Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-07-14

THE Washington correspondent of the Phila-
delphia Post says: 1.-The attention OF members
of Congress has been called to the fact that the
government is contributing direct support to
base ball organizations here by permitting bu-
reau officers to provide players with sinecure
clerkships, without requiring them to perform
clerical duties.'
GENERAL AMNBsTY.-The last struggle for a
general amnesty measure-omitting however, a
few classes-wss made and lost in the House
yesterday afternoon by a vote of "A to 1OI 1t is
also very doubtful If the Senate bill granting
amnesty to several thousand persons named
therein becomes law by the acton OF the
House this session.
The ARMY BILL.-The conference Commit
tee OF the two houses Of Congress on the army
bill agreed to a report this morning By which
the pay Of the General Of the army Is reduced to
s13, 800 with the present allowances for quarters
fuel and forage, making in all sII 80 The nav
OF the Lieutenant General l. reduced to = II .Oo0
The army is reduced to 10000, and all
surplus officers are to be mustered out as pro
Vided In the House bill. Officers are not to
wear the insignia Of their breyet rank while on
official duty, but all other occasions thew ars
allowed to wear it. The main features Of the
House bill are adopted in the conference report
CLOSE OF THE SRssIoN.-The business of the
two Houses Of Congress is i'm better condition
than it has been at the close of the session for
many years past. Nearly all important bills
have been passed, and so near is the business
completed that there is no necessity for an ALI
night session of the House tonight, though the
Senate will probably be In session all night. az
the deficiency bill and one or two conference
reports are to be acted on by that body The
House VIII probably take arecess at AZ O'Clock
until this evening, and about midnight will
take another recess until O'Clock Tomorrow
morning.
The PRESIDENT, although intending to absent
himself as much as possible from Washington
during the Congressional recess, will return
here about once in every ten days or two weeks
for the purpose OF attending to the business
which accumulates during his absence. The
majority Of Me members Of the Cabinet intend
absenting Themselves from Washington during
the Congressional recess. Messrs. Porter and
Robeson, Of the Navy Department, will take
turns in their recreation. Secretary Bou,well
will leave on his recreating tour about the mid
die Of the present month, by which time it is
probable that Mr.. Richardson, the Assistant
Secretary, will resums bis duties.
PASSAGE or THE BILL FOR AN ADDITIONAL
POTOMAC WATERWAYS The House til.
morning Passed the Senate bill authorizing the
establishing mt OF water meters for the Potomac
water, the laying Of an additional Waterman
from the distributing reservoir Of the Washing
ton aqueduct, and for other purposes.
THE NEW FUNDING BILL.-The two preat
financial measures OF the eession-the tax and
tariff and funding bills-passed both houses yes
terday, and have gone to the President for his
signature. The funding bill was modified SO as
tional banks. thus placing the latter under the
control Of the currency act passed last week.
The bill. which is discretionary with the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, now simply proposes to
fund the debt into three classes Of bonds, two
hundred millions at five per cent. for ten wears.
three hundred millions at four -and-a-half per
cent. for fifteen years, and one thousand mill
lious at four per cent. for thirty years. Mr..
law.
The NEW TAX AND TARIFF BILL.-The tax
and tariff bill as II becomes law reduces ia, a.
ton about eighty millions Of dollars compared
with the basis Of revenue tor 1869. The bill
covers eighty printed pages, but its principal
features may be stated rs Follows: The income
dollars and rent of s%p
from the income. All special taxes are abOlish-
ed on bankers, brokers, foreign brokers, foreign
insurance agents, patent right dealers, pawn
proprietors OF places of public amusement,
billiard-rooms, bowling alleys, lottery dealers.
jugglers, license for cigar and tobacco dealers
etc. In the tariff line the duty on pig iron Is
liked at seven dollars per ton, being two dollar,
lefs than the existing law. On Bessemer steel
rails II Is fixed at twenty-eight dollars per ton
On sugar not above number seven the duty |,
one and three-fourths cents per pound; abov
number ten, two and q quarter cents; above
number thirteen, two and three-quarter cents;
above number sixteen, three and q quarter
cents; and on all refined, loaf lump crushed
powdered and granulated sugar, foar cents per
pound. On molasses the duty is five cents per
gallon.
COMBINATIONS BY THE SKxATR.-The Sem
ate In Executive session yesterday confirmed q
large number of nominations Of Postmasters,
Army and Navy officers for promotion, COnsuls,
Revenue officers, &c. Among the nominations
were the following: Hugh l.. Bond, to be Cir
cult Judge Of the fourth judicial district of
Maryland; Commodore VIM. Reynolds, to be
Chief of the Bureau Of Equipment and Recruit
ing, Navy Department, vice Commodore M.
to be Consul General at Beirut; Benjamin +.
Potts, to be Governor of Montana Territory,
vice James NJ. Ashley, removed; Elizabeth
Trask, Postmistress at Emporia, Kansas; Joseph
NJ. HuDphries, Collector OF Customs, Rich
mond; James E. Cam, Zachery Taylor Brown,
John Clyde Sullivan, Frank j. Clarke and
George 4. Bangman, Assistant Paymasters in
Navy; j.. ii. Hutchinson, Arkansas, Consul at
Santa Cruz, vice Ed. H. Perkins, recalled;
Commodore Henry Wake, to be Rear Admiral
L. s. N, vice j. A. Dahlgren, deceased; Vernon
H. Vaughan, of Ala, Secretaryof Utah; VIM.
@. Whitson, Associate Justice Of Idaho, vice
Milton Kelley, removed; Captain Roger \. ~:
Vim. K. Jeffers. Captain in the Navy; Lieut.
Commander Robert L. Phytean, Commander;
Lieut.. Geo. l.. wingate, Lieut.. Commander;