Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-17

| no other city in Uncle Sans wide dominions
SO flooded with deprecated Spanish small
| coins" fps' and "levies, worn down to
the third nick'-as Washington; no place
where such miserable, thin, bent, crossed,
| WORKOUT specimens of silverdom would be
| offered received as currency, and it is conse-
quently with no small satisfaction we see the
movement lately made in Congress to do
away with this tinware and substitute the
American dimes and half. dimes.
| The Senate, through its Finance Committee,
has caused an investigation to be made of the
| average value, as far as could be ascertained
OF sucn pieces now In existence as q part of
the circulating medium, and have ascertained
that the average 6t-cent piece is worth frac-
tion over cents; the II. cent piece about
II cents, and the Is cent piece between % and
"a cents bill has been introduced by which
| such coins can be continued in circulation for
| two years longer at the relative value of 5, 10,
and 20 cents, after which they are to be ex-
cluded entirely from circulation. Of course
| they can be received as bullion, and paid for
| as such, or recoined, to order, into American
| money.
This measure, if adopted, will cut off the
| shaving operation, by which we are almost
inevitably cheated cut of the half cent in ma
king small purchases, unless We happen to
| have the exact change.
Another advantage is that everybody from
Maine to the Rio Grande knows what dime
or half dime is, whereas the small Spanish
coin has 80 many aliases in different parts of
the Union'that it is erplexing to the traveller
to keep the run Of them For instance what
is ninepence " in Boston is " shilling" in
New York, a "levy" in Philadelphia {" elev-
enpence in Virginia and " bit " in New
Orleans in fact every locality has a separate
epithet for the smooth-faced " little JOKER
The decimal currency of the United States,
the eagle, dollar, dime, and half dime system
is the simplest and most convenient possible,
and the sooner it supplants the old Spanish
currency the better.
1t will be seen by yesterdays Congressional
proceedings, that the bill excluding foreign
coins from circulation was called up in the
Senate by Mr.. Hunter, and passed.
A MEDICAL CURIosIrY.-We have Just been
shown what is called "Quassia tonic cup"
and which is claimed on high medical author
ity to be pleasant, simple and eficacious
remedy for dyspepsia. Every one knows the
old fashioned practice of sleeping the quassia
wood for the purpose of obtaining a decoction
of this bitter, but wholesome indicator; but
now that trouble is all dispensed with by the
novel invention of the quassia cup. The wood
itself Is turned into regular drinking cup,
and the moment water or wine is turned into
it, 1t partakes instantaneously of the qualities
of the wood, growing more bitter the longer
II stands and it is claimed that the cup may
be used daily for months before its virtue is
exhausted. Our enterprising friend, Dyson,
| at the corner of Twelfth street and Pennsylya-
MIA avenue, is, we believe, sole agent for the
sale of them in this city.
The GRAND JEwELRY RAFFLE.-Col An
drews has returned to the city and is RAPIDLY
completing the arrangements for his grand
rattle, which will come off probably at the
National Theatre or at some other building
cOmmOdious enough to receive the large num-
bers interested in the drawings. 1t will be
seen from the advertisement in another column
that some SIS, goo worth is to be ratified, and
We can testify, from personal examination,
as to the richness and beauty of the leading
prizes. The articles for the rattle are on ex-
hibition at No APO Pennsylvania avenue.
| ATTEMPT AT BURGLARY between three
and four o'clock this morning, an attempt was
made TO enter the dwelling Of Mr. H. p
Lewis, on G, between Fourteenth and Fif-
teenth streets. The robbers tried to force open
| the back door, and were heard by Mr. Lewis
who had been kept awake by sickness in his
family. call from that gentleman, and a
threat that he would fire upon them with a
| revolver, caused them to make a rapid retreat
Mr.. Lewis thinks that the attempt was made
by two persons.
| The SHOOTING CAsE.-It will be remem-
bered that a few weeks since we gave an ac-
| count of the shooting Of Clement Brooks, a
colored man, by Daniel Bennett, also colored
Since then Brooks has sufficiently recovered to
get about, and he was arrested yesterday by
Officer Cuttings and taken before Justice Nor
sell to answer the charge Of assaulting Ben
nett with Ratchet at the time he was shot.
The Justice very properly, in the opinion of
the crowd assembled in the Office, held him to
bail to answer to the criminal court.
| ABRAUrIFUL ARTICLE.-We have Just seen,
l. r IN
| Pennsylvania avenue, between Ninth and
| Tenth streets, a most beautiful and unique
| piece of workmanship-a French sole leather
| trunk, with double locks The lock seems to
be most perfect rogue defying invention and
| is really very pretty puzzle for the uninti-
ated to open. This trunk is the last of a lot
| which have met a rapid sale, but Mr.. Hoover
| will doubtless find it to his advantage to pro-
| cure more Of them.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY.-Yssterda y, a man
| named Lomax accused Mr.. G. BOhn of an as
| sault and battery upon him. The case was
| taken up for trial before Justice Goddard In
the course Of his examination Lomax admitted
that he was in Mr.. Bohn's house without per-
| mission, and paid him NO rent. Ere the trial
| was concluded, he failed to answer any
more questions, and the case was dismissed.
BREAsrPIN TO BE IDENTIFIED "A hand
| some cross, with seven diamonds, found upon
the person Of John Baily, (now under arrest
for participation in the late burglary cases,)
and which he has been in the habit Of wearing
lately, is in the hands of Officer Boss for iden-
tihcatlon Amy ono having lost such an ar
ticle VIII do uell to ascertain if this be the
missing property.
HELD TO BAIL.-Mr. &. I. Massey was ex-
amined before Justice Goddard on the charge
of obtaining money under false pretences.
The trial was not concluded, and Mr.. Massey
has been held to bail for further hearing.
1t is a case which it is presumed might be
settled satisfactorily to the parties and the
laws, without injury to Mr.. Masseys charac-
ter and standing.