New-York tribune., 1871-12-20
CURRENT TOpICS At THE CAPITAL.

re'n.c ~ roous coiD,e,a'on services -pel agents
CURRENT TOrICS AT THE CAPITAL.
ANXIETY CONCERNING ORR RELATIONS WITH
CTBA-THE AMNESTY OTEsIION-7NE NEW
YORK BATK FAILl RrS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TolBl%EI
WAsrr-GroN Ticsd.,y DC. 70, 1871.
A;crtjon las recently been called 10 toc portions OF
re Pr idcnt's late Message referring to our itati0s
with Cuba in which he says that at ia hoped thn oil
pending que, ions ia Srain growing olt OF IN" "IrS
in Cnha may rn adjusted fl the spirit OF peace ana con-
collation. which has bt"crto lu'tcd tho two powers in
thCir treatment ~ src' nfS oiIs' -'"h1N '"'n. 10
hr.w ro,iyey tn '.;if sr@ any rr"f ,s wh s
have been referred I" ia" Spanish taimS ."nnls!9l.
and l"rr i. g",,r d lnHitv FEY sa,. a. 10 % E, M
question resolution introduced in the senate to-
day, calling for Information.
u Is understood that majority Of the House judiciary
committee are IN favor OF the Amnctv bin which passed
ne House last Sp7inc, ana is waiting action In TIC
nate. THIS bill exempted from the benefits of amnesty
members of Concr In SOL and army and Officers
who wcnt into TIE Rebellion. nd mem OF conceptions
who Fo"d for ordinances or scccHSiol ln"Se c'a'SS
r not Il supposed embrace moro than lo9a crs9ns
drrite tH 20 no iurth,r than c bill n1w pending in
tIc senate they will mako no Iep'rt: but they tikr
thi, cour5c effort VIII he made. soon after ti rec -
t. pass Though inc House D granting i"i '"i eo''
pi a. jl!U'.t.'.
Tine House Committee on Banking and Currency win
appot su-cur ltt uular the resolution passed TO-
purr 80 .;in+ tic c1n-cS Of tho recent aus
uc:,io Of tl:ar ncYl 'ri3 IL that city. They con-
>.'"r fr Mi, e: Of enough ial"riarr' 10 max" n%i
~ iG :; n ~ ,r s,s,r,n rn' ,a i c Noir ms
l9odi"d hy c,iatiin'. IN" C"mn:it"c hal C.cn>+"i
"r xvi >. "r:io, ,hr committee came to
c.r, ION. J. I',lr.i We that tie Committee viii pur-
to-" ,oi," ,i tid; has pTrvailt III Cor Grrsa
for syCrl years 4Ed viii agree 10 nothing TO factitc
re csumption.
Mr.. Tarnsworth from thc Post-Olicc Committee to-
DAY uoduced bill TO prevent straw bids" for carry
y The mails by making 1t felony to put in bid Of
shat iion. OF late this has become great evil
csp.c.:lly in the South. The modus opernndt OF the
s,rawad swinde IL ths When the Post Ohlce Depart,
@G1 gTs rssss me , 10 ake
"sraw" bid so low that 1t y certain 10 DE a. nrcGr,t, %
OF carrier he rot to hc found, ami conscqncnty the
mails over the route have to stop or the DcaItnent
new bids can advertised for the law docs not permit
the next highest bidder 10 have the contract New pro
poas then invited, hut often the straw bidding IS
continued indefinitely, the cid contractor. OF course
realng the benefit 1t thought that Mr. FdrnsworiLs
bill Will stop the evil
The Committee OH Elections, tlis mornn". considered
the contested election case OF Mckenzie agt BraxOn
from Virginia and unanimously decided that Braxton,
the sitting member entitled to continue In his seat
The grounds OF contest by Mckenzie wero that some OF
the plooks had not been properly signed and that
many bn lots BraxtOns initials had been incorrectly
given The Committee decided tho first objection TO be
merely technical without evidence OF fraud. and also
that it was manifest intention OF the electors to vote
for when they placed his name on their ballots,
and that the mistake Of an initial was not sufficient
ground 10 throw out the ballots
Edward Powers, civil engineer OF Chicago, ILL.,, has
pettioned Congress for aid to enable him to test his
method for the artificial production OF rain He wants
TO furnished with OF not less than 2pounds
cabcr each and $1,000 pounds OF powder to fire In them,
together with an electrical battery and other appliances,
enable him to discharge all the pieces simultaneously.
the frine of articry he gives long list OF battles
IL rcluding nearly every important encagciMnt during
heavy ran-stoIm. lie also cites INSTANCES In the Mexi-
can war and In In Europe when BATTLES have been
scientific importance to determine II heavy cannonadng
will showers. that the Government ought TO pro
vide the tHeans for conducting tie experiments nccts-
cary to determine the question
In the U. g. Court OF Clans to-day little episode
occurred which drew out opinion from CicfJusticc
Drake which will bc Of interest to the legal pro-
fcssion. The claim OF John H. Burrcll was to come up
In the Court to-day motion for q new trial WIN.
Penn Clark, when the case was called. arose
case 1t subsequently became known that the event
alluded TO was the employment OF Judge Casey by Bur
making statement to this effect. defending his posi-
tion the premises. Judge Drake settled tho coptro
vcrsy the spot by ordering the case to go over,
stating that The Court must decline to hear a case
same sids and that. unless unity c1sted among them.
proper presentation Of tho arguments could not DO had
GENERAL PRESS DISPATCI.i
The ChcfJustice of the Supreme Court OF tho United
to-day announced to the Bar that tho opinions In
the gal tender will be read ut early day after
the and that the delivery Of these opinions had
been postponed ut the request Of the sa!nor.ty.
The bill introduced by Representative Lynch OF Maine,
YESTERDAY imposing tunnagc duties provides In the first
section for tunnage duty all vessels entering from
foreign countries Of so cents tun and In the second
section for the payment OF - per tun per year to Amer
lean vessels engaged In foreign trade Tn6 bill
ferrcd TO the Committee Commerce.
To-day the Grand Jury found true bin Of Indictment
against !. A. Marden charging him with embexzng.
$4,000 OF the lawful money OF the United states, and
against Seth Johnson charged with emezzing 10000.
Mr Lewis presented petition in the Senate, to-day.
from Richard H. Garrett OF Carolina County, Va asking
compensation TO the amount OF e2s2, for his barn, de-
siroyed by Col Baker. 10 effect tho capture Of John
Wilkes Booth and d. G. Harold In 1865. booth and lIar
old VIII be remembered. were concealed in Garrets
barn. and was destroyed y hre n Ordey 20 get them
II has been discovered by q member Of tho House
whose frank was recently forged, that there is law
which Furnishes the Ofense. The fact having been
brought to the attention Of senator Ramsey that gentle
will move amendment TO the Postal bili making
the forgery Of the frank Of member OF Congress mis-
demeanOr to he puiehed by fine OF $500
delegation Of Cuban ladies from New-YOrk, Mrs.
AnDa H. de Mora. Mra de Agrnmente Mrs. Qnesada and
Mrs. Emilia &. de Naverde Secretary Of tho League OF
the Daughters " Cuba called he PresideA to-day,
with reference 10 Cuban affairs They will call again to-
morrow by appointment