The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-03 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American New.

The Philadelphian correspondent of the Times
writes thus of the results of the late elections in the
United States :--" The elections which have resulted
in every Northern State declaring for Congress have
settled for ever the reconstruction question, and
decided that the South for readmission into the
Union must give up some of its political power.
Equality is ended, and the President, bowing to the
verdict, no longer advocates his policy of equal re-
construction ; and the political question hereafter
will be just how much of its power the South is to
give up. In the settlement of this matter the Pre-
sident, in spite of the minority that supports him,
will play a conspicuous part. The personnel of the
Fortieth Congress (the writer continues) will be
very much like the Thirty-ninth. The old Republi-
can leaders, Fessenden, Sumner, Chandler, Sherman,
and Wade will still be in their seats, and Justin S.
'Morrell, the ' Father of Protection,' will be promoted
from the House to sit in one of the Senatorial seats
from Vermont. Doolittle will lead the Conservative
handful, supported by Reverdy Johnson and Guth-
rie. Horace Greeley will probably be the new
Senator from New York, and Simon Cameron from
Pennsylvania, while Governor Swann from Mary-
land will succeed a Republican, and John C. Fre-
mont is making great exertions to be chosen to fill
the vacancy from Missouri. In the House, Thad-
deus Stevens will still be the Republican leader, and
Schuyler Colfax the Speaker. General Butler will
sit for one cf the Massachusetts districts, but it is
thought his bitterness will be kept within bounds
by the presence of John Morrissey, the pugilist just
elected by the Democrats of New York. General
Banks will be in the new House to look after the
Fenian interests and the neutrality laws. Fernando
Wood and James Brooks are new members from
New York city, which, with Brooklyn and neigh-
bouring towns around New York Bay, gave 60,000
majority against the Republicans. The next Con-
gress will contain fully as much bitterness and
vituperative talent, but no more ability than the
present one.
The thirteenth article of the Constitution of
Indiana, known as the "black article," forbidding
negroes from entering the State, &e., has been pro-
nounced unconstitutional and void by the Supreme
Court of the State.

One day early in November the farmers of the
country around Quebec, headed by their parish
priest, entered that city with a long file of wagons,
bringing 300 bushels of potatoes to be distributed
to the sufferers by the fire.
Mr. John Quincey Adams, son of the United
States' Minister at St. James's, has been defeated as
a candidate for the Legislature. He was opposed
by George L. Gill, who obtained 554 votes against
Mr. Adams' 459. Mr. Adams supported the Pre-
sident's policy, but even the great name he has in-
herited was powerless to bring him in as the suc-
cessful candidate in a cause so unpopular in his
State.

There are now 13 steam-packet companies run-
ning steamers between Europe and the United
States. These steamers make about 420 round
trips every year, and the gross annual revenue they
yield is about four million pounds sterling. The
Italian Government has just subsidised a line of
steamers to run between New York and the Medi-
terranean ports, touching at Madeira, the Azores,
Cadiz, and Marseilles, and it is expected that a bill
will be passed by Congress, next session, authoris-
ing the subsidisation of American mail steamers to
and from Europe, at the rate of $2 per mile.

The New York Chamber of Commerce has enter-
tained Mr. Cyrus Field at a grand " cable banquet"
at the :Metropolitan Hotel. Admiral Farragut,
General Mead, and other eminent persons, were
present. Letters of congratulation were read from
President Johnson, General Grant, and the mem-
bers of the Cabinet. The health of Queen Victoria
was given and enthusiastically responded to. Mr.
Cyrus Field proposed as a toast—" England and
America clasping hands across the sea. May this
firm grasp be a pledge of friendship to all genera-
tions." The toast was enthusiastically cheered.
Thursday last, the 29th of November, has
been celebrated by the people of America as
a day of thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty
God fur all his blessings during the past
year. For the fruits of the earth, the general good
health of our people, the non-prevalence of the
dread plague, the cholera, the comforts of peace,
and the prosperity which has been vouchsafed us,
we should indeed be grateful. To the Divine
Maker and the author of our being it is our duty
to return thanks for mercies past, and beseech Him
to continue His favour to us, not alone as indivi-
duals, but as a nation, whose aim it shall be to ad-
vance the cause of Christianity throughout the
world.

Mr. Elkanah Watson, the friend of Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams, and Edmund Burke, died in
1848, in his 85th year. In the year 1815 he made some
calculations in regard to the future population of
the United States, which have so far been verified
in au astonishing manner. In 1810 the population
of the United States was 7,239,903. Mr. Watson
said :—The increase from 1790, the first census
under the Constitution, has been about one-third
at each census ; admitting that it will continue to
increase iu the same ratio, the result will be as
follows :

Year. Estimated Population. Actual Results.
1820 9,025,734 9,638,151
1830 19,838,645 12,856,070
1840 17,116,526 17,062,565
1850 23,135,363 23,191,876
1860 31,753,824 31,445,080
1870 42,328,432
1880 56,150,211
IS9O 77,526,989
1900 100,350,985
The actual figures of the three censuses following
his estimate were written in by Mr. Watson him-
self ; the other two are taken from the census re-
preesrutalisis ea
of :Tl closeness of the estimates to the actual
striking as to justify belief in the cor-
rectnessthe succeeding figures.
The
rec d f
Commissionerve
Commerce at Viennaro,o
of Agriculture
Austria,
throughm perlmperial
I‘lr. :MinisterLoosyof,
reiculture of the United
States has received
the Austrian Consul_Gen
100 varieties of cereal and eralat New York, about
vegetable
shown
seeds, collected
from premium varieties
in
June atl the Great
presented
ri on the
Exhi-
bition held at Vienna
by the Austrian Government for ex,
and
ment
experimental farm of the United Statespe Agricultural
Department. This donation, so kindly made by
the Minister of Commerce, embraces nearly every
variety of the cereal and vegetable seeds in favourvy
in our country, and it is hoped that some of them
will prove valuable acquisitions to the agriculture
of the United States. None of these seeds will be
for distribution.
The following order has been issued, addressed
to the officers of customs :—" Treasury Department,
Nov. 3, 1866.—Congress, at its last session, having
passed an act further to provide for the safety of
the lives of passengers on board of vessels, approved
July 25, 1866, the tenth section of which is as
follows That all seagoing vessels carrying pas-
sengers, and those navigating any of the Northern
and North-western lakes, shall have the lifeboats
required by law provided with suitable boat-
disengaging apparatus, so arranged as to allow such
boat to be safely launched, with their complement
of passengers, while such vessels are under speed,
or otherwise, and so as to allow such disengaging
apparatus to be operated by one person disengaging
both ends of the boat simultaneously from the
tackles, by which it may be lowered into the water.
Your attention :is called to the same, with the re-
quest that you will bring it to the notice of ship-
owners and others interested, and impress on them
the importance of complying with its provisions.
" 11. M'Cumocit,
Secretary of the Treasury."

Intelligence from Toronto announces that the
Fenian Daniel Whelan has been sentenced to be
hung at Toronto on the 13th December. John
Quinn, formerly a soldier of the Confederate army,
was also found guilty, and sentenced to be hung on
the 12th December. It is asserted that the sen-
tences pronounced against the Fenians will not be
commuted but suspended, the prisoners being held
11 as hostages for the good behaviour of their friends.
Mr. D'Arcy Magee has made a speech asserting
that the Fenians will not be hung. By the Atlantic
cable news has reached London, dated New York,