The New York herald., 1869-02-18

snouu Veh wna'cser ue knew, but the witness de-
clined 70 entsrsa~ any REQUEST IS furnish the gossip
50 greediy assired. From the drift OF the proceed
nss 3nd considering the intense radical complexion
cf the compltee, 1t Is thought Mr.. Corcoran's claim
VIII pe 1nfavoraby reported. "a
General Grant Secures secyesy In the For-
~ nation Of His Cabinet. >
General Grant, 1t IS Siteeed, win net entrust his
correspondence on tne subject Of Cabinet making to
the leaky medi..cl of the mail but viii conduct all
such negotiations on plan better calculated to In
sure secresy This plan is said to be somewhat as
follows-The General has written, viii write, to
those gentlemen whom he intends ofering seat IN
his Cabinet, inviting them call upon him at his
headquarters at designated time At these inter-
views the offer will be made and the question dis
cussed under obligations OF profound secresy. 1t s
intimated, however-though with what degree Of
truth cannot well be ascertained-that not more
than two such letters OF invitation will need to be
mailed, as all the other gentlemen that have been
mentally selected by the General are now In the city,
Preparations, partly in view OF these private
conferences, were made by the General yesterday
by requesting the ofcer Of his STAR who has hitherto
occupied desk In the Generals room, to remove
into another apartment. An additional reason for
wishing to be alone in his once is that General
Grant does not want to see many persons who have
business to transact with his military secretary.
General Granrs Friends Rapidly Increasing.
large number OF visitors appeared at army head
quarters this morning to pay their respects to the
President elect. Each day brings considerable In
crease in the number Of strangers n0wng TO Wash
ington most Of whom make 1t their first duty to call
upon General Grant. Generals George II. Thomas
and D. E. Sickles had interviews with the General
to-day.
The friends Of Colonel Enright Of New York, it
appears have grown weary Of waiting for the At
torney General to report hts action in the to the
President, and hoping to prevail upon Mr.. Johnson
to grant executive cemency to the imprisoned reve-
nue. oficer, before the close Of his administration,
have taken Enrights petition and accompanying
papers from the fles OF the Attorney Generals Of
ice and again laid them before the President. An
extraordinary pressure s being brought to bear IN
favor OF Enrght but, 1t is intimated that little hope
is entertained that the pardon will be granted.
Bonds of the Central Pacific Railroad.
The Secretary Of the Interior yesterday laid before
the President the report Of the Government Commis
sioners on an additional section Of twenty miles Of
the Central Pacific Railroad and telegraph line Of
California terminating at the 5lOth me-post east
from the initial point at Sacramento. Cal. The
President has accepted the section and ordered the
issue Of the bonds and land patents due the com.
pany for the same.
Personal.
Senator Fenton, Of New York, turned up here to-
day. and is stopping at the Ebbitt House, where he
has been visited by crowds OF friends and admirers.
Senator Eugene Casserly. OF California is also here
again. Likewise Generals sckles and John Coch-
rane, Of New York.
Dinner mt Secretary Stewards.
The Secretary Of State gave dinner last evening"
the occasion Of the Daren Canal treaty. to General
Acosta, late President Of the Colombian republic and
now Minister to the United States who 1t win be
remembered, has warmly co-Operated with the secre-
tary the negotiation. Among the guests were Mr..
and Mrs. Cortes. Of the Colombian legation General
Cushing, Postmaster General Randall, Mr.. Kasson,
late Postal Commissioner to Europe, and members
OF Congress. In the evening the entire party ut
tended the Presidents reception s4
t Illness Of Il. ID. Washburne. sN
Hon. Elihu b. washburne, OF Illinois, mas been
confined to his bed for some days owing to severe
illness. To-day the symptoms are more favorable
than heretofore.
International Mefrical System Of Coinage.
On the zlst OF July, 1868, Hon. william D. Kelley,
chairman Of the House Committee on Coinage
weights and Measures reported bill IA. R. l445) to
promote the establishment OF an international metr-
cal system Of coinage. The Secretary Of the Trea-
sury requested Mr. E. b. Elliott to examine this bill
and give his views in relation thereto. In accord
interesting and elaborate report which the Secretary
transmitted to the House the 9th inst, where it
was referred to the committee above mentioned and
ordered to be printed.
The bill providesFirst that the future gold coin
age OF the United States shall weigh one and two
tentbs pure L e. each dollar shall contain one and
half grams OF pure gold and the remainder shall
be alloy; second, such coins shall be legal tenders in
this new coinage shall be the legal equivalent OF
$1,000 OF the old coinage Of the United States; third
that they shah have their weights In grams. and
neness stamped upon them; fourth. THAI silver half
dollars and smaller silver coins shall future COIN
age consist OF standard silver, nineenths ine and
and shall have their weight and hneness stamped
upon them, and shall be legal tender for payment OF
Mr.. Eliot endorses oil. the features OF the BILL and
sets forth the Importance Of its enactment by Con-
gress ana the advantages which would probably re-
suit therefrom. He says the gold coinage Of the
United States is very nearly metrical. BY reducing
SAND, or $1,000 they would beAstrictIy metrcal and
would thus have exact and simple relations t0 the
crown Of Germany the United States gold dollar the
gold franc OF France and the gold pound Of Great
Britain should have such simple relations to each
may obtain, viz.:-Three union crowns equal twenty
dollars god equal one hundred francs (uoldl equal
hundred and ffy pence each. After referring
TO the different standards that prevail, the
sss Z Bssss 'se' a ss ID SeS sSSr g
the German Standard. e., thirty grams OF fine
somewhat less, on the sole ground OF metrcal sim
plicify We should then have gold coins as folows:-
Three union crowns, twenty metrcal dollars one
hundred metrlcal francs, fourteen mefrical pounds
or one thousand metrical pence, each weighing
thirty three andt one-third grams Of standard
gold, netenths fine, ana containing thirty grams
OF pure gold.
The report contains numerous tables. which en-
brace much interesting and valuable information
relative 10 the monetary systems OF the leading ma.
tons OF the world, and is deserving OF the careful
perusal OF the business portion OF the community
and all others who interested in the subject to
which 1t relates.
THE F0RTIETH CONGRESS.