The New York herald., 1870-12-01
The Committee of Ways and
Means at Work.
THE WHIsKEY TAX NOT TO DE INCREASED.
The New York Custom House
Troubles.
The Alabama Muddlc- Governor Smith Not
Sustained by the administration.

| ~,,z.-, Work.
General Schenck, Chairman OF the Committee OF
ways aud Means, arrived to-day, and with Messrs.
maJhard, Niblack, Allison and one or two other
members OF the Committee, now here proposes to go
70 work and prepare legislation for the coming ses
s'on' General Schenck, with o majority OF the
comlpittee, who have been heard from on the sub.
! lect. Is opposed 10 any increase OF tho TAX on
whiskey. In this respect they endorse the vlews
SET or In the report OF the Commissioner OF Internal
revenue. Schenck has no doubt, however, tnat q
strsng effort Will DO made by the Western whiskey
ring 10 nave the tax Increased, but he does not
| think they Will have any effect upon the House.
With reference 10 the rumors which been anoat
for some time about Schenck being offered the MIS-
sion to England, while he is very reticent about IT,
nc neither denies nor confirms the report. He says
the newspapers to know all about IT, or mt least
| as much as he dses. The belief Is general among
Western members ana Senator'S that Schenck is the
man fixed upon by the President. On account OF SO
many persons having refused it, the President is
determined not to announce the appointment until
| he has assurances that II win he accepted.
More Fighting Over the SpoiIs-Whnt the
| President Tanks OF Politicians.
Abram Wakeman, Henry A. Bowen and other New
YORK politicians are here bringing pressure TO bear
upon the President IN favor OF certain changes IN
the government oillces in New York. The changes
fees, but some Of their subordinatcs The Presi-
dent, in conversation with q Western Senator to-
day, said he had more trouble since the November
election with the New York politicians, In connec-
tt0n with the changes In the federal oflces In that
city, than he had with the distribution OF patron
age at his disposal immediately alter his Inaugural
tlon IL seemed impossible he said, TO satisfy them
There were so many factions, ana so many persons
wanting place, that no sooner did he make change
than he besleged by host OF those politicians
The same, ho remarked, was true to great extent
0f Pennsylvania. II seemed next to impossible to
make asatisfacIory apportionment there. Thiscon-
dtion OF affairs had made 1t necessary him to dis
regard the claims OF Pennsylvania to place in the
| CabincS
The Internal Revenue Commis-io onership.
Is rumorcd to-day that the President had settled
upon J. w. Douglass for Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue. Mr.. Douglass. who is the present acting
Commissioner, was among those who called upon
the President curing the day, but he failed ascer-
tain that he Is to be the coming man the revenue
bureau. AS already stated in these despatches 1t Is
not probable that any appointment for this place
VIII DO made until after the meeting OF Congress.
Washington GOssip-A Islander the Tapis.
The 1rrepressiDle Mrs. Edward A. Pollard whose
Incarceration in the government insane asylum In
this city couple Of months since created some
Il
TO bring suit against the parties who were instru
| mental IN deprvlng her OF her freedom. Mrs. Pol
lard was adjudged insane by competent authority
Her insanity was attributed to depression OF spirit
| resulting from published rumOrs that i'm
| proper relations had existed between hersel
| and certain steamboat captain. II
Is reported that her release she has stated that
her insanity was the result or drugs administered
by the owner OF the hotel Of which she was lessee
a. !,
securing control OF the property. She has retained
eminent counsel and Intends TO bring suit against
the owner for damages for false imprisonment, ana
! also on charge or assault and battery. Her nus.
| band, the well known historian OF tile lost
cause Edward A. Pollard, OF Virginia, from
whom she has been separated for two
or three years Is now In New York. ana it Ia re.
ported that she has written him with view to a
reconciliation and TO his aid In the intended
suit.
The Alabama Troubles-NO Governments In.
reference.
The troubles between the State officials at Mont.
gomery, Ala. has led to the belief that the Presi-
dent would direct Secretary Belknap to give orders
TO the general commanding that department to In.
terere. Inquiry at the War Department to-day failed
TO obtain anything justifying such report. The
troops now at Montgomery have been there for some
time. and 1t was not intended that any more troops
would be ordered there for the present. The gov.
ernment does not intend TO interfere In these dis
turbances or political squaDbles in any way what.
ever. The officers Of the army in the South have
been duly instructed that the civil arm OF the sew
eral State governments must In all cases be re-
spected. II, however, the sheriff OF county,
In the execution of his dutles should find it
necessary to invoke mi tary AID In order to main
tam peace troops may be used for that purpose
nov fhat taa
reference, and II any olcer OF the army transcends
his authority he win lay himself liable to the
same punishment that he wond II found
guilty Of disobedience OF orders OF q diner
ent tenor. In the present Instance the guard
was furnished Governor Smith by q local CON-
nandcr and without the sanction OF the department
commander, General Terry, who Is temporarily on
duty IN Washington. AS soon rs General Terry heard
OF The requisiion for troops, and before the guard
was furnished, he teegrapned different Instructions
but the guard had been furnished before the insruc
tons not TO furnish 1t reached their destination.
Tho Postal Telegraph system.
General Washburn, OF Wisconsin, is at work pre-.
pairing speech In favor OF the postal telegraph sys
tem which was before the House last winter. He
proposes to show from the ON al statistics OF Great
Britain and France, where the system has been In
operation for some time that the work can be
done cheaper and more efficiently by the gov.
ernment than by private companies. The special
Committee on Postal Telegraph, oil which Mr.. Wasi-
burn Is CHAIRMAN will report at an early day new
blu ON the subject, and 1t VIII pressed with vgor.
Reports of Cor sulir AGENTS.
The commissions Of X. B. Dennis and william ].
Armstrong, appointed Consular Agents under q
resolution passed at the last session OF Congress
expired to-day Mr.. Dennis was sent to examine
the affairs Of the Consulaes In the British sles and
having completed his lab RS has returned to this
country. He has not. however, forwarded his
report. The reports OF Mr.. Armstrong, OF his
visits to the Consulates OF Norway, Sweden and