The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Jan. 24.—Mr. Chanler, of New York, sub-
mitted a resolution directing the Committee on
Commerce to report the best means to prevent the
evils resulting from crowding emigrant ships. The
deaths that had recently occurred in an emigrant
ship arriving at New York from Germany was cited,
and the resolution was adopted.
Jan. 25.—This day was devoted to debate, and
the House resolved itself into a Committee of the
Whole, Mr. Paine, of Wisconsin, in the chair. Mr.
Sitgreaves, of New Jersey, attacked the policy of
the Radical party. Mr. Price, of lowa, replied.
Mr. Morrill, of Pennsylvania, obtained leave to
print his remarks on the finances. Mr. Williams,
of Indiana, then spoke, and was followed by Mr.
Stone, of Maryland, who reviewed the legislation
of the last ten days which he considered must exer-
cise a vast influence over the destinies of the coun-
try. The Supreme Court Quorum Bill recently
passed might properly be called a bill to destroy
the powers of the Supreme Court and to vest them
the House. Yet two hours only were allowed for dis-
cussion, two hours to overturn the Convention of
1789 it had taken weeks and months to perfect.
He proceeded to show that the tendency of the bill
was to give to a minority the power of decision, in-
deed to make the decision of the Court the opi-
nion of one or two men. Mr. Woodward, of
Pennsylvania, asked if the majority of the Court
should order the clerk, their creature, to enter up a
judgment of a bare majority where would the power
of appeal be ? Mr. Stone said an appeal would be
nowhere. If a majority saw proper to enter up
their decision as the judgment of the Court,
there could be no appeal in spite of the law of
Congress. The miscalled Reconstruction Bill is
also aimed at the independence of the Supreme
Court. It declares that 10 States of the Union
shall not be recognized by either the Executive
or Judicial departments of the Government. Since
the days when Magna Charta was wrung from
King John by the British barons there has
not been a sample of such legislation as this. Mr.
Stone then reviewed at length the unconstitutiona-
lity of the Reconstruction Bill, and the evils that
would result from vesting so much power in the
military commanders. The bill vests all power over
life and liberty in any irresponsible military cotn-
mauders who may be appointed. Their power is
supreme, and the Court can take no cognis.mce of
their acts ; all the legislation is outside of the Consti-
tution, for the people of the South are as much
under the protection of the Constitution as are those
of the North. Mr. Wilson, of Ohio, spoke on
the Finances and National Debt, and Mr. Hawkins
on individual rights and the duty of Government
to its citizens.—The House adjourned at five
o'clock.

Jan. 27.—Mr. Cary, of Ohio, proposed a bill to
provide a Uniform Currency and to liquidate the
National Debt, and Mr. Randall one making the
purchase, sales, &c., of United States Bonds open
to competition. Mr. Cockburn, of Indiana, a bill
to provide for filling the office of President of the
United States in case of the expiration of the term
of the present President of the Senate before the
Presidential term expires. The Speaker laid reso-
lutions of the Constitutional Conventions among
them, one from that of Louisiana, asking for the
removal of General Hancock, and of the State and
parish officers. A bill preventing the payment of
certain claims was passed. It enacts that during
the war the following classes should be exempt :-
Ist. On account of the seizure or imprisonment,
or for damage or detention of any appliance of
transportation, whether land or water—such as
steamers, boats, barges, trains of waggons or cars
in insurrectionary States. 2d. For transportation
service, tolls, ferriage, and so forth, beyond the
tariff of rates fixed by the Quartermaster-General
during the war. 3d. For the use and occupation
of land in the insurrectionary States, used for forti-
fications and other military defensive purposes dur-
ing the war for the suppression of the rebellion. Mr.
Banks reported a bill relating to the rights of Ame-
rican citizens abroad.—Printed, and re-committed.
The Speaker laid two Reports before the House, one
from the Treasury, showing the condition of the
Contingent Fund of that department for the year
ending June, 1867; another from the Secretary of
War in relation to the alleged suffering of the sol-
diers in Alaska. Also from the Commission of
Agriculture recommending a modification of the
tax on the importation of cattle. Mr. Ingersoll, of
Illinois, introduced a bill, authorizing an additional
issue of $45,000,000 Legal-Tender notes. Mr. Spald-
ing, of Ohio, to inquire what combination, if any,
had been made to obstruct the due execution of the
laws of Congress, and empowering the Committee
in this investigation to send for persons and papers,
and to examine witnesses under oath. After some
opposition the resolution was adopted.

