ceased to traduce her, after in vain appealing for
her return. It became an understood affair be-
tween Mrs. M'Farland and Richardson that on ob-
taining a divorce they should be married, but, Mr.
M'Farland declared that he would shoot him if he
did marry her, coupling this declaration with " the
scoundrel refuses to marry her." M'Farland lately
brought an action against Mr.Richardsonfors4s,ooo
damages, but heard that Mr. Richardson was sell.
ing off his real estate with a view of evading the
result, and with the intention of settling in Cali-
fornia. About two months ago Mrs. M'Farlaud
succeeded in procuring a divorce, but Mr. Richard-
son was at the time with Cyrus W. Field's buffalo
shooting party, west of the Mississippi. lle had
been sent there as the Tribune's c,vrespon lent, as
he is one of the most a3tive ou the staff of th.it
journal, and has been constantly employed in the
South and West both during and after the war,
indeed leading a lifechequerci with danger, and
finding the inside of more than one Confederate
prison. M'Farland appears to have worked
himself into a state of frenzy by dwelling on his
wrongs, and to have made up his mind to shoot Mr.
Richardson on sight after the divorce had been
procured. With this object he called at the publi-
cation office of the Tribune about half-past four on
Thursday afternoon, knowing that Mr. Richard-
son would call shortly after. The assassin stood
behind the desk opposite the right-hand door on

