The New York herald., 1874-12-15
A Committee Appointed to Investigate the
VickSburg Troubles.
OUR KINGLY VISITOR.
Pacific Mail Personalities In the
House. ",
EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS.
The Insurance Claimants Of the
Geneva Award,

WARRINGTON, Dec. IA, 1874.
Lively Times In tho House-Enort TO
Repeal the 'sGag Law'' Postponed-
''Side Meat Charlic." OF Aiabama-Tho
Democrats Asking Disagreeable Ques-
ttons.
The Rouse had lively though prief day which
began with the rejection OF Mr.. Pneips' motion
to suspend the rules In order to consider the
repeal of the "Gag law" Only four republicans
voted with Mr.. Phelps, ana his bill was afterward
sent to the Judiciary Committee.
Then the democrats began to worry the republi.
cans. FIRST Mr.. Caldwell, OF Alabama, offered q
resolution calling on the War Department for In
ormation concerning the manner In which United
States troops were used on election day In Ala
bama, and concerning the distribution Of provi-
stons to the sufferers Dy the hoods the Alabama
Tombigbee and Warrior rivers under joint reso-
luton for their relief adopted at the last session.
The joint resolution provided that the supplies
should be distributed by army officers to actual suf
1erers but It Is charged, and apparently on good
evidence, that The whole supply which consisted
OF bacon, was shipped to republican members Q I
Congress, the Governor having made ont list OF
these gentlemen beforehand, with their ad.
dresses. They are naturally supposed to have
put the bacon ''where 1t would do the most goods
and the comical part Of the story is that in the
nrst place there was no 1oodsof kind to cause
suffering or loss, and, secondly. the district liable
to be overnowed, being democratic, received no
supplies. Bacon is called s'side meatn In the
South. and they say that Congressman Hayes
VINO engineered the distribution OF supplies, and
at the same time furnished General Hawley with
interesting Southern outrages, is now known in
Alabama as 'Side Meat Charley"
Unfortunately the republican side OF the House
m mi coof fhn inRo
know what had become OF the 100000 worth OF
bacon, for when the resolution OF inquiry came to
. vote 1t was lost. Next, Mr.. Beck offered
resolution for SPECIAL inquiry into the
'safe burglary" affair, but the republicans did
not care to know any more about that AFFAIR
either. Mr.. Beck's resolution was lost also.
some Of the republicans were not well pleased
with the days work and thought that the party
ought not to be placed In the false position OF
avoiding exposure. Others, too, were really
curious to know something about the 'ssate burg
larry" case and about the relations Of distinguished
persons to the principal actors IN 1t; bur the ma
)ority begin to act more as solid mass tnan wnen
congress first met and there is q strong dlsposi-
ton to harmonise. The Western innatlonists are
less outs goKen, ana Mr.. Kelley, whose bill may
come up for further debate tomorrow. does not
any longer threaten to leave the party.
In the course Of the morning Mr.. Randall, demo-
crat, OF Pennsylvania, asked Mr.. Richard G. Par
sons, republican, OF the Cleveland district In Ohio,
whether he could say to the House that he had
never been employed by the Pacific Mail
Company. Mr.. Parsons replied that he mad
been so employed. but 1t was when he
was not member Of Congress. The new pro-
penstty OF democrats to ask questions Is disagree
BILE to the other side. Mr.. Parsons acxnowledg
ment that he had been employed Dy the Pacific
Nail viii be apt to decrease any influence he may
have had IN Congress, for there is disposition to
regard with suspicion members who have had
onacial relations with corporations like the Pacific
MAIL the Texas Pacific, or the Northern Paclfc
which come here seeking subsidies.
Loahng Day In the Ssnate-Ths District
OF Columbia scheme.
The Senate spent the greater part Of the day in
quiet conversation letter writing. while the Clerk
was reading aloud the $50 or more pages in which
the proposed government for the District OF Colum-
bia is described. Whoever prepared this scheme
js likely to get raped the knuckles before 1t
becomes q law. unless 1t should set all the Sena-
tors asleep.
The Pr0position to Raise tho Tax on
Whiskey-Its Unpleasant Effect Pre-
dtcted.
The proposition TO raise the tax on whskey ten
cents gallon Is found to be about as good
means OF increasing the revenue as Mr.. Kelley's
Imitation bill is OF resumtng specie payments. The
Committee OF Ways and Means have discovered
bhst the country has now on hand about A. OoO 900
gallons OF whskey-s oO0 900 In bond and &c. O00 900
In private hands-mostly held for speculation.
The excise all this is already paid and to raise
the duty now would simply stop the manufacture
until the stock on hand is largely reduced. Thus
1t would actually decrease the revenue rom whis-
key for the nrst year at least, while 1t would put
Evo nj II kQ nj NJ
provident people who own the ; on hand.
Under these circumstances 1t Is not probable that
the whiskey tax will be raised.
Vhe Astronomical observatory To Be
Established In California with the
Lick Fund-A Gigantic Telescope To
BE Constructed.
Professor Simon Newcomb has been requested
BY the trustees OF the Lick Fund to make investi-
cations necessary to determine where and for
what price the great equatorial telescope may be
constructed, which Is to be the pride OF the new
California Observatory. He will sail for Europe In
. few days, on duty for the Naval Observatory,
and will visit LORD Ross observatory IN Ireland
ana the Paris, Berlin and other noted observa-
tores in Europe. The Lick Fund for building an
observatory amounts to 100000. OF this 1t is be-
lieved $13O,0o0 viii 60 for the telescope alone,
which will probably have an object glass OF thirty
four or tnlrty-six inches diameter, eight or ten
Inches greater than that now in place at the wash
ington Observatory, which IL the largest refractng
telescope In the world. Professor Newcomb viii
visit the glass factories at Birmingham
and Paris to see where the glass can be procured
Of the requisite quality for 30 large lens. Glass
or the best quality for such purposes hos not yet
been produced In this country.
The Herald's Transit Of Venus News In
Washington-Ths Expected Accounts
by Mail.
The astronomers here are greatly delighted and
surprised with the telegrapnic news which the
HERALD gave them from the transit stations.
Some time will elapse before they expect news BY
mail from the different expeditions. The author.
tiles In the Observatory here have been since the
spring OF 1874 In communication with consuls and
other government ofacers residing In those parts
0f the earth where tha tranait of Wanna m uld be