Jan. 28.—Mr. Pomeroy, of New York, from the
Committee on Banking and Currency, reported a
bill taxing shares in National Banks. He declined
to yield to the gentlemen who offered amendments,
and the bill was passed as reported. Also, a bill to
regulate the deposit of public moneys. He proposed
an amendment requiring all public moneys within
50 miles of a sub-Treasury to be deposited in it,
and the bill was passed as amended. Mr. Julian,
of Indiana, discussed the bill, declaring forfeited
certain lands granted to the Southern States for
railwajs. He did not wish to be interrupted as
before by Mr. Chauler, when he feared that bloody
results might follow. He the❑ gave his reasons for
advocating the bill. Mr. Chanler opposed the bill,
and referring to Mr. Julian's remark, he had settled
the personal difficulty satisfactorily to himself and
his friends. What he then said was on record, and
he was satisfied with it.

Jan. 29.—Mr. Banks spoke on the bill concerning
the rights of American citizens in foreign States.
He did nob propose to occupy much tune, but would

give other gentlemen an opportunity of stating their
views. Several offered amendments. After yield-
ing for various questions Mr. Banks explained ; the
bill was general in purpose, and did not refer to
any special cases in England or elsewhere, the
Committee were unanimous, and every suggestion
of others on the subject had been fully considered.
The bill would protect all persons who were entitled
to protection, but not such as had been guilty of
crime against a foreign country. Nor would the
bill protect men who deserted-the actual service
of the army or navy of a foreign State. There
was another class of cases that could not be
protected, and that was cf people who obtained
naturalization papers by fraud ; and he did not
suppose that the American Government wanted to
protect such persons. It would not in any event
protect cases of fraud, and the question then came
to the main point, as to the duty of the Govern-
ment to give the naturalized citizen the same
protection that would be given to the native
born. It was claimed by some gentlemen upon
this floor that this country had never recognized
the right of expatriation. He denied that theory,
and maintained that the Government in its very
inception recognized the right of emigration,
and with it the right of expatriation. Ile prac-
tice of this Government had been all in that direc-
tion, and all the executive and legislative principles
of the country have been against the right of foreign
Governments to claim perpetual allegiance. But it
is asserted that there is no law upon our statute
book recognizing this right. That is so ; for it has
been considered an inherent right, and if Congress
would now pass the law recognizing the right of
expatriation, foreign Governments would proclaim,
that, from the time of the passage of the law only
Congress intended to assert the right of expatria-
tion. Mr. Maynard, of Tennessee, asked if the
Committee did not propose to assert the right that
a foreigner, who had declared his intention to
become a citizen, should also be entitled to protec-
tion, and in this connection instanced the case of
Martin Kosta. Mr. Banks said the Committee did
not propose in this Report to define the law of na-
turalization. It was not for that purpose that the
subject was referred to the Committee. The case
of Kosta was a peculiar one. He had not only
announced his intention, but he was not arrested in
his country, but while he had gone to Turkey,
which country was then, awl is now, in friendly re-
lation with the United States. This country
cannot, and dare not, recognize for an instant
the right of any foreign Government to claim
the services of citizens of the United States,
whether they be native or naturalized. The
Forfeited Railway Lands Bill in the South was then
discussed at length, Mr. Pile refusing to yield
for the purpose of completing the consideration of
the bill reported by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. Williams, of Indiana, offered a joint resolution
to authorise an issue of one hundred and seventy-
five millions of Legal-Tender notes. Objected to
generally. Mr. Schenck, of Ohio, moved to pro-
ceed to the business on the Speaker's table, but upon
a count of the vote upon the question, no quorum
was found present, and the House, at 6.30 p.m.,
adjourned.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

From the Anglo-American Times.)

