Middletown transcript., 1868-06-06
Items OF News.

uay no ono uoupteu tnat the amount of
spirits distilled in the country this year
was at least hundred millions of gallons.
and yet with tax of two dollars gallon,
the revenue produced was only S13, ,O0O,-
600. One house in Philadelphia, he had
been told by the commissioners, had sold
more whiskey than the Government had
revenue tax for in the whole State OF
Pennsylvania, and yet New York, in the
extent of whiskey frauds, oyershadowed
Philadelphia. One of the Internal. Rev.,
nue. officers in New York had accumulated
in short time two or three million dollars.
He was in favor of reducing the tax on.
whiskey to at least fifty cents.
President johnson announced To tba
people of the United States on TUESDAY
the death of his predecessor, James Bu+
chanan, and ordered that the Executive
Department be placed in mourning, and
all business suspended on the day of bis
funeral, 1t is also ordered that the War
and Naval Departments pay suitable hon
ors to the memory of the dead. The fu+
neral took place on Thursday. The last
words of President Buchanan were: /" God
bless my country"
The Methodist General Conference, now
in session in Chicago, on the 29th ult.
adopted basis for lay represention. Tho
lay delegates from each annual conference
are to be admitted to the General Confer
ence, provided the various churches, at an
election to be held in June, 1869, shall.
by majority, ratify the action of this CON.
| ference.
The Princess Anne Herald SAYS: The
negroes, held in the Jail for the murder OF
the Captain and mate of the schooner
Brave, made murderous attack with an
iron bar upon Mr.. Charles Abbott, in tho
Jail. Mr.. Abbott drew his pistol, but tho.
negroes wrested it from him. Fortunately
for Abbott the pistol was broken in tho,
scufie. 5,
A negro girl in South Memphis attemp-
ted to poison her fathers family on Sun
day by putting powdered glass in pot Of
vegetables. On being detected she ac+
knowledged her crime, and gave as rea-
son that her father had refused to allow
her to join the Methodist Church, he being
a Baptist.
In Memphis on Tuesday two men had d
a fight in barber's shop. They attacked
each other with knives, when the person
assailed drew a revolver and shot his as
sailant through the arm. The ball then,
struck negro named Edwin Davis in tho
forehead, killing him instantly.
Gen. Grant has written letter to tho
House Committee on Military Affairs, re-
commencing renewal of the increase OF
thirty three and one-third per cent. in tho
pay of army officers. The law which giyes
this increase now expires by limitation on
the Both of June. t.-r.aT ,
Great excitement existed in Honduras
and Nicaragua, according to dispatches da-
ted May 28, on account of the renewal of
British pretensions to the ownership of the
Mosquito territory. The United Statss
were expected to interfere to prevent such
claims. ia. r. II
There is reason to believe that the Pres
ident will during the week withdraw tn 0.
nomination of Gen. Mcclellan as Minister
to England, 1t is learned that he cannot
be confirmed. Hon. Reverdy johnson ip
spoken of as the successor of Mr.. Adams.
On Saturday afternoon last work was
suspended indefinitely in the Rensselaer r,
Iron Works, the Albany Iron Works, and
the Burdens Works, in Troy, in eonse :.
quence Of demands made by the operatives
for an increase of wages. ft
The United States Court met at Rich
mond on Wednesday morning. The Chief
Justice called the case of Jefferson Davis.
when, on motion, it was postponed till
the 4th Monday of November. t'ai-sa. E
! An afay occurred at Monticello, Flori-
da, last week, between Col w. o. Girar-
deau and Col. W. Archer Cooke, during
which the former was shot, and, it is fear
ed, mortally wounded. III .s7
The coast fisheries in New Brunswick
and in Nova Scotia are very productive 10
this season. In some localities five times
the amount of last years catch have been
| secured.
: Competition between rival steamboat
companies has brought fares down to fifty
cents from New York to Providence. and
one dollar from New York to Boston.
Over forty persons were poisoned in
Helena; Ark. on Wednesday last, by eat
ing ice-cream, which, as an analysis PROV
ed, contained arsenic. -"
7 Canada is still excited over anticipatotl
Fenian raids, and the preparations in New
York among the Fenians, it is said, indi-
: cate that they are really in earnest. 'e d
{, McCoole and Coburn, the pugilists, have
s been sentenced to forty days imprisonment
by the authorities Of Dearborn county,
e Ohio, and are now in jail. ~ r
: Weston, the pedestrian, has commenced
d another walking match in Boston, of ohe
y hundred miles in twenty three consecutive
o hours, for wager of So, 500.
: A lady in New York, aged twenty-five
: now enjoys the privilege Of fourth hus.
y band, having been three times divorce et
: since she was eighteen. 9,.I +
t The Massachusetts, Senate, by vote o
: so to 9, has rejected bill abolishing cor
poreal punishment in the schools Of tha
e State ~
y Two colorod men fought duel in Sa
! vannah, Ga. on Wednesday, and one o