Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1879 — General News Summary. [ARTICLE]

General News Summary.

From WMhlng-ton. Tbh Judiciary OomniUae of the National Houce of 'Representative. have prepared a report, flndlng that the charges against H. W. Blodgett, Judge Of the United State* Court for the Northern District of Illinois, are not sustained, hut that the inquiry was warranted under the drcumetences. To Forty-fifth Centre** adjourned tine die at noon, <m the 4th. F. F. Dutras, Chairman of the National Committee of the National party, isauod an address to the people of the country, on the 4th, ta Which he declares that the separation fro* the old parti* had inspired the Nationals with renewed confidence and courageHe advises thorough party organization, and say* with it party success in 1880 can be assured. e To Secretary of the Treasury, on the 4th. issued another call for the redemption of 5-20 bonds, principal and interest to be paid on and after June 4. The call is for *7,000,000 coupon and *8,000,000 n<istered—a total of *lO 000,000. The Secretary has also Issued a circular giving notice that when the outstanding 5-30 6-per-cenL bonds are covered by subscriptions to 4-per-cenL consols the latter will be withdrawn from sale upon the terms proposed by the Department circular oi Jan. 21. 1870. Subsequent sales of 4 per cents will probably be made upon less favorable terms to the purchasers.

Thu President's Proclamation convening Congress in extra session, is as follows: ‘ n,e adjournment of the For-ty-fifth Congress without making the u«ual and necsaaary appropriation* for the Legislative. Executive and Jndical expenses of the Government fur the fiscal vear ending June 30.1880. and with- «.«* «» ®oal and neoesMuy appro: naUonsfiarthe support of the army for the same fiscal year, present* an extraordinary occasion, requiring the Preudent to exercise the power vested in him by the Constitution to convene the booses of Congress m anticipation of the day fixed by law for their next meeting: dep tof ijSted States, do, by vitro?of'the power to thia end vested mme by the UonstituUoQ - °? s ” a !Sl botl ? boos* to assemble at their respective Chambers at twelve o'clock noon Tuesday, the 18th day of March, then and there to consider sad determine such measures as. in their wisdom, their duty, and the welfare of the propte may seem to demand. In witness whereof, 1 nave hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of tbs United States to be fixed. —-. . . . R. B. Hayes. Bythe President: William M. Evarts. Secretary of State. The Cabinet, at Washington, decided, on the 7th, to appoint the following members of the National Board of Health: SurgeonGen. Woodworth, of the Marine Hospital Service, to represent the Treasury Department; Medical Director Francis M. Gunnell, of the Navy; Solicitor-Gen. Phillips, Department of Justice, and Assistant-Surgeon John S. Billings, of the War Department The Pension Office in Washington received, up to the close or business on the Bth, 80,000 applications under the A rrears-of-Pensions act. They were being Died and sorted, but no action will be taken on any until the 25th of this month, when the work of adjudication will begin, and certificates will be issued to successful pensioners. Applications were coming in at the rate of 400 daily, and it was estimated that a total of 50.030 would be received, of which about 3J,030.w0n1d probably be acted upon favorably. The first notice a pensioner will have of the allowance of his claim will be the receipt of a certificate, which entitles him to the money, and which he can then get if it is in the Treasury and not otherwise appropriated. Ox the Bth. the Secretary of the Treasury issued a circular announcing the issue of certificates of deposit of the denomination of ♦lO each in aid of the refunding of the public debt These certificates will be soli for lawful money at par and accrued interest to date of purchase, and will bear date April 1,1879. Purchasers are allowed a commission of oneeight of 1 per cent on all purchases from *I,OOO to *IOO,OOO.

The East. Ox the 3d, at the' municipal election In Portland, Me., the* Democrats and Greenbackera united and elected their candidate for Mayor by forty-six majority. An explosion of sulphuric ecid, in Lower Laush Creek Colliery, near Pottsville, Pa , on the sth, killed three men, and severely burned three others. The Dime Savings Bank, at York, Pa., suspended, on the 6th. It was thought it would pay seventy-five or eighty cents on the dollar. The New York Tribune of the 7th contains special dispatches from Washington, giving an exposure of an alleged awinaling scheme, by which many persons had been Induced to subscribe money for a mythical memorial to Bayard Taylor. John J. Astor and Peter Cooper, whose names appear among the subscribers, deny having signed the paper, or authorized the use of their names in that connection. The appearance of their names on the paper had induced leading citizens in Washington and other cities to contribute to the enterprise. - - -i. - Elihu Burkitt, the learned blacksmith, died, on the night of the 6th, at . hift.Ji(® § „in. New Britain, Conn. He was sixty-eight years of age. A Newport, R. 1., telegram of the 9th states that Gen. W. <T. Sherman and wife had Jcft ttttt Seriously ill, the former with pneumonia, and the latter with consumption. A few days ago, the body of a murdered woman was found packed in a trunk in the river, at Lynn, Mass. The body was subsequently Identified as Sarah Gibson. Miss Gibson, who was in Boston, put in an appearance, in person, and denied that the corpse was hers. Two women from Boston then identified the remains as those of Miss Fanny McConologue, who was supposed to have gone West. Miss McConologue was subsequently heard from in SauFrancisco, and of course the corpse could not be hers, and the mystery remains as great as ever. The following were the closing quotations for produce tn New York, on March Bth: No. 2 Chicago Spring Wheat, »1.06%@ LO7; N 0.2 Milwaukee, #LO6%@LO7. Oats, Western Mired, Corn, Western Mixed, Pork, Mess, [email protected]. Lard, *6.75. Flour, Good to Choice, #[email protected]; White Wheat Extra, #[email protected]. Cattle, *7.75@ 10.00 for Good to Extra. Sheep, *5.000 6.00. Hoge, *4.3004.40.

