Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-11


WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 10.
VENEZUELA.
The senate foreign affairs committee met this
morning and considered the Venezuela claims.
COLD WEATHER.
The weather continues very cold, the coolest
for number of years. Sleighing is good in all
parts of the city.
GEORGIA.
The senate judiciary committee will resume
the investigation of the Georgia senatorial con-
test tomorrow, when Joshua Hill will probably
be heard. Farrow is also here, and Whitley is
expected daily.
BUTLER.
Gen. Butler and his secretaries B. F. Whitney
and F. C. Clancy, appeared before the house mill
tary committee to-day, and were examined in
reference 10 General Buffers management of the
national asylum. Nothing which Gen. Farms
worth, who conducted the examination, con-
sidered important was elected. He attempted
to show by these gentlemen their relations to
Gen. Butler, in a private capacity, but Gen. B.
objected and was sustained by the committee.
\ CONTEST.
There is to be a contest from the fifth depart
ment in Georgia, in the present congress, if the
house will make special regulations for it. There
is not time for a contest under the law, but the
house has always held that it is entirely within
its power to 20 outside of the law. 1t is proba-
BILE, therefore, that the house will authorize a
short contest in this case from the fifth district,
and try to settle it before the session ends.
COMMERCIAL MATTERS.
The committee on commerce of the house au-
thorized Mr. Bennett of New York to report a
substitute for the bill which he introduced last
spring. 1t provides tlat the secretary of the
treasury shall issue to the comptroller of the
state of New York eight millions of bonds re-
deemable in coin at the pleasure of the govern
ment, at any period after ten years, and bearing
interest at the rate of four and a half per cent,
| provided that the state of New York
shall pledge itself to Immediately begin
the enlargement of one tier of locks on
| the Erie and Oswego canals, so as to allow the
passage of war vessels of twenty-five feet beam,
and merchant vessels of six hundred tons bur-
| den. The canals are TO be free to the govern
ment, and a commission is to be appointed by
the president TO examine whatever work may be
done under the act.
The house commerce committee considered
| Gen. SchencE's steamship subsidy BILL of which
| John F. Rice, of Maine, is one of the corpora
tors, and agreed to report it back to the house,
with some amendments, for the purpose of re-
committal. There is not much probability that
this measure will be favorably acted on this SEES
sion.
| SAN DOMINGO.
The fate Of San Domingo in the house was
hardly expected last night. Even Mr.. Sumner,
| this morning, believed the Amber amendment
would be rejected, and the commission would
be authorized to start at once. The vote of 1OS
to rs for the amendment is a cruel blow to an
nexaton, for it expresses very clearly the views
OF the house upon the naked question of annex
! alton. There was a determination that the
| settlement shall be postponed to the next con-
| gress, and the vote of the house settles that
point
| There was bad management this morning in
the debate Mr.. Butler undertook to drive the
republicans, and they were indignant at the
| passage between Butler and Dawes, and Butler
and Garfield hurt the whole scheme. The re-
suit is disappointment to the president, for it
| delays a week or more the investigation, and it
| indicates the opinion of the house to be unfa-
vorable to annexation. Four Massachusetts
members, Messrs. Dawes, Hooper, Hoar and
Brooks voted for tie Amber amendment.
Messrs. Starkweather and Strong of Connec-
ticut, did the same. Mr.. Kellogg, of Water
| bury, spoke and voted against all amendments
and in favor of speedy investigation. The reso-
buttons were sent to the senate this afternoon,
and, without objection, it was agreed to take a
vote on them tomorrow at four o'clock. There is
authority for the statement that the commission
| will leave this week SAM WELLER.