Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1878 — NEWS OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

FOREIGN NEWS. The potato disease in Ireland is so wide-spread that fears of famine, such as prevailed in 1847, are expressed. A Berlin dispatch says the returns from the elections for members of the German Reichstag show that there have been elected 47 Conservatives, 74 National Liberals, 19 Progressionists, 35 Ultramontane*, 2 Alsatian Irreconcilable*, 2 Alsatian Autonomists, 3 Socialists, 8 Poles, and 1 Farticulirist. Thirty-six, second ballots are necessary. A son of Prince Bismarck was defeated for PfrliamenJ in the Lnuebnrg. * Late advices from South America state that a pestilence is sweeping the inhabitants of Bolivia, and a famine is threatened. In the smallest cnracy in the Department of "Cocbabsmbia 600 bodies have been buried, while in Bipesipe 500 deaths have occurred, and the interment is daily augmented jn numiber. The Holds are desolated, crops remain nngathered, unclaimed cattle roam in all directions, almost all the dwellings are abandoned, and all tboso which are inhabited are so many Hcenes of death and disease. Hundreds of children remain uncared for, and sustain their lives by eating grasshoppers. Many bodies, in some cases those of entire families, remain uninterred, because the grave-diggers are not suiliciont in numbers to execute the painful duty. Tho debate in the British House of Commons bn the Government policy in connection with the Eastern question terminated on tho 2d inst., when the condemnatory resolution offered by tho Marquis of Hartington, the Liberal loader, was defeated by a vote of 196 yeas to 338 nays, and tho Government amendment, approving of the course of the .Ministry, was adopted without division. A dispatch from Borne announces that an agreement has at length been reached between Bismarck and the Papal Nuncio relative to tho future relations between the Vatican and tho German Government. Tho Bussian troops are returning to Russia to tho number of 5,000 daily. The Roumanian army is expected to make a triumph il e dry into Bucharest, accompanied by the Bulgarian trophies. Nobeling, the would-be assassin of the Em|>eror of Germany, prefors death by self-destruction to the certain and ignominious execution at the hands of tho Jaw which awaits him. A pair of soissors carelessly left within his reach furnished him a chance to cheat the hangman, aud ho attempted suicide the other day, but was unsuccessful. In the late German elections the Conservatives nave increased thoir parliamentary strength from 77 to 110. The Liberals proper have been reduced from 162 to 132. The Ulframontanes in the new Parliament, as in tho old one, will have nearly a hundred votes. Tho remainder of tho house will be made up of about 60 of various subject races—Poles, Danes and Alsatians, and a few straight Socialists and some independents. A grand banquet in honor of Lords Bcaconstleld and Salisbury was given at the Mansion House, LondoD, on the 3d inst. Both of them, in their speeches, painted the good results to follow the Anglo-Turkish Convention in assuring tho peace and independence of Europe and in securing good government for the Christians in Turkey. To the latter aim Ha'isbury tuuounced that the Governmei t would especially devote its efforts, having resolved te fully avail itself of the right of interference conferred by theoonveution.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

East. Inquiries addressed by the Philadelphia Times to well-informed men at all points in Pennsylvania at which labor disturbances would bo likely to oeotir, if anywhere, have elicited replies that do not popfirm the widelycirculated report of a • contemplated general strike about the middle of August. John O. King, pickle-manufacturer, 67>a Vesey street, New York, was robbed, a few nights since, of $19;000 in United States 4 per cent, bonds, SIO,OOO in currency, and SI,OOO in gold. During a storm in Philadelphia, last week, lightning struck a tent in which Sundayschool exercises were being conducted, instantly killing a little girl of 11, and fatally injuring three other children. The announcement of the defalcation of R. B. Conant, the trusted cashier of the Eliet National Bank, of Boston, to the amount of $70,000, comes like a thunder-clap to the officers. He had been speculating in mining stocks. -West. Estimates of the coming wheat crop .in Michigan, despite the rains, fix it at 80,000,000 bushels, p’acing Michigan among the most celebrated wheat-raising districts of the country and the world. The tow n of Alta, Utah Territory, has been destroyed by fire. Loss, SIOO,OOO. Haverley’s Theater, Chicago, has undergone a complete transformation the enterprising manager having expended about $25,000 in repairing and decorating it—and it is now ene of the handsomest dramatic temples west of New York. The season re-opens this week, with the Colville Foily Company as the attraction. The grocery firm of B. M. Bishop & Co , Cincinnati, of which the Governor of Ohio is the head, has failed. J ohn I. and Thomas H. Mastin, lead ing bankers of Kansas City, Mo., have failed. They held a large amount of publio funds, including $250,000 of the State of Missouri, $72,000 of Kansas City, and SIIO,OOO belonging to Jackson county. South. Four colored men confined in the Monroe (La.) jail were forcibly taken therefrom by a mob, a sow mornings since, conveyed to the public Hquare, and hanged to the limb of a tree. Considerable alarm has been excited in the cities of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys by thf outbreak of virulent yellow fever at New Orleans. Stringent quaratine regulations have been established at the larger places, and there have been few cases north of Vicksburg. Up to Saturday, Aug. 3, there had been 195 cases of yellow fever in New Orleans, and the disease was rapidly on the inorease. The disease, a New Orleans paper states, “ is specially hostile to ohildren, upsparing to natives traditionally exempt, and there are many deaths among the colored people, who, in all former epidemics, have escaped entirely unscathed. Early developments show symptoms unlike any former sickness, and sanitarians agree that the disease is distinct from the yellow fever of Havana and Vera Cruz, and is provoked by the filthy condition to the city strec's." of the railroad towns in Texas

