Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-12
WASHINGTON
Expenditures of the Last AdhIinis-
IraIiOn.


WASHINGTON, Aug 1.-THE expendi-
lures of the United States during the last
Administration amount to $1,5l7,959, 1874,
including 81, ops, GA, 465 for the army.
The receipts of customs last week were
S3,G37, 794.
The HOhenzOlIcrn Intrigue.
A letter from well known American in
Berlin, on intimate terms with the Govern
ment q the North German Confederation
furnishes information that the proposition
TO place Prince Hohenzolleren on the
throne of Spain was purposely concealed
by that Prince from King William for
some time
When the monarch was consulted. the
project received prompt and unqualified
Interpretation, the King arguing that
considering the peculiar temperament of
the Spanish people, such a proceeding
would probably be a second Macmillan
affair, resulting in the loss of The Princes
head.
The writer further says the King held
these views up to the time the French
Government made the peremptory demand
through Benedict for an explanation
Nothing but the tone and manner in which
it was made, and afterwards followed up by
him for guarantees, prevented further ref
erence to the subject by the King.
Affairs i'm Mexico.
Dispatches to the State Department from
Minister Nelson represent affairs in Mexico
as in rather a quiet condition, with the
country generally on the road to improve
ment. There have been some political
troubles recently in two of the States, but
they have been quoted
The Georgia Middle.
Attorney General Akerman has con-
scented to deliver an address before the
Southern Republican Association of this
city, on the situation of American politics.
Considerable interest is attached to it
among the Republicans, as it is believed it |
will allude to the last work of reconstruc-
ton, in the shape of the status of Georgia, |
and he will take ground publicly, as he has |
all along privately, that there should be an |
election IN that State this fall
Mr. Alderman has addressed letter to |
certain Republican Georgia members of |
the Legislature and others who have re- |
quested his views on the subject of an cleo |
ton in that State He declined to give a |
construction of the act of Congress relating |
to Georgia, but on the assumed ground |
that the question is for the decision of the /
Legislature, he is in favor of an election |
and against the extension of the terms of /
such officers. He holds that the Constitu-
ton of the State has been operative since
July, -S6S and that the members having |
sworn to support it are bound by it; that
if the government has been provisional,
still the constitution has been practically /
in force as the fundamental State law, and
has not been set aside by the paramount |
authority of the United States and there
fore is valid; that the constitution fixes
the terms of Representatives in this
Legislature at two years, and the present
members have no right to serve alter the
expiration Of that term; that the under
standing between them and the people at
the time of their election was that they
should serve so long and no longer,
and the people will be Over-reached
by an extension of the term. And
in a party view he thinks the Republican
party will be more hurt by preventing than
10y holding the election, but if it was other
wise we could not sacrifice principle to
success. He advises every precautiOn
against unfairness, and should the election
be unfair he would have it set aside. The
Georgia Democrats are stopped from COM
planning, if the terms should be extended, |
for in 1865 they imposed on the people a
Legislative majority of men not unlawfully |
chosen. But the Republicans should dis
regard bad examples and do right
Some of the papers OF Georgia are com
forting themselves and their supporters |
with the assertion that the President is
against en- election this fall in that State,
but it can be affirmed in the most positive |
terms that this is not his view. The matter |
was talked over when he was here last Fri
dav. and he expressed decided opinion /
that the law and public policy alike require |
an election in November for members Of |
the Legislature as well rs members of Con-
gress. In tnis opinion be is sustained by |
most, if not all, the members Of his Cabi- /
net Neither the President nor the At |
torney General has given the least encOur-
agenlent to those who attempted to enlist |
them on the side of the party intriguing to |
defeat an election, and at least majority |
of the Cabinet regard the effort to ignore |
this election as a gross outrage. In fact, |
it cannot be ascertained on careful inquiry |
that any member dissents from the views |
expressed by the President Il is not I'M |
probable that he may give direct express |
sion TO his opinion when he returns from |
st. Louis, and in any event it is believed |
the question at issue must come before the |
Attorney General
Reducing thc Army.
The work of reducing the number of
army officers in accordance with the pro-
visions Of the army act is well begun. The
names of some long absent from their
commands have been dropped from the
rolls. good many have already resigned
on one years pay, and more have indicated
a purpose to do SO. Assignments Of su-
pernumeraries to vacancies and duty are
being made. The retired list Is to be in
IL nd 81 nd
about that number have applied to be re-
tired. Those not retiring by right of long
service are to be examined and retirement
will probably be refused to some Of those
who have made application. Steps have
been taken to get lists of those whom De-
partment Commanders think ought to be
mustered out for incOmpetency. These
are to 90 before board, which will not
be appointed for some weeks. The re-
auired reduction in rank and file will be
made in due season, mostly by the explra-
ton of the term of service of enlisted
men and nOn-commissioned officers. The
Commissioner of the General Land Office
has written an opinion upon that clause of
the Army bill which allows all persons
who served honorably for three months IN
the army or navy during the late war to
enter, free, lGO acres of land now held
along tue Lut OF lana granted 10 IdilIOdUh3
at 81. 80 per acre. The course to be pur-
sued by the applicant is the same as under
the existing Homestead law, except that
special form of affidavit, setting forth the
military service, Is required. The re-
qurement Of law regarding settlement and
cultivation are the same in this class of
entries as in all others. Proper forms to
get new application are to be forwarded
at once to Registers and Receivers.
Continental Money.
Treasurer Spinner is in almost daily re-
ceipt of quantities Of old Continental
bank notes, or shinplasters, from various
narts of the country, with letters request
ing him to remit United States notes in
exchange. A letter was yesterday received
from New York inclosing sixty Continental
notes of the issue of September 26, 177S,
and inquiring whether any law provides
for the redemption of the same. Gen.