The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-02 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American News.

One of the most serious charges against Presi-
dent Johnson—that of garbling the despatches of
General Sheridan concerning the New Orleans
massacre—has been investigated by a Congressional
Committee. The Washington correspondent of the
New York Times, in which paper the mutilated de-
spatches first appeared, was examined, and deposed
that in calling upon the President to know if he had
received any news from New Orleans, Mr. Johnson
told him he had received some telegrams, and that
if he would go into the next room his private secre-
tary would give him copies of them. The c3r-
respondent wrote the despatches as they were dic-
tated 133 the private •secretary, and the publication
by General Sheridan of his telegrams showed that
in the copies thus obtained and printed in the New
York 2 inzes some sentences of importance had been
suppressed.
New York is about to organise a new association,
to be designated the " American Society of Painters
in Water-colours ;" and it is proposed that the
works of its members shall be exhibited next
autumn.

As Congress has passed the bill admitting Ne-
braska as a State, over the President's veto, by the
two-thirds majority, the number of States is now 37.
The telegrams from America this week have been
more than ever contradictory. It was stated that
the House of Representatives had passed a resolu-
tion abolishing the tax on cotton in September next.
On the evening of the 26th February a message was
despatched from New York, to the effect that the
House of Representatives had passed a resolution
restoring the tax upon cotton. News arrived from
Mexico of a great success of Miramon's, and of the
capture and even of the death of Juarez ; but it
turns out that Miramon has been defeated, and
Juarez is at large. Again it is stated that Mira-
mon routed Escobedo on the 4th February, near
San Luis Potosi. It was announced that the House
of Representatives had adopted a bill for the issue
of 100,000,000 greenbacks for the redemption of
the compound interest notes. This sent up the
price of gold in the New York market, and had an
adverse influence on the 5-20's in the exchanges of
Europe. Now we learn that the Finance Com-
mittee of the Senate has reported against this bill,
and iu consequence that body has rejected the bill.
The Senate has passed a resolution for the disband-
ment of the Southern Militia. Suratt has been
arraigned in the Civil Court. The Tripoli reached
New York on the 22d, the City of New York. on
the 26th, and the Peruvian, Periere, and United
Kingdom on the 27th.
It is said that within the last six months two at-
tempts have been made to get architects of America
to send in plans for two important buildings—one
the State Capitol at Albany, and the other the new
buildings of the War Department in Washington.
A fixed sum has been offered, but the architects
desired that the successful competitor should after-
wards be employed to superintend the work. In
the case of the Albany Capitol the remuneration
would amount to about $30,000 ; the " Empire
State" offers, through its agents, $2,500 for the
service. For the proposed War-office the amount
would be about $25,000 ; the United States, through
a board of officers charged with the duty, offer from
$l,OOO to $3,000 as premiums for the three best
plans. _ _

RENTS IN NEW York.—A very remarkable in-
stance of the increase of rents is shown in the
Trinity Building, in New York. It is a plain
structure of brick, about 40 feet high and 160
feet deep, standing on Broadway, next Trinity
Churchyard. It is principally occupied by coal
mining companies, sand the rent of a second-class
office is now one thousand dollars. The building
was erected in 1852 at a cost not exceeding $200,000,
and was then let for about po,coo a year. Since
then the rents have been gradually raised, until the
rent roil is now $lBO,OOO, or 90 per cent. ou the
cost iu a single year. Au article iu the Commer-
cial Advertiser, from which we derive these facts,
gives the opinion that rents in New York cannot
go higher, because people would be ruined if they
paid them ; but on the other hand, from the dispo-
sition shown by landlords, there seems to be not
much chance that rents will be lower.
THE M'CRACKEN LETTER.--The M'Cracken who
wrote the letter to Mr. Seward, which the latter
impertinently sent to Mr. Motley, is said to be but
ngel green, and self-
ouif this account is
itself twenty-four olldet—teyr
given :—‘, He states in his letter that he has been
travelling in Europe for many months, and made it
his special business to visit our Ministers and
Consuls abroad, for the purpose of seeing the
manner in which our Government was repre-
sented. After having visited them all, he came
to the conclusion that our Government was
being greatly misrepresented by our present
Foreign Ministers ; and, as a patriot, he thought it
a duty he owed his country to inform the Secretary
of State of matters as he saw them. Speaking of
Mr. Motley, he calls him a a Sumner man,' and
says Motley is continually stating in public that he
owes his appointment to Charles Sumner, and not
to Andrew Johnson ; and further that he agrees
with Sumner in politics, and fully indorses him and
his party. Minister Hale, he says, takes every
opportunity to state that Congress is right and
I
President Johnson s Wrong. Towards the
Hon. W. W. Murphy, our Consul-General at
Frankfort, he seems to have a special hatred,
and terms him a ' blatant Radical,' and a ' tool
of Senator Zach Chandler's.' He gives in detail
conversations he has overheard from our Ministers,
and terms them all hostile to the Government. He
states that a majority of our foreign missions are
held by Massachusetts Puritans, and are controlled
by such men as Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips,
Ben Butler, and Zach Chandler. This he thinks a
great calamity, and should be ended."