Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1879 — HEWS OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

HEWS OF THE WEEK.

FOREIGN NEWS. England has sent a commission to A aintkhan to investigate the plague. An unknown disease is killing off the cattle in Jamaica, West Indies. Bismarck's Parliamentary Discipline bill has been defeated in the German Reichstag Passanante, the Italian Socialist who attempted the life of King Humbert at Naples, has been sentenced to death. A motion in favor of female suffrage has been voted down in the British House of Commons by 103 yeas to 217 nays. Gen Melikoff reports to the Russian •Government the plague now mastered.. Of a population of 118,000 in the infected districts of Astrakhan 500 died between October and February. A committee of the French Chamber of Deputies has reported in favor of the impeachment of the De Broglie Ministry. They are accused of an attempt to establish a dictatorship, and of ignoring the popular will as shown by the elections.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

IBtust. Eberhard Faber, the great lead-pencil man, has just died in New York. He came to this country from Germany, and in 1861 established the first lead-pencil manufactory in America. Rev. S. M. Stray, of Lake George, N. Y., accidentally wounded his wife with a revolver, which so worked upon his mind that he turned the weapon upon himself and put a bullet in his head. Though badly injured, both will probably recover. ’ > Leon Hyneman, the veteran Mason, author and editor, has just died in Now York. Charles P. Stickney, defaulting Treasurer of the Manufacturers’ Gas Company, Fall River, Mass., has been sentenced to five years in the State Prison, one day to be solitary confinement. The contest cfvcr the Vanderbilt will has been terminated by compromise. Cornelius J. Vanderbilt is to receive $1,000,000 and his •expenses in the suit in the Supreme Court, and Mrs. La Ban, now Mrs. Borger, a like amount and costs, the will of the late Commodore Vanderbilt to remain uncontested. New York papers report that the elevated.railroads are causing a rapid growth of population in the upper sections of that city, at the expense of Brooklyn and the neighboring cutiCH of New Jersey. Died, at New Britain, Ct. (the place of his birth), on the (ith inst., Elihu Burritt, the distinguished linguist, scholar and reformer, in the 69th year of his ago. He was in early years a blacksmith, and while working at his trade mastered the principal ancient and modern languages, from which fact ho became known as the “learned blacksmith ”

West. The town of Reno, Nev., has been overtaken by a terrible calamity. During the prevalence of a high wind a fire broke out and spread Until nearly every house in the town was reduced to ashes. The flames leaped from house to house and from block to block with lightning rapidity. The panic-stricken, halfclothed people caught a handful of their most valuable articles, and left all else to the demon of destruction. The firemen were helpless. The fierceness of the wind and the intensity of the heat rendered it impossible to got close enough to do any good. The gale carried blazing pieces of burning timber for miles into the country, and several farm houses were ourned in this way. Five persons were burned to death, and many others injured. The pecuniary loss is estimated at $1,000,000, with only $150,000 insurance. Chicago is to have an elevated railroad through the West Division of the city, and bhence to the suburbs of Austin and Oak Park. A Chicago jury has decreed that John Lamb shall be hanged by the neck until he is dead. The crime for which he is to suffer •death was the murder of Police Officer Race, in October last. By tlie explosion of the boiler in George Kepler’s saw-mill, near Sullivan, Hl., the head sawyer was blown to atoms and two other men fatally injured. Columbus, Ohio, is infested by a gang of incendiaries who seem bent upon destroying the city. The citizens are greatly alarmed, anct are taking measures to guard against the fire-bugs. Eight houses were simultaneously set on fire one morning recently. ‘‘Fritz” continues to be a drawing card at Chicago theaters, Joseph Emmet, the creator of the, character, having played it to crowded houses for two weeks quite recently, and having now returned to Haverly’s for the present week. The play has been so remodeled and strengthened that it would hardly be recognized, the chief interest centering, as of old, however, hi the inimitable Emmet.

