The New York herald., 1870-09-26
WASHINGTON.
Resignation Of Assistant Secretary Rich.
ardsOn-Proposed Internal Revenue
Ref0rms-Necessity for Revision
Of the Tariff Law-Departure
Of American Sayans for
Europe.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 1870.

| The Approaching solar Eclipse.
! Mention was made In these dispatches OF August
| 10, that The Secretary OF the Navy would send to
Europe corps OF observers from the Naval ODser-
vatory TO witness the solar eclipse in December next
The order 20 that effect has Just been issued ana
extensive preparations are being made for the
equipment OF the parties detailed to proceed to the
Mediterranean for that purpose IL was at first pro-
| posed that Rear Admiral Glisson, commanding the
European squadron should cooperate with the OBJ
servers and furnish them with transportation TO the
| points designated. The European war has inter-
iered with that arrangement, aud as no
| ship can be spared from the squadron the
professors and their assistants viii proceed 10y pub
lie conveyance TO Syracuse Sicily, and there locate
themselves for the time being, expecting to meet
scientific parties from the universities OF Europe at
that place. The Naval Observatory party viii con
| sist OF Professors Asaph Han. William Hardness
simon Newcomb and John r. Eastman, all OF whom
were engaged In making observations OF the eclipse
OF the 7th Of August, 1862 They will be supplied
WIN instruments OF the most approved kind. with
such improvements and changes as were suggested
by their experience last year. la addition to all
servatons with regular instruments of q fed obser
vatory there Will be full made Of spectre
scopes, polarlscopes and photography. The Coast
| survey are also completing their arrangements for
the departure Of two corps OF observers but the
points have not yet been selected and may not be
determined until their arrival in Europe. One OF
the parties Will be under Professors Pierce and
Schott who booked TO leave on til 18th OF Octo-
Der The other party Will be composed Of Professor
Winlock OF Harvard College; Alvin Clarke, Jr. the
celebrated instrument maker, OF Cambridge ProJes-
sor Pickering, OF Boston, and Professor Young, OF
| Dartmouth College, who expect to leave New York
on the lst OF November. They, too, viii be supplied
with oil the instruments necessary for the most
1 tn nhS ..I.la
| ry seems to exist between the coast
! survey and Navy Department as to
which party viii furnish the fullest and most salts
factory reports. The scientific world may therefore
expect observations OF the most perfect character
! and an account OF their abors that will be in the
highest degree creditable to q people. The
naval corps expect leave the latter part Of
! October.
Too Many Offices for One alan.
| William A. Richardson, the Assistant Secretary OF
the Treasury, has made up his mind TO leave Wash
ington for his home at Cambridge, Mass. The Attor
ney General having returned, is shorn OF the du-
ties OF Acting Attorney General The return Of secre-
tary Boutwell, will relieve him OF the responsibilities
OF Acting Secretary or the Treasury and by his own
voliton he purposes to dvest himself OF the remain
ing honor-to WIT, Assistant Secretary OF the Trea-
sury-and shake the gold dust of the Treasury from
( the soes OF his feet forever.
Relief for the Germans ia Paris.
There Is to-day the best authority for saying that
! there IL no truth In the published statement that
Mr.. Fish has explicitly Instructed MIR. washburne
that he can do nothing whatever to mitigate the suf
ferings OF the expelled Germans. Mr.. wasnburne
! under the instruction and permission of the State
Department, has afforded relief and mihgated the
suTerings OF many thousands OF Germans expelled
from Pars Tnc limit Of his eIors In that direction
has been only the capacity OF physical effort and
labor
The ~tsym signal Corns.
General Myer, in charge OF the Storm Signal Corps
IS now awaiting the arrival of the instruments
ordered for The use or the observers who are 10 e
stationed at different points for the purpose OF
making meteorological reports for the benefit or com
D,erce. The corps Will consist OF nlty sergeants
ana nearly that number now under Instruction
portion OF the corps last night engaged I'm
making observations OF the aurora borealis at
| their camp near this city, using the various
instruments furnished by the War Department
Tor that purpose. IL is regarded as highly
credtsble TO the officer IN charge that
! those who have already been examined evinced
degree OF proficiency IN the knowledge necessary for
correct observations, and the Secretary OF war
hopes TO be able to lay before Congress at Its next
session such satisfactory evidence OF the system to
be carried out by the Storm Signal Corps as will
Justify an increase OF the force and enlargement
! OF ts field Of usefulness.
Internal Revenue Matters.
Supervisor Cowen, Of Southern Ohio, arrived here
Yesterday and VIII temporarily relieve DEPUTY Com
| missioner Given OF the Internal Revenue Bureau
who leaves tomorrow for the West for the purpose
Of examining matters pertaining to distilleries.
II estimated that the receipts from internal
revenue for the present 6sca gear. ending June 30
1871, viii amount TO $3.50 100000 Since the Ist OF
! Irv Iast m hoo NH Of tha
ceIpts are $50 100000. The law exemptne large
class OF articles, hc. goes into effect Oh the ist OF
October, which VIII materially lessen the receipts
but 1t Is stated by Olicias that faithful collection
! Of the revenue the law remains viii yie,d the
amount above stated.
supervisor Bridgiand, OF Texas Is here for the
purpose OF suggesting plan by which the expenses
0f collecting the revenue In that State may be re-
dHced. he states that there Is but one dstillery
and tobacco factory In his district, the large
portion of the revenue being derived from the tax
on incomes dividends and gross receipts. After the
Isl pr ximo revenue from these sources Will be
comparatively small, and were the present force OF
officials retained the expense OF collecting the
revenue would not fall much below the receipts IL
| is proposed to consolidate the four collection dis
tricts into three, discharge most or the assistant
assessors and number OF the deputy collectors
depending upon the temporary employment OF the
necessary force assessing the property OF
the State each year.
Necessity for a Revision o.! the Tariff Bill.
One of the first things that win be presented for
the consideration OF Congress reassembling next
December will be The revision Of the Tariff bili
| which as passed contains anomalies and errors
grateful only to claim agents and Others interested
In increasing their income at the expense of the
government The new law goes into effect on the
lst OF January, and during the recess OF
Congress Treasury Oicias have been husily engaged
In examining the bill and noting the exceptional
parts which need correcting before that time II
this Is not done 1t Will be the cause OF interminable
difficulties as many OF the clauses are SO loosely
worded ~ to give merchants many opportunities
for dlsputng the rulings and instructions OF the
Treasury Department.. Indeed some go 80 far as to
say that the lobby OF claim agents interested In