The gossip from Washington dwells principally
on the statement in the Evening Express that a
member of the Supreme Court had in a social
gathering spoken without the least reserve in pro-
nouncing the Reconstruction Act unconstitutional.
Mr. Scofield, of Pennsylvania, rose in the House
with a resolution to instruct a committee to investi-
gate the allegation, and if necessary that the Judge
should be impeached. The Representatives were
taken by surprise, and no objection was made; but
when it came under consideration many Democrats
strongly objected to the passage of the resolution,
which nevertheless was carried by 89 ayes to 57
nays. Justice Stephen J. Field is the person ac-
cused ; his friends deny the truth of the statement,
others admit it under the extenuating circumstance
of champagne. A tax bill will be reported unani-
mously by the Committee on Ways and Means,
giving immediate relief to the New England manu-
facturers. The Senate is dallying with the Supreme
Court and Reconstruction Bills, which they do not
intend to pass. If they can get the M'Ardle case
dismissed, which is expected, the necessity will not
exist for tampering with the powers of the Supreme
Court, and if Alabama goes as generally anticipated
strongly Republican and the Constitution is carried,
no necessity will exist for further legislation on
Reconstruction. Private letters predict that the
election which began on Wednesday, the sth inst.,
and continued till the following Saturday night,
will end in the acceptance of the new Constitution.
Eighty of the most prominent and wealthy citi-
zens of Washington, representing $10,000,000 of
property, have signed a petition protesting against
the passage by the city councils of any resolution
requesting Congress to renew or extend the city
charter.

The Navy Department has just issued the navy
register for 1868, from which it appears the num-
ber of vessels sold during the year was 39 ; 56 iron-
clads are laid up in different ports ; there have been
87 resignations, including 59 midshipmen, and 3
lieutenant commanders. The number of deaths in
1867 was 39.

The House will vote against John Young Brown,
whose case is delayed by the illness of Mr. Kerr, of
Indiana. It is said that he will be sent back to the
House by his constituents. The time of the Com-
mittee on Elections is occupied with the case of
Delano against Morgan, of Ohio, which will be
followed by Hogan versus Pile. It has been de-
cided that an official is not affected by the expi-
ration of Ills commission, remaining incumbent until
the Senate confirms his successor. In this the
Attorney-General and the Senate agree; and by it
T. P. Chandler, Sub-Treasurer of Boston, and
Israel Washburne, Collector of Customs at Port-
land, remain in office until successors are confirmed.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in a communica-
tion sent to the House, on Jan. 29, said that the
amount of the sale of the Ten-Forty Bonds, issued
under the act'of 1864, was $8,141,600, with a pre-
mium of $105,298, making a total of $8,246,898.
The First National Bank of Washington received a
commission of * of one per cent., amounting to
$10,177. The Secretary says that the sale of these
bonds has not tended to withdraw currency from
the business of the country, and that the opera-
tions of the department, for some months past,
have been such as to diminish, rather than in-
crease, the currency balance in the Treasury.
Another statement shows a falling off of the in-
ternal revenue for the fiscal year, 1867, as compared
with 1866, of $29,697,441, of which only $46,470
was in the 20 districts where appointments were
made directly by the President, without recom-
mendation from the Commissioner of Revenue.
The internal revenue receipts for January were
estimated at $15,000,000, and it seems likely this
amount will be realized, $14,000,000 being already
collected.

The Ways and Means Committee will report in
favour of retaining the whisky tax at its present
figure, $2, and the distillers, who have lobbyed and
convened at Washington for months, will find
another love's labour lost. Tobacco manufacturers
and dealers are abundant at Washington, seeking
relief from taxation, but cannot agree what to ask.
Governor Jenkins, of Georgia, has arrived in
Washington ; he intends to apply to the Supreme
Court for a writ of reinstatement in the Governor-
ship, and he has filed a bill in the Supreme Court
to inhibit the Acting Governor and Treasurer froM
using the State funds.
Mr. Goldwin Smith has written to the New York
Tribune to explain the reason of his contemplated vi,4it to
America. He is about to devote himself to the study, and
if he feels equal to the task to the composit'on, of Ame-
rican history, so he will take up his abode in the United
States in the course of the summer, where there are books
and records which he will be permitted to use. Although
the undertaking implies a prolonged residence, ho does
not seek naturalization. He will not be a candidate for
any other citizenship in America than that of the Republic
of Letters. He can imagine, though ho does not autici
pate, a crisis which will render it incumbent on the honour
of every Englishmen to share, though he might be unable
to influence, the destinies of his country.
The Ilon. Anson Burlinghame, Chinese Pleni-
potentiary to Foreign, rovers, arrived at Mlangliae ou

