New-York tribune., 1874-05-18
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
CONDITION OF IMPORTANT BILLS BEFORE CON

WASHINGTON, May II, 1874.


WASHINGTON, May H. 1874.
All the Appropriation bills except three are now
through the House. and one of these-the Post-Ohce
bills about half completed and can be finished in
two or three hours, unless long debate should
snrinp I'D over the paragraph repeating the law atl-
tborizinp the payment of the increased subsidy TO
the Pacific Mail Company. The Pension bill, whlch
will be taken up next can be disposed OF In single
Gav. the only feature III it which Will cause deDate
being the provision reducing the exorbiant ices Oh
nension agents. The other bill is the Sundly civil
Expenses bill, familiarly known as the OlhhiOus
bill Allowing four days for this, and week TO act
unon Senate amendments to the several Appropria-
tion bills undisposed of by that body and upon con-
ference reports and another week TO dispose OF the
Currency bill and the Geneva Award DlIi, IL VIII DC
ccn +Lat the House could easily bring the session
IN a close by the middle or June. Inc senate i
much further behndhand with lts work. put the
nninion prevails among leading senators that pA
the 10Th of that month all necessary business coud
be disposed OF.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN BIBLE So
CIETY.
The fifty-cighth anniversary of the American
Riblc Society was held in the hall of the House OF
ponrosentatives Tonight Addresses were made by
tho President. Rev. DR.. Wm. Ii. Allen of Pennsyl-
vonia. Rev Alexander Mclean of New-iork, Repre-
sentative MAYNARD Of Tennessee, and Prof.. Jhlius
II Steele of Massachusetts, 1t appears by the sec
retarys report that the receipts for the year were
G64 4s6 including $685. 23s for publications, Sl1,2Si
from legacies, Sll5713 from donations. and the re-
r,ainder of the sum from other sources. Inc pay
ments were sell, ,72S; volumes issued, s",9'I;
i,cludino 500 O70 from the Bible House in aeont
forty languages and about 15s,5G3 abroad. me
entire number of volumes issued during 90 ears 10
30 g72. .7sG. The gratuitous work Tor the year
amounted in value TO $3iO,Cii. Ihe nunper VI "?
families visited during the last elghi years is
45G145 The number of families 1onnu uestltutV
Of the Bible Is 4jOO23 destitute families suPpieu
323 537: destitute individuals'suppled IN addion'
2G7 1863 Sabbath and other schools supplied I'lo''
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS EXPEDITION.
There is considerable anxiety felt among those
;pterested here lest the steamer Swaara, placed III
commission for the expedition to observe the transit
of Venus will prove too small TO carry the company
detailed. with its equipment and necessary stores
There has been every disposition in the Navy pe-
partnent 70 furnish all that was asked by tue Coli-
missioner, but for some unexplained reason, the
question of the size of the vessel needed was hot
raade very prominent. There is some talk no" VI
sending a second ship as consort to the o"a.ai"'
This precaution is held TO be good one, even II the
last named ship proves sufficient to aceomlloaaMb M
the party since with vessel an accldeit "hIon
shod render If necessary TO make port ana leihan
| for repairs would defeat the whole object OF tne
| eyunultlOu.