The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-20
Washington.

A MORNING SPENT IN MAKING INQUIRIES RE-
GARDING THE TOBACCO TAX; THE BILL WILL
PROBABLY PASS THE sENATE--A RADICAL
TRICK-TBE PITTSBURGH PUDDLER BEFORE
Mr.. nEwiTT'S CoMMITTE E-THE ARMY
BILL-TuE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
RIvES USURPATloN-BRIEF ITEMS.
lFrom Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, December 19.-I spent the
morning in making inquiries in regard to
tobacco, and all heard convinced me that
il the committee will only make good its
promise to report promptly the chances are
| that the bill will pass the Senate. Mr.. Ca
bell remark ed that he felt greatly encour-
aged, and Mr.. Tucker seemed as hopeful
ms he was the day the bill passed the
| House. The opinions Of these members
are entitled to great weight, because it
| is n part of their daily work to talk to
senators in favor of reduction. Senators
l,Withers and Johnston evidently think the
prospects are bright, and are doing oil that
| is possible to help the bill. Our friends in
! Virginia are continually writing to our
members in the House and Senate to hurry
up action on the subject, as If they were
not doing all that earnest and competent
representatives can do to procure speedy
action both by, the Finance Committee and
the Senate.
A correspondent Of a leading northern
journal, in whose judgment l have conf
dence, came to me to-day and said: - am
certain your tobacco bill will pass the Sen
ate. The harmony that prevails among the
manufacturers and the llnanimity with
which they urge reduction 10 16c. has had
a fine effect" Mr.. VOORHEES, is very active for
reduction, and wish Mr.. Bayard was alto
| gether his way of thinking. At present he
talks about q Zoe. tax, but hope his desire
| to help the South will triumph. and that he
will vote right both in committee and in the
| Senate. Mr.. Wallace, Of Pennsylvania, is
out and out for reduction, and Mr.. Herman
shows in the committee that he Is not in
sympathy with Morrill, aud Dawes. am
astonShed to find Ferry OF Michigan hos
tile, as Governor Baglev, of Detroit, one Of
the largest manufacturers in the United
States, has declared strongly for a rcduc-
tior to sixteen cents, although year ago
he acted with the Lorllards against the
passage Of the bill. [ wish the committee
could have reported before recess, but it
will not.
A DIRTY PIECE OF RADICAL WORK.
have talked with southern and northern
Democratic senators IN regard TO the follow
ing piece of Radical trcachery and find that
it has excited q great deal Of indignation
among them: by the act OF 1871, section
$40 OF the Revised Statutes, which declared
that no person who had participated in the
rebellion should serve rs Federal juror,
was in express terms repealed, and section
S21, which gave United States district attor-
neys the right to demand that the iron-clad
oath be required OF jurors, was by intend
ment also repealed. In the revision of the
statutes made subsequent to the act OF 1871,
these sections are both inserted as law, and
it looks us il the lawyers who did it knew
what they were doing. and meant it to pro-
duce results in cases like those which ars
to be tried in South Carolina next spring.
rimon, and others, all use strong language
in referring to it, and have made an effort to
remedy the evil. In fact, Senator Beck ex.
poets right away TO get his bill through re.
pealng these sections a second time. Mr.
Hartridge, the other day, introduced 4 SINH
lar bill in the House. The report from
South Carolina is that the Radicals, unless
these sections arc repealed, VIII try all The
Democrats charged with electioa-oftences by
negro iuries.
THE TRADES.UNIoNs AND WORKINGMEN.
State Senator HUMPHREYS, the Pittsburgh
puddler, was before the Labor Committee
to-day, and in response TO questions stated
10 Mr.. Hewitt that he believed the trades
unions had not only improved the condi.
ton Of workingmen and increased their in
telligence. but that they have prevented
strikes and brought about better state o
feeling between the employer and the EN-
ployed. The unions were ins trumental, b
said. in establishing the sliding scale TO
working iron, and that had tended to avert
strikes. The committee also heard oll-mel
from Pennsylvania in regard to the trans
portation of oil by railroads. Mr.. Hewitt
says to-day his committee intends making
full report. ,..,..- ..s,.l. ... ~. 49,, ~. i
GENERAL BURNSIDE AND THE ARMY BILL.
The military Senator from Rhode Islam,
read speech in the Senate to-day in eXpla
!, nation OF the army bill. Neither the sena
tors nor the galleries paid any attention t.
Q it, and the only comment was, she know
how to reduce the arnly-he learned it a
Fredericksburg" AS soon as he tinisbe
, the Senate resumed the consideration of tn
patent bill. t.s 2. s...
COMMITTEES NEWS ITEMS. -
Mr.. Proctor Knott, chairman OF tn
House Judiciary Committee, to-day az
pointed Messrs. Hartridgc, Lynde, an
FRYE subcommittee to visit New Yor
, during recess and investigate the John
Davenport d Co.'s election frauds. He frs
: appointed Judge Harris, OF Virginia, o
the committee, but he declined, preferrin
Harrisonburg during holidays to The gres
metropolis. The Ways and Means Commit
tee will not meet again until after recess
The Joint Indian Commission will do Worl
1 on their report in recess. Asub.committe
of the House Election Committee had
meeting this afternoon and considered tn
Pennsylvania contested.election case Q
tNutting Us. Reilly. The testimony con
taius 1,34o pages Of printed matter. sena
. tors Butler and Eustis were offered place
~ L.