The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-24 00:00:00

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

On the 26th the Civil Appropriation Bill was re-
ported. The Deficiency Appropriation Bill was
passed. Conference reports on the Naval Appro-
priation Bill and the Bill for Compensation of
Deputy Collectors and Assessors were adopted.
The Legislative Appropriation Bill was con-
sidered. On the 27th the Louisiana contested elec-
tion was taken up, and Mr. Menard, the coloured
contestant, spoke in favour of his right to the seat.
Finally, the House declared that neither Hunt nor
Menard was elected; an I then, on motion of Mr.
Dawes, of Massachusetts, the whole subject was
tabled. The Senate amendment to the Indian
Appropriation Bill was considered in Committee of
the Whole.—On the Ist March a joint resolution
was passed to secure the proper completion of the
Pacific Railroad. The Miscellaneous Appropria-
tion Bill was considered. Mr. Schenck moved to
take up the Public Credit Bill, but objection was
made by Mr. Butler.—On the 2d a number of bills
were passed. The Senate amendments to the bill
relating to the certification of checks by national
banks were concurred in ; also the Senate amend-
ments to the bill exempting the manufacturers of
naval machinery from tax. The conference report
on the Diplomatic Approwiations was agreed to.
A conference was ordered on the Public Credit
Bill, also on the bill relating to reports of national
banks. A substitute for the Spanish sympathy re-
solution was adopted and sent to the Senate. The
first part expresses sympathy with both Spain and
Cuba in their efforts for liberty, and the second
authorizes the President to recognize Cuban inde-
pendence.-- On the 3d Speaker Colfax delivered his
farewell address. At its close Mr. Woodward, of
Pennsylvania, rose and offered a resolution highly
eulogistic of the retiring Speaker, which was un•rni-
mously adopted. Mr. Pomeroy, of New York,
was then unanimously elected Speaker for the rest
of the session. Mr. Hooper, from the Ways and
Means Committee, reported a bill relating to whisky
and tobacco, which was passed. It extends the
time for withdrawal of whisky from bond. The
Conference report on the bill to strengthen the
public credit was agreed to—yeas 118, nays 57. The
bill, as agreed upon ia Conference, is substantially
the same as passed by the Senate. A night session
was held to dispose of Appropriation and other bills.
The Fortieth Congress terminated at noon on the
4th of March, both Houses having remained in ses-
sion during the prece ling night until a late hour on
the mor Ding of the 4th, disposing of Appropriation
Bills, when the llouses retired to make way for the
incoming Congress, and thus closed the Fortieth
Congress. We shall shortly publish a full and com-
plete list of the members of the present Congress,
as we await now only a few names, the elections
being almost complete.

The well-known Prussian statesman seems to have
a kindly feeling towards Grant. Scarcely had he been
sworn in as President when this despatch was placed in
his hands:—"Berlin, March 6.—P re side nt General Grant,
White House, D. C.: My cordial congratulations on this
solemn day. —BISMARCK."

General Sandford, the United States Minister at
Brussels, has lately been in London, lie left for Paris on
Thursday evening.

M. Gibbs, Esq., having successfully settled the
Government Treasury business which took him to the
United States, will return immediately to Europe.
An officer in her Majesty's 53d Regiment, named
Whittaker, was fatally shot in the skating rink at Quebec,
on the 3d inst., by Challoner, a lad, who alleges the officer
insulted his sister. He has been arrested.

Sir John Lawrence, the late Viceroy of India,
has arrived in England. He was educated at Foyle Col-
lege, in the North of Ireland, and on his elevation to the
Peerage proposes to take the title of " Foyle." It is be-
lieved that he will be created a Viscount.

---
General E. J. Davis, the President of the Re-
construction Convention, the lion. J.W.Flanagan, Morgan
C. Hamilton, W. M. Farnell, James Burnett, a W. White,
and C. W. Whitmore, Commissioners, appointed by the
Texas State Convention to represent the condition and
wants of the loyal people of that State, have arrived in
Washington.

On Monday, March 1, the case of the State
against George D. and John A. Wise, indicted for shoot-
ing Edward A. Pollard, was settled in the Circuit Court
for Baltimore county, Md., on payment of costs by the de-
fendants. It is understood that Mr. Pollard hearing of
some magnanintJus remarks made by the Messrs. Wise on
the death of his brother, H. Rives Pollard, declined to
prosecute the case any further.
General Butler, in a late speech, said Lorenzo
Ad Interim Thomas, for the last two years, has served as
"Inspector of Graveyards" at " two cents a mile."
It is said that Mr. Gladstone was first induced to
demand a peerage for the late Lord Macaulay by an article
in an American newspaper.
The will of Jonathan Burr, of Chicago, which
was lost, but recently found, according to the telegraphic
report, disposes of about $325,000, the bulk of his fortune,
to charitable societies and other public institutions, 13 in
all. The American Bible Society of New York receives a
large donation for the education of the blind.
At Nashville, Tenn., there is a widow lady aged
114, who has outlived three husbands, all of whom served
in the Revolutionary war, and for whose services she
draws three pensions. Her name is Dinah Vies ; she has
400 descendants, and her daughter, aged 90, lives with her.
THE FRENCH WINE CASES.—Tbe result of the
great contest between the United States Government and
the importers of French wines is given in the following
extract from the news report of the " Associated Press,"
dated Washington, March 2, 1869 :—" Intelligence was re-
ceived at the Treasury Department to-day that the cele-
brated wine case which has been on trial for a month in the
United States Court at Orleans, before Judge Duren, has re-
suited in a judgment for the Government against the wine
importers on all the points at issue. The amount involved
in the cases which aro dependent upon the issue of this
case is nearly half a million dollars, and the judgment
settles very important questions of revenue law which
have been in controversy for many years. The Govern-
ment was represented on this trial by Mr. Gibbs, special
counsel of the Treasury Department, and the United
States Attorney and Randall Hunt. The Court overruled
an opinion of the Treasury Department, cited by the de-
fence, which was to the effect that false and cheap wines
invoiced, labelled, and represented to be genuine wines of
high grade, are not imitations.
The new south Park of Chicago will include in
two sections, with a very broad avenue between them, an
area of more than 1,000 acres. It will be considerably
larger than the New York Central Park. •
The great excursion over the Pacific Railroad is
beginning to attract considerable attention. The Chicago
Republican says its managers will =IE4 their own an-
nouncements in good time.