Evening star., 1870-02-05
EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.

Washington News and Gossip.
INTERNAL REvENUE.-The receipts to-day
from this source were s5s3,421.
DECLINEs.-Mr. Cumback, of Indiana, recent
iy appointed Minister to Portugal, has. it is
said, declined to accept the office.
THE HOUSE met to-day for debate only, and
there were but twenty or thirty members in
their seats.
The CHINESE TREATY was received yesterday
morning by Secretary Fish from Minister Bur-
lingame, with the official seal of the Empire the
ratification having been duly exchanged.
HON. ROBERT MCCLELLAN, of Detroit Mich,
Secretary of the Interior under President
Pierce, is expected to sail on the 10th instant
from New York for Europe.
THE MEETING Of the committee of one hun
cred upon District consolidation, at Lincoln
Hall tonight, will be held in the small hall
over the main hall. 1t is a business meeting of
the committee, and not public meeting
CAPTURE OF ILLICIT STILLS IN GEORGIA.
Internal Revenue Detective Cowland reports
to the Department that an expedition of Col
lectors and Assistant Assessors in the 4th district
of Georgia succeeded i'm DESTROYING eighteen
Illicit stills and capturing a large amount of
property.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL WALTER B. PEAsE
captain 18th United States Infantry, tried by
court-martial for "cOnduct unbecOming an Off
GER, and sentenced to be dismissed the service
received mitigation of the sentence yesterday
by order of the President, to suspension from
rank and pay for six months.
GENERAL A. III. TERRY, i'm command in
Georgia, who has been summoned to Washing
ton ON public business, has been detained at At
lanta on account of sickness, but is expected
here next week, when, 1t is reported, a complete
change will be made in the military affairs of
the Southern States.
1HE HOUSE DISTRICT COMMITTEE made a
trip to-day over the line of the Washington
Aqueduct, to examine the work already done
upon it, and to see what is needed to complete
it, They were accompanied by Gen. Michler,
Engineer Samo, and Mr.. Charles Sherrell, con-
tractor for the work.
The LATEST SENSATION in Boston art circles
is nearly full length portrait. just finished by
Ames, OF that city, of Miss Blanche Butler 1t
Is described by the artist as "a society picture.
representing the beauty and the bellehood of
the subject in all the splendor of the dress in
which she appeared at the great party given on
the occasion of her coming OUT
FULL LENGTH PORTRAIT of Chief Justice
Chase has just been added to the gallery of por-
traits Of Governors of Ohio in the State House
at Columbus. 1t was painted by COsgswell. Of
Chicago, who is pretty well known in washing
ton, and the likeness is pronounced an excellent
one by the many old and fast friends of Mr.
Chase in that section who have had an oppor-
tunity of examiningit.
ENLARGENENT OF CoMMITTEEs.-On accoun.
OF the admission of Southern members several
committees of the House have already been
enlarged, and others will be in the course of a
iew days, to give members from that section
places upon the committees. The Committee
on the District OF Columbia is one which will be
enlarged by the addition, ii is stated, of Hon
Lewis Mckenzie, just admitted from the Alex
andria District.
"GEAcE GREENwoop" tells a pood story ne
the effect once produced by the eloquence of
Senator Nye, Biblically backed, 'fcrvent and
ehectual' by telling texts. Though what is
yulgulary called stump-speech, it had so much
the character of pulrit OratOry, that one au-
ditOr, at least, was profoundly affected. A NICE
susceptible Old lady, wiping the tears from her
eyes, said, addressing some callous politicians
about her: I" 1 don't know what you may think.
but i believe that that man knows something
about vital piety."
NAVAL ORDERs.-Lieut. Commander A. G.
Kellogg has been detached from the Hydro
graphic Office in this city, and ordered to the
Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Lieut.. Com
mandfr Yates Stirling has been ordered to the
Hydrographic Office.
Passed Assistant Surgeon j. Rufus Tryon has
been detnched from duty in the Bureau of Med
ielne and Surgery, Navy Department, and or
Surgeon r. G. Dean has been appointed an
assistant to the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine
and Surgery, Navy Department.
TIRE FORFEITED BOUNTY FUNp.-General
Butler, as Chairman of ihe Board of Directors
of the National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers
AMI Sailors, some time since claimed for that
institution the bounty due to soldiers who had
deserted during the war and forfeited the same,
amounting to about four millions of dollars.
The Treasury officials defined to turn over the
money to the asylum, on the ground that the
bounty was not due to the soldier until his term
of service had expired. General Butler held
that it was due upon entering the service. The
matter was referred to the Attorney General,
who has decided that the bounty il not due
until Tie OI Tue term OF service,
hence it cannot be turned over to the asylum
RECEPTIONS LAST EvENINGLSpeaker Blaine
and Secretary Fish held their usual levees last
evening. Their residences are just opposite
each other, and during the night thrOngs Of
ladies and gentlemen were continually passing
to and from the one place to the other. As
usual, the Legislative, Judicial and Executive
branches were represented. The Diplomatic
Corps and Army and Navy were out in force
Among those present at these receptions were
General Banks and lady, Baron Gerolt, the
Prussian Minister; General D. o. Howard, DIR.
G. H. Nichols, A. B. Mullett, ESQ.,, Supervising
Architect Of the Treasury, and lady; Judge
Poland and lady, H. Steele, Vermont; Surgeon
Baxter, United States Army; Chief Justice
Casey, Court of Claims; Colonel Dayton, Colonel
Lewis, Of Georgia; "Grace Greenwood" II. X.
Eurlburd, Comptroller of the Currency; George
Chandler, Mrs. Governor Gilmore and Miss
Coffin, Of New Hampshire; Secretary Belknap,
and Hon. A. G. Riddle and ladies.
EDITOR STAR:-The origin Of the term "mag-
nifcent distances" as applied to the city Of
Washington, did not originate with Dickens as
supposed by Prince Arthur, nor with an eccen-
trio Foreign Consul, or Henry Clay, as stated BY
New York paper. At an early day with q
sparce population, Washington had rather a