Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-04-23
TELEGRAPIC SUMMARY.
investigation Of Postal Frauds.


to investigate alleged scandals, brides and
corruptions in regard to new postoffice APP
pointees in that State. No action will be
taken until he reports.
The Board of supervising inspectors of
steamboats,, ID. ID. Smith, Inspector Cen
eral, are now in session in Washington.
AT their meeting to-day, the committee on
boilers and machinery was instructed to
report TO the Board the draft of a circular
to be distributed among iron manufactu-
ries, boilor makers and inspectors. On
the inspection of boiler plates, it was re-
solved that the department circular,
requiring one copy of each certificate of
the inspector to be returned to the depart
ment, is unnecessary, and that the Secre-
tary of the Treasury be requested to abol-
ish the same, and it was also resolved that
hereafter only two certificates of inspee-
ton shall be required on all tug, tow and
freight steamers. .-.ts..
The following resolution was referred to
the committee on rules and regulations:
Resolved, That hereafter fire extinguish-
ers shall not be required on tug, tow or
freight steamers, neither shall the same be
required on passenger steamers of less
than one hundred tons.
The following are the regular commit
tees for the year 1873 On amend
ments to the law, Shepard, Rogers and
Carr Rules and regulations, DevOnny,
Stephenson and Shepard Discipline of IL
censed officers, Burnett, Devonny and
Stephenson Annual reports on printing
and blank forms, Carr, Ralph and Low
Boilers and machinery, Low, Bemis and
Rogers Guage, safety valves, fusible plugs
and instruments, Dennis, Menshaw and
Shepard Fire apparatus, Rogers, Burnett
and Ralph Life-saving apparatus, Mem
shaw, Bemis and Burnett Pilot rules,
lakes and seaboard Ralph, Low and Men,
shaw: Pilot rules of Western rivers, Ste
phenson, Devonny and Carr.
The Attorney General has no advices
from Grant parish, Louisiana. He thinks
the affair has been exaggerated.
The President and family have gone to
st. Louis for three weeks.
A high military officer says it will take
weeks to finish the Modocs.
The Supreme Court confirms the decis-
ion of the Supreme Court of Illinois, that
women are ineligible to that bar. Judge
Chase dissented.
Important Supreme Court Opin ion.
The Supreme Court of the United States
to-day announced the following opinion !:
Tappine versus the United States appeal
from the Court of Claims. The Court of
Claims in this case gave judgment against
the applicant on q claim for cotton deliv-
eredsto the agents of the Government I'M
der the act giving permission to persons
sympathZing with the rebellion to sell
them cotton providing they would give
One-fourth thereof to the United States.
The cotton was turned over to the Gov
eminent on the 25th of July. On the oath
the President had issued proclamation
removing the restrictions on trade in the
district where the cotton was delivered,
the Red River district, and it was on that
day filed in the State Department, but il
was not promulgated through the public
press until the Goth. The Court of Claims
held that it was not valid until published
and it was not published until promul.
gated, as stated. The court reverse that
Judgment with directions to the Court OF
Claims to enter judgment for the appel.
liant, holding that the only way to guard
against the mischief arising from the un.
certainty of parol proof as to the time o.
publication is to apply the same legal pre-
sumption to the proclamation that is ap
piled to statutes, that is, they had a valiC
existence at the beginning of the day OF
their date and in the absence of fraud tC
permit no inquiry on the subject. Mr.
Justice Swayne delivered the opinion ant
Mr.. Justice Bradley dissented.
Bloody Fight.
NEW ORLEANS, April 15.-The steamer
Southwestern brings the following from
Grant parish: About 400 negroes had bar.
ricaded themselves in Colfax Court House
we'll armed. A force of $50 men from tn,
surrounding parishes gathered and mad'
an attack on the Court House at o'clocl
Sunday. The negroes took refuge inside
the Court House. After considerable fight
ing the negroes displayed flag of truce
Several detachments moved on the Cour
House, when the negroesaopened fire upoI
them. Capt. Harderat was shot in tn
bowels, it is feared fatally. The detach
ments retreated outside the breastworks
AS an only means OF disiodging the ne
groes, the Court House was fired, and tn
negroes were shot as they came from th
burning building.
1t is reported that so or 100 negroes wer
killed. There were none to be found 70
miles around. The ringleaders and whit
allies escaped. The Captain of the South
western confirms the above. He saw Is O
20 dead negroes and brought Wounds
whites to Alexandria. All was quiet whel
the Southwestern left ColfaX Sunday even
ing r
A Murderer I'm Custody.
MEMPHIS, April l5.-An unsuccessful
attempt has been made for the release O
"a writ of habeas corpus of Vaughn, unde
arrest for the murder of Gen. HindmaI
1t is understood he has made u confessio
duplicating persons in Helena, but the pc
lice authorities refuse to give any informs
ton concerning the case.
The Louisiana War.
NEW ORLEANS, April lit is under
stood that one hundred Metropolitans hay
arrived as infantry and one battery wit
two Napoleons, left this city for the inter
or, it is supposed for Colfax, the FEEDERS