Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-14
From Washington.

| EIOm Whcuih6 toh.
There was something of test vote 1
the House Tuesday on the tariff bill
which was made, before the recess, spe
cial order for Thursday. The question
arose as to whether the tariff should b
proceeded with, or the Legislative appro
priation considered in its place. III
latter prevailed by more than two to one
| The vote was looked upon by the frien d.
| of the tariff as very gloomy one fo
their prospects,.
None of the financial committees o
Congress accomplished anything to-day
nor does there appear among members
10 be any earnest intention to consider
the faarcia question at this session. II
| il believed that nothing will be done in
that direction beyond the adoption of q
| few amendments to the national banking
| law, mostly in accordance with the sug-
| gestions contained in the report OF the
| Controller of the Currency.
The United States Supreme Court on
Yesterday decided q railroad case OF con.
siderable interest, in which two Cincin-
natians, C. M. West and Terrence were
the parties. The city OF Aurora, !ndi-
ana, subscribed $50, 900 to the stock OF
the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Com
papy, and issued $50, 900 in bonds to the
railroad company in payment of the
subscription. These bonds were pur.
chased by West and Terrence from the
railroad company several years ago. Ma
Tor T. brought suit in the Circuit Court for
Dearbon county, Ind, against the city OF
Aurora upon the coupons for interest then
dine. In defense of this suit the city set
up want of power in the city to make
the subscription, and especially the want
of such q vote of the citizens as was
necessary to authorize the Common
Council of the city to subscribe for the
stock and issue the bonds. After a full
hearing the court in Indiana gave Judg-
ment for West and Terrence. Other
coupons having subsequently fallen due
and payment being refused, West and
Terrence brought another suit in
the United States Court for In
diana. The city attempted to set
up in defense of this suit the same
matters they had set up in the former
case and some other defenses besides.
The United States Court, however, held
that suit in the second set Of coupons was
in fact upon the same cause of action as
the first case, and that the city was ex-
cluded by the first judgment from setting
% any defense which they set up in the
first suit, or which they might have set
nm. and gave judgment on that ground tor
West and Terrence. Thereupon the city
brought the case to the Supreme Court
of the United States, by writ OF error,
and it was argued here by MIR. /. ID.
Lincoln for the city and Mr.. henry
Stapberry for West and Terrence. The
decision of the Supreme Court was given
ON Yesterday, Affirming the judgment of
the United States Court, that the first
Judgment in the State Court was con-
elusive, and accordingly judgment was
given for West aud Terrence.
Private and reliable advices from New
York strongly condemn the course of the
committee sent by Congress to investi-
gate the election frauds in that State.
Us to this time frauds have been proven
on both sides, but more on the ballot-box
directly by leading Radicals than on
Democrats of equal standing. There
have beeu irregularities 10 conrec-
ton with the mode Of the business
Of naturalization, but this long sn'
tedates the frauds, and even the
war itself, and the fault is altogether
attributable to the peculiar manner in
which the judicial records are kept in
New York. The repeated frauds have
been proved on both parties, and among
the pronipent Radicals concerned in
this rascality are United States
Marshal Murray, Judge White, Marcus
Cicero Stanley, and other Union
Leaguers. The majority of the com
mittee have persistently refused to allow
the Democrats in the committee equal
facilities for the production Of their evil
dence, because it would have implicated
Radicals of the highest social standing.
The Radicals have FIVE attorneys en-
ployed, and yesterday Judge Lawrence
telegrapbed for authority to engage ten
more clerks. The committee will cit at
Troy, Ponghkeepsie, Albany, and per
hsps other inferior towns.
The Georgia case was before the recon-
struction committee to-day. Two wit
nesses stated they heard that intimida-
ton aud frauds had been used in the late
election, bat they did not Of their own
knowledge know sBch TO be the fact The
Mississippi case will be before the COM
mittee tomorrow, when General Gillem
will give his testinony.-C Courier Jour
nal special