axe greatly alarmed about tho prevalence of yallow fever in New Orleans. Quarantine regulations have been upon all commerce with the inflected city* aud so stringently enforced that the International and Great Northern railroad refuses to receive passengers, freight, express matter, or mails from New Orleans.

THE PRESIDENTIAL INVESTIGATION.

Ex-Gov. John M. Palmer, who was Chairman of the Democratic Visi' Committee at New Orleans during the Returning Boat& -count, testified before the Potter committee at New York oa July 29. Witness found from statements of Louisiana colored men that many of the parishes had been disturbed. Their school money had been used up, and the Democratic politicians had made many promises to them to vote the Democratic ticket. The Democrats had made extraordinary efforts to capture the colored vote. Witness had a conference with Gen. Garfield, in which he urged the coalition of the two delegations so as to lay tho facts before tho country. The plau of the board was to lay aside all disputed parishes and take up the undisputed ones. On tbo 28th of November witness asked the board when the returns from any parish were polled that he bo given the result, but they would not do so until they were completed. Witness asked permission of Gen. Wells to enter the compiliDg-room. Witness thought some Republicans had access to that room. He thought he saw Mr. Hale coming out of there. If witness was asked if the election in Louisiana was fair, ho would say not. The sense of tho people there was that Tilden and Nicholls were elected. He said to Gov. Wells aud Gen. Anderson that tho Tilden electors were chosen, but that they might, on a fair consideration of tho question, come to a different conclusion, but that this conclusion should be arrived at in evidence that could be clearly put before the public... .The committee then adjourned until the 12th of August.

WASHINGTON NOTES.

It is believed in Washington that the administration is- determined to rnako a fight for peace on the Mexican border. The subject has been almost constantly under discussion in tho Cabinet, and tho weight of opinion among tho President’s advisers seems to be that decisive action cannot he much longer avoided. John L. Pennington, ex-Govemor of Dakota, has been appointed Collector of Internal Revenue of that Territory. Thjs public-debt statement for Aug. 1 is as follows : Six per cent, bond* $733,561,250 Five per cent, bonds 703,266,650 Four and a half per cent, bonds 246,000,000 Four per cent, bonds 112,850,000 Total coin bonds *1,795,677,900 Lawful money debt * 14,000,000 Matured debt 7$ 9,009,640 Legal tenders 340.743,283 Certificates of deposit 51,200.000 Fractional currency 16,455,598 Coin and silver certificate* 45,631,030 Total without interest *....$ 460,029,911 Total debt .$2,278,717,452 Total Interest 26,179,243 Cash In treasury: Coin ; $ 207,007,852 Currency 1,108,317 Currency held for redemption of fractional currency 10,030,000 Special deposits held for redemption of certificates ol deposit. 51,200,000 Total in treasury $ 269,316,170 Debt less cash in treasury $ 2,035,580,524 Decrease since July 30,1877 206,307 Bonds issued to Pacific Railroad Compapanies, Interest payable In lawful money: Principal outstanding 64,623,512 Interest accrued and not yet paid 323,117 Interest paid by United States 1.. 39,835,039 Interest repaid by transportation of mails, etc 9,881,444 Balance of interest paid by the United States 29,953,595 Commissioner Baum has addressed a letter to Collectors of all districts in the South where troubles have arisen on account of illicit distilling, setting forth the willingness of the Government to deal leniently with all who will stop their violation of the law. Owing to the great demand for 4 per cents., the Secretary of the Treasury has directed tho mill which makes the paper to resume. •' * A $5 counterfeit legal-tender note of the new issue series was received at the treasury one day last week. The note was printed from the original plate on inferior paper. It is stated in WasSington dispatches that the land-grant railroads will combine and make an obstinate fight against the decision lately rendered by Mr. Schurz, which puts their lands into market at the old Government price of $1.25 per acre. Every man who attempts to settle on railroad lands will find himself the owner of a long lawsuit, the end of which, even if he wins it, will be ten times greater than the value of the land.

POLITICAL POINTS.

The Maine Bepublicans have renominated Gov. Connor. The Democrats of South Carolina have renominated Gov. Hampton and all the State officers.