Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-23

n.
SECRETARY ROBEsoN has gone to Phila-
delphia on brief visit. He expects to re-
turn TO Washington tomorrow.
Mr.. THORP, the portrait painter, is al the
the Executive Mansion painting portraits OF
members of the Presidents family. His pOr-
trait of the President. just finished, is con-
sidered one of his best efforts.
AT THE WHITE HOUsE-SenatOr HamIin
and Representatives PendletOn, Rusk, Haw-
ley, Lynch, Maynard, Chittenden, Hayes.
Bass and Merriam had audience with the
President this morning previous to the meet
ing OF the Cabinet.
THE SENATE Committee on Appropria-
tiOns to-day finished the consideration of the
army appropriation bill, and agreed TO report
II to the Senate with unimpOrtant amend
mentS. The committee now have no other
appropriation bills before them.
BILLS for the relief of John b. Tyler. of
Kentucky, John l.. Williams, of New York
and y. II. Dunphe, of Massachusetts, were
received by the President on the 10th instant,
and not having been returned to the House
in which they originated within the tendays
prescribed by the constitution, have become
laws without his approval.
SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GEN
EEAL ROUTT has rendered To the President
his resignation of that position, to take effect
tomorrow, the oath inst. Postmaster Gen
eTal Jewell, in transmitting the resignation
expresses his regret at losing the services OF
Mr.. ROutt, but cOngratulates him Oh his ap-
POintment as Governor OF Colorado.
CONGRESSMAN COBB'S CHARGE AGAINST
Jos. B. STEwART.-JoSeph b. Stewart was
brought into the Police Court this morning
by Lieut.. Kelly, on a warrant sworn out by
stephen n. Cobb, Representative in Con-
gTeSs from Kansas, charging Stewart with
obtaining sos by false pretences. Mr. Stew
art waived an examination and was held for
action of the grand jury. bonds in the sum of
8 SEQ being fixed. Judge Paschal entered upon
his bond.
THE DISTRICT TAX BILL.-The House
Committee on the District of Columbia will
mold Special meeting tomorrow morning
TO perfect another tax bill. 1t will embOiy
the same features and rate of taxation pro-
yided for in the one which received such III
treatment in the House last night. IL will
the House is operating under the suspension
of The rules. which will prevent debate and
amendments.
THE LOUISIANA CONTESTED CoNGRES-
sIONAL ELECTIONS.-The House Committee
on Elections has finally decided the cases of
Effingham Lawrence against J. Hale Sypher,
from the 1St Louisiana district and of q 90 \.
Sheridan and i. y. s. Pinchback, both of
whom claim to be elected from the state at
large for Louisiana. 1t was decided bya
vote of six TO five that Sheridan and Law
renee were entitled 10 the seats. The vote is
three democrats and three republicans in
lavOr OF seating the democratic contestants
THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE held a
meeting to-day and agreed 10 report bill
authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
purchase the Freedmens bank building i'm
this city, at sum not 10 exceed S3I5.ODO.
The committee authorized Mr.. Morrill,, of
Vermont, to offer resolution TO the effect
that the committee are agreed as To the ne
ceSSity of establishing another mint i'm the
west, and requesting the President to inves-
tIgate and report at which point in his judg-
ment the new mint should be located.
News FROM THE TRANSIT OF VENUS
PARTIEs.-Dispatches have been received
from Captain Chandler, commanding the
Swatara, dated at Port Chalmers, New Zea-
land. January 18th, ut which place he ar
rived the day previous from Chatham's
Island. The party at Chatham Island were
in good health. The transit operations were
not very successful at that point although
several photographs were taken and some
necrOmetic measurements. The Swatara
expected 10 leave Port Chalmers January
18th, stop at Bluff HarbOr, and Ia l1e on board
the Queenstown party, and then proceed to
HObaTttOwn. Her arrival at the latter
place is reported on February iSt. DIR. Peters
during his stay in New Zealaad received
every hospitality, and railway and tele-
graph facilities were freely and generously
rendered without cost. Captain Chandler re-
ports similar welcome and assistance from
all the British colonies visited. DIR. Peters
party observed both contacts and succeeded
ID getting 81 photographs.
TROUBLE BREWING IN SOUTH AMER
ICA.-A private letter received here yester-
day from an officer of the South Atlantic
fleet, dated at MOntevideO, Jan. 6, 1875, says
Everything lively here; business suspended,
or about to be, on account of a revolution
which is actually in session, or else about TO
come Off No small change to be had for love
r ~ a ct
ing. the ATgentines having 6V3rc0fIis :hair
rebellious subjects, are about arming quietly
FOR the purpose OF sooner or later walking
INTO their friends, the Brazilians, who, hav-
ing desOlated Paraguay and virtually seized
lhe country in payment OF their war debt
nave also taken possession of the Island of
cato, at the mouth OF the Rio Paraguay, on
me Chaco side, formerly occupied by the
PaTaguayanS, but belonging in reality to the
ArgeItines. AS the BraZilianS have So,ns
thousands OF effective troops in Paraguay,
ard some armOred vessels and monitors i'm
the river, they don't seem to notice the re-
quest of the Argentines to have their land
given back TO them; therefore the silent move
Of the Argentines in the iron-clad and tor
pedO direction. Hunter Davidson, formerly
OF the United States navy, and lately of the
confederate states navy, has charge of the
tOrpedoS, and guarantee he will give a good
account of the BraZilia!s if the work should
commence during his term of service"
The ITALIAN 0PERA.-The National The
gent and fashionable audience. the majority
OF whom were led by curiosity to hear for the
hlst time the famed and we'll advertised
opera or "Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner
Some had heard the opera before and were
oetier able TO appreciate the effect of both
the orchestral and vocal parts of the score
The opera is appreciable even at a first hear
Ing, and hence the audience were not disap-
pointed last night. In the cast the artists
were well selected. and cOnscientiously sang
their respective roles. Mile HeilbrTn was
frequently applauded, and made herself a
layOTlte by her pure vOcaliZation and charm
ing appearance. Miss Cary comes to us
with the same majestic voice; and Signor
CarPi, in the trying and wearying role OF
"Lchengrin," came out victorious over what
many tenors would call insurmOuntable OBJ
Stacles. The singing of Del Puente and Sco-
ARA was most acceptable in their respective
roles, and the chorus, in a majority of their
ierIormanees, was well drilled and very ef-
IL has been said of Wagner, that in his
anxiety TO reduce the Importance of situa-
tlofs and exalt that of emotions he has be-
reit us OF all rounded melody in the Lohen-