The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-12 00:00:00

T.H. . SUN, LONDON; SATURDAY EV,ENING, DECEMBER 12, 1868.

MI,SCELLANEOUS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
The most important news by cable refers to the
meeting of Congress at noon on the 7th instant,

when there was a full attendance of members in

both Houses. The Representatives, as we else-
where state, brought in a joint resolution asking
the recall of Reverdy Johnson, and the Senate,

upon receiving the Presidential Message, refused
to hear it read, and adjourned. A collision was
reported between the steamers United States and

America on the Ohio River on Friday night, the
4th inst. The United States caught fire, and 80

[yes were lost.

The latest news by cable is dated Washington,
Dec. 11.—The Secretary of the Treasury has issued
his usual monthly statement of Public debt of the
United States and the cash in the Treasury on the
Ist inst. The foriner amounted to $2,645,750,000

against $2,611,000,000 on Ist ult., being an in-
crease of $1,750,000. The cash in the Treasury
amounted to $106,750,000 (viz., $88,500,000 in
coin,and $18,250,000 currency)againstsll4,ooo,ooo
last month, being .a decrease of $7,250,000. •
The Russia arrived at Queenstown yesterday
morning at 8.30, and brings intelligence from New
York up to the 2d inst.:—General Grant, in his
annual report, transmitting ilhe reports of the Dis-
trict Department Commanders, endorses General

Sherman's recommendation that the management
of Indian affairs should ba transferred to the

War Department. General Grant considers a
further reduction of the army inexpedient, in

the view of the Indian difficulties, and troops
being still needel in the Southern States.
On Thursday the interior of Fort Lafayette, in
New York harbour, was destroyed by fire. The

Fenian Congress has eleetad General O'Neill as

President of the Order.. No immediate hostilities

are proposed by that body. Mr. Hall's majority as
mayor of New York was 5,400, out of a total vote

of 96,000. Advice's from Cuba state a band of in-
surgents had been routed at Villa del Cobra.
Foreigners are joining the Spanish army. General

Balmesada has taken the field against the insur-

•
gents.
General lloward of the Freedmen's Bureau has
had a fight with his pastor, the Congregationalist
preacher, Dr. Boynton: A dispute had arisen at
Washington in that sect, and an attempt was
made to settle the difficulty, which led to the quar-
rel, and only making matters worse. After the
conference the Doctor met the General in the street,
who exclaimed, " I pronounce what you have said
of me to be an unmitigated falsehood." Dr. Boyn-
ton asked if ho meant to call him a liar, to
which the-General replied that he did, whereon
the Doctor shouted, " If you had two arms I would
thrash you for insulting me." " Never mind my
arms," answered General Howard," try and thrash

me if you can." Secretary M'Culloch has added
another to his many enemies, butting this time
against Collector Cake of Philadelphia, who,iustead
of discharging the Republicans as directed, turned
out the Democrats, and will, if not saved by Con-
gress and the Tenure of Office Act be removed
himself.

General Warren of the United States Engineers
is preparing a report on the construction of the
Union Pacific Railway so unfavourable that the
President contemplates withholding the further
issue of bonds. The General was deputed to inspect

