The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-13
" WASHINGTON.
FROM OUR REGULAR coRRssPoN DENT.

WASHINGTON. April IL, 1871
THE sPEAKERsHIp CONCEDED TO MR. RANDALL
CANDIDATES roR DooRKEEPEn
Tho Speakership Of the coming extra session or
Congress is generally conceded to Mr. Randall. II no
combination should be made meantime IN the interest
OF President Hayes and his sou hern policy There
will be lively for tho position doorkccper.
The candidates include the present incumbent, Mr..
Patterson, Major Wedderburn, OF Virginia, and ex-
Alderman Eugene Durnin, OF New York. bat the last
says he will decline n Mr.. s. Cox, who Ia from the
same State, Is candidate for the speakorship oher
names mentioned for the position Mossrs Jewell,
OF LOUISIANA and Polk, Of Missouri
OLD LINE WIGS TO HAVE THE FIRST SHOW IN
FUTURE SOUTHERN APPOINTMENTS.
Now that the South Carolina question has been
sctticd and Hampton duly installed Governor Of the
State, It Is said that the administration IN its
future dealings with Southern in their relation
federal Offices IN the South will consider the claims
hrst OF those who have not boon identified positively
aud exclusively with the democratic party other things
being equal to competency and ntnesA The friends
OF tho President say that the democratic party has
ceived, in his adoption OF measures which allowed
Hampton TO enter upon the Governorship OF South
Carolina, all that the party could hope TO
get ut his hands, when the dispute or
matter AZ brought to him for settlement OF
political character. Hereafter, when there be q
choice between Southern native politicians no WILL
they say make his selection from those who iden-
titled with the whig party.
SIR EDWARD THoRxroN's RETURN FROM HIS
VISIT TO CANADA.
Sir Edward Thornton returned to Washington to-
night from trip TO Canada, where he the guest OF
Lord Dunerin, with whom he had business
transact, partly Of private and partly OF . public
nature. There Is no truth In the assertions made in
press tnat his visit to Ottawa had do with the
fisheries question. This question Is fact something
with which Sir Edward has nothing to do, as il is in
the hands Of other officials, whom exclusively
committed II also DO said that lar rs he knows
there no intention the part Of Her Britannia
Majcsty's government to make any change In tho
Governor Generaship Of Canada the person OF her
diplomatic representative At Washington
EXPERIMENTS TO FIX THE VELOCITY OF LIGHT.
An important series Of experiments ascertain tho
velocity OF light has been instituted by Professor
Nswcomb, Of the Naval Observatory, Washing
ton. The rate per second 10 ss hne calculation
as has thus far been considered necessary by
astronomers. and the commonly accepted standard OF
speed for this division OF time Is regarded
curate would be desirable for purposes Of
science Professor Newcomb has therefore conceived
tho idea of reducing 10 very small fraction OF q
second tho rate Of speed OF uminary rays
| For this purpose no has placed . small
circular Capitol Hiil the Capitol build
Ing, and quarter miles away from tho Observe
tory, aud will this mirror hallway point in
the distance serving for the experiments the entire
distance being four and y halt miles. The
rejecting principle s employed for two pur-
poses first, Of economixing distance Of
rendering Il less cum bcrsomc in conducting the
trials, and second. Of ensurng exact compu.
taton OF time This enables tho cxpcrimenter 20
use only one chronometer, whereas with q single
continuous sight two timepicccs would DO required
and opening thus presented for variation
which might seriously interfere With tho
asccrtanmept Of tho desired standard. preliminary
Of the apparatus DO used in the experiments
made last night, with quite favorable results
The operators found but little difficulty gaugng
poisng the mirror with Sufficient nicely TO throw
! back to tho Ions oil tns telescope the OBJ.
scrvatory the faint light OF the torch used
tho latter point. Tho telescope employed in last
nights trial s the ustru used by Profess
sor Newcomb and his assistants in observing tho
transit OF Venus Tho experiment will prob.
ably consume several days, tho time de-
| pending to extent upon tho state OF
the weather. Professor Newcomb intends to cover the
grounds OF his scientific venture very deliberately
and Is confident that no will DO able TO present the
astronomical world and valuable table oil light
velocity.