A horrible accident is reported from East St. Louis, 111. The wagon-shop of Mrs. Henrietta Bausch took fire and, with five other buildings, was burned down. In the second story of the wagon-shop, which was occupied as a residence by Bausch, there were sleeping her three children, Henry Schoepperkoetter, a blacksmith, and Mrs. Catharina Borst, who was spending a night with Mrs. Bausch, all of whom burned to death, they being unable to escape by reason of the door leading to their apartments being fastened on the outside. Mrs. Bausch leaped from a window and was fatally injured. (Sou til. The last of the Louisiana Returning Board prosecutions was reached last week in the decision of the Supreme District Court at Now Orleans, which affirmed the decision of the lower court in the case of Anderson, and discharged the accused. This ends the criminal proceedings instituted against the members of the board. A nitro-glycerine explosion at Dutch Gap, near Richmond, Va., killed a Government contractor named Hall and two negro workmen, and wounded several other negroes. A New Orleans dispatch reports an unmistakable case of yellow fever in that city. Illinois has 1,845 convicts, in her two penitentiaries. Twenty-five citizens of Ironton, Ohio, were arrested the other day and fined in sums ranging from $5 to $l5O for aiding and abetting a chicken dispute. A Justice of the Peace was among the culprits.

POLITICAL POINTS. F. P. De wees, Chairman of the National Committee of the National party, Jias issued an address to the people of the United States. He says that separation from old parties is necessary, and asserts that this action on the part of Congressmen-elect has inspired the “National-Greenback party throughout the country with renewed courage and confidence. ” The address calls for a thorough party organization, and adds: “If those in accord with the Natioual-QroanbMk principles pow earn*

estly attempt such an organization, party success in 1880 can be assured.” Messrs. Randall and Blackbum are the principal Democratic aspirants for Speaker of the Forty-sixth Congress. Mr. Morrison, of Illinois, has many friends who are pressing his claims. Judge Kelley, of Pennsylvania, will probably be the candidate of the Greenbackers, while the Republicans will, in all probability, support Gen. Garfield. The Michigan Republicans met in convention at Lansing on the 6th inst, and nominated James V. Campbell for Judge of the Supreme Court, and E. O. Grosvenor and James Shearer for University Regents.

WASHINGTON NOTES. The public statement for March 1 shows an increase of the nation’s indebtedness of $311,411 during the month of February. Following are the official figures: Six per cent, bonds s(►((>, 165.250 Five percent, bonds 7t8,26(>,<i5(J Four and a ball per cent. bonds. 250,000.060 Four per cent, bonds 4i;6,960,00(1 Total coin bonds $2,014,271,900 Matured debt 6,372,580 Legal tender* $346,742,911 Certificates of deposit.... 46,160.000 Fractional currency....... 15,9:6,412 Gold and silver certificates 19,087.686 Total without interest 427,917,033 Total debt $2,488,501,863 Total interest 24,988,176 Currency held for redemption of fractional currency $ 8,519,741 Special deposits held for redemption of certificates of deposit 46,100,000 Total cash In treasury 447,292,498 Debt less eash in treasury,March 1, 1879 $2,026,207,5-11 Increase during February 311,411 Bonds issued to the Pacific Railroad Companies, interest payable in lawful money: principal outstanding.. 64,623,512 Interest: Accrued and not yet paid 646,205 Paid by the United States 41,773,745 Repaid by the transportation of mails 10,658,076 Balance of interest paid by the United Slates (1,116,668 The President has appointed David H. Strother (“Porte Crayon ”) Consul General to Mexico, and George Scroggs, of Illinois, Consul at Hamburg, Germany. It has transpired that the President had actually prepared a message vetoing the River and Harbor bill. This intention scon became noised abroad, and he was immediately besieged by Senators and Representatives whose local interests were at stake. The pressure was irresistible; the President yielded, and the bill was signed. Congress, at its late session, made an appropriation of $250,000 to build a National Museum on the grounds of the Smithsonian Institute at Washington. The total number of bills and joint resolutions introduced in the lower house of Congress at its recent session was 6,828, and in the Senate 1,948. A large majority of these were pending at the hour of adjournment, and, of course, failed. It is reported that ex-Senator Conover, of Florida, is to be appointed Minister to Central America. . The President has accepted the resignation of United States District Judge Giles, of Maryland, who has been on the bench since 1854. Ex-Senator Patterson has received a letter from the Attorney General of South Carolina announcing the canceling of the indictments against him ih that State. Mr. Patterson leaves soon to take an important trust under the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in Arizona.

FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Mauch 3.—ln the Senate, Mr. Allison made a report from the select committee appointed at the instance of Senator Matthews in June last. It concludes as follows: “Afterfull consideration they And, unanimously, the statements of Senator Matthews to be true, and that he had no connection ■with any real or supposed frauds in the election in Louisiana, and that he has not been guilty of any corrupt conduct in any of the matters referred to in the testimony, while we cannot but regard his action in respect to James E. Anderson’s effort to obtain an appointment to office under the circumstances as wrong and injurious to the public interest.’’. .. .A resolution was adopted anthorizing the Teller Committee to sit during the recess of Congress and take testimony... .The Shields bill to pension Mexican soldiers, with the Hoar amendment forever excepting Jeff Davis from the provisions of the bill, was defeated—yeas. 20; nays, 22. The House spent nearly the whole day iu wrangling over the case of ex-Consul Seward, the Republicans fllibusteriug to prevent the passage of the resolution of impeachment... The report of the majority of tho Potter Committee was presented... .Little progress was made with the appropriation tills, tho conference committees in both houses being unable to agree. Mabch 4.—The animated scenes that usually characterize the closing hours of Congress were enacted in both houses. The Senate was engaged all the preceding night on the Appropriation bills, and just before daylight an extraordinary debate occurred over the political amendments to the Legislative bill, which was participated in by Messrs. Hoar, Blaine, Matthews and others on the Renublican side, and Thurman, Beck and others on the Democratic aide. The debate was of a high order, and full of fire on both sides. The bill, however, together with the Army Appropriation bill, failed to pass, the Senate remaining firm in its determination not to concur in the amendment abolishing the Federal Election laws, and the House with equal stubbornness refusing to recede. Agreements were reached by the joint conference committees on the other pending Appropriation bills, and they were promptly passed. Bills were also passed placing Gen. Shields on the retiredlistof Brigadier Generals; appropriating $25, Ot 0,000 to pay arrears of pensions; creating a National Board of Public Health; providing for the taking of the tenth census; to promote the education of the blind.... The report of the House Judiciary Committee upon the case of Judge Blodgett, of the United States Court for the Northern Illinois District, accompanied by a resolution exonorating him from the charges brought against him by certain members of the Chicago bar. was presented, and the resolution adopted... .The House, up to the very moment of adjourning, was engaged in a fierce partisan debate over the political amendments to the Appropriation bill. BXTBA SESSION. The President has issued the following proclamation convening Congress in extra session on the 18th inst.: By the President of the United States of America —A proclamation | Wmiuas, The final adjournment of the Fortyfifth Congress, without making the usual and ueoeittff MJprojiriaUons toy iudalafive, exwuUve

and judicial expenses of thfe Government for the fiscal year ending luhe 80,18190, and without making the usual and necessary appropriations for the support of the army for the same fiscal year, presents an extraordinary occasion, requiring the President to exercise the power vested in him by the constitution to convene the Houses of Congress in anticipation of the day fixed by law for their next meeting: Now. therefore, I. Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States, do, by virtue of the power to this end vested in me by the constitution, convene both Houses to assemble at their respective Chambers at 12 o’clock noon Tuesday, the 18th day of March, then and there to consider and determine snch measures as, in their wisdom, their duty, and the welfare of the people may seem to demand. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be fixed. R. B. Hayes. By the President: William M. Evabtb, Secre'ary of State.