Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-07
THE EVENING STAR.
DOU BILE S III f f II.
WASHINGTON News and Gossip.

SUBSCRIPTIONS 20 the four per cent. loan at
noon to-day amounted TO s2050o.
SPEAKER RANDALL has gone tn Philadelphia
TO remain until tomorrow night.
AEoN6 THE CALLERS at the White House to-
day were senators MaXey. Mcdonald. Coke and
Paddock. and Representatives Carlisle, Dam
ford. Briggs, kenna. Foster. White lPa.(, Neal,
Henderson, Robinson and GiddngS. Justice
Harlan also called.
GOV. HANPTON's LIFE IN DANGER-Senator
Butler has received a letter from a relative OF
Gov. Hampton. Of South Carolina. saying that
grave fears are entertained for the Governors
life. He seemed to improve during the first part
of the week, but on Wednesday last he grew
worse rapidly. IL is expected that the wounded
limb viii be amputated to-day. and on the re-
suit OF the amputatiOn depends the Governors
life.
THE TAN on Personal PR0rERTY.-Repre-
sentative ClatiiD, OF the House District COM
mittee, was at the columbia building this morn
ing to inquire into the rates OF personal taxation
in this District, with the view OF framing a new
tax law. in which some notifications will prob
ably be made from the present law.
PERsOSAL.-IIOn. b. Il. Douglass OF Virginia
hrs arrived in town. Mr.. W. :. Gilman is
back in the city. He works this winter for the
Richmond Dispatch. the CharleStOwn Ne,rs and
Courier. and the Norfolk Ledger. The Rev.
]. De Witt Talmage, the Brooklyn divine, who
has been showing up to his congregation the
sins and vices or New York, arrived in the City
yesterday afternoon. but didn't stay long. as he
left last night. Mr.. j. F. Swords, formerly
buSineST manager Of the National RepujticaH.
has been appointed the commercial agent to
Sa2Ua LIE Grande. cuba, and will leave for his
post sometime in January. 90. Orville A. Grant
brother of General Grant is III the city.
THE INVESTIGATION OF MINISTER SEWARD
Representative Sprnger's committee conduct
ing the investigation OF charges against Hon.
GEO. +. seward. I. :. minister TO China. met to-
day for the purpose of crOSS-eXamining eX-Con-
sui General G.. Wiley Wells, who gave testimony
Tor the prosecution last summer. Judge Merrick.
however. as counsel for Mr. seward protested
against proceeding with the cross-eXalnination
In advance OF being made acquainted with the
contents or the deposition which has been re-
cClyed by the committee from DR.. Bethune Me
Cartee, stating the puTpOrt of sundry CONVEX
SatlonS at his house i'll which he participated.
together with Ne. SIS. Seward and Bradford.
Mr. coleman. in behalf OF MI. Wells. insisted
that DR. McCaltee,S deposition ought not to be
opened al this time. and the committee. after
hearing arguments. went into secret session to
determine the matter
When the doors were re-opened, the chairman
announced that the committee had decided
to place the deposition in evidence on Monday
next. fD advance OF Mr. Wells crOSS-eXamna-
tion- and an adjournment was taken until Mon
day, at III O'Clock.
REORGANIZATION or TIRE ARNY.-The commits
Siop. composed OF members of the Senate and
House on the subject OF the reorganization of
the army. held final meeting to-day AT Worm
JeyS hotel. All the members have agreed to
the report. and il will be submitted next week
TO both houses of Congress. Meanwhile the
members decline 10 state its contents.
toMNcDoRE SHUFELDT. commanding the t. s.