Nassau-street, so he was concealed when Mr. '
Richardson entered, and walked to the lower end
of the counter, over which he leant to receive his
letters. M'Farland stepped forward, and aimed over
the head of a gentleman at Mr. Richardsou's heart,
who did not see him till he was in the act of firing,
when he was struck between the breast and ab-
domen. The wounded man turned, and without a
word walked to the editorial rooms, passing
into the street and up four flights of stairs.
Resting on a sofa he quietly asked a gentle-
man to send for a surgeon, as he was badly
wounded. He was removed to the Astor House,
where, although the wound is a most serious one,
he has so far progressed favourably, and hopes are
entertained of saving his life. In the meantime
M'Farland quietly left the office, and feeling hun-
gry, after the waste of the excitement, I presume,
turned from Centre-street into a restaurant and
had some stew and coffee. Afterwards, in company
with his brother, he went to the Westmoreland
Hotel, where he took a room, in which lie was ar-
rested about 10 o'clock that night. Since then lie
has spent his time in smoking and being inter-
viewed. He was taken to the room of his victim,
who, in his usual quiet way, recognized him as the
man who bad shot him. The Tribune is very
angry, and perhaps it would have been better for
M'Farlaud to have shot some one else than a Tri-
bune man. The most rigidly impartial and relent-
less trial is demanded, and in an article on private
vengeance the importance of
,putting -a summary
stop to such assumption of the law is forcibly
pointed out and strenuously insisted on. Some one
iu England has said that the railway accidents re-
sulting from carelessness would not be stopped un-
til a bishop had been killed by one of them, and I
may add that this free use of the revolver will only
be stopped when some leading editors have been
shot. Collector Grinnell has had an uneasy time of
it since the frauds in our Custom-house. which are
growiag. They now amount to $900,000 in the
Drawback Department, and $600,000 in the
Weigher's Department. lie allowed Deputy Col-
lector Blatchford to resign—not bad this, consider-
ing that Blatchford had already, to use a cant term,
" booked it." Not conten t with thus escaping justice,
Mr. Blatchford sentin his resignation,which was duly
accepted by the Collector. Mr. Grinnell has such
a bad time that he talks of resigniug ; indeed, we
have a happy way of leading an employe who comes
prominently up " a life of it" unless, like Fisk, he is
used to it, but before the edge is taken off the feel-
ings there is a jarring and grating which tries the
nerves. I mentioned Miss Florence's charge against
Generalßutler,but her depositions are now strongly
contradicted by the chief quartermaster on General
Butler's staff. General Twigg's house was occupied
for a short tine, but a correct inventory was taken
by the General's order, and the valuables secured,
as was all the furniture of the abandoned houses, to
await Government action. Captain M'Clure, of
General Banks' staff, on the request of Gen. Butler,
took possession of and gave a receipt for every
article on the original inventory when Gen. Butler
give over the command, and a copy of this is filed
in the Treasury Department, including every
piece of plate or other property which fell into
Butler's hands while he commanded the Army of
the Gulf. As regards the swords, they were sent
to 'Washington, and by a resolution of Congress
one was assigned to West Point and the other to
General Butler by the House, but this not being
ratified by the Senate the swords remained in the
Treasury. The General was requested, but refused
to intercede for their restoration ; hence the law
suit. General Butler declines to notice the attacks
on Lim in the press, and this officer, without
consulting him, made this statement. Indeed if
Butler di I notice every attack, his whole time,
as he said when he chased an interviewer out
of his presence, would be thus occupied. Evacu-
ation Day was commemorated on Tuesday, the
Mayor and Common Council reviewing the militia
in the park. It is a day little noticed, and would
be forgotten were it not for this procession of the
military, which blocks up Broadway, and in these
short days interferes with business. Eighty-six
years ago the British troops evacuated New York ;
hence the march through the streets of the New
York and Brooklyn Volunteers as well as the Fire
Brigade. Mr. George Wilkes and Mr. John C.
Fremont and family are among the arrivals from
Europe. Thurlow Weed's health is so far restored
that he resumes the editorship of the Evening Jour-
nal at Albany. It has been rumoured here that
Mr. Wilkes' return was none too soon for the in-
terest of the Spirit ; editors who are also proprietors,
and are always running to Europe, do not find
their property on their return in so healthy a state
as when they left it ; but Mr. Wilkes has brought
back the news that there is going to be a tearing
revolution in Europe, for which I dare say you will
say with the boy whose father said that he was
going to thrash him, "Papa, don't be in a hurry ;
I can wait." As. Congress will soon meet, the great
contractors, jobbers, railroad kings, and such folks,
are forming into active rings, and the representa-
tives arriving from Europe and passing through
New York have to undergo a lobbying process of
button-holing. There will be an active time at
Washington this season, or the results will belie the
appearances. I bad finished my last letter before
a furious storm set in. The tides submerged
West and South-streets, it blew furiously and
did an immense amount of damage, extending
all over the country. The weather has lately been
fine, bat cold, freezing every night; and the foddering
of cattleis generally reported to be much earlier than
last year. Among the smaller sensations was a
human face, sawn from the head, looking out of an
ash barrel standing at No. 11, University-place.
The excited inhabitants at once attributed this to
murder, but a little reflection showed the proba-
bility that it was the work of a medical student.
Washington Market, in Fulton-street, was on fire
long enough to burn twelve butchers' stalls. A
more disastrous fire occurred at Anderson's white-
lead works at Brooklyn. A family of three had to
spring from the upper storey, the father and son
being killed, and the mother so mangled that there
is no hope of saving her life. The Hudson County
Court-house was well shaken by an explosion of
gunpowder, which the convicts had managed to
insert in an iron ventilating flue. Part of the wall
was knocked out and all the glass broken, but none
of those confined effected their escape, as the offi-
cers were on the look out. The husband of Mrs.
Galler has been exhumed, as the belief prevails that
she poisoned him, induced by Dr. Wedekind.
Superintendent Kennedy is charged with sending
a man named Crawford, in defiance of a writ of
Habeas Corpus after he had been arrested, to
Chautauque County. After Learing the case, Judge
Cardozo reserved his decision, but it is rumoured
that the police commissioners, as now constituted,
will be abolished by the Legislatures.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.
The arrival of Congressmen continues on an in-
creasing scale. Among them, are Senators Trum-
bull and Warner, Williams and Corbett of Oregon,
and Senators Harlan and Ramsey; and the follow-
ing Representatives have taken quarters for the
winter :—Messrs. Drake, Schurz, Pomeroy, Mor-
ton, Sherman, Rice, Cole, Casserly, Sawyer, Gil-
bert, Bingham, Garfield, Orth, Wilkinson, Lash,
Haldeman, Axtell, Johnson, Sargent, Fitch,
Jenckes, Ingersoll, Loughbridge, Bowen, Spencez,
and Schumacher. So busy is the President with the
Annual Message that he often now refuses to see
visitors ; indeed, the members of the Cabinet have
lately with their chief officer been much occupied in
this way. The heads of the Bureaux complain
greatly of the way in which they are interrupted,
more especially by the lawyers in Congress, which
you may not r,:collect, coinpris2 three-fourths of the
Rep: esentatives. Clothed in their official capacity
as representatives of the people, they use the cha-
racter to forward their private business, and do this
i
to the obstruction of business a the Departments
to an extent so great that regulations are about to
be established in the Treasury for the correction of
the abuse. Two Japanese lads have passed through
to Annapolis, where they are to pro& cute their
studies at the Naval Academy with eight others
who are on the road. This is in compliance with
an Act of Congress granting permission, provided
that the United States incur no expense. Captain
Britton is here with a complaint of his successor, Mr.

