Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-20


PR oSAL.-Bishop Simpson is at the Metro
politan. .-.- Vice President Coifax delivered
an address before the Maryland Sunday School
Union, at Baltimore, last evening. 80. Mr.
Der of the banking house OF Jay Cooke s. Co.,
Philadelphia, was in town yesterday. ''''Sec-
Rotary Fish has again leased the house at the
corner Of and 18th streets, in which he formerly
resided 1t Is at present occupied by Hon. Free
man Clark, OF New York. Samuel Bowles,
of the Springfield Republican; James Runyon,
OF the Chicago Tines; q. T. Lewis, Of the New
York Erening Post; Jos. Harper, of Harpsr's
Weekly; GeOI &c Knapp. OF the ST. Louis Republic
can; and Charles +. Wilson, or the Chicago
JourHd'; are in town.
STATE COURTS CANNOT TAKE CosNGzANce
OF PERJURY COMMITTED BEFORE A UNITED
STATES CoMMIssIoNER.-Mr H. H. Wells,
United States attorney for the eastern district
OF Virginia, informs the Attorney General that,
acting under his instructions, he sued out writ
of hd6eds corpus in the case of q colored man
named Washington Fountleroy, convicted of
perjury committed before United States COM
missioner, and that after argument the court
released the prisoner mainly on the ground that
the. state courts could not take cognizance of
perjury where the offence was committed before
United States commissioner. FOuntleroy. il
may be remembered. was badly beaten
by a white man, who was arrested for
perjury was brought against Fountleroy, and on
trial he was convicted and sentenced to years
imprisonment Having good reason to believe,
from representations made by q number of re-
liable parties, that the arrest and Imprisonment
OF FOuntlerOy had been brought about to nullify
the prosecution which had been instituted
against his assistant. the Attorney General di.
rected the United States attorney to sue out
writ OF hdteds corpus The result is stated above.
SoTHBRN AS DUNDREARY.-There was an
immense house present last night to see Sothern
in his much-takedof personasion of Lord Dun
dreary. The play, "Our American COusin,"a
piece so trivial shallow in plot and silly in dia-
logue as to be utterly beneath criticism, was
parts; the character of ASA Trenchard" being
the central one in the hands OF actors like 10.
jefferson and Clarke. But SOthern, by his re-
maIkable manipulation of the subordinate part
OF Dundredry, has not only rescued the play from
merited oblivion, but has made Dundrearysm
name and type all over the world. Ordinarily
the part OF Dundreary seems a caricature too
distorted for any probability of likeness but
played quietly as it is by SOfhern, and with the
air Of gentleman underneath the eccensrici-
ties, the inconsequential stupdities of his lord
snip seem to come rather from a bdse "used-u up"
state O.. mi ld than from hopeless imbecility
The part Of Asa Trenchard was fairly sustained
by Mr.. Murdoch, and that of Florence Trench
ara with much grace and spirit by May SavilIe.
The other parts were about of an average. The
play, with Sothern as the vapid Dundreary,
Will undoubtedly draw full houses for many
nights.
CIVIL SERVICE RsFoRM.-The Advisory
Civil Service Board has almost completed its
arrangements for carrying into effect the new
civil service rules in their full extent. The ex-
amining boards for the departments, provided
for in the eighth rule have not been designated
yet by the President, but the appointments will
probably not be delayed so as to embarrass or
Tetard the execution Of the plans of the Advisory
Board. The operation of the general plan viii
be somewhat narrowed If Congress shall refuse
to make an appropriation, without which some
machinery much to be desired cannot be organ
at the command Of the President the examine
ton OF POstmasters for instance, scattered ain
over the country, and the officers Of the revenue
service, cannot be made so effective and satisfac-
trry as It might be. Then again it is desirable
that there should be representative in each of
tne departmental boards from outside the ser
vice. This would give an assurance of imnarti.
ailty, and would relieve the executive ficers of
the departments both from false charges of only
germany supporting the system, and from any
temptation to influence the board for political
purposes.