The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-07-24
Brief Comments ON Curren. Topics.


THE admission of the Tennessee delegation
to Congress may be regarded as settled, the
two houses having adopted Mr.. Bingham's
resolution to that effect, and Senator Trum-
BULBS preamble. Under the resolution Ten
nessee is entitled to eight members of the
lower house, all Of whom are elected and pre-
pared, 1t is understood, to take the test oath
Five were chosen as Union men-Col. Tay-
lor, Horace Maynard, Col Stokes, s, M. Ar
nell and Col. Hawkins; and three are Demo-
crats-Edmund Cooper, John W. Leftwich,
and Ex-Gov. Campbell. Col. Taylor now sup
ports the policy of the President, SO that we
may as well reckon four Unionists and four
Democrats. There are no other renegades.
Stokes and Maynard are powerful supporters
OF the policy which has been adopted by Con-
gress. The Senators elect are Judge Fowler,
a Republican, and Judge Patterson, a son-in-
law and supporter of the President.
THE great European powers are taking
prompt measures to arm their troops with the
needle gun which has done such terrible exc
cution In the brief Bohemian campaign. The
needle-gun is breech-loading rifle and takes
its name from needle which is pushed by
spiral spring into the unrifed chamber con-
tanning the cartridge and explodes the charge
on coming in contact with the illuminate be-
tween the powder and the ball. The spring
is controlled by the trigger. The composition
of the illuminate is said to be a Prussian state
socrot knouu,, o1,lv RI ono mon 1xh~ 10 or,,ou1
ed night and day, and allowed no private COM
munication with anybody. The gun was invent
ed as long ago as 1886, though Of course many
improvements have since been made. The
military commission which the sUnited States
sent to Europe during the Crimean war, ex-
amined the needle gun and brought home an
elaborate description of its mechanism, but
were not convinced of its efficiency. Count
Bismarck was, and that conviction has made
Prussia to-day the most formidable power in
Europe. IN 'Si..s.1 ''i
The rcll of the students of Harvard Col
lege, engaged in the service of the United
States tor the late war, has been appended to
the triennial catalogue. The example should
be followed by our Maine colleges. We men,
TONED a few weeks ago, that the Bowdoin roll
OF honor, prepared by Pref Packard, will
make a part of Adjutant General Holds
don's forthcoming report At Waterville, the
collection of data tor the roll has hitherto been
left exclusively, it is understood, to under
graduates. The alumni ought to take the
matter up at the next Commencement.
Mr.. RAYMOND, in recent letter to the New
York Times, refers to the passage of a Joint
resolution by the House of Representatives.
for the organization of the militia system in
the various states and territories, and the dis
trlbution of government arms, ordnance and
ammunition among the states, and says "the
public will doubtless receive with incredulity
the assurance that it was intended, by those
who secured its passage, as the first step
toward preparation for another civil war;
The remark has received much more notice
than it deserves, but the excitement is entirely
confined to the newspapers. "The public" JUS
titles Mr.. Raymond's prediction and has re-
ceived his assurance with proper incredulity.