Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-23
NEWS OF THE DAY.
CONGRESS-.

seen tlat tQe Dill IN reference 10
jurors is be called up for action on Thursday. The
bill provides that no person shall be disqualified from
acting in grand or petit jury by reason of having
formed or expressed an opinion upon the matter or
cause to be submitted to such jury founded upon
public rumor, newspaper statements, etc. In regard
to the amendment there slight sparring be-
tween Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Davis.
In the Senate the bill enlarging the powers of the
Freedmen's Bureau was again under consideration,
Mr.. Cresswell and others speaking thereon.
In the House Mr.. John L. Thomas rose to formal
explanation, and stated that from the reports pub
lished in of the papers, the inference might be
drawn that he desired to shirk responsibility by alb
sentng himself when the vote was taken on the
suffrage bill Imperative business called him to An
napolis, and, in order to reach the train, he was
obliged to leave before the vote was taken. Had he
been present he said, he should have voted against
the bill
Mr.. Stevens, from the Joint Committee on Recon
struction, presented resolution proposing amend
ment to the Constitution, to include all persons.
except Indians who are not taxed in the basis of
presentation. and providing that when any State
shall withhold from class of persons the right of
suffrage such class shall not be included in the basis
of representation. Mr.. Stevens proceeded to urge
the immediate passage of the resolution, so as to get
it before the State Legislatures, some twenty of
which are now in session. and many of which will
adjourn in two or three weeks.
After long debate the House adjourned without
taking action thereon.
STATE LEGISLATURE.
Both Houses in session yesterday and trans
acted large amount of routiue business. The bill
in the Senate exemptng the State bounty bonds from
taxation, made the special order of the day for
Wednesday tomorrow. In the House. the bill to
amend the Constitution so as to increase the pay of
judges was laid over informally. bill was passed
to amend the Maryland Fuel Company of this city,
with capital of 100000.
GENERAL NEWS.
Gold closed yesterday at 1898.
Benjamin Phinney wealthy farmer at
Rockport, ILL.,. was recently poisoned to death with
strychnine by his fifth wife, pretty girl whom he
married six weeks ago.
The office of General Baker, late chief of
the War Department detective force has been closed
and the records have been turned overto the Depart
ment.
Bills have been introduced into both Houses
of the Wisconsin Legislature to revive capital punish
ment and strong effort will be made to secure their
passage.
Major Hastings and his second colony of
Alabama emigrants to Brazil will sail from New Or
leans early in February They design settling on one
of the tributaries of the Amazon.
The statements made in several papers. to
the effect that the President will veto any bill grant.
ing the right of suffrage to the colored people of the
District of Columbia, are wholly unauthorized By
him.
Both branches of the City Council met, in
convention last evening and elected John F. Plum
mer as City Register for the ensuing year. in place
of John A. Thompson, whose term of office has ex-
pired. Mr. Thompson has filled the Office for the
past eight years.
The House of Representatives of the Ten
ressee Legislature has passed series of resolutions
on the death of Henry Winter Davis. regreting that
in him the nation had lost of its brightest orna
mentS and the Union one Of its defenders. Thirteen
members voted in the negative.
John Seaver, of Portsmouth, n. H., ac-
compshed the feat in that city, last week, of walk
ing 100 miles in 100 hours. without Sleep completing
the task Saturday evening at $50 o'clock Seaver
is now. as he expresses it. almost as good as new"
This is said to be the first time this feat was ever
cessfuy undertaken.
The boiler of a portable engine used for
running sawu3ill, at Millersburg, Warwick county
Ind, exploded on Saturday last killing FIVE men
Jacob StenmetZ, Michael Steinmetz, his SON. Henry
Dinges. his son-in-aw; John pinges brother of the
latter. and another man, name unknown. Three
others ofthe Stenmetz family seriously wounded
The St. Paul Board of Trade seconds the
movement for a Northwestern Commercial Conven-
ton, on the 7th of February. at ST. Paul and tenders
its hail. the largest in the city, free to the convention
1t is probable that large delegation of Minnesota
and Wisconsin merchants. shippers and farmers will
attend the convention; also steamboat men.