the 10th of December. He left Peking on the 25th of No-
vember, but was detained some days between Tientsin
and the capital, owing to rumours of the presence of
mountain robbers. Assistance was obtained from both
places, and the party arrived safely at Tientsin on tho
29th of November ; from whence they were taken to Taku
in her Majesty's gunboat Dove, and from Taku in the
United States gunboat Ashuolot to Shanghae.
Carl Benson gave in the New York Times an
account of a visit to the Constitutional Convention now
sitting in Charleston. The coloured delegates were in-
telligent and respectable-looking men; the whites fully
up to the average of political bodies at the North or else-
where. There was perhaps a little greenness in organiz-
ing; but he predicts that the negro, being an imitative
animal, will quickly acqt ,re all forms of political business.
George 11. Pendleton, of Ohio, is generally
spoken of as next Democratic candidate for President. He
is 4.3 years old, was born in Cincinnati, of South Caro-
linian and honourable ancestry, bred to his father's pro-
fession of law, and i❑ 1857 took his seat i❑ Congress as
the R -presentative of the first Ohio district; which his
father had represented fifteen years before. Mr.
Pendleton was then one of the most promising
young Democratic members of the House, and readily
took a leading position. Coming from a strong De-
mocratic dkt ict, he was four times re-elected in suc-
cession, until the choice of the Thirty-ninth Congress
in 1861, when he was defeated by Mr. Eggleston, the pre-
sent Republican merrioer. He supported the Buchanan
Aden's, ation, and in 1861 introduced resolutions into
Gong .ess dec7,:eg the equality and sovereignty of States
and tho right of each to its own institutions, slavery in-
cluded; "that hostilities against the so-called Confederate
States sha:l not be prosecuted so as to reduce to a position
of any of the States, or to abolish slavery within
the Emits." He obtained the second place on the De-
moc. atic P:esideniial ticket of 1864. Since his defeat he
has been less prominent in public life. He was the first to
advocee the greenback redemption doctrine, and the
Western masses a- e coming up to his support on the guff -
lion of National Finance. The Springfield RepubFcan
thinks that, if nominated, abundant opportunity will be
offered of effect:ve attack on Lis long and conspicuous
public career.

Mr. Fenton, Governor of New York, has had a
co-respondence with Mr. Corode, Representative in Con-
gress from Pennsylvania. Governor Fenton wrote to the
Committee of the Naronal Cemetery, Antietam, stating
that the Co afederates buried on the field might be collected
and interred in a secl:un of tue cemetery, so that the:r
friends might know the place of interment. This Mr.
Corode opposed. He tells how one of his sons was killed
in bats:.., and the other was captued and imprisoned by
the Con'ederates. He is se-pr:sed at the attempt of the
Republican candidate for the Vice-Presidency to do
honour to the rebels. Mr. Corode is himself a candida:o
for that post.

On motion of Mr. Van Wyck, of New York, the
Secretary of State was directed to report to the House
Representatives the cost of the arrest and trial of John H.
Surratt, whether the proceedings of the trial have been
published in book form, and if so by whose authority and
at what expense, &c.

Baron Gerolt, the Prussian Minister, delive_el
his credentials as Envoy from the Now North German
Confederation at Washington.
John Jay, President of the Union League Club;
being invited to address a meeting at Chicigo called by
the Freedmen's Union Commission, sent the following
tolegram:—" God speed your g; eat work. Next to eman-
cipation, it is the noblest duty over devolved on a Chris-
tian people. Upon its prompt and fit performance rests
our national safety, prosperity, and honour."
'ihe Senate has confirmed the nomination of Me.
H. G. Wells as United States Consu: at Manchester.

Judge Beffle, of Hudson County, New Jersey, i
his charge to the grand jury the other day, recommended
as a duty the indictment of the p.:ze fighters who have
made that county "the dark and bloody ground" for tle
display of their brutal ay. We hope the jury will prompe-Y
perform their duty, and that ere long there can be found
no place is the ne'ghbourhood of New York to which the
pr fighters, cock, fighters, and duelists can safely resort
for their inhuman practices.

