The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-01-22
Affairs In Washington.

WASHINGTON, January 21.-In the Senate,
memorials were presented from New Jersey,
ONO and Connecticut, in favor of fomale
suffrage. ,Conkling introduced bill for
bidding secret sales OF gold and bonds by
the treasury. Williams offered the follow
ing amendment to the Constitution: Con-
gress shall have the right to abrogate apy
restriction of theright to vote or hold Office
by State laws or Constitutions. No action
Sherman, from the Finance Committee,
reported bill requiring National Banks to
furnish reports at least quarterly, made up
to any past day the Comptroller of the Cur
rency may designate; and prohibiting them
from making loans on g. anbacks or cur
rency as collateral BIZ was also intro
duced making it penal to loan money on
greenbacks as collateral.
The Senate is considering the bill forbid.
ding States to tax railroad passengers; while
the House is considering the bill to allow
members OF the present session to fill the
West Point vacancies from the South.
Mr.. Orton, President of the Western
Union Telegraph Company has laid before
the House Committee on Post Offices, to-
day, paper on the proposed union of the
presented thorough and exhaustive state
ment of the present condition of electric
telegraphs In Europe and America The
company has evidently taken great pains to
collect the most accurate information upon
the subject, and the facts presented there
from possess more than ordinary interest
and value. The statistics show that there
are larger number of telegraph offices, in
proportion to population, in this country.
than in any other in the world: while in
Europe there is but one telegraph office for
every A, $50 of its Inhabitants, in the United
States there is one for every 7,549. The
total number of kilograms transmitted in
Europe, per annum, according to the Off
cial reports. is 1858, 900. at an expense of
Sl5. .2S6,OOO The average cost being 81 Sc
cents per message. The Western Union
Telegraph Company transmits 1O,O67, 900
kilograms per annum, at o cost of SIS, 73S,-
O00-bcing an average of 81 cents Der mes.
sage. The European statistics include
inland, international and transit messages,
and thus present q larger number Of tele-
grams than are actually transmitted, and the
same message is counted in several coun
tries; while those of the Western Union
Telegraph Company are counted but once,
although they may travel thousands of miles
IN reach1ng their notwithstanding a
proper allowance for the duplication in
counting In Europe. the actual number
OF dispatches sent was 14012,OOO, at an
average cost of S1.09. AS this entire sub
Ject Is very voluminous, and not important
to the general reader. we suppress its fur:
ther statistics. ED.
Grant has written letter to the Republi-
can Inauguration Committee, that if thew
consult his Wishes there would be no inau-
guration ball
Wilson's army bill will make Sherman a
General in the place of Grant; Sheridan,
Thomas and Meade Lieutenant Generals:
Hancock and Halleck Major Generals. and
promotes to that rank Mcdowell, Pope.
Schoheld. Howard, Terry, Ord and Candy.
In the House, the Speaker named the
Census Committee Garfield is Chairman.
The Missouri election case was resumed; {;
the committee reported in favor of Switzler,
GDemocrat) but the House decided in
1avor OF Anderson, after long contest
Inc repeal OF the tenure-of-office bill
nangs lire In the Senate. The action of the
House, to-day, in snubbing the Election
committee, i'll the Switzler-Ahderson case.
cxcites comment.
treasury Counsellor Hale objects to the
testimony of parties who sold or bought
cotton, regarding ownership at the time of
the seizure. If the objection is sustained
by the Court OF Claims, it will rule out some
S4,ooO. OOO, there being no other proof.
g. fresldent Johnson's message, sent to the
Senate on Monday, names as his authority
for issuing his recent amnesty proclamation
the second section of article two of the
Constitution. The President furnishes
precedents for hisI issue of the amnesty in
the previous amnesties of Washington To
the participators in the whiskey rebellion.
ADAMS to the same persons, Madison to the
Barataria smugglers, President I,incoln's to
Inc Sou4hern rebels, and his own, in 1865.
1867 and 1868, to the same.
commodore Tatnall, who commanded the
confederate mosquito feet" has returned
TO this country and is in New York