The New York herald., 1874-12-15

oVcr premiums or otner gains or war rl6kB, ana
provides that any insurance claimants excluded
BY this prohibition. shall have the like period Of
time within which to present and prove their
claim as they would have had not 30 excluded
The silver and Gold Product-Demand
for the Trade Dollar.
Dr. Lnderman, Director Of the Mint, has been
making inquiries az 10 the probable amount OF
gold and silver which will be mined this year
with q view OF regulating coinage at the mints
Mr.. L. A. Garnett, manager of the refining works
In San Francisco. telegraphs to him December IL
that the recent discoveries on the Comstock Lode
are said to exceed eli former developments. The
production OF bullion being limited only by the
milling capacity win prooabIy be $4,000, 600 an
nuaiiy from April next. averaging forty per cent
g0id and the production Of portable gold will be
from SIS, 900 to $4,000, ,ooo depending upon the
rainfall. rms was response TO the question,
What amount OF portable bullion containing gold
VIII be produced per annum from the mines Of the
Pacific coast during the next two years pOr-
ton or the mixed bullion from Nevada will nave
TO be refined At the Assayer's ofice In New York,
the refining capacity Of the Pacific coast not being
sufficient, and therefore arrangements VIII be
made for that purpose.
The operations OF the San Francisco Mint were
interrupted for nearly month by the transfer OF
business from the old to the new buildings, but
operations have been RECOMMENDED with such In
creased facilities to meet all demands for gold
and silver coin. The presen. demand for the
trade dollar Is 100000 q month and Is constantly
increasing. The Mexican silver dollar continues
at discount.
Prospects OF the Cotton Crop.
The cotton product OF 1874 as estimated by the
cotton growers In their returns to the Department
OF Agriculture, somewhat exceeds $500 900 bales.
The yield per acre is reported less than in 1873.
In most Of the states the weather for rpening ana
gathering the top crop has been very favorable.
The reports are nearly unanimous In stating that
the proportion Of lint to seed is large. The per-
centages or last years. aggregate OF bales in the
principal cotton states are as ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
80; North Carolina 3d.; South Carolina o.;
Georgia, o3; Florida, 100; Alabama. 95; Mississippi
90; Louisiana, SO; Texas, 90; Arkansas, 90; Ten.
nessee, 81. This result corresponds very closely
with the indications OF the monthly statements Of
the condition made by the department. during the
season, which have been printed, and show q
larger crop than the reports of The cotton ex-
changes.
Health OF tho President.
President Grant Is In his usual health and at
tended to ofdcial business to-day. large num-
Der OF callers were received, including many men,
bers Of both houses or Congress.
The Pacific Mail Inquiry-Irwin's An.
tictpated Developments Suspicious
Intima ti0ns or Facts.
Richard Irwin to-day arrived here by the after
noon train and will be examined tomorrow be-
fore the Committee OF Ways and Means. He Is
well and seems full OF courage and determina-
tlon. he says his testimony and proofs will
unless Mr.. Sage retraces some parts OF
his testimony, enable him to cause sage to be i'm
prisoned, and that he means to have policemen
ready to take him o6. He says he will clear his
own character and record, and does not care who
suffers; that he has always been ready and
anxious for trial or investigation; that he has
repeatedly received assurance from Sage and
Hatch that they and the company had nothing
against him; shat the accounts have been badly
Kept and misstated; that there is nobody in the
company who knows how to manage steamship,
and that he Is ready to be thoroughly examined
as to all he has done Tor or In connection with the
company.
The company, however, mean also to ask him
what were his relations to individual Congress-
men whether he paid any money TO members and
to whom, ana whether In any details he used cor
rupt or improper means TO influence Congressman
in favor Of the subsidy grant; also who were the
persons through whom he worked and what innu-
ences they used.
There is great deal Of curiosity here as 10 how
freely Irwin will answer. His examination Will be
conducted In private by the committee until they
ascertain from him the names Of persons whom he
used as attorneys or helpers In his
efforts to obtain the subsidy for the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company. These persons
1t is intended at once to subpoena for examination.
1t is understood that the names he will give will
be of persons who were not at that time men,
bers OF Congress. Irwin ls accompanied by his
counsel Mr.. Chapman OF New YORK. General
Butler will demand full and thorough examna-
tion OF all persons concerned in TWINS transac.
tions.
The Committee ON Foreign Relations.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Will
hold their first meeting of this session tomorrow.
Senator Cameron said to-day that the committee
had nothing OF grayer Importance before 1t than
o sick King.
MutiIatiOn OF the Congressional Record.
To-day Mr.. Speer, OF Pennsylvania, offered
resolution, which was referred to the Committee
on Rules. calling attention to the fact that
members were In the habit OF mutilating
the Record by Withholding their speeches
and changing the tenor OF their remarks.
The Speaker promptly referred the matter to the
committee. 1t Ii said that several important
speeches made in the House have never appeared
in the Record.
Amount Of Southern Claims to BE Paid.
The report OF the Southern Claims Commission
to-day sent to Congress Ia In favor OF paying
$77o.ooo and REJECTS $4,44o.ooo OF claims.
Exclusion Of Co1ored Children from the
Common Schools In Indiana-Appeal
to the Supreme Court Through Con.
gress.
Senator Morton to-day presented lengthy me-
moral from the coored citizens Of Indiana, pray
ing Congress to take cogntzance OF the late decl-
sion Of the Supreme Court Of that State, exclud-
ing colored children from the common schools,
and followed this up with resolution instructing
the Attorney General to sue out q writ Of
error to the Supreme Court OF the United States
so as 70 bring the case IN review before that tri-
bunal. Opinions vary among jurists ~ to
whether this decision can properly come un-
der the Jurisdiction OF the Supreme Court,
as 1t 10 contended by many that the grounds
upon which 1t is based do not come under