Thompson, asUnitedStatesConsul at Southampton;
you may remember that charges of favouring the
rebellion were freely brought against Mr. ThomP
son on his appointment. Secretary Fish, however,
threw them all into his waste-paper basket, and Ur'
Britton's personal protest, could he have thus maul'
pul.tted it, would have met the same fate. Captain
Britton was told that the appointment bad been
made by Mr. Fish when thoroughly acquainted wittl
all the circumstances, which he had no intention of
revising. Among the papers to be presented to the
Senate will be a list of the suspended postmasters
throughout the country, numbering 120, and
the
appointments made during the recess. .1N umbers of
appointments continue to be made. Mr. Wadstones
speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet is regarded
here as favouring an early settlement of the Ala
bama dispute ; and if the information here received
as
from private sources is to be relied on, as well
that given in your paper, there is a steady iteprovc-
meat in the tone of English feeling towards the
United States, 'wire especially ou the American
view of this question, which argues, I hope,
its
speedy cud. I dare say, too, that in this change of
sentiment has originated the rumour that the mis-
sion to this country from England will be sou
raised to the rack to France, Russia, and Austri3'
and that the Minister sent will be a man of high
social standing. I regret to tell you that Senator
Ramsay has totally failed in the object he had in
view on visiting Europe, the French Government
having declined to make any alteration in the exist-
ing postal regulations. The charge to France of a
letter is, I believe, thirty cents, while to England:
after January 1, it will be only six cents. The No"
of liberality both in this, and in reciprocity in the
laying of telegraph cables on the part of France is a
subject of regret here, and the more so as
every
step in this direction has been attended with bene-
ficial results, in proof of which I quote the instance
of the postal money-order system, recently inau-
gurated between the United States and Switzer-
land, and which is found to work smoothly an
satisfactorily, and proves of great benefit to the
poorer classes in the remittance of small sums.
About $5OO a week are transmitted either way'
leaving a mere trifle as the exchange. Washington
is, we thick, regarded as a dull capital, and
foreigners, especially those attached to the Lega:
tions, openly express this condemnation. There is
a want of amusements, such as furnished by good
Clubs and Operas, as well as a want of collections of
Art, but by degrees this will all be corrected. The
Corcoran Gallery is to be put in order immediately
for the reception of the pictures and other works
to be given or purchased, and the Commitee, which
is now permanently organized, announces that the
building will be opened to the public early ill
spring. The Government of the Netherlands te,
highly "commended for the concession it has grant
" Colorado" Jewett to lay a cable to the Llague'
Reciprocity is the true principle, and unless I 3.111
misinformed the President will folly uphold it 13
his communication to Congress. The lion. Jel3/1,,
Lynch, who is Chairman of the Special Committre"
on Navigation interests, has been informed that NJ.'
Fish has directed all the Consuls to send to the
Committee all the information they can collect re-
lative to shipbuilding in the countries where the,:
are located. President and Mrs. Grant, Adaiirm
Porter, Secretary Robeson, and other prominent
persons, visited the Navy Yard on Wednesday, 3r
invitation, and were afterwards entertained at tbhs
' residence of Admiral Dahlgren. The pews Of the
First Congregational Church have been selling
freely ; Senators Buckingham and Ferry, of Con'
necticut, and Representative Dawes, of Massaehil:
setts, have been among the buyers. Doubts a.rily
uow cast as to whether Attorney-General Hoar
accept the vacant seat on the Supreme Bencho
caused by the death of Justice Wayne, and Ju.stlee
Grier has not yet decided on resigning. Jul ire
was some talk of a change in the officers of kill
, Senate, but lam not aware that any alterations
be made. Such rumours are common, and nearly
always without foundation. One was that Genera
' Cole would be proposed by his brother, Senat°l,
Cole of California, for the Secretaryship, whlcbte
however, the latter denies, as he had had VI,
'
enough trouble with his brother after the llisc°°
affair. Another rumour was that Mr. Clapp, t'
public printer, was to be removed.

