Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-09
RECONSTRUCTION TKsTIxoxT.
WASHINGTON roPICs AND GossIP.
RANK ASKS FOB REDUCTION or
CAPITAL.

RANK ASKS FOR REDUCTION OF
CAPITAL.
The Hooking Valley National Bank, Of
Lancaster, Ohio, capital s1OO,oOO by per-
mission of Secretary McCuIloch, has re-
duced that amount to $4,000 The cir
culatiOn of this bank is to be reduced 10
ninety per cent. Of its; proposed dimin-
ished capital. This is the first instance Of
a bank asking the department to reduce
its capital
THE PRESIDENTS NEW FRIENDS.
The other day President johnson, bv
special appointment, gave an audience to
the members Of the American Iron and
Steel Association, including about seventy
gentlemen permanently engaged in these
important branches of manufacture. They
were punctual at the time specified, and
had to wait only about half an hour before
their interview took place. But, while
they were waiting in the ante-room, they
saw Mr. Thomas b. Florence, the notori-
Gus editor of the Constitutional Union, .
more reasonable and rebellions Journal, if
possible, than the Chicago Times, 90 sew
ersl times in and out Of the Presidents
private office, as if very intimate there
The truth is, that Florence is q regular
companion of Mr.. johnson, and is Just as
cordially liked by him as if he was a loyal
citizen, instead of an out-and-Out friend of
treason and rebellion. A man is known
by the company he keeps.
THE RECIPROCITY BILL.
The House spent all day on the new
Reciprocity bill. The tone of>the debate
seemed to be against it. The New Eng
land men declared that it did not suff-
eiently protect the lumber and fishing in
terests Of New England, while the Penn
sylvania and Maryland Representatives
declared that 1t would strike dsWn the
great coal interests ef those States By al
lowing Nova Scotia coal TO be imported at
cheap rates. No conclusion was reached
on the bill. During the debate, it came
out that the Ways and means Committee
have agreed to report new tariff, but viii
FIRST ask the House to consider q new In
ternal Revenue bill. As the Reciprocity
Treaty expires on the 18th, there is but
little time in which to consider the pend
ing bill, and the Committee gave notice
to-day that they should ask 3 vote on it
Tomorrow.
The political situation remains substan-
tally unchanged by the past lew days,
though all agree that the President and
Congress are daily coming to better IN
derstanding of the rights and duties of
each, and that an irreparable breach be-
tween them grows more and more i'm
probable. One or two trifing occurrences
of the past week are seized upon by the
radicals in support Of this assertion. Il
seems that the President has Just made an
in Thad. Stevens district in
conformity with his recommendation, and
this is looked upon as q tender Of the olive
branch TO that ineorrigible belligerent. In
another instance q gentleman Of doubt
ful anteeedents called upon the President
to compliment him on his policy, and
wound up by refusing an Office connected
with the Indian agency. The President
is reported to have pointed to an immense
number of pigeon holes filed with papers,
saying that these were all applie ations fer
office; that John Tyler ruined himself BY
giving away all his offices that he pro-
posed profting by the example and keep
ing all within his gift. By the spread of
these and similar reports the radicals are
to believe the danger Of aa
immediate rupture is lessened and their
hold Ipon political power and influence
prolonged.