The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-23 00:00:00

The fiscal year in the United States closes on the
30th June. The collections from Customs duties is
stated to be $170,000,000. This is far more than
sufficient to pay all the gold demands on Government,
and thereforea considerable surplus sum remains. A
large portion of this surplus the Government sold
when the demand for remittances to this country
raised the price of gold to so high a premium. It is
feared that the prohibitive duties of the new tariff
will injuriously affect the collections from the Cus-
toms during the present year. Such predictions,
however, seem always to be belied by the result.
The ,spectator's correspondent, a " Yankee,"
writes with some bitterness of the system which leads
political men in the States to make a trade of their
powers of oratory. He brings up the mileage
question—the fact that the monbers of Congress
are paid $8 a day—quotes an instance of a poli-
tician of some prominence who was ruined and be-
came a defaulter for a large sum, because he had
given up his profession and had taken to politics;
and although successful in obtaining one of
the most lucrative posts, was so beset by
the demands of those who had been
instrumental in obtaining it for him that we sup-
pose he robbed the chest to pay them and bolted.
Payment for speeches is a part of the regular ex-
penses of political canvas. The Speaker of the
House of Representatives delivered lectures over the
country for pay during the recess, and even during
the session managed to deliver lectures on Satur-
day evening in New York—to hear one of
which "A Yankee" paid 50 cents. This
gentleman, Speaker Colfax, holds precisely the
same position in the United States as Mr. Denison,
Speaker of the House of Commons, does here. There
are a large number of wealthy gentlemen in the
States whom the system now in force tends to ex-
clude, but perhaps the number is not sufficient
to bring into force that which prevails in
England, of politicians seeking only distinction
and not pay. " The time will come," adds a
" Yankee," " and could we but stay the tide of emi-
gration from Ireland and Germany it would soon
come, when the tone of our public men will rise; be-
cause, but for that emigration, the demagogue's
occupation would soon be gone in this country.
But the improvement in the tone of our political
bodies, which is sure to come, will come, like most of
our other advancements, because the whole people
will have risen in thoughtfulness and culture."
On the 4th March, 1867, the following Senators
will finish their term :—Foster of Connecticut,
Trumbull of Illinois, McDougall of California,
Harris of New York, Lane of Indiana, Pomeroy of
Kansas, Kirkwood of lowa, Davis of Kentucky,
Cresswell of Maryland, Brown of Missouri, Clark of
New Hampshire, Nye of Nevada, Sherman of Ohio,
Cowan of Pennsylvania, Howe of Wisconsin, and
Nesmythe of Oregon. Gen. 0. S. Ferry has been
elected to succeed Mr. Foster. Senator Trumbull
will doubtless be re-elected, even should he have
such formidable competitors in caucus as Gen.
Logan and Gov. Oglesby. Nye and Howe have
fair chances of continuing for still another term.
Gen. Bramlette is likely to take the place of Gar-
ret Davis, though Mallory and Powell are his rivals.
Senator Lane, of Indiana, declines a re-election,
and Speaker Colfax and Mr. Jolian are named for
the succession. Hickman, Kelley, Ketcham, Wil-
mot, and Cameron are named for Cowan's seat
in the Senate ; the choice is likely to rest on a new
man, and not one of the old politicians. Governor
Carney is anxious to succeed Mr. Pomeroy, and
Gen. Blair will contest the Senatorship with Gratz
Brown. Cornelius Cole, a member of the House,
will take the place of Senator McDougall, Secretary
Harlan that of Kirkwood, and Representative Pat-
terson the seat of the Hon. Daniel Clark, Mr. S.
IV. Patterson, the Senator elect, from New Hamp-
shire, was formerly Professor of Mathematics at
Dartmouth College, and still holds, it is said, the
appointment of Professor of Astronomy. Mr.
Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont, has declined a re-

nomination for Congress in order to become a can-
didate for the Senatorship. The speech of this

gentleman on the new Tariff Bill in the Chamber of

Representatives was a fair specimen of all that can

be said in favour of protecting the home industry

of the United States. Mr. Morrill's strong Protecl

tionist feelings will secure his seat in the other
Chamber, though, as the Representatives vote the
imports, he might be more useful to his party where
he is.

The Monitor Monadnock with her convoy the
steamer Vanderbilt, under Commodore Rodgers,
arrived at San Francisco on the 22nd June. The
board of supervisors unanimously extended the
freedom of the city to the Commodore and the officers
under him. The flags of the vessels were hoisted
half-mast, and minute guns fired in observance of
the death of General Scott. Numerous Indian
murders and outrages were reported near Los
Angelos, and on the Colorado river.

The promoters of the Russian Overland Tele-
graph from America are pushing on energetically
with their work. Both the Russian and American

officers in charge had sailed for San Francisco. The

Company's barques Clara Bell, Palmetto, Rogers,
and Onward have started for their various points of

destination, and the Golden Gate and Nightingale

are only waiting for their material to arrive. We
hope soon that the telegraph will gird the -World.
From San Francisco to the extreme point of the

Russian telegraphic communication in Asia, and
from the western coast of Ireland to America, will
Complete the circle, when it will make little differ-

ence in time whether London communicates with
New York by the eastern or western line.
The Philadelphia _lnquirer states that a Mr. Eli
Walker, a gun-smith at Hartford, Connecticut, has
just inherited an estate in England valued at
$30,000,000. We believe land in England to be
more valuable than land anywhere else, but we
would like to know--Eliathe locality of this wonderful '
estate. Mr.
might undertake to give an
asylum to every dispossessed
princeling of Germany,
and not feel the burdmenilmloieoncinasuch a property. We
congratulate the new
A resolution has been broughtlr
ofne,etso render pertna-
Senate by Mr. Brown, of Missouri,
forward in the
su.ch as those
n ent the appointments to civil
and Interior of the Post Offices, Treasury,
Depart-
"'lents. lie proposes that a severe testenor
to the candidates by examination before be applied
competent
boards, that after appointment they hold th •
eir places
during good behaviour, and that they be promoted
according to merit and seniority. He condemns
strongly the system of changing these appoint-
ments with the change of the Executive Govern-

ment. If Mr. Brown could carry the measure he
would be the means of conferring a good service, in

both senses of the word, on the country. Under
the present system competent men who understand
their duties are displaced, and their positions filled
by others ignorant of everything required. Thus
many blunders and serious losses occur, and pablic

business is delayed by the ignorance and inability
of new officers and assistants.

_. ...
The Poles, Bohemians, Silesians, and Seryians