Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-27
TELEGRAPHIG.
DOMESTIC : NEWS
Prussia Wants San Domingo
H0W Fish Scared England
An Apology for the Census
8 A New Atlantic Cable Project
sinking Of the Emma Floyd
Counting the Vote Of Alabama
I've Governors in the Field
End of the Louisiana Trials
Perjury and SubOrnatiOn
WASHINGTON.
Prussia Negotiating for San Do
mIngos

.. mtnRos .---
NEW YORK, Nov. Pa Tribune
Washington special says diplomatic cir
cles are excited just now BY a curious ru-
NOR relating to reported efforts of the
Prussian Government TO secure a footheld
in the West Indies. 1t is stated a Prus-
sian agent visited President Baez in San
Domingo some months ago and informal
lys9ffered 70 take the reyersion of our an
nexation scheme, purchase the territory of
San Domingo, and transfer al to German
control.
Such rumor reached here from Ha-
vans at the time, but was generally dis
credited. 1t is now, however, reported
that Bismarck has made through Bancroft
definite proposition to this Government,
that Prussia shall be allowed to negotiate
for coaling and naval station either in
San Domingo or some other of the West
Indian Islands without opposition from
Qhe United States, this Government to re-
ceive the support of North Germany in
obtaining coaling station in the Medi-
terranean. The foregoing statement is
given as rumor, but it is positively de-
clared that its truth viii be established.
Another phase of the report is that lie
Germans intend attacking the French
West Indian Colonies if they found our
Government at all inclined 10 listen TO
their acquiring such territory by trans
fer or conquest. .#-E- nEH
The Imperfections of the Census.
WAsHNGToE, Nov. 26.-Owing to de-
fecis in the law for taking the census,
and neglect or fraud on the part of some
Assistant Marshals, returns from some
of the States are still incomplete. Gen.
Walker has long doubted the accuracy of
the former enumerations, especially in
the South, and he is now convinced that
very. little dependence can be placed in
the returns of 1850 and 1862 from those
parts of the country. The great need of
the Bureau has been that of travelling
agents to oversee the work and by their
watchfulness to incite the Marshsls, and
their assistants, to do their work faith
fully. Many very valuable statistics
might also have been gathered by such
agents which are now lost. The law,
however, made no provision for their APP
pointment.
Wherever frauds were discovered, new
enumerations hsve been made, and in
several cases those guilty of making false
returns have been arrested. One Assist
ant Marshal has just been caught in Geor-
gia, and viii probably serve two years in
the States prison as punishment for his
crime. a Marshal in Virginia reported
5000 more names than there was inhabi-
tants in his district, but as the law does
not require the Marshal to copy Lis own
returns, intentional crime can't be proved
against him. ~
Gen. Walker has been surprised in
many instances to receive no returns from
certain sub divisions, and on inquiry has
found that the assistant M2rshals to whom
work was assigned finding it not so profit
able as they had supposed have neglected
it entirely, so that when the returns from
that section should be complete the work
in these subdivisions has caused much
delay. On the whole this census will be
far more complete than any previous one
and very few cases of fraud will by IN
discovered.
Revenue Reform Required.
Special Treasury Agent Leopold writes
from Buffalo that on account of sup
posed irregularities in the United States
Customhouse and Depository at this
place, he has taken charge of these Of
fees and will at once proceed TO investi-
gate the books. One of the irregulari-
ties lies in the balance sheet Of the de-
positories, which places the sum OF
$500, 900 in the credit of the Govern
ment without stating that the amount is
on hand as it should be.
The English Scare Over the Ala
bama observation-disclosures Fish's
Dispatch Explained.
A good deal has been said about 8
supposed dispatch sent by Secretary Fish
10 Mr.. Moran, American Charge d'Affairs
at London, in relation TO the Alabama
claims controversy. The London cor
respondent of New York paper repre-
scented that all England was in a state of
agitation over it, and predicted that war
was at last about 10 grow out Of the eXcit-
ing discussion. ItnOw appears, positively,
as telegraphed the day after the dis
patch appeared, that no such CommUni-
cation was sent to Mr.. Moran at all, and
that in point of fact nothing about the
Alabama claims had been written or tele-
g7aphed by Secretary Fish. The blunder
about the matter is explained thus: For
some time Secretary Fish has been in
correspondence with Gen. Sickles, our
representative in Madrid, in relation TO
certain claims which our citizens have
against the Spanish government in cOnse-
quence of the seizure and destruction of
their property By the Cuban authorities.
Some of these claims were settled salts
factorily, others were deferred from
time to time in a manner that
displeased our government Gen. Sickles
was instructed to press the settlement of
these deferred claims, and wrote what is
considered in administration circles to be
very able letter to the Spanish Secretary
of Foreign Affairs. In reply to this letter
the Spanish Minister wrote a weak note,
the unmistaksble object of which was to
cause further postponement instead of
effecting a speedy settlement On the re-
cepiion of this Secretary Fish sent dis
patch to Minister Sickles briefly in these
words: Surge settlement of claims vigOr-
oUsly." To insure more certaia and
speedy communication with our Minister
at Madrid Secretary Fish sent a copy of
this dispatch to care of Mr.. Moran, at
London, with directions to both mail and
telegraph TO Gen. Sickles. The dispatch
about urging speedy settlement OF claims
leaked out somehow, and, very naturally,
it was supposed to refer to the Alabama
claims. Both the President and Secretary
Fish enjoy the blunder, but at the same
time wonder how the contents of the dis
patch became public. Probably, as the
= telegraph is in the hands of the govern
ment at the other side, some of the opera.
tors disclosed the thing to the officials,
and hence the hubbub.
The situation at Rome.
Archbishop Spaulding, who was {
member of the Ecumenical Council, made
the following statement in his speech a
the great Catholic demonstration her,
Thursday:
Regarding the status of the Pope
supposng that three or four States, O
one Stete-Maryland, even, or VirgiEia-
should come here and seize the Disuic
of Columbia grounds and say TO tn
President, oh; you are perfectly free
YOU can write or correspond, but all sucl
correspondence has to pass through GU
hands TO the departments and to III
postofices. You are free, but recollect
we have TO superintend your freedom
You can communicate with the Who'll,
United States, but all that you may sem
must first pass through our hands. w
will dispense your Congress, as that is Q
no use That is exactly what these pre-
tended lovers of liberty in Italy hav
done. They dispersed the Congress o
Christendom, composed of nearly So
Bishops, drove them home and imprisone
the President, and then they think tina
he is simple enough TO believe that he i
free, with mounted guard all aToun
the Vatican; free, when be has not bee
able to go out into the city once since tn
onth of Sentem1er for fear of being in