Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-04

WASHINGTON, April 3.-Ihe resignation
II. r. Hulburd as Comptroller OF Currency
was to-day accepted by the Secretary Of
the Treasury.
The Transit of Venus.
The House Committee on appropriations
to-day voted to insert in the Sundry Civil
| Appropriation bill an item of $4,000 for
observing the transit of Venus. The bill
win also contain an appropriation of $1,000
for astronomical observations in the general
interest of science on the high table lands
of Colorado.
Paying Interest Abroad.
Secretary Boutwell, was before the Com
mittee of Ways and Means to-day and
urged the passage of law permitting him
to register United States bonds and pay in
terest thereon in London.
Progress Of Investigation.
The Senate Arms Committee, to-day, ex-
amined Chas. II. Pond and A. B. Stein
berger, arms dealers, and G.. K. Garrison.
The last named showed his connection
with twenty -fve batteries and other mate
rial to be sent to France. All of the wit
nesses to-day said they knew Of no officer
who was personally interested in the pur-
chase and sale of arms.
Admiral Porter testified before the Ma
val Investigating Committee that he thought
Secor's claim had been paid, and called the
attention of Secretary Robson to it. In
reply to question, he said Lengthall, the
naval clerk, had told him the claim for ex-
ira work was contrary TO law.
Abraham Hewitt, iron manufacturer,
testified that the iron used for torpedo en-
gines was inferior, and that good iron
could have been bought for $67 ,451, in
stead of S130,645.
No more InfOrmers I'm the Revenue
Service.
Special to the Cincinnati Commercial.
Mr.. Murcur, of Pennsylvania, got the
rules suspended in the House Monday,
and passed an important bill to dispense
with inforIpers in the Internal Revenue ser
vice. 1t provides for the repeal Of all laws
which give to the informers any portion OF
the fees, penalties or fOrfeitures for tie Vi
olation of the Internal Revenue laws.
MessIs. Dawes and Kerr appealed to the
House TO have the bill referred to the
Ways and Means Committee, which they
said were carefully considering the subject,
but Mr.. Murcur would not yield for a mo-
ton of the kind, saying that he had already |
had the bill before the committee ior two |
or three years, without result. The vote
was 125 to 4S, and furnishes another in |
stance of the disposition of the House to |
do its tax and tariff legislation without the |
advice of the Committee of Ways and |
Means,
Important Decision by the Supreme |
Court.
Special to the lCincinnati Gazette.
The Supreme Court has made an impor- |
tant decision in the case of Blyew and Ken |
nard VS.. The United States. The plaintiffs |
in error were convicted of the murder of |
colored family in the Circuit Court of Ken |
lucky under the civil rights bill of 1866, |
which gave circuit courts juridisdictiOn of |
all cases affecting American citizens of At |
rican descent in States where negro evil |
dence was not admitted against whites, as |
was then the case in Kentucky. All the |
witnesses in the case were negroes. The |
case was argued more than a year ago on |
the question whether under the statute |
white men could be tried for crimes COM |
mitted on negroes, and also the question Of |
the constitutiOnality of the law. Justice |
Strong now declared the opinion of the |
Court in effect that criminal prose- |
cntiOn against white men could not !
be said to be case affecting cOlOred people, |
and, therefore, the Circuit Court did not |
have jurisdiction of the case. The decision |
was founded on the authority of the case of |
the United States VS.. Ostega, decided forty
years ago by this court, in which it was
held that prosecution OF q man for assault |
on foreign minister was not a case aftec.-
ing an ambassador within the meaning of
these words in the Constitution. This de-
cisiOn rendered it unnecessary to pass upon
the constitutionality of the civil rights bill.
Judges Swsyne and Bradley dissented.
The case of Greer, to be argued next
week, involves the constitutiOnality of the
enforcement act, and it is considered very
doubtful whether it will be sustained.
Many think it either will be declared un-
constitutional or be sustained by an equal
ly divided court.
Louisiana LOOseness.
It has come to the knowledge Of the New
Orleans Committee that the other party to
State Senator Lewis agreement, printed |
some days since, was Gov. Warmoth; that |
the latter deposited box with $4,000 in
bank, which Lewis was to have, provided he
was in his seat at all votes on WarmOth
measures till the end of the session. This
he did, but the box was not forthcoming
Lewis sued the bank officer having it in
charge. The court gave judgment
in favor Of Lewis, and ordered the bank
officer to give up the box Upon refusal
he was committed for contempt. On the
way to Jail he received a pardon from War
moth. The Court issued a new order of
and WarmOth pardoned him
again. Meantime it came out Warmoth |
had withdrawn the fifteen thousand dollars,
and, as the bank officer came into court
with the box, which, on examination, proved |
to be empty, the Court committed the pris-
oner to one of its own officers, and especi-
ally charged the latter not to recognize any
order of release from WarmOth. At this
stage the Congressional Committee came |
ON The field and ascartained eli the above |