The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad has
been completed to within two miles of otsego Otsego
county. 1t is delayed at this point by the incom-
pleteness of bridge the Susquehanna river. The
bridge will, however soon be finished and then the
road will be pushed along to Unadilla reaching that
place about the lst of March.
There was considerable trouble on Satur-
day among tine hide merchants and tanners of New
York. owing to the fact that the Custom House
authorities have received instructions from the
Treasury Department at Washington to prevent the
import of any hides supposed to be those of cattle
which have died of the plague long prevalent in
Europe.
Two brothers. named Daniel and William
Kimball employed on the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne
Railroad, one as station engineer and the other
brakeman, have been arrested at Valparaiso, In
diana, for robbing the trains of large amount of
property. They had been in the habit of pilfering
daily from the cars. and large amount of plunder
was found on their premises.
Platte county, Missouri, has brought suit
against Col. Osborn D. Carpenter for $4,000. with
the view of canceling mortgage executed by the
Western and Atchison, and Atchison and st. Joseph
Railroad Companies. in favor of Wm. c. Wetmore
and John A. Stewart, of New York, as trustees to
secure issue of bonds amounting to 100000,
which, it is alleged have been frauduleny executed
After SIX days session of a religious ''pro-
tracted meeting, in Marion city. Marion county.
Mo-. one of the officials of the trwnship sent writ
for the arrest of George W. Robey, the presiding ell
der for not having taken the oath ofaliegianae The
writ served. and the minister was taken before
the justice who issued the writ, and bound over
in the of 81 to appear at the next term of the
Circuit Court.
The Duke of Augustenburg year ago i'm
agined he had principality. and bought certain
state carriages" The action of Prussia after the
Holstein convinced the Duke that he had no use
for his big gigs, and they to be sold at
tion in Paris. From throne to an auction room
seems to be easy step. We would not mind seeing
the whole royal trumpery of Europe. big gigs and
all, put UP at auction.
Quite a novel scene was witnessed in the
fremont House, Boston, billiard room, on Tuesday.
Four commissioned officers, engaged in the late war
all bereft of their right arms, enjoying them
selves in playing game of billiards. Though COM
PEELED to ply the with their left hands only yet
their performance well demonstrated their SKILL
Three of the parties were captains Of the Massachu
setts Goth Regiment, and the other was colonel of
Rhode Island Regiment.
Alexander I. Stewart. the we'll known New
York merchant, Saturday last caused the arrest
of Messrs. G. W. Matsell and w. Mcclellan editors
md proprietors of the National Police Gazette On n
charge &C libel in that they had in last weeks issue
of their sheet held him up to reprobation and igno-
miny as having involved himself in disreputable
intimacy with a profisate French actress. 1t is
stated that the defendants deny that their scandaous
article referred to Mr.. Stewart
Intense excitement was caused in Memphis
the 18th inst. by the killing of Garrett Colwe
by negro soldier. Colweli had been arrested for
stealing a carpet-saek from freedman. Colwell
was permitted. with another prisoner, under guard
to go after bonds. Some excitement was raised when
the other prisoner escaped. Cowe got twenty PAGES
and going at dogtrot, when he was shot in the
left side. and fell leaning against door, when the
second guard run up and stabbed him in the heart,
he falling dead on the pavement.
Many of our most distinguished officers
have since the close of the war turned their aten
ton to developing the mineral resources of the
South. Among the number of officers engaged in
such enterprises, the Cincinnati Commercial learns
of Major General R. W. johnson and Brigadier Gen.
eral Whippe, of General Thomas staff, who. in con-
nection with General Slas F. Miller have secured in
Middle Tennessee and North Alabama some 5000
acres of petroleum and mineral lands, which they