•
JOUBNALIS3L—The New York 7 ribune thus gi'a;
ld
expression to its feelings at the impudence of the ifera:g
in adding its mite to the English language :--" WV :f„,
not somebody give the Herald a Dictionary? Wbee
learned journal first spoke of 'Railway Co/ossii' wo
but born it in silence. The repetition, however, beco:ec"
exasperating to the last degree, and it seems trine
somebody to interfore."-The Associated Press clop:101e,
have been withheld from the Pittsburgh Republican, -
the ground that the despatches have been sold to ou
cietsid
parties. The proprietors of the Republican have Ceustcr
the arrest of G. J. Ferdinand, the former night editor, .``),
selling the despatches, bet Ferdinand claims tlytt they
were furnished with the full knowledge of the prof it
tors.-The Nation thus denies a rumour :-Somo
less person recently sot a-going in an equally Nvorthle;
paper the report that the Nation was shortly to be mergedi.lo
the Sunday Leader of this city, the principal organ a
Tammany Ring, and edited, we believe, by our ikftlY°ly"
Mr. Oakoy Hall. To Now Yorkers the story is suffieien',..
ludicrous to let it pass without notice ; but as we have
coivod inquiries about it from ono or two subscriber° 1,
other parts of the country, it is perhaps as well to °n"
that the Nation will not be merged in the Leader at Pith
sent, nor at any time without six months' notice to 1",
readers, and a handsome consideration from the ties
of the Ring to its present proprietors. Perhaps hail
may also insist on a paying contract, but we ilti,ou
decide nothing hastily. The only possible lou3ds'l,-0
for the story we can think of is our having brn",ur
with the Papacy last year for non-payment of ;et
stipend as the American organ of the Propaganda-b 9
which we frankly revealed at the time, when detected
a subscriber in the covert advocacy of Popish doctrillo,
OBlTUARY.—Benjamin Fitzpatrick, ex-GuYern„..
of Alabama, and ex-United States Senator, died at hi° ;th
sidence, near Montgomery, on Sunday, N0v.21, in the 6 to
year of his age. He was Presidential elector in 1840' ato
alected Governor of Alabama is 1841, and re-elected
the same office in 1843 ; was appointed United States serjcno
tor in 1852 to succeed W. R. King, and elected to the 65-to
position in 1855 for the six years' term. He retiredl.
the Senate in February, 1861, and took part in the rebeo,
lion.-F. E. Webb, of Kennebec county, Me., and 111;i0
sontative elect to the Maine Legislature, was found dead i•
his bed on Saturday morning, Nov. 20.-Miss Annie 11°n..,
hart, the actress, died in Utah on Saturday, SO. 2°.1.10
Major J. P. Goodsell died of pneumonia at Durham.° llr
N.Y., on Monday, Nov. 22.-The Rev. John P. Pealed,
pastor of St. John's Catholic Church in Philadelphia' of
Nov. 23. -George D. Woodman, a prominent lawler,„co
Lowell, died suddenly on Friday, Nov. 19, at the resid°l",,g,
of his father at New Hampton, New Hampshire, vill're D.
had gone to spend Thanksgiving.-Mr. Benjamin .t
Walsh, the State Entomologist of lowa, died recentll,a-0
Rock Island, from the effects of an accident. lie ell,_i°;,,Y:pe'
reputation among scientific men for excellence in
cial study. He was an Englishman by birth, but 013
grated to America while a young man. He was he° yi
1808.-Samuel Worthington Seton diod Nest nod
Nov. 20, in his 81st year. He was long the .Ager"' -
Superintendent of the Public Schools.
The Rev. George H. Doane, Chancellor of till:
°
Roman Catholic diocese of Newark, has received fr
Charles O'Conor, Esq., of that city, $5,000 to aid the it"nlyei:
rican College at Rome. This sum, added to that Pre of
ously received by Mr. Doane in the different dioceses
the United States, makes up the required $200,000. ea
[ADVERTISEMENT. I - Holloway's Pills. -- cij°
Existence.-This medicine embraces every attribute reclu-es of
a general and domestic remedy : it overturns the foundationioo
disease laid by indigestible food and impure air. In nbstru„ceall
or congestions of the liver, lungs, bowels, or any other
these pills are especially serviceable and eminently oCeedS• 010
They should be kept in every family, as they aro a ule:titlr
without a fault for young persons and those of feeble e°'''.,ife
tions. They never cause pain or irritate the most sel°lo,o2
nerves or tender bowels. Holloway's pills are the best X,in old
Purifiers of the blood, and the best promoters of absorPti°-,i
secretion which remove all poisonous and obnoxious Pa/
from both solids and fluids.

BIRTHS.
,f;s
SPOTTISWOODE—On the oth inst., Mrs. G.A. SP°oo6l'l'
1C "
of a son.
WALTON—On the 10th lust., at Fairfield, Iforusfl, 111.6‘
Lancelot J. Walton, of a son.

NG—,-..ILLIED, MARRIAGES. AC 111°'
REDI ' Ti
Sire;
arriet Clar:i hillier, ofAskow-pliic‘ei
H. C. Reding', Esq., of Shop 'cord's-bush, ",;,;glii
-On the 9th inst., at Acton, ----„.' ' to
Vi.
fidolli
SMITH ' —l\' RIGHT —On the 9th lust t•II I 03" ''''..." I" ~ a•ac cn i jou
third son of the late James C. Smith, Esq., of th° ropt.
of England, to Lavinia Emma eldest daughter 0, .1)
Shepherd's -.-
Wright, Esq., of Dalston. 7

DATHS.
lIALLINGS —On the 9th lus Et
, at Tuffnoll-park, 11°"v"Osvai,
Michael Liallings, nod 66.. i 5
to of
PAINTER—On the 10th inst , W. Painter, 1-1,1 7 '
Bridge-street, Westminster, aged 64. , 0100
PIIILPOT —On the 901 inst., at Croydon, Joseph -
Philpot, aged G 7.

London: Printed aud Published by WILLIA3I ANDl,trod '
t:4 No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TRH SUN Office SUN '"•
in the Precinct of tho Savoy, in the 'jaunty of igidaleBo-
Monday, December 13, 1i0".