National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-01-09
PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
Executive.

FObA1C AEtAlEGS.
Executive.
sEcRETARY or UTAH TERRITORY.
Hon. Sumner Howard, On tied States district
attorney Of Utah Territory, Is In the city. 1t Is
| thought his witt is in reference to the vacant
| ~ the President by the nomination to that post
ofCcl. Levi p. Luckey, his former private secre-
tary.
Capital Notes.
| THAT DEMOCRATIC BANQUET AT r-7yATDo's.
The unanswerable speech made by the Hon.
Benjamin H. Hill, of Georgia, at the Democratic
| banquet in honor of Governor Grover, of Oregon,
| on last Saturday night and printed in yester-
| days REPUBLICAN, produced great sensation in
| the city and at the Capitol.
"The bottom has been knocked out of the Demo-
| cratic party" said one Democratic member of
Congress to another. "What do you mean3,
was the reply. "Have you not read Ben. Hilrs
| speech in The REPUBLICAN,, proving. from the
Constitution, that there is no possible way of
defeating an election of President by the Elec-
toral College of the several States?" "No, have
not read 1t. have not the papers this morn
ing" 'Come, let us call on Hewitt and see If
some way cannot be devised to counterfeit the
effect Of that speech, for, tell you unless it be
done the bottom will fall out of the party" A
| few moments after this conversation occurred,
these gentlemen and Mr.. Hewitt retired to the
cloak room to consult on the subject. Mr.. Hewitt
seemed excited, and said he would Immediately
| telegraph to "the old man" for advice In few
| days look out for another pronuncismento from
| this distinguished man.
POSTAL TELEaRAPHy.
The friends of the postal telegraph are pouring
into Congress petitions for the absorption OF ex-
listing telegraph lines in postal telegraph sys-
tenn, but their efforts will unquestionably prove
There is no member who Is willing to make him
self the champion OF the measure, and the ex-
pressions Of Congress on former occasions when
such as to give much reason for its friends to
hope for favorable action.
sUPlHME COURT DECISION.
O. mpany vs.. Smith. the United States Supreme
Court yesterday decided the Cummings patent
to be valid. Justice Strong delivered the opin;;
Bradley dissented from the opinion. The de-
ciaion is Of considerable importance to dentists
throughout the country.
sz COMBINATIONS YESTERDAY.
| The Senate in executive session yesterday con-
nrmed the following nominations:
John Steele to es soscsSr Nf internal
Iredel, to be postmaster at Allentown, Pa.
EXPERIMENTS ON COAL.
Amemorial of the National Academy Of Science
was presented in the House of Representatives
| yesterday BY Mr. Stone, of Missouri in which the
| the experiments made upon American coal,
made under tie direction OF the Navy Depart
Il
| all the coal now used in the United States. The
| fact that uniform system Of experiments, con-
Quoted upon regular established rates, will pos
sess q value far greater than isolated cases by
different experts and based on different modes Of
reaching results is forcibly set forth in this petit
| ton.
SENATOR BOOTHS PROPOSITION.
Mr. Booth, of California, submitted the follow
ing resolution yesterday, which was ordered to
Re,oired. That in counting the votes for Presi-
| dent and Vice President of the United States,
whose terms are to begin on the 9Th Of March,
1877, the following rules be observed:
| banding It to the tellers. It shall then be the
House Of Representatives to object to the count.
| ing Of the votes Of said State, which objection
shall be reduced due to lifting uPSn be
pore shall rule whether or not the votes Of said
State shall be counted, and for whom. Any
tives may appeal from said ruling, which appeal
being taken, the two Houses shall III inmedists lately
Der without delay, Immediately on the conven-
ing Of each house its presiding officer shall sub
d .hs
l. Shall the ruling Of the President Of the Sem
ate pro femPore upon the counting Of the vote Of
| the State or be af1rmed7
| How many votes of the State Of shall be
g. For whom shall the votes of the State Of
UPON SSa' each proposition each Senator and each
member of the House Of Representatives. shall
announce his vote vtya roes, and 1t shall be en-
| The Journal Of each House of the proceedings
that meeting shall then Dc read and approved
The two Houses shall then assemble in the
chambers If for the purpose Of continuing
II. when the President of the Senate pro tenn
Sorsshall have two or more PACKAGES pur.
/ IL IA StafA a ahall and all of
whom the votes Of said State shall be counted.
ientsiives may appeal nom said ruling, which
| appeal shall be reduced to writing. Upon ap-
convene In their respective chambers, and the
same proceedings shall be had as prescribed in
III. A complete record Of the proceedings when
| the two Houses are assembled together and Of
| the proceedings Of each House, together with all
the certinsates and purPosted esrtiacatss Of the
made, shall be submitted to the justices Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States for their
The Senate and House Of Representatives may
each appoint q committee Of three to present the
cases to the justices, subject to such rules as the
essential to a final determination, they may in
their discretion receive evidence the official
Of State officers and the report Of any COMMITTEES
| appointed BY either House Of Congress.
The ChiefJustice shall transmit to the President
justices upon each case Of contested votes when
all the cases have been decided, whereupon the
-, and the then contested votes shall be
counted in accordance with such decision.
A MEMBER OF THE UPPER BRANCH OF THE LOWER
HOUSE.
| A tall, eccentric old fossil may be seen every
Of tbs asen
watching the proceedings below. The old man is
60 pronounced in his approval or disapProval Of
either with the yea or nay voters. He is q strict
Side.
ARCTIC EXPLORATION.
The bill introduced in the House oil Repre-
sentatives yesterday by Mr.. Hunter, Of Indiana,
to continue explorations in the Arctic regions pro-
aas o
towards the North Pole and to establish q tenn
porary colony for purposes Of exploration at
north fatinds or me near ans shore q Lady
Franklin Bay; to detail such others or other per-
sons Of the public service to take part in the
same as may be necessary, and to use any public
vessel that may be suitable for the purpose; the
scientific operations Of the expedition to Be prose-
tional Academy Of Science. and that the sum Of
he direction Of the President, provided no part
Of the sum appropriated shall be carried to the
| surplus fund or covered into the Treasury until
the purpose ofthe expedition shall have been
Of said expedition Incurred during any subsequent
year that said expedition may be engaged in Its
duties.
| NOMINATIONS.
The President sent the following nominations
| to the Senate yesterday: John p. Hopkins, to be
/ collector Of customs at Frenchman's Bay. MI.
Levi p. Luckey, Of Illinois, to be Secretary Of
the Territory Of Utah.
| E.. Navy Department.
| THE CORAL REEF.
Lieutenant Commander Gorrenge, of the United
! States steamer Gettysburg, under date of Decsm-
Der Is, 1876 reports to the Secretary Of the Navy
concerning the recently discovered coral reef as
| follows:
1--WE reached the vicinity Of the bank on Tues
/ day morning, December II. The weather was un-
/ favorable that day; however, some soundings
| were taken. We reached the bank at 8 p. m.
Nothing could be accomplished Tuesday night,
/ and the vessel was hove to till morning, when we
i sounded in 1900 fsthoms. During Wednesday,
i 18th, soundings were taken as circumstances per-
Initted but none less than 81 fsthoms depth were
| found, AT p. m, owing to the wind increasing
to violent gale. and no prospect Of further salts