The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-05-27
BY TELEGRAPH.
Washington News ana Coss,n

WASHINGTON, May 2G.-- At Philadol-
phla yesterday an important case was
heard before the United States Com
missioner smith, wherein j, II. Hert-
FORD alias John Collins, was charged with
deiraudlng the United States Government
out OF large sum of money, 10 was given
| In evidence by the prosecution that Hert-
ford had dofrauded the Government ont of
| legal tax on at least 100000 worth of dis
titled liquors, by means of executing false
bonds. Hertiord was held to bail la $50 :
600.
LewisJ. Welchman, who will be one of
the principal witnesses In Surratts trial,
| is nlrendy here. lie pronomccs the so
called Weichman narrative lately published
In NewIork paper, protesting 20 give an
account of his connection with the Surrntt
family, highly seasoned, exaggerated, and
altogether sensational report of what he
said 10 the correspondent who wrote t.
According 20 the census taken by the
State authorities In 1866, Alabama contains
a population of 072,l5S; of these 682,Bsg ure
white, and i33460 are colored. showing a
majority of 03,22O whites. In n few couu-
ties the blacks are immensely IN the maiorl-
| ty. Montgomery County, for instance.
shows black population OF 80, 702 against
| l3091 whites; Dallas County, 20,00l blacks
| 20 0425 whites; Greene County, 23O0I
blacks TO 7,i3O whites; Macon County, ~, =
1872 blacks to l0,7G7 whites; Perry County,
1876 blacks to 1907 whites; Curtis Coun-
ty ls,ll6 blacks TO 500 whites; Wilcox
tounty, 1881 blacks to G3Sl whites.
These were all the rich slave-hoIding conn
ties of the state before the war. In the
poorer sections of the State the whites
greatly outnumber the blacks Comparing
the census of 1860 with the census of 1866,
IL appears that the white males Of the State
decreased In that time 0267. The black
males decreased In the same period 3,523-
about In half the ratio of the whites
The Chronicle to. day intimates that. the
indictment found against Surratt for muir
der Is not strong enough, and that It will
be abandoned by the prosecution, the trial
postponed and an Indictment for treason
found by the grand jury.
The Chronicle of to-uay says that gcu-
tlemun who saw Thaddpus Stevens last
week reports that he thinks there shouldn't
be July session OF Congress, unless artl-
cles of impeachment are TO be brought for
ward.
There Is no doubt that two parties, rep
resenting extreme but opposite interests
are here from Louisiana urging the Presi-
dent To displacC Gen, Sheridan.
Detective Baker states positively that
there was In Booths diary when be first
saw It, an account Of the killing of Booths
horse, aud of the assussn's sleeping beside
tlc uthtl Douy one nlgDI, Wnltn IL not con-
talucd In the diary IA published. The
Judiciary Committee will take Bakers evil
dencc on that point.
Attorney General Stanbery's official
opinion on the Reconstruction Act has at
last come to light. The most important
part of the opinion is that which declares
tee limits of the powers of registering and
election boards. The prescribed oath Is
held to be the sole test of qualification for
registry. If the applicant takes IT, his
name must 20 upon the list. Tie board
can not 20 behind the oath, to inquire If he
has sworn falsely. And In elections, the
power ofthc board Is limited TO receiving
the ballots of registered voters, aud re-
jecting all others.
Adylces from New Orleans state that the
colorcd men In Louisiana have majority
OF fifteen thousand In the State so far Us the
registration Is completed.
The internal revenue receipts are up
nearly TO one month of the fiscal year, aud
do not show so great falling OF as was
| anticipated. The total amount received up
to to-day Is $250000,0O