the road, a work he is believed to be well qualified
to perform. The Court of Inquiry on Gen. Dyer
has adjourned, in consequence of some of the offi-
cers having proceeded to Fortress Monroe to wit-
ness the Ordnance experiments. General Schenck
arrived at Washington Nov. 27. Major Thomas,
son of Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas of im-
peachment notoriety, was married in Washington
on the 27th November. . •
The news from Japan
.is that the Mikado bad
succeeded in ceutreing in himself all the powers of
Government—the Tycoon having peaceably sur-
rendered. The former has attained his majority, and
been crowned Emperor of Japan. The loss of her
Majesty's ship Rattler occurred, it appears, in calm
weather, on an unknown reef. The advance of
Japan in its international relations is shown by the
following intelligence from San Francisco, dated.
Nov. 24 :—Thc Japanese Consul to the Hawaiian
Government has arrived here by the steamer China,
to look after the intereWs of the subjects of Japan,
residing on the Sandwich Islands. He is believed
to be the first native sent to a foreign country by
Japan to assume consular functions.
Another great target trial has just taken place
at Fortress Monroe. The experiments were de-
signed to test ,the resistance offered by fortresses
built of granite by itself, as well as faced and pro-
tected by thick iron plating. In 1866 the Rodney
guns smashed the walls into a heap of sand, although
8 feet thick and covered by 4 inches of iron. This
time the result was similar against a granite wall
18 feet thick, which was seriously damaged at a
range of 1,000 yards by a 13-inch smooth-bore gun
firing steel projectiles of 3201b5. The wall was
much shattered by the third shot, great fragments
of stones being knocked about in every direction,
flying in pieces, some weighing3oolbs.,to adistanceof
10 to 15 yards. Another target, with a shield com-
posed of two iron plates rivetled together, each 12
inches thick, was attacked, and th's immense weight
of iron facing, in no degree saved the wall, for it
was demolished by the second shot of 6001bs. from
a 12-inch rifle gun at 500 yards. In the same way
a tower strongly constructed of gneiss was de-
stroyed, and a target of iron without the backing
was greatly injured., These experiments, lasting
through three days, have proved that masonry is
useless against the American heavy projectiles, and
that iron plates, instead of being a shield, aid, if
anything, in its demolition. The stone is crushed
behind the iron, although the projectile does not
penetrate. The British system of driving a smaller
projectile with greatei speed answers better for
penetration, and might be more effectual against
armour-plated ships, although this question has not
been conclusively settled, but the experimenhi at
Fortress Monroe show that there is nothing like
American guns for knocking down stone walls. The
Government of the United States intend to try the
barbette system invented by Captain Moncrieff for
heavy guns.
The Fenians have been a little more active lately
in America.- They have been kicking up a row
against Dr. Duggan, the Roman Catholic Bishop of
Chicago, because he refused to permit a solemn
requiem service for the repose of the souls of the
three Manchester Fenians on the first anniversary
of their execution. A great indignation meeting
was held by the Irish Catholics of the city, but as
it is notorious, from the Pope downwards, that all
the Roman Catholic priesthood have opposed
Fenianism, and more especially Bishop Duggan,
such meetings- can effect nothing. The Fenians
have openly professed enmity to religion as well as
to England, and announced their desire to free
priest-ridden Ireland from the sacerdotal as well as
the Sassenach thraldom. There was a Fenian mass
meeting also on the 26th November (Thanksgiving
Day), in Philadelphia. They gathered five divi-
sions in Broad-street, the Bth, 9th, and 24th Regi-
ments of the Irish Republic coming out strong in
"blue pants and green coats," mustering 1,500 men,
all armed with muskets. General O'Neill with his
Staff rode in advance, among whom were two
Smolenskies, a name which savours of Poland. If
so, perhaps these gentlemen think that the wrongs
of the Poles can also be redressed on Cana-
dian soil. A sweet thing accompanied the pro-
cession, within a bower of evergreens, representing
the Goddess of Liberty, and on one banner was
this inscription The blood of Allen. Larkin,
O'Brien, and Barrett smokes in the earth and cries
aloud for vengeance ; and that crimson stain shall
we revisit upon the Saxon name." In the evening
there was a meeting at the National Hall, when
the chairman recounted the events of the day,
which he described as a grand victory in the way
of subduing the prejudice existing in Philadelphia,
and ended with the hope that within a year they
would be celebrating a national holiday on the soil
of their native country. Mr. Hyues recognized the
Fenians' right to strike England wherever they
could, but he does not appear to see the right to
strike back in return, as shown by the noise they
have made over the " martyrs." We wonder what
Orangemen in Ireland will say when they hear that