The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-02-22
BY TELEGRAPH.
Washington News and Gossln.


, WASHINGTON, February 2l.-As Nebraska
has ratified the fundamental condition of
universal suffrage. the President as soon
as he receives official information to that
effect. will issue Presidential proclama-
tion declaring Nebraska admitted into the
Union.
Surratt is in good spirits has no inter-
course with other prisoners and is very
closely watched by his guards.
1t is now stated the Messrs. Bradley and
Mr.. Merrick have been retained as his
counsel, and yesterday Mr.. Bradley, Jun,
had an interview of some length with him.
The sister, Miss Anna Surratt, was last
fall the gOverness in the family of Captain
b. Gywnu, in the lower part of Prince
Georges county, but for several weeks past
she has been in this city, stopping with
some relations.
The House to-day was entirely occupied
on the Senate Bill for providing for fund
ing the maturing compound interest notes
into four per cent. loan certificates. As the
bill involved the relative merits of eXpan-
sionaRnd contraction of the currency, it
elected a spirited and earnest debate,
which was confined to the Western mem
bers in favor ofexpansion, and to the East
ern men who urged contraction.
The bill as passed, authorizes the issue OF
one hundred millions of greenbacks, to take
the place of the maturing compound-inter-
est notes. and does not interfere with the
power of contraction now possessed by the
Treasury. 1t is doubted if the bill can pass
the Senate.
The Charleston, South Carolina, papers,
received Tonight print the Reconstruction
Bill virtually as it passed the Senate last
night, and declare that the South will never
accept any such plan, but will prepare itself
to submit TO military rule.
The report of the special House Commit
tee ON Frauds on Internal Revenue makes
a large volume. and shows that the Illicit
distillation of liquors has been carried on
to an enormous extent in New York and
Philadelphia, and in some instances with
the connivance of Government officials.
The tariff bill is in danger. The House
Committee has added nearly two hundred
amendments to the Senate amendments
thus seriously complicsting the bill.
Among the combinations of appoint
ments, to-day, were Samuel G. Williams,
Consul at Hamburg; John S. Else, Minis
ter to Liberia; Edward l.. Plumb, Secre-
tary of Legation at City of Mexico; Joshua
II. Giddings, Assistant Treasurer United
States at Charleston; Eli p. Norton, So
| licitur United States Court of Claims.
A number of Internal Revenue officers
and postmasters, outside of Ohio, were re-
| iected, and a lengthy list of military pro-
motions announced.
The Senate to-day spent two hours in
| debating the House bill to declare the
bridge across the Mississippi at Clinton,
Iowa. a lawful structure and post route,
and finally passed it without amendment.
| The question has been agitated in Con-
gress far long time.
Since some of the Republican Congress
men have taken pledge to keep sober here
after, the Lower House have come to the
conclusion that no body in the District
| i -. L ,11 ~, 4, ~ frg..
mittee on the District of Columbia was in
structed, on Monday, to report bill to put
an end to the sale of Intoxicating liquor as
a beverage within the District.
THE NEXT VETO.
The House Committee on Enrolled Bills
this evening presented to the President the
Reconstruction Bill, which finally passed
Congress last night. There is no doubt felt
but that it will be returned with veto
message on some day of next week.
sURRATT.
1t is stated that the House Judiciary
Committee intend to visit the Jail of this
District tomorrow morning for the pur-
pose of taking such evidence us Surratt
I may be willing to give touching the alleged
completely of jeff Davis In assassination OF
Mr. Lincoln. 1t is also reported that his
attorneys, Messrs. Bradley and Merrick.
have advised the prisoner to decline giving
any testimony on that or any other subject
As Surratt is in prison already, and likely
to remain there some time, the judiciary
Committee cannot enforce obedience to the
subpoena or demand person to testify by
ordering his committal for disobedience.
Laura Keene, in a note to the Mobile Iri-
June, alluding to some recent statements IN
that paper, says Il could not be the enemy
of John Wilkes Booth, as | never met hin
or saw him in my life. | never was called
upon by the authorities to identify Booth
never gave testimony against him, or any
person whose name was connected with the
| icrnN y