The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-17
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL.
Special telegram TO the Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, December 16, 1868.

Special telegram TO the Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, December 16, 1868.
Communication from the President.
The President transmitted to the House
to-day q communication in answer to re-
solution inquiring about the rumoured COM
mission to Spain from our Government.
The answer is that no such commissioner
has been appointed. This inquiry had its
origin in speculative paragraphs published
recently relative to the movements of Hon.
Caleb Cushing, whose absence from the city
quid names have attempted to account for.
Nominations.
Among the nominations sent to the SEN
ate to-day were the following: W. N. Small
wood, to be postmaster at New Orleans vice
Taliaferro, suspended John P. O'Neil,
United States district attorney for the
eastern district of Pennsylvania; James N.
Marks, collector of customs at Philadel-
phia vice Cake, to be removed Anthony j..
Smith, postmaster at Hanover, Pennsylva-
nia, vice Forrest, suspended A. M. Green,
collector internal revenue Twenty-fourth
New York district (Mr. Stewards home) !;
General Gale, pension agent for widows,
New York; Samuel T. Maddox, assessor
Third New York district uice Wildwood,
suspended.
Holiday Recess.
The Senate is expected to continue regu-
larry engaged upon the work before it until
Friday evening, when an adjournment is
proposed till Monday. No further business
is looked for after this week in that body
until the close of the holiday recess.
In the House no strictly legislative bust
ness will be transacted until the resump-
ton of the session in January. A number
of the members intend leaving for their
homes tomorrow.
The House Copper Bill.
The House Copper bill meets with much
opposition, which is increasing as the merits
of the scheme are discussed. If it shall
pass the Senate at all, it is doubtful about
it's fate ultimately; for if the President
should return the bill with objections there
is reason to believe that the objections
would be sustained in the House, such has
been the change of opinion among the
members since the bill passed in that body.
Opposition to the Commissioner of Eltca-
ton.
The opposition to the Commissioner OF
Education and disapproVal Of his recent Of
fetal report is so great that there is a pro-
liability of the nomination of successor
to DR.. Barnard. Besides the complaints
against him heretofore stated in these dis
patches, it is charged that he undertakes to
embrace within his functions matter foreign
to the purposes of the act creating the Of
flee of Commissioner of Education, and he
utterly fails to come up to the requirements
Of the statute in matters especially desig-
mated in the law.
The Reconstruction Committee.
The Reconstruction Committee had be-
fore them to-day Governor Bullock, OF
Georgia, who seeks to have the committee
report bill to set aside all previous State
action and present State organization, and
begin de novo with new provisional 60
vernment, whose office shall be to frame a
Constitution consonant with the prevailing
sentiment in Congress relative to suffrage,
SC. The committee has not yet taken &C
ton upon the recommendation of Governor
Bullock.
AS the matter now appears, the commit
tee will not recommend the acceptance of
the Mississippi Constitution, as urged by
parties here from that State but the pro-
liability is that the committee will recon-
mend that the Constitution be again sub
mitted to the citizens of Mississippi to
vote upon its adoption or rejection.
Resignation Of Gaugers.
Several gaugers in New York, appointed
under the late whiskey-tax law, have re-
signed, and others propose to resign, upon
the ground that they are unable 10 make q
living by their legitimate fees. They al
lege that the collectors have their faVorites
among the gaugers that all the gauging to
be done is sent to these favorites through
the direction of collectors who are in collu-
sion with the pet gaugers that the favor
ties are thus enabled to monopolize the en-
tire business in their several districts, and
make thousands of dollars over the three
limit fixed by law; and
that the excess over the limit is divided
among the favored gaugers and their con-
federate collectors. An inquiry by Con-
gress is to be urged for the purpose Of sus-
pending and removing offending officers.
Personal.
Secretary Seward, the British Minister,
and many of the foreign diplomatic corps,
attended the Maretzek opera performance
to night at the National Theatre.
WALLACE.
CONGRESSIONAL.