Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-20

the nlted States and Cuba with regard to
the exchange of mails. About twelve
years ago an effort was made by this Gov
| ernment to effect such an arrangement.
After corresponding with the Captain Gen
eral, who was in favor of it, the matter was
referred to the Spanish Government which
seemed to take no interest in the negotia-
ton. By law applicable to that island,
all mail matter must pass through Havana
and other postoffices, where it is not unrea-
sonable to suppose there is a searching ex-
animation as to the characterof the letters
and printed papers, and that some of them
do not reach the persons 10 whom they are
addressed. Commercial letters are permit
ted to be sent from Havana to the United
States without Government control.
The Postoffice Department has conelud-
ed partial postal card arrangement with
Germany.
Bankruptcy Decision.
Attorney-General Williams, on the ques-
tion submitted to him by the Secretary of
the Treasury, decides that payment made
| by debtor 10 creditor who has commit
ted an act of bankruptcy, and against whom
proceedings in bankruptcy have been insti-
tuted and are pending, but who has not
yet been adjudged bankrupt, will not be
valid in the event Of an adjudication of
bankruptcy in such proceedings, if pay
ment is transferred subsequent to filing of
petition therein, and that payment made
by debtor to creditor who is known to have
committed an act of bankruptcy, but
against whom proceedings have not at the
time been taken, is valid in so far as it is
affected by existing bankruptcy laws.
Richardson InterVieWed-The Treas
ury Equal to the Emergency.
Secretary Richardson in conversation
with a representative Of the Associated
Press to-day, Stated:.7I have every con-
fidence in Secretary Fish. He will do just
right, and you may rest assured he will not
be carried away by excitement; neither
will he yield one bit of national honor. In
reference to the ability of the United States
to wage successful war with Spain,
should it be found necessary to resort to
arms. he said should such course
| be determined upon, the Treas
ury Department is fully prepared.
| We have enough money to commence
with, but exactly as to what viii be done
| afterwards depends upon the prolOngatiOn
of the war, though 1 have no doubt it
would be of short duration. As Congress
will be here in two weeks, it is very GER
tain there win be no difficulty in raising
| all the means We want. War, of course, Will
| be expensive, as it requires large sums of
money to move armies and fit out ships,
but we are equal to the emergency. He
was then asked the question do you find
the Cabinet warlike ? And upon, being
answered that the sentiment seemed to be
! tOuphold national honor. He repeated, the
! opinions of A1r. Fish are correct, and the
Treasury Department is prepared to main
tain these opinions.
| Question-Do 1 understand, Judge, that
you are in favor of the annexation Of Cuba?
| Answer after significant silence-While
| do not say what l am in favor of, l dOsay
that | will stand by Mr.. Fish, andwhatever
the State Department does. | believe the
Secretary of State is careful, cautious and
| iudicious man and that he will not get us
into embaTrassments. That is my decided
opinion. have not given much attention
to the subject in its present shape. 1t be-
longs entirely to the Department of State.
| assume that if we had war with Spain it
would result in the annexation Of Cuba.
The Secretary was then asked if the ac-
quisition of that island would not mater
tally disaTTange our tariff system, to which
he replied: At first, of course, it would
| upset everything. as we would lose a large
! sum of money the first year from import
duties on sugar and tobacco, which we now
receive; but after that our internal collec-
tiOns on these articles, especially on tobacco
would more than compensate for that loss.
Question-Wouid it not be necessary to
keep a large army of custom officers there
Answer-YeS; it would be great place
for smuggling. 1t would necessitate the
establishment of custom houses all along
the coast. and as there is such an extent OF
coast, many persons would have to be EN-
plOyed to guard it.
The Secretary was asked if the Depart
partment officially knew of the past history
of the Virginius? He replied it did, the
vessel having been twice owned by the
Government. Once she belonged to the
division of captured and abandoned prop
ety of the Treasury, by which she wa:
sold, and again in 1870 she was seized al
Mobile for debt of the defaulting Assistant
Treasurer. She was then brought to the
Potomac and sold to New York MAJ
named Patterson. Her name was then the
Virgin. but upon being taken to New Ork
her name was changed to Virginius, anC
the vessel which captured her, the Tornado
were both built on the Clyde by the same
builders for blockade runners during tn,
war.
Activity in the Navy Yards.
Unusual activity prevails in the Washing
ton Navy Yards, and in some department
over time is being made. \ large force i
at work on the steamer Shumat, third class
two guns, belonging to the North Atlanti
station, and the Tallapoosa, transport,
, paddle-wheel steamer, is being rapidly re
paired. A large force is engaged in tn
Ordnance Department.
Exchange of Postal Cards.
Arrangements have been entered int
between the United States and German
for the exchange Of postal cards of the tw
countries to go into effect on the LIST OF De
cember, 1873. The arrangement is pre-
cisely the same as with the Canadian Gov
| ernment.
Spain to Comply with all Proper De
mands of this Government.
The impression is general in official an
r other circles here to-day, that the SPANS
government is disposed to make every et
fort to settle impending difficulties, AM
r gentlemen who hold intimate personal re
atiOns with the President, assert their be
p lief that war will not arise from preSen
I | complications, inasmuch as Spain, through
3 | CASTELAR,, has given assurances that all prol
er demands from this government will b
complied with.
' A letter was received in this city to-da
from Gen. Longstreet offering the service
4 of 25.000 men to the government shoul
1 necessity arise therefor.
schemes for Imitation. yss5
S Special to the Cincinnati Commercial,
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-SenatOr Shel
S man, Chairman of the Finance Commit
l tee, expresses the opinion that all scheme
4 of imitation coming up from the House wi
: be stopped in the Senate. The prominen
champions of imitation are Butter, kelle
and ParsOn BrownlOw. Most OF the ol
and prominent members of the House {
Representatives discountenance imitation.
S senator Sherman's Last Election.
e Since the revolution in the Legislator
d of Ohio, it has been mOoted here that a
1 investigation will be ordered this wintt
4 into the manner OF tho election of Senate
= John Sherman, who, it viii be remembere
f was declared elected while several Demo
: cratic members were about changing thei
e votes to Liberal Republican.
:, A social Event.
The only social event which promises
I, enliver the winter, is the marriage al