Dr. Hepburn, writing at Yokohama, Ootobv
22d, mentions the opinion of the mission that a staf :on
should be formed at I eddo, and another at Osaka o:
Hiyogo, as soon as new missionaries can come to their
assistance. He gives an encouraging view of the opening
field of labour in Japan.

On the sth of January the Presbyterian Society
in New York City, of which the Rev. Dr. Sp ing is senio-:
pastor, celebrated the centennial anniversary of their house
of worship. Owing to the physical infirmities of P.
Spr;ng, who in the 85th year of his age, the centenni. 1
discou- se was preaohed by the junior pastor, the Rev. D:,
Murray.

The late struggle for female suffrage in Kansas,
though accounted a defeat, is not witaout its fruits. The
House of Ibpresentatives has just chosen Miss Emma
Hunt enrolling clerk; and the Senate Miss Heiman for its
assistant enrolling clerk.
It having been decided that music shall be addc I
to the list of studies of the New York University, Profes-
sor Eugene Trastour do Varano, who has been sc'ected ;
professor, deliveted the opening lecture of a course on th.s
interesting subject in the chapel of the University, on
Thursday evening, Jan. 23.
During the great commercial revulsion of 1857,
when half the mercantile houses in New York came to
an untimely grief, a ruined merchant said, in a half cor -
gratulatory tone, to the proprietor of a:famous restaurant
iu Broadway, " Ah ! Mr. Delmonico, you are fortunate in
having a business in which there is no failure. Everybody
must eat." "Ah ! that is very true," replied the polite
publican. " Everybody must eat, I suppose ; but nobody
dines now."

Admiral Farragut went to Caprera to pay a visit
to Garibaldi.

The Governor-General of Canada has recognized
Mr. Thomas F. Wilson as Consul-General of the United
States.

It is reported from Havannah that General Ler-
sundi has ordered Santa Anna to leave the island.

General Meade has removed the State Secretary
of Georgia, and appointed a military successor.
The following is the address of the young ladies
of Youghal to George Francis Train :—" We, the under-
signed, on behalf of the children of Youghal, having seen
toal, our parents fully recognize and appreciate you as the
fearless champion of Irish rights and liberties all the world
over, cannot allow you to leave our old historic town
without offering you our small meed of thanks ; and
humbly beg your acceptance of the accompanying trifling
token from our young hearts to our Transatlantic cousin,
Miss Train, your beloved daughter. In doing so wo want
to show how the young generation of Irish children wish the
more fully and securely to cement that bond of love which
has been already so bravely crimsoned by Irish blood,
and which we children feel is only in its infancy be-
tween ourselves and our Transatlantic cousins in the
free land of brave Columbia. we also wi4l2 to be
wiser in our generation ; and the better to testify
more fully our regard for you, sir, we have pur-
chased, and shall do so during the continuance of your
tour through our beautiful but stricken land, those news'
papers which shall fully record your able and thrill'ng
aspirations in the fearless defence of our country and kin•
dred, and send them to our sisters on the other side of the
broad Atlantic, that high road which you opened as a door
of welcome to our grandfathers years before we were born ;
and that door of welcome through which, we trust, ere
long our brave, beloved countrymen will one day return
to wish us a happy St. Patrick's Day. We also wish to
show our implacable and fell enemy the London Times,
that the characteristics of us mere Irish are not ignorance,
dirt, and falsehood, but, on the contrary, that our
young aspirations are for liberty and our native lane
The deputation to present the address consisted of Miss
Shiels, Miss Mary Ellen Geary, Miss Alice Hilgrove, Miss
Norah Hilgrove, and Miss Hanora Prouder. " These five
little ladies, the eldest not more than ten or eleven years
of age, the youngesi a little cherub of five or six, were
neatly and richly dressed in white, having their heir
bound with green ribbons."
Two of the Irish-Americans (Dowling and
Coogan) arrested on landing last year from the Jacknell at
Dungarvan, and since confined in Kilmainham prison,haVe
been released on condition of returning to the United
States, and have been attended by the constabulary to
Queenstown for the purpose of embarking.