Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-09
Arkansas.

SFICIAL MISS AGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
The following is the Presidents message on
STAR;
EXECUTIVE MANSION. Feb s, 1875.
To the N'3JTfe Of ne United lS'HtcS-
Herewith have the honor to send i'm ac-
cordSnce with the resolution of the Senate Of
the @d instant. all the information i'm nv
possession rot heretofore furnished, relating
10 affairs in the state Of Arkansas. | will
venture TO express the opinion that all the
testimony shows that i'm the election of 1S72
Joseph Brooks was lawfully elected governor
OF that state: that he has been uulawfiIIly
deprived OF the possession of his Office since
mat time: that in 1NT+ the constitution of the
state was, by violence, Intimidation and
revolutionary proceedings. OVerthTOWn. and
new constitution adopted end new state
government established. These prOcep,Ifpgg
II permitted To stand, practically ignore AN
iiShtS by mdJOrltleS In all the states. \ $50,
what IS there 10 prevent each OF the states
recently readmittCd to federal relations on
certain conditions from changing their con-
SJlutlons and violating their pledges. if this
action i'm Arkansas is acqUieSced in? / re-
specially submit whether a precedent so
dangerous tO the stability OF state govern
ment. II not the national government also.
should be recognized by Congress. ! earnest
~ ask that Congress will take definite ac-
llon IN this matter 10 relieve the Executive
from acting upon questions which should be
decided by the legislative branch of the gov
eminent. L s GRANT
Mr.. r. \. PROCTOR AND THE TRANSIT OF
NENUS.-Mr. f. y. Proctor, writing to the
London Times respecting a letter addressed
by Dr. PhipSOu to a French journal, express
ing the opinion that the recent transit 0bser-
YatiOnS are useless because the earth is con
unually drawing nearer to the sun, observes
mat II would be something beyond a Joke if
DT PhipSOn was right, and, therefore. il may
be as well TO point out that. while during the
last century there has been uncertainty
about the sun 5 distance, even to the extent
Oi millions of miles. astronomers are abSO-
IUtely certain that the distance has no: va
Tled by hundred, or even by ten miles dur
ing that time. II the earth had. a mas been
stated, drawn nearer by one thirtieth Of her
formCr distance, the length Of the year
would have changed by One-twentieth Of its
former length, or by 1S days. \ change Of
only 10 miles IN the loo years would CORE
SlOAu 10 ci1Hge Oi more than three
hundred miieS since the length OF the
year was first determined very exactly.
This would be about a G00,O01th OF the suns
distance, and the length Of the year wOulJ
nave been changed 10y about a 25O.OlJth
Iart-that IS, by about Two minutes AMI a
half Now IL i known that tho Cualdean sill
erai year, probably far more ancient than
the above reasoning assumes, contained 5rj
days, hours, and 1lminuteS. being not quite
TWO minutes too great The suns distance
mlght, therefore, be diminished by about
eight miles per century. But in reality We
nave no evidence in support Of such a theory;
seeing that the ChsldeanS prOfeSSedly select
ed Such value for the year as would make
their Sdf0S contain an exact number OF hours.
Considering that astronomers will be well
satisfied if they can determine the suns dis
tance within 100000 miles il is clear Mr.
Proctor says that the maximum change OF
distance we can admit, by which 1000. 900
years would be required to bring the earth
100000 miles nearer TO the sun, is not q yerv
important point in the inquiry.