Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-22

here, 30 Tar as tney commenced upon tne SUI
fciency Of the actions of the Texas Legisla-
ture upon the law of the last session of Coz
gress, known as the Texas debt law" They
say in the Star:
=" The Texas bill has been accepted condi'
tionally, but the condition will not affect the
payment of the money as intended by the &C!
of Congress appropriating S7,750,00O to be
distributed PRO rata, among the creditors.
The words of the act Of the Legislature Of
Texas, accepting the bill, are
"The State Of Texas hereby withdraws and
'abandons all the claims an demands against
the United States, growing. out of Indian
sdeprad ations or otherwise, which originated
on or before the 18th of FEBRUARY, 1855; pro-
syided, that this abandonment shall not apply
to claims of individuals for losses Of property
sby the enemy"
We differ from them widely in appreeiating
the effect of the " rider" enacted by the Texas
Legislature. The bill passed the last Con.
gress only on the emphatic pledges and pro-
testations of its friends that its enactment
fully and fsally barred any and all claims
from Texas for Indian depredations or other
wise. 1t was known that the State of Texas
had not lost a dollar by such depredations,
while her citizens claimed to have lost much
The State, per Sc, had never made pretensions
to be the holder Of such claims, while it was
understood that her citizens were expected to
claim heavily on account of such depreda-
tions; certainly from first to last to the
amount of millions of dollars.
The understanding of Congress was that
the State would herself assume the settle
ment Of these expected claims, in considera.
ton Of the enactment of the bill by Congress.
That action on her part was the main consid-
Grafton on which Congress was induced, with
great apparent reluctance, indeed, to pass the
bill. Instead Of so doing, she has expressly
provided that her acceptance Of the law shall
not be regarded as bar to the prosecution
by her citizens of the very claims of which
Congress supposed they were Kidding them.
selves in enactiug the law; which, in turn,
expressly provided that it shall be operative
only in consideration that Texas shall do what
she has expressly refused to do.
We are without space to-day in which to
pursue this subject, showing the character
and possible amount of the claims in ques.
ton, which Texas can settle with perfect sat-
isfaction to her citizens for perhaps 1.-THE Of
what they will otherwise cost the treasury of
the United States
The New Orleans sheriffalty tele-
graphic dispatch in yesterdays Star requires
explanation, We refer to that concerning the
action of the Louisiana Legislature and Gov
ernor with reference to the New Orleans
sherifalty. Under the new constitution of
the State the Governor is authorized to declare
vacant certain Offices, including sheriffalties,
On being requested to do so by majority of
the State Legislature. at the last New
Orleans election the candidates for sheriff
were Hufty, Know Nothing and Bell, Demo-
crat. The Know Nothing party destroyed the
ballot boxes at one or more precincts whereat
Bell received an overwhelming majority of
the votes cast, and the Know Nothings who
were charged with the duty of finally count
ing the votes, refused to permit the proof of
the fact that Bell had received there his ma
jorities cast for him, to be taken into consider
alton; and thus they declared Hufty elected.
Bell applied 20 the courts for his rights; but
partizan influence induced q refusal to grant
them. The Legislature, in virtue of their
right and duty, have requested the Governor
to remove Hufty on the grounds we state
above; which has been done. The people of
New Orleans are now required to elect
sheriff over again. We take it for granted
that this wholesome exercise of the preroga-
tive of the Governor and Legislature will in.
sure peaceable and fair election.
The Know Nothing Rational Council.
1t was said over the city yesterday evening,
that the senior editor of our talented, ingenu-
Gus, and truthful neighbor, was among those
delegates who voted to admit to full com
munion the Republican Know Nothing organi-
cation of Pennsylvania-the Abolition wing.
The proposition was carried ON Tuesday by o
vote of yeas "a, nays As. We place no conf
dence whatever in the stories by telegraph,
and otherwise, that a compromise will be
effected on the principle of adopting as
an article Of the future creed of the party,
a pledge to 60 for the restoration of the
Missouri restriction. 1t cannot be done
without driving off at least three fourths
of the delegates from slaveholding States
We think we know Messrs Pike, Walker,
and Eustis, sufficiently well to be at liber.
ty to pledge them and those who hold
opinions in common with them, to "cuss and
quit" the concern, if any such action takes
place on the part of the majority. The vote
on admitting the Abolition lodges delegation
from Pennsylvania, however, looks as though
the anti-slaveryites greatly out-number their
opponents in tho Council. -
Trouble.-Our South American fellow citi.
Gems are taking on" considerably over the
recent removal, by the House Doorkeeper, of
this city, Mr.. James J. Randolph, South
American, for many years the Assistant Door