Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-16
WASHINGTON.
Supreme Court Decisions.
The HOrmon Indictments Illegal.
The Status of Ecclesiastical Courts,
The Revenue BiII.

The Revenue Bill.
WASHINGTON, April 15.-The Commit
tee on Ways and Means to-day took off the
stamp duty on matches, making a difference
of two and quarter millions, and reduced
the tariff on copper on an average of one
per cent. The Committee will not report
the revenue and tariff bills till tomorrow.
Important changes have beeh made since
Saturday.
The protectionists on the commit ee
wanted Lhe internal revenue bill to be first
reported TO the House, and voted on before
considering the tariff, so as to revive tobacco
and other domestic interests, and in order
that they might know the extent Of the re-
duction Of the revenue under that bill as a
guide in modifying the tariff, but they were
out voted by the committee. In conse-
quence of this, Representative Burehart, of
the majority, will report the two measures,
the tariff taking precedence. Instead of
tea and coffee being E1ssG on the list, they
are, it is SAID, the last, which win exclude at
the commencement of the consideration of
the bill test on these two articles. 1t is
probable that at some stage Of the proceed
ings a substitute will be offered for the bill
Of the committee, leaving the House to
select between two propositions.
The MorIroA Prosecutions Quashed.
The Supreme Court to-day rendered an
unanimous decision in the Mormon case
Clinton against Englebusch, reversing the
judgement of the Supreme Court of Utah
on the ground that the Jury which tried the
case was not selected il conformity to law ;
! that the summons were invalid and it fol-
! lows that the indictments agains the Nor
mons for leWd and laseiviOus cohabitation
are illegal and all the proceedings had
against them must fall to the ground. The
! decision sustains the position taken by the
Utah District Attorney, Bates. :.
The Church In the State.
Also, in the Presbyterian Church case,
from the Circuit Court of Kentucky, the
| Supreme Court decides that although the
property was in possession of the Chancery
! Court at Louisville, in the suit to decide
/ who were the Trustees entitled to'hold-it,
this fact did not GUST the jjurisdi ction'of the
Circuit Court on the present bill to declare
for whose benefit those whom the State
! courts should decide to be Trustees should
| hold it on IT'S merits. -,
The opinion decides very deliberately the
! question of the relation of the civil courts
| in this country to ecclesiastical bodies and
property, and decides that where ecclesias-
| tical courts are recognized by any church
! organization or denomination as the proper
! tribunal to pass on any ecclesiastical ques-
! tien the civil counts must follow their de-
/ cisiOn, and ought not to attempt to inquire
| into its correctness; and that in this respect
| English and Scotch authorities to the Con-
trary have no proper application to this
country. On this point the decision ex-
pressly overrules the doctrine recently
enunciated by the Court of Appeals in
! Kentucky.
Civil Service Examiners.
J. II. Saville, chief clerk of the Treasury
| Department, E. D. Graves, chief clerk Of
| the TreasUrer's office, and S. j. Kimball
chief ofthe Marine Division of the Treasu-
ry Department, have been appointed a
board of examiners for the Treasury De
partment under the new rules of the Civil
Service Commission.
Yerba BuenR.
The Government Island struggle is ex
pected tomorrow. Managers of the bills
after consultation with California members
consented to further notifications, pro
hiblting warehouseing charges, subjectins
property to local taxation and requiring
bridges to be built according to the plans o
engineers, with long spans. These provis
ions with the requirement of Government
rental, it is claimed, will obviate all objec
tiOns.
Robson.
The Naval Investigation Committee me
this evening. Mr.. Blair said he would pu
in as part of the case the report Of Senate
I'VE published 10 1865 and 1866, which lay
down the principle on which similar claim
to these now pending had been settled an(
the report of Senator Hendricks on the res
olution authorizing the Secretary Of tn
Navy 10 appoint board to examine tn
SecOr claims.
After other testimony which served to eX
Onerate Robson only by proving prOmis
cuous lOoseness in the claims business, tn
committee adjourned until Wednesda.
night.
Mrs. Mason
testified before the Senate Arms COmmitte
to-day that she had applied to the Ordnanc
Bureau and was told by Gen. Dyer he say
no difficulty in the way of lady buyin
arms if able to pay. She testified to a
interview with Peck, who was acting 70
Wand, who was acting for Mckenzie, Wit
was acting for Gambetta. Was sorry +
say no arms were. bought through her in
fluenCe.
Gen. Dyer sent a note to the committee
stating he had no interview at the Hoffman
House with Mrs. Mason.
Alter examining two other witnesses thu
committee adjourned until tomorrow
when the Secretary of War will be exam
ined.
The Worst case of Election Frauds Of
Record.
Special to the Louisville COurier-JournaL
The reports in the contested case Of Gid
dings VS.. Clark, of Texas, have just bee
printed by the House Committee on Elec
tons, and show it to be probably the mos
fragrant ever before Congress. Col. Gid
dings was elected by an immense majority
and, as the sworn testimony shows, Clarl
the sitting member derived his prima faci
seat simply from frauds, to which Gov
Davis was accessory. There are the affidE
Wits Of men concerned in the fraud!
showing that they were acting a
tools of the Radical ring; that the
correspondent with Gov. Davis as one {
themselves, and were advised by him be
fore their trial, to apply for pardon, wit
the intimation that, if convicted, they wOul
be pardoned. The evidence also show
that ballot-boxes were opened and Gliding
tickets taken out by hundreds and Clar
tickets substituted; that Clark, in conve
sation with witness ayerred that 9Th
Governor was determined that he sheul
90 to Congress, and that the President ha
decreed it." The overwhelming evidenc
showing that Col. Giddings was legal
elected. is now before the committee al
the printer. Clark, it now appears, VIII
has not hitherto attempted to take testimC
ny, now asks postponement for that pu
r pose.
NEW YORK,