The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

THE ALTA VELA CASE.

The Alta Vela affair has rapidly grown into a
great scandal. Mr. Black seems determined not to
let the matter drop, and the President's counsel
have made use of it in the Impeachment case against
the Managers. Judge Nelson, who spoke as the
mouthpiece of the President, 'exposed the transac-
tion to the Senate, and on Wednesday, the 29th
April, Mr. Butler replied, denying the truth of the
statement. Mr. Nelson answered Mr. Butler with
great warmth, and on the Senate reassembling after
a recess, Mr. Sumner brought the matter up, cen-
suring Mr. Nelson, whose words he construed into
a challenge to Mr. Butler, at the same time introduc-
ing a resolution of c3nsure, which the Senate rejected.
Both the learned gentlemen disclaimed a warlike in-
tention ; but the Tennessee lawyer announced that
he was ready to meet the general in any way. Mr.
Nelson, in offering his explanation, had referred to
letters showing the connection of both Generals
Butler and Logan with the claim. These Butler
desired to look at, to which Nelson assented, pro-
vided the general promised to return them, which
Butler declined, and they were given to the clerk.
On the following day General Butler made a speech
in further explanation, and it is stated that he and
Logan are gathering evidence to prove that they
had signed the opinion that the President was
bound to seize on Alta Vela before the Impeach-
ment was decided on. The question was taken up
in the House, where James Brooks, of New
York (Democrat), offered a resolution summon-
ing the Managers to explain their extraordi-
nary conduct in thus trying after the commence-
ment of the Impeachment proceedings tointimidate
the President into an action injurious to the public
interest, which, after two days' debate, was rejected
by a party vote. That Messrs. Logan, Bingham,
and Butler signed the opinion is almost undisputed ;
but the question is, When ? Mr. Butler alleges that
it was made out before the Articles were drawn up.
This is emphatically contradicted by the opinion it-
self, which was presented to the President on the
9th March, long after the formal Impeachment. In
answer, Butler accuses some person at the White
House of altering the dates, The debate among
the Representatives on Mr. Brooks' resolution was
very acrimonious. Mr. Logan denounced Mr.
Brooks as a villain and Mr. Eldridge as a blackguard,
and in reply to a question from Mr. Butler, Mr. Brooks
affirmed he had called him a gold robber, asserting
that the charge had been sustained in the New
York Courts. Notwithstanding the liberal use of
abusive epithets applied by Mr. Butler, Mr. Brooks
continued his charge, raking up every previous
circumstance brought against Mr. Butler. The
sharpest thing that we have seen in the way of
comment is in the New l'ork. Citizen, entitled
"Jerry on his Dunghill :"—" Ex-Attorney General
Black, in his letter throwing up his brief as one
of his President's counsel, because said President
would not inaugurate and levy a foreign war
to help said Jerry and some half dozen of his
congenial associates in stealing a dunghill of
guano from an island called Alta Vela, uses
the following language :—' to me it is cause of
sincere grief that I cannot' (in conseluence of my
dunghill), ' aid in the struggle you are making for
truth, justice, and the Constitution of your coun-
try.' Observe that Jerry says ' your country,'
not ' our country.' For the fact is, and Jerry
has grace to recognize it, that it is the only country
1
fit for such foul villains as himself, 133 n. Butler,
Bingham, and the other guano thieves, is that com-
post of penguin's ordure, which is said to be worth a

million dollars, and which we know as Alta Vela.
Non old should be the motto on Jerry's coat of
arms."

SCO77ISH STIITIS7-ICS.

The Registrar-General of Scotland has to report
18,036 deaths during the first quarter of 1868, the
death-rate being in the annual proportion of 22.6
per 1,000 of population, or 2.3 per 1,000 below the
average rate of the season. The unusually mild
weather which continued during the whole of the
quarter showed a beneficial influence on the public
health ; the fevers which prevailed among adults
and the usual epidemic diseases of children were less
fatal than usuil ; and pulmonary affections were
less prevalent than in Ordinary seasons. The annual
death-rate of the town districts was 26.5 per 1,000 ;
that of the rural districts, 17.9 per 1,000. Of the
eight principal towns of Scotland th.; mortality was
lowest, 23.7 in Leith, and highest, 31.7, in Dundee.
Of the 18,036 deaths, 6,320 were registered in
January, when the mean temperature was 37.5
deg. ; 5,683 in February, with a mean temperature
of 41.6 deg. ; and 6,033 in March, with a mean
temperature of 428 deg. The births during the
quarter amounted to 28,736, or 36 per 1,000 was
the annual birth-rate of the season ; the average
rate being 35-1. Of the total births, 2,910, or 1.0
per cent., were illegitimate. The excess of births
over deaths was 10,700, but after deducting 1,902
for the ascertained Scottish emigrants, only 8,708
would appear as the number of souls added to the
population during the quarter. The marriages for
the first three months of the present year numbered
5,287, being in the annual proportion of 6 6 mar-
riages to every 1,000 persons living ; the average
rate was 6-5. If the marriage-rate be taken as an
indication of the state of trade and commerce, then,
of the eight principal towns, Leith appeared to be
the most prosperous, while the city of Perth was
somewhat depressed. The respective proportions
to 1,000 of population were 9.8 in Leith, 9.6 in
Paisley, 8.7 in Glasgow, 8.6 in Edinburgh, 84 in
Greenock, 84 in Aberdeen, 8.1 in Dundee, and 7.3
in Perth. There was au unusual prevalence of
strong balmy west and south winds during the quar-
ter, which often rose into terrific gales; that of the
24th of January was the most severe ever experi-
enced in Edinburgh, though some of the other gales
were more destructive over the country. The depth
of rain for the three mouths amounted to the very
large quantity of 14.5 inches.