Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-09
EVENING STAR.
DOUBLE SHEET.
Washington News and Gossip.

Washington News and Gossip.
INTERNAL REvENUx.-The receipts from this
source to-day were sSGs ,22o.4g.
TIE INCOME TAN expires on the 3ist inst, -
that il is not necessary 70 pass any repeating LAW
II il is intended rot 20 continue il.
SENATOR SUMNER did not sign the letter 70
qaestiug Secretary Fish 10 remain in the cab
ret.
CHIEF ENGINEER EDWIN FITRIAE, U. :.
N. has bee ordered TO the Washington navy
yard.
Hon. Thomas LITTLE, U. s. Minister at
Lima, Peru, Is coming home on account of Ill
health.
At TEE WBIrK HousE-Sena,ors Ferry,
Ramsey and Ames, Representatives Kellogg,
Lamfort, Cobb, HawIey, Garfield, Schoheld,
Gen. Butler, Gov. McCook, and Solicitor Gener-
a. -Brisso~, called upon the President to-day.
THE MIXED CONFESSION to settle claims be-
tween the United States and Great Britain,
other than the Alabama claims, met this MORN
ing, but without transacting any business, al
jcurned until the 18th inst
The CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION wa. not in
session to- day. Mr.. Cattell, Of the commission,
has been indisposed for several days past, but
win probably be able to meet with the other
members on Monday.
NEw POSTAL RRATy.-rhe basis Of postal
convention between the United States and
Sweden and Norway has been agreed upon, AMI
direct exchange Of correspondence NAV be
socL expected.
WALT WHITMAN travels north. The Dan
ish magazine, "For Idee eg TirkeligAee," (For
the Idea and RealityD published at Copen.
hagen, and 4 leading literary and art organ OF
Ire Scandinavian races, is to have a review aud
uaIsiatoh OIL dir. Whitman's"L Leaves OF Grass
APrOINTEp.-The President has appointed
K. ". Furnas and Henry Moody, of Nebraska,
and Lawrence A. Gobright, of the District OF
Columbia, CON missioners 10 the centennial ex-
hibtion at Philadelphia. The latter appoiut
mt mt is n proper compliment to the much es
teeIned manager Of the Associated Press here.
CoNsULs RECoGNIZED.-The Spani sh govern
ment has recognized General A. L. A. Torbett
as United States Consul General at Havana;
Richard Lowenstein as United States Vice Con-
sui II Grau; Charles III. EdeN rs Vice Consul at
Seville, and MIR. Frencr, United States Vice
toBsul at Valencia.
IAE CHIEF of the currency division OF the
Treasury Department reports that since the
adoption Of a distinctive paper for the national
currency to guard against fraud in issuing and
Icdeeming L. >. notes. all transactions have
been regular, and the paper and securities all
accounted for.
The NATIONAL TOBACCO CONVENTION before
adjournment sine die yesterday, referred TO their
special committee before Congress resolution
earnestly protesting "against the passage of any
law based upon the recommendation of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue. imposing a
special tax Of $500 on dealers in leaf tobacco,
except so far il is intended 10 reach the Illicit
dealers IN the same by RETAIL"
ABOUT ONE HUNDRED CASES on the trial
docket of the Court Of Claim. have been most
poned, to await the amnesty decision Of the
United States Supreme Court as TO whether the
act OF q Presidential pardon for dsloyalty
entities the subject to testify in claim against
.ne govtrnment. me majority OF these cases
are claims for cotton seized by the government
during the war.
IMPORTANT TO PESsIoNERs-The CommiS
missioner Of Pensions has Just decided. That
the fact OF honorable discharge cannot be ac-
cepted as controverting a charge Of desertion so
long "a the records of the War Department su :
tam such charge, because said record evidence
must determine the question at the Pension
Once; 2. That the fact of a soldier being re
ported as absent without leave on the records OF
q hospital does not constitute desertion; and g.
That the fact of q soldier not returning from
fuTloueh to the command from which he was
does not OF itself constitute desertion
That great bore, the Hoosac tunnel, was m
dertaken by the State of Massachusetts, some
years ago-the object being to straighten the
railroad route between Boston and the west
and thereby shorten the distance BY some forty
three miles. The tunnel itself, when com pleted
will be a little less than five miles long, and il
expected TO cost about s. eco Ooe. The present
contract provides for its completion before
March /, 1874, and at the rate il is progressing
there is 10 doubt that il will be entirely finished
before the time specified. In view OF the vast
outlay OF capital on this enterprise and the i'm
poTtance of its results il is not surprising that
Boston should have been greatly excited over
the report that Cornelius Vanderbilt had made
a proposition to buy the tunnel from the state
and that his purpose in making the offer was 10
stop the work on the Improvement and leave
the great bore in an unfinished condition, in
ORDER that 10 patronage might be withdrawn
from the roads in which he has large interests
Later accounts, however, say that Messrs Vail
n Robertson, Tho made the proposition, do Tot
represent Vanderbilt At all, bat the Troy and
Greenfield railroad company; and that thew
propose to take the tunnel for the purpose of
developing the traffic between Boston and os-
" CO. but il is not likely the state will sell ont
---~~~.
he subject OF infant hospitals il one of grow
ing Importance. At a late meeting OF the New
hoTk Medical Society DIR. Jacob gave as his
opinion that no large founding hospital will
meet the purposes for which it is erected: thar
want OF ventilation and the prevalence OF in
iectlous diseases are the cause Of the great
mortality OF infants at such institutions; that
the idea OF providing a farm in the country.
surrounded 10y a number of cottages occupied by
infants and their nurses is equally objectionable
and that by far the best plan is to board the in
rants out under system in charge Of the eov-
eminent and not Of private individuals. He
CONTENDS that the expense OF a system managed
oy individuals would be three times greater
Than 1t would be under government. The
Doctors theory invites discussion, from which
something practical may be evolved TO meet
the necessity in the direction indicated.
EHh Peorte On: Review interprets the Pas.
Nve policy after this fashion: Some ef the Re-
publican press aro inclined TO fine e TIE nav
,3ea o. the Denocrao In regard 70 PaNivism.
We mink ft ts the smArtest thing thsf thev' can
90. Indeed, they derive N ION az trniv
American game. Euchre. whan q ~ has