The Portland daily press., 1875-01-22

dSbeNeSNA
tive appropriation bill, striking out the clause
providing for new bureau of commerce, but
appropriated $4,000 for the continuation OF
the present bureau of statistics In the House,
Mr.. Storms of Pennsylvania Indignantly denied
auy connection with the subsidy business.
Similar denials were made by Sypher OF La,
Chittender of New York, and, by telegraph, by
Dan VOORHEES, and Boyd Winchester. A reso-
luton vas adopted constituting select COM
mittee to see whether the privileges OF the
House had been violated by the arrest of
Whiteaw Reid for libel, while he was wit
ness summoned by the House. Butler opposed
the resolution, but it was passed by large
vote.
THE GREAT SCANDAL.
The Beecher trial drags along and is likely to
continue until warm weather. The interest," does
not abate in the least, the court room and cor
ridors are crowded and thousands are turned
away. The parties to the trial sit in the room,
apparently the most unperturbed and uncon-
cerned of any Of the audience. MIS-. Hilton
still continues her presence. Mrs. Beecner slts
beside her husband and several ladies in the
Plymouth church circle attend upon the scan-
dal Beecher is daily presented with flowers
and Tilton's friends, not to be outdone, in this
kind of warfare have decked his desk OF late
with similar tokens of their confidence. Judge
Morris concluded his opening last week and
was congratulated by Mr.. B eecher in manner
which seemed to indicate that his arraignment
had not seriously affected his spirits. His
opening is generally considered an able one AMI
set forth the alleged facts plainly and Skill
fully. Francis D. Moulton was then called
and examined by plaintiffs counsel. He APP
peared cool and collected and gave
his testimony without any apparent strlV-
ing for effect, though occasionally his animus
was made manifest by a sheer or sarcastic
turning of an answer. His story was in effect
the one he has already told and contained
nothing new. On Monday ex-Judge Porter
commenced his cross-examinaton and it is
likely to continue several days. 1t is not
known who will be called next, but when Til
ton is called there is to be an attempt to keep
HIM off the stand on the ground that he cannot
testify in a case affecting his wifes honor
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The President has signed the specie payment
bill aud it is now law. A special message On
the subject matter of the bill may be found in
another column.
In the Pacific Mail Investigation last Thurs
| day several of the parties implicated in Aberts
| list testified, giving explanations more or less
satisfactory. Piatt said he received the
money to pay his note to Irwin from William
Nealy Thompson, who had no connection with
| the Pacific Mail subsidy. He said he knew of
| no member of Congress who had been paid
| money to vote for the subsidy. Monday White
law Reid, editor of the New York Tribune,
| was before the committee, and was questioned
| as to his knowledge of the subsidy He stated
| that Irwin had told him that some $500, 600 was
| spent in procuring the subsidy. He suggested
| that the committee might gain some light by
| examining the books of Rufus Hatch & Co.,
| and by calling Judge Pierrepont. With regard
| to the intimation that the committee were not
examining the scandal fully, he stated that this
| charge resulted from the fact that they had not
| examined the accounts of the Sergeant-at
| Arms though he had no conclusive evidence
| that this had not been done. When called upon
| to state the names of the committee whose
l names he had heard connected with the scam
1 dial, he named Dawes and Wood, though he
| added that he had no evidence against either of
| them, but got what information he had from
| Wall street rumor brought to him by report
| er. Tuesday G. D. Wetmore, correspondent OF
l the Alta California, was call led apd asked what
| authority he had for stating tina It Mr.. Beck was
l connected with the scandal, and stated that he
had been told so but refused to reveal by
| whom. His case was brought before the House,
| Irwins attempt to get out of Jail by an ap-
peal to court has failed, the judge deciding that
| the case did not come within his jurisdiction.
| Vice President Wilson has written letter to
| the Springfield Republican, in which he argues
| that the Republican party is not dead, and that
| it cannot die except from suicide. He advises
| concilatory treatment of the Liberal Republl-
| cans in order to win them back.
The War Department has received despatch
| from Gen. Sheridan stating that there is an or
| ganized persecution of negroes at Shreveport,
| and predicting conflict between the whites
| and blacks.
| CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
The British steamer Bride, from Alexandria
| to Hull, has been lost and twenty of the pas
| sengers and crew drowned.
The steamship Alice, from Cardiff for Con-
| stantinople, has been lost at sea and twenty
| persons drowned.
A fire in Ratland Vt, Thursday, destroyed
| property to the amount of 100000. 1t was
| the most disastrous conhagration ever known
| in that town. A large number of families
| were burnt out, in many cases losing every
| thing.
A fire in Utica, N. Y, Friday, destroyed
| property to the amount of $4,000
A fire took place in the hosiery mill of Har-
| der & Sons at Philmont Sunday. Loss $4,000
| The disaster throws one hundred men out of
| employment.
| A letter from Hon. S. Dole, Pennsylvania,
| states that a young woman named Crsey
| Walker the daughter of wealthy farmer at
| White Valley, Wednesday, under the influence
of religious fanaticism, built an altar and then
| laid herself thereon and burned herself to
| death.
| The passenger train going east on the Fort
| Wayne Railroad, was thrown from the track
near Osceola, Indiana, Saturday morning. by a
broken rail- The train was totally wrecked,
| and it is reported that two persons were killed
| and large number injured.
Michael Murphy and his threechildren were
| badly frozen in their house at Niagara, On
tarie Friday night. All have died but one
| child.
Two men entered the First National Bank
at Corbondale, Fa., Thursday, gagged the
cashier and carried off $4,000. Two men
| were arrested subsequently on suspicion.
There was revolt at the Jefferson City, Mis-
souri,, penitentiary Monday, of some three hun
bred convicts, on account of the alleged bad
quality of the food. 1t was suppressed by the
citizens arriving and manning the walls, when
the convicts seeing no prospect of success, re-
tired to their cells,
BY fire in a tenement house in Brooklyn,
Tuesday night, six persons were killed either
by suffocation or jumping from windows.
Whitelaw Reid was arrested Monday for Ii
bel, on complaint of 'Boss" Shepherd.
FOREIGN.
The most notable event of the week in for
eign affairs is the retirement of Mr.. Gladstone
from the leadership of the Liberal party. 1t
has long been known that Mr.. Gladstone de-
sired to escape from participation in political
affairs and 70 devote himself exclusively to lit
erary pursuits; but his party did not expect
him to retire so soon. His successor will prob
L Y octa+ Of or.