The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-07
FROM WASHINGTON.
ADMIRAL PORTER AND GENERAL
GRANT.
IMPORTANT LEGAL DECISION.
&C., &C., &c.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

r.. CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. !.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Senate.-A bill
was introduced to-day giving the Indian
Territories delegates in Congress.
The Senate adjourned early, to allow the
Encouragement of committees.
House.-A redistribution Of seals was
voted down. The House is now engaged on
the Wisconsin railroad bill.
A bill was introduced RENTING the dll-
ties on materials used in building vessels
engaged in foreign trade, to enable Amer1-
can citizens to register foreign vessels, and
admitting certain iron and composite YES
sells to American registry; repeating the
duty on tea and coffee abolishing the
Thanking privilege abolishing the offices OF
Admiral and Vice-Admiral in the navy
the former ut once, the latter when va
cancy occurs.
A resolution abolishing the Reconstruct
ton Committee was introduced by Mr.. Cox,
of New York. It was objected to, and
went over. Adjourned.
ADMIRAL PoRTER's LETTER ABOUT GRANT.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Admiral Porter
has written letter to President Grant in
explanation of his letter to Secretary
WelIes. Porter's first impulse, he says,
was not to deny the authenticity Of the let
ter. Neither the Admiral nor his Secretary
could recall to their recollection any cir.
cumstance of the kind. The Admiral
could not conceive that he had uttered such
sentiments, so at variance with the sentl-
ments he had always expressed towards
President Grant. The Admiral says that
the letter was private, and says that
the vindictive spirit shown must have been
in the heart Of the writer that prompt
ed its publication at this late day. The
Admiral says that be is glad that he remem-
bers nothing about the letter, because it Is
| so DOOR return for the. Presidents uni
| form kindness. Recalling the engagement
at Fort Fisher, the Admiral adds: II pre-
sumo that it was while under this excite
| ment that I wrote the letter which you say
has made you lose your faith in human
nature. I have no recollection Of it any
| more than that would nave of other pass
ing circumstances of six years ago." The
! Admiral then says g do not write for the
rather be the writer of the letter than the
publisher. The peace of political partle:
| and of society world be placed IN grea
jeopardy if all tb & private letters write,
within the last Elk years were puohshea ): :,
and he conclu DIES with an expression OF It
get for the ,ss of Grants friendship.
JuDGMy 4srs IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS.
FrorI the annual statement, transmltte
70 - ,ugress, it appears that the CoaiS
VI" Inns, during the year, has rendere
J Idgment b'. 164 cases. The agsrega.
, amount claimed by the parties orlngt ~,
these sr..lts against the United ota.es W.
about S3,9OO,000. The total alho' LIT th
has t,een awarded is S93l, 3S'. all the de,
sir ms were in favor of TIC claimants exec
N one case, where d suit was broug
, against the United States for damages to Il
amount of 100000, resulting from Il
alleged violation of O contract made by ii
e eminent set up counter claim Of non-pe
! Torrance of contract, and was award'
1,64. The largest claim was for 1885,, sc
! and the interest on the same from March
= 1865, for the net proceeds Of some 40
l. boxes Of tobacco destroyed by the armies
tide United States during the late war.
# The suit was dismissed, but like mo
: others that were so decided, has been a
pealed to tie Supreme Court. Among tt
= awards is. one of SIS, 600 in favor Of Il
a Rothschlld Brothers, for the net procee'
of $3.50 hogsheads OF tobacco captured al
- seized by the United States military fore
in Richmond, and. sold by the Secretary
che Treasury under the confscation &C
.. United States in suits brought for the pr
IS ceeds of captured cotton and sugar in rour
= numbers Is S295,OO0
IMPORTANT LEGAL DECISION.
= WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 6.-The S
preme Court of the United States b
> decided the case Of Downham & Co. Z
s, the city of Alexandria, in error appeale
from the Fifth Judicial District of vi
ginia. In this case Alexandria imposed
I, tax of 5000 on dealers in ale and beer
= the cask not manufactured in the city, b'
(, brought there for sale. The tax was r
~ sisted on the ground that it was uncons
tutional In that it was tax on CONNER
and Disseminated in favor of local man
OF facturers. The court sustained the tax ar
"a the case was brought here, where 1t w
- held that a tax could not be imposed und
R. the 25th section of the Judiciary act {
manufactures outside of the State, but sir
u ply on those outside OF Alexandria.
such case the question was decided tn
r. the court do not raise the writ of error, al
re it is dismissed.
II TIE VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST.
t. WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Messrs. Mckenz
~ and Riyes, candidates for Congress, ha
!. given formal notice Of contest for the sea
!; OF BraXton and Duke.
N MISCELLANEOUS.
N Carl Schurz participated in the senat
+ rial caucus to-day.
:. The colored recruits have been ordert
. from New York to Galveston, Texas.
Minister Motley has accepted the host
: tally OF the Queen of Holland. He W
occupy one of her houses while 6nishir
his history of the Netherlands.
The French Minister Treilhard was pr
( sented to the President, and Treilhard a.
peared in plain clothes.
Bills repeating the income tax were Il
troduced in both Houses to-day.
There was heavy gale here this mornin
= French War Vessels at the West
, . Indies.
HAVANA, Dec. 6.-The French war We