Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-01-09

eHt 0fiice--The Frsnking PriVilege--Ex-
tension Of Civil Rights--The Cuban Pirate
New York aud the XVIII Amendment
Tariff on Pig ir0n--The New State Depart
meHt--The Legal Tender Act--SamaEa Bay
Prince Arthur PatriOk---The United
States and the Red River Rebellion.
EXTENSION OF CIVIL RIGHTS LAW.
The Judiciary Committee Of the
Senate will probably bring in bill
next week extending theprovisions OF
the civil rights law and clauses of the
Constitution to all the Chinese on the
Pacific coast.
THE LEGAL TENDER ACT.
1t is not probable that the Supreme
Court will at present give any decis-
ion on the legal-tender act. The case
will probably be referred, and before
the decision is given.twO new justices
will be on the bench.
THE DARIES CANAL.
II turns out that the message which
tbe President viii transmit to the
House next week regarding the
Darien Ship Canal merely suggests an
appropriation to defray expenses most
likely to be incurred by the surveying
expedition, now fitting out for the
IsthmuS.
;s.-uderstood that the President
has exnress,,d his opinion to members
Of CONGRESS ouha decidedly in favor
of the confirmation Gf the lease Of the
harbor of Samana; also, that ne now
favors the ratification Of the treaty
with Denmark for the Island OF 81
Thomas
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.
There will be some fun in Congress
before the session is over on the que5-
ton of abolishing the franking privi-
Iege. Some members don't like the
way in which the Postmaster-Gen-
eraI is publishing the case, and they
are getting up facts and figures TO
show that certain assumptions in his
report are incorrect.
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
The Committee on elections have
cases enough before them to occupy
them for several months to come. 1t
is thoughs the Radicals who control it
will probably exhibit more iXedneSs
than they have done at former ses-
sions; but it is not doubted they viii
retain seats sufficient to insure TO them
their twO-thirds majority III the
House.
THE NEW STATE DEPARTMENT.
Supervising Architect A. B. Mullett
hasjust finished designs for the new
State Department. 1t is proposed to
locate the building on the Government
reservation, corner of Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue, and
the plan which will probably be
adopted combines tie most modern
improvements, as well as taste in ex-
terror proportions.
PENSIONS AND HOMEsTEADs.
Judge Lawrence, of Ohio, is pre-
pairing a bill to secure the payment of
pensions in every county without cost
to the pensioners, and to reduce ex-
DeRses to the Government in the
homestead law, and to allow every
citizen to enter 100 acres, but this is
limited to 50 acres in alternate re-
served sections along railroad grants.
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
News of the anti-Radical organiza-
ton of the Ohio Legislature creates
much gloom among the Ohio Radi-
Gals here. They are apprehensive that
lit will defeat the ratification Of the
Fifteenth Amendment in Ohio, and
that the amendment will be defeated
unjsss the vote of Georgia can be CO.
creed. Even then they fear trouble
in the courts in case the validity of
the ratification is impungned.
NEW YORK AND THE XYTH AMEND
MENT.
The action Of the New York Legis-
Iature in repealing the ratification Of
the XVIII Amendment, is vaTiously
discussed here. Most Of the Republi-
can members declare that the repeal
Is void and of no effect, while Others
say that it is entirely legal in view of
the fact that the amendment has not
yet been ratified by, three-fourths Of
the Legislatures of an the States.
VIRGINIA.
Fx-Gov. Wells and other Virginia
Radicals are again in Washington,
looking after the prospects Of the adj
mission of that State. Some Of them
saN- the President on Thursday, and
found him standing firmly by what
he said ia his annual message. In
fact. he seemed to be very anxious
that the State should be admitted at
the earliest possible Doment, and
without the application OF further
tests.
PRINCE ARTHUR PATRICK.
Prince Arthur has announced his in
tantion o. visiting Washington some
where about the latter part OF this
month. for the especial purpose Of
calling on President Grant previous to
visiting other portions OF the United
States. He will be accompanied by
Col. Ephinstone, c. b. V. C., his
Eouery, and Ensign FitzrOy; will re-
main here about a week, and will be
the guest of Mr.. Thornton, the British
-AIiniS4r.
TARIFF ON PIG IRON.
The action OF the Ways and Means
Committee in reducing the tariff on
mig iron from 50 to s. per ton, has
brought out a savage howl from pig
iron producers, though scarcely any
AZ tlLem aver that they cannot still
make pig iron at a good profit. The
members OF the COMMITTEES are de-
luged with protests against the reduc-
tion from this interest, but they are