:. 1iconde. oga, sails from Fort Monroe, Va. at
neon to-day for the west coast Of Africa
THE l. 5. STEAMER QUINNEBAUG left Norfolk
on the afternoon OF the 4th instant for steam
speed trial. under control of board consisting
OF Ch1ef Engineers II. Newell, ID. B. Macomb
ard VIM. II. King. She anchoied off the Wolf
Trap, In chesapeake bay, distance OF l1J miles
nom Annapolis Roads. She made the distance
IN eight hours, being an average OF over thir-
teen Knots an hour. During the trip no sails
were used. the speed attained being entirely
que 10 the machinery. Captain Faruuhdr and
ot1lceTS were highly delighted with the success
or the snip, and consider that she will SnrpaSS
I'D speed. under all conditions Of sea and wind
any foreign lnah-0f-War. The machinery OF the
'.unnebaug was manufactured at the navy
yard here from designs of the bureau OF steam
engineering. Ii was placed on the ship al Phil
adelphia. II is thought that she viii, join The
Mediterranean squadron.
THE GREENBACKERs intend holding another
conference next week, TO agree upon some plan
for futnre action. They admit being in slight
quandary- IL is hard for them to determine
what course TO pursue. Ii resumption is sue
factor in the country's polite will dwindle to
very fine point, or disappear altogether. If il
IS not successful. which all greenbackers pre-
dict-nOt at The same time wholly bpleVino
Their predictions. bOwever-they know that
their theories will be pOpulaIfZed. and the par
" strengthened greatly. While waiting for re-
sumption TO succeed or fail, the greenbacker
does not know really what to do. lie wants 70
keep his party before the country. but there be-
ing no chance for inf1atiOnist legislation this
session, he does not know how TO go about it,
tated by the pal ty appears TO be war on the
national banks. This war has already been
commenced somewhat feebly, and will not IL is
predicted by members OF Congress. amount To
anything more potent than a great deal of talk
From the present outlook things. therefore
have rather blue appearance for the gleen-
packer even taking into consideration the thir-
teen or fourteen men with whom the party
claims II Will hold the balance of power in The
next House. Unless some new plan can he hjt
upon 10 Dflng their Ideas prominently before
the people, greenbackerS mDSt walt for resu,nn-
ZION 10 be put Ii operation. and II successful be
content 10 see their ranks reduced 10 a cor
polaIS guard or Ii a failure "prepare TO con-
Test the politics OF this country" as a LEADING
gTeenbacher said last evening.
IRE CHICAGO ISpIeTMENTS. .-Mr. JOS. G. Hill.
who was suspended last Friday from his posi-
tion as supervising architect ofthe Treasury. to
remain suspended until the trial or the indct-
ment found against him Is finished. has en-
pl0yed MIR. c. I'll. Reed, OF Chicago, as his attor-
ney III the case. Mr.. Reed had already been
employed by Superintendent Buring, OF the
thcago customs House, as his counsel During
tne last TWO or three days Mr. Reed has been
examining the Correspondence connected with
lhe erection OF the customs house in The con
structlon or which the indicted parties are said
10 nave def auded the government He ex
presses the opinion that ii this correspondence
had oeen brought before the grand irry no in
dlctInents would have been found against either
fhil Potter, or Hurling. The correspondence
covers the whole business in the building of the
custom house. Mr.. Reed has been Instructed
10y ms clients 10 bring the case to a trial at the
earliest possible day. This viii be. il is thought.
some 'ihc in The fi:st part OF January next
IHE PROPOSED NEW NAVAL OEsERv v4ToKy.-
The commission 10 select a site for the new
naval observatory to-day handed in their renort
10 SECRETARY Thompson. who will submit In n
ohgfeSS. The commission in the report de-
TAN tIe manner In Whica they made a selection
from the numerous sites offered in answer 70
tlieir advertisement. Clifton is the place So
Iected. as has already been stated in The STAR
III is situated on Georgetown Heights and is in
every respect, the commission say suitable
size Tor the observatory. They recommend that
olgltSS appropriate S25,0V0. which Is the price.
oi the site selected, FOR its purchase from the
present owners. The commission, after hand
ius III thelf report. proceeded 10 the White
iiouse ana pald their respects 10 the President
a ANNOUNCING 10 him that they had completed
their laborS.
'Laias OF THE FORTUNE BAY FIsHERMEN-
The agent OF the Department OF State left here