Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-26

| Il pidccu. ms state OF things IS Qalll
growing worse, and commend the sub
ject TO serious consideration. The mis-
sion Of the army to keep the peace
without the power Of removing the cause:
which disturb, has, think, been carried
as far as practicable, and l therefore re-
spectfully recommend that, if it can be
done, the powers of military commander
be greatly increased, or that some other
measure be resorted TO to obtain the de
| sired end.
Gen. Sherman makes the following en-
| dOrSement:
Headquarters of Arny, st. Louis, Jan.
/ 4, 1S75.-This paper is most respectfully
forwarded to the Sectary of War, with the
request that he submit it for personal peru
| sal Of the President. know Of no officer
OF Col. MUrroW's rank who is better quail
| ned 10 speak and write of Imatters like
this, and his opinions are entitled to great
consideration. L profess to have some
knOwiedge Of the people Of that section,
| both white and black, from long residence
among them before the war, and several
visits since; but [ shall not intrude my
opinion in the confusion in which the sub
ject is now enveloped.
w. L. SHERMAN, General.
Buffers Postal Telegraph Bill.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The postal tele-
graph bill, introduced to-day By Mr.. But
Ter, of Massachusetts,, proposes that all tele-
graphic lines Of communication shall be
made pOstrOads, and the Postmaster Gen
eral is authorized to advertise for the trans
mission Of all Government dispatches in
the same manner as the transmission Of
mails are now advertised for.
Section ? provides that all companies
shall receive and forward dispatches from
other companies without any extra charge
for designating the point where the same
came upon its line, and prohibits prefer
ence being given to any class Of business.
Section prohibits the several companies
on land and ocean being interested directly
or indirectly in the collection and trans
mission of commercial news.
Section 4 requires rates for special tele-
grams to newspapers and commercial news
associations to be the same, which rates
shall be publicly displayed, such rates in
no case to exceed the rate charged by the
Associated Press and other press assOcia-
tiOns on the first Of January, 1875.
Sec. 5. Provides that all telegTams shall
be privileged communications in law to
some extent that sealed letters are now,
and the contents shall not be divulged by
any agent or officer Of the company, except
for purposes Of justice, by order Of a court
Of competent jurisdiction.
Sec. 9. Makes the tariff uniform to all
parties for similar services. Government
dispatches when certified by proper officer,
TO have precedence without prepayment, at
rates to be fixed annually by the Postmaster
General; all other kilograms to be trans
mitted in the order received, except those
designated to 60 at night.
Sec. Z makes divulging Of the contents of
any telegram, or Willful delay in sending,
or injury to telegraph lines or apparatus, a
misdemeanor, punishable by fine and i'm
prisonment.
Democratic FIIibusteEing.
Special to the Cincinnati Commercial.
The apprehensiOns that there may be an
extra session Of Congress are not without
foundation. There is an evident dispCsi-
ton on the part O. the Democrats to resort
to filerbUstering, to prevent any legislation
Objectionable to them. Their opposition
has gone further than this. 1t was noticed
that in the vote on the Indian apprOpria-
ton bill, good many Democrats voted for
the ChOctaw claim, IN order to put it on
the bill and then voted against the bill.
The sole purpose Of such votes is to delay
legislation.
1t is certain that the Democrats will re-
sort 10 every expedient TO defeat the army
bill, especially If it shall contain an apprO-
pTiatiOn for two years for the army, as has
been suggested by the Republican caucus.
The effect of the new rule, agreed upon
by the Republican caucus yesterday eve
70,
movements of the Democrats and TO COM
pei the House to take speedy and final ac-
ton upon all important measures. Some
Of the Republicans do not seem inclined to
support this proposed new rule. They as
sign as the reason for their opposition the
belief that the chief purpose Of the rule is
to render the passage Of the appropriation
for the army for two years more practicable. /
Under the present rules it Is entirely within
the power Of the Democratic minority to
prevent the Republican twOthirds from
taking final action upon anything. Forty
votes for it IS sufficient TO command a roll
call. Il would be possible for this miEOr-
ity Of eighty, by alternating in attendance !
upon the House, TO defeat the majority, and
in fact to compel it to surrender from physi- /
cal exhaustion.
Expenses OF Investigating COM
mittees.
The expenses of the Pacific Mail Investi-
CATION Committee are very great. Under
the present law it is necessary TO send a
deputy sergeant-at-arms to subpoena every
witness, as the service cannot be done by
mail or telegraph. The consequence is
that the expenses Of this investigation may
not be much less than those Of the large |
Southern Investigating Committee in past |
years. The money spent by some of these |
latter committees has reached the sum Of |
$4,000.
The Army Appropriation.
1t is now authOritatively stated that in |
none of the recent Republican Caucuses has |
the propriety of apprOpriating for the army
for two years instead Of one been men
toned. The matter has been freely dis |
cuSsed, chiefly by Southern Republicans, |
privately, but it has never been suggested |
in caucus.
Suit Against WhIfeIaw /
Reid.
In the matter of the arrest Of Whitelaw /
Reid, it has been discovered that the Su- |
preme Court Of this district have Unani- /
mOusly decided tha5 a witness in attend /
ance upon a Congressional committee is |
exempted from arrest while going to, in at
upon, and returning from Wash
ingtOn. The decision refers to both civil /
and criminal suits, but there is a limita-
tiOn on the civil suits, that service Of pro-
cess may be had. The court said that a
witness has in this respect exactly the
same privileges as a Congressman. Ac-
cOrding TO this precedent the criminal ac-
ton against Reid must fail, but the civil |
suit may be p Osecuted Either suit could
have been brought in New York in the
United States Courts.
DOn't Want Popular Suffrage.
The result Of careful observation makes
it apparent that at least seven-eights Of the
property holders Of the District are opposed
10 the passage Of a law that will constitute
any District offices to be filled by popular
elections. On the other hand, the late
Ring, combining with the colOred people,
are making formidable effort to secure a
suffrage provision in the new Law for the
government OF the District.
The people are somewhat disposed to
that their interests are being neg
lected by Congress. They have a debt of
about twenty-three millions, imposed by
the maladmlnistratiOn of the Shepherd
Cooke government, and with prOperty