The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-25 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American News.

After the Reconstruction Bill had been tossed
backwards and forwards between the two Houses
of Congress, it appears, from the New York news
of Thursday that the provisions of the measure had
been concurred in. Military governments are to be
established in the South, and all who were engaged
in the rebellion are excluded from office and, from
voting. Any State may be completely restored
upon adopting the new Constitution, embracing the
Constitutional Amendment, under the operations of
a free suffrage.
Another frightful accident has occurred on the
Mississippi, in which 65 persons lost their lives by
the explosion of a steamer.
The Allemannia has arrived out.

Gold discoveries have been made at Hastings,
Lower Canada.
The new Chilian Loan has had a severe

1, under the influence of rumours which

have very little foundation in truth. An
arrangement which had been made with the
Chilian banks for a loan to the Government in
August last, for which the banks received bonds
carrying a condition that they would be empowered
to change these bonds for others payable in sterling
in London at a reduced interest. The option
was open till Ist of January last. It appears the
banks availed themselves of the exchange, and arc
about to sell these bonds in the open market. On
learning that negotiations had been made with
some London firms, through whose means the

Chilian banks intended to dispose of these bonds,
Messrs. J. S. Morgan and Co. took steps to pro-
tect the subscribers to the loan they lately intro-
duced. A strong set appears to have been made
from the very beginning against the loan brought
out by that house, and every pretext has been
seized to depress it in the market. During Thursday
the Bonds fell to 3 dis., but afterwards rallied and
became firmer.

Mr. F. Seward has failed in obtaining the Bay
of Samana as a naval station in the West Indies
for the Government of the United States. He has
returned to Washington with the statement that
the Government of St. Domingo is so unsettled that
at present they could not make the transfer.

Mr. Stevens sustained a severe defeat in a division
on a question by which he intended to stop debate
on the Martial Law Bill. Many of the Republicans
voted with the Democrats, and the result was a de-
feat to the extreme Radicals by a large majority.
Among a people gifted with more than an ordinary
amount of common sense the result of pressing ex-
treme views will surely raise a powerful opposition,
and transfer to the other side many who favoured
moderate measures, but preferred no change t 6
extreme ones.

In spite of pamphlets, and all the machina-
tions of the "bears," the Atlantic and Great Wes-
tern Railway Debentures had a strong rally on
Thursday from their extreme depression. It is
possible that some of the facts obtained by the
committee of investigation have oozed out. The
report will be issued at once, and a meeting of the
bondholders has been convened for the sth proximo
for its consideration. We will now have a true
Knowledge of this much-vexed question, and the
interests of the shareholders will cease to be influ-
enced by the contention of the two parties who
strive to uphold and who strive to pull down this
property. .

_ .
It is said that Mr. Stevens is not happy in the
bills he introduces into Congress. When held up
to the light they are generally found to be full of

holes, but his bill to establish common schools in
the district of Columbia is believed to be a sound,

practical measure.

The bill requires the establish-

merit of a sufficient number of schools in the district
for the education of every child between the ages of

6 and 16, the schools to be kept open for ten months
in the year, and one-third the expense to be paid by
the Government and two - thirds by the people.
The father who neglects to send his children to
school is to bed Oinished by the loss of suffrage.
The bill also, provides for instruction in the con-
stitution of 'ire United 'States--a feature that
might well be admitted in all public schools. The
bill provides for competent teachers, a superinten-
dent and a school board. In the preamble it is
stated that the capital of a great nation, though a
political necessity, is generally a social evil, and it
proposes to lessen such evil as far as possible by the
education of the young, which, " next to Chris-
tianity is the best foundation for virtue and safe-
guard of Republicanism."
The Supreme Court having set aside as unconsti-
tutional the oath intended to debar from practice
therein attorneys who took part in the late rebellion,
the House of Representatives has passed a bill pre-
scribing another way for excluding them. This bill
declares that it shall be a rule for every court of the
United States that no person shall be admitted to

act as counsellor or attorney therein who has been
guilty of treason, bribery, murder, or other felony,
or who has been engaged in any rebellion against the
Government of the United States, or who has given
aid, comfort, or encouragement to the enemies of
the United States, in armed hostility thereto. This
bill makes it the duty of the judge, or judges,
when a suggestion is made in open court that any
person acting as attorney or counsellor, or proposing
so to act, is barred by the above conditions, to in-
quire and ascertain the truth in the case, and to
exclude such persons if the charge is established.
Mr. Schenck has prevailed upon Congress to
adopt a resolution ordering the removal of the Naval
Academy from Maryland. Mr. Schenck urged as a
reason the disloyal social influences which the people
of that State brought to bear on the young cadets.
The academy was situated at Annapolis. As Mr.
Schenck had been provost-marshal at Baltimore, he
had had many opportunities of judging of the social
influences he described, but perhaps few fair oppor-
tunities, as the office to a proud and irritable people
was not a good passport into society.

Mr. Frederick Seward's mission to the West
Indies has, we believe, resulted in the establishment
of a naval station for the United States in the Bay
of.Samanas. That gentleman having completed his
task has returned to Washington.
A correspondent of the Louisville Journal gives
some details of the annihilation of the party of the
18th United States infantry, near Fort Philip Kear-
ney, on the 21st Dec. last. It appears that the Indians
made an attack on the wood train, when Colonel
Carrington sent out a reinforcement to assist the
guard. The Indians, who numbered 50, retreated
before the party, who had then mustered 81 officers
and men. The soldiers in pursuit entered a ravine
where 2,000 warriors were concealed. When the
troops had entered the narrow defile they found
themselves surrounded and attacked by the large
body of Indians. Desperate as was their position
the men maintained the fight with the greatest re-
resolution, and thrice repulsed the charge of the
savages. At last they were overwhelmed, falling
to a man. The scene was witnessed at a distance
by Dr. Hines, who states that the Indians em-
ployed a hundred of their number in carrying off
their dead and wounded as they fell. He estimates
the loss of the Indians at 400 killed and wounded.
Every soldier was scalped and the bodies horribly
mutilated.
The Springfield Republican of the 9th inst. thus
details the Reconstruction plans and counter-plans :
—The President and his friends have made a flank
movement upon the Constitutional intrenchments,
in the shape of a Congressionai amendment, agreed
upon by a meeting of Southern Governors at Wash-
ington, and proposed in the Senate by Mr. Dixon,
of Connecticut. It adopts the most important fea-
tures of the now pending amendment—that basing
representation on the classes allowed to vote, and
that securing the validity of the national debt and
the repudiation of rebel debts—and also forbids the
States to require a property qualification of over
$250, or education beyond ability to read and write,
as conditions of suffrage. The section of the other
amendment most objected to, the exclusion of
rebels from office, is omitted from this. The
President approves this scheme, which may be con-
sidered skilful hedging on his part. The Southern
Governors evidently hope to secure restoration by
it, and are making an effort to get it approved by
their Legislatures, and in connection with it, amend-
ments to the State constitutions establishing equal
suffrage, qualified by the educational or the pro-
perty tea, The Lecondruction Committee, re_