The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-07
posing the idea that the Vice President

posing the idea that the Vice President
could count oyer the votes.
The Allison Committee will meet Mon
days 1t has decided to summon Anderson
from Nevada, as he will certainly contra,
dict all the main points of his previous
testimony, on which the democrats base
have him examined. since, whether bis
present story be true or not, it destroys all
he has done for the democrats. 1t is also
supposed that he has some documentary
evidence that will prove of considerable
value
The story now is that the committee is
in the possession of the original cipher dis
patches, and that they have some other
cipher kilograms, sent by the republican
visiting statesmen, in Louisiana. The re
publicans have insisted that the only cipher
dispatches that were sent from New Or
leans related to hiring parlors at the st.
Charles hotel, the noted Parlor Z. and
that the special purpose of the ciphers
was to inquire whether republicans North
would bear the expenses.
The Potter Committee did not meet
to-day, owing to the absence of Gen.
Butter and Represent ative Springer.
The former is in New York engaged 10
a lawsuit, and the latter is conducting a
little investigation on his own hook,
concerning the official acts of Minister
to China Seward. The committee hopes to
have full meeting or Tuesday next. 1t
is thought that the elephant which the
democrats have will wear itself out by
postponing action from day to day and
week to week. Mr.. Hale said to-day that
the republicans would give the democrats
a reasonable time to get started on the
cipher investigation. but if the signs were
not good in week, a resolution of im por-
tance to Tilden and his copartners would
be introduced.
Mr.. Buekner. Chairman of the Banking
and Currency Committee, intends to dis
pute next Tuesday the consideration of the
Geneva award bill, claiming that the bill
for the retirement of national bank notes
reported by bis committee at the last ses
sion. takes precedence. The latter bill
was made special order for April % last,
but was crowded off by the appropriation
bills, and Judge Buckner is confident that
the Geneva award will be laid aside for it.
Senator Jones, of Nevada, Congressman
Ewing, of Ohio, and Rice of Massachu-
setts, are at the head of the syndicate
which has purchased the James river and
kanawha Canal, which is one of the old
est 10 the country. and was originally sur
veyed by Washington. Ewing went to
Richmond to-day to close up the transac-
ton, The plan is to draw the water out of
the canal, sell all the boats and fixtures,
and lay railroad track in the bed of the
waterway from Richmond to Buchanan,
then to Clifton Forge, connecting there with
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, making
the most direct route from Richmond tc
the West. The railroad is to be complet'
ed within twenty months. The parties in
terested believe the project will be great
speculation. Ewing has been engaged il
arranging it for some time aud has made
recent visits to Richmond The canal was
a failure, and had paid nothing for a quar-
ter of a century. its stock having depreci
ated to 2 per cent of its par value Tin,
canal company have for twenty years pas
tried to get the government to purchast
the property, and bill for the purpose ha
been introduced in congress every season
FOR many years.
| Complaints come from New York mer
chants that all trade between the Unite,
States and Mexico is now suffering severe
ly from the wholesale smuggling of ou
goods across the border. They claim tha
the Mexican Gust, N house officers openl
assist. and that they are constantly bribed
10 such an extent is this illegal trade cal
. ried on that regular exporters from cas-
ern ports, as well as those dealers who sen
goods by way Of the western rivers. al
finding it impossible to complete, and al
gradually reducing their ventures in tn;
: direction