At East Liberty, Pa., on March Bth, Cattle brought: Best, *5.0305.25; Medium, *4.53 04.75; Common, *3.5004.25. Hogs .soldYorkers, fi3.75a4.05; Phlladelphias, #4.50® 4.75. Sheep brought #3.2sos.4o—according to quality. At Baltimore, MA. on Match Bth, Cattie brought: Best, *4.75(315.75; Medium, *“;«8.Ka4.25. Hogs sold at #5.5006:00 for Good. Sheep were quoted at #4.5005.75 for Good. West and South. Judge Whitaker, of ike Superior District Court of Louisiana, has ruled that the decision of the Supreme Court, In the Anderson case is binding, also, in tne case of Wells, CaaaaftW ajMi Kenner, members of the old Bagurutai* .Board, and has discharged the accUMd*Mi arrest, under the recently-found indictment. ’ At a nuuMHwetlng In Hollister, Cat, flags were hoisted at half-mast, on the reception of Intellteepce that the Chinese bill had been vetoed, and President Hayes had been burned in

A riHB broke out in Reno, Nev., on the morulog of the 2d, which entirely consumed the business portion of the town, the flam* ceasing to spread because there waa nothing left for them to feed upon. Every public building was destroyed, including churches, banks, hotels and the Postoflkse, the only structures remaining being the Masonic Hall and John Lareome’s house. Five persons are known to have perished in the flames, and many other* were seriously burned and otherwise tnjqrijd. Loes, *1,000,000; insurance, *150,000. Thh workingmen of Ban Francisco, to the number of 7,000, met on the Band Lots', on the afternoon of "the 2d, to consider the Chinese question. The President was soundly denounced.by the speaker*, and resolutions adopted lo.the effect that the bill .vetoed by him was a piece of political clap-trap, which the worklugmen would have accepted for what it was worth, and asked for more, but they did not consider the veto of sufficient importance to mourn over or strike a blow for it. A few nights ago, at St?* Louis, Lizzie Dowd used kerosene oil to feed the emlwrs of a reluctant kitchen tire. The usual explosion followed, and the 1 careless woman was fatally burned. On the same evening, while Mary Ann Jordan was reading by the kitchen table, the lamp standing thereon exploded and the poor creature was fatally burned. , ■>. The California Constitutional Convention adjourned sine die sn the afternoon of the 3d. A premature explosion of nttro-glycerfne at Dutch Gap, In the James River, near Richmond, Va., on the sth, killed M. C. Hagerty, a Government contractor on the works, Aid one other man, and severely injured five or six other persons.

In pursuance of a call issued by M. M. (“Brick”) Pomeroy, a National Greenback Convention met in Chicago, on the 4tii, and held a two-days’session. Ralph E-Hoyt, of Michigan, was chosen permanent President, and R. W. Dunstan, of Illinois, Secretary. Mr. Pomeroy addressed the Convention on the evening of the first day’s session, and cave a detailed account of bis work as Chairman of the Committee on Organization, In organizing Greenback Clubs, which now number 6,217 throughout the country. The platform adopted declares, among other things, that the Greenback dollar must be a legal tender tn all cases, —and ixr paid out and received as absolute money; the General Government alone to Issue money; that all United States bonds be immediately called in and paid in Greenback paper money, such money never to be converted into bonds; that all National Bank issues shall be at once withdrawn; that the trade dollar shall be recoined and all other silver money remonetized; that the Internal Revenue laws shall be abolished; in favor of a graduated income tax; the election of Postmasters by the people; the prohibition of the importation of Chinese or other servile labor; the establishment of a Labor Bureau of Statistics in every State; the abolishing of all class legislation; public lands to be disposed of only to actual settlers; eight hours to constitute a legal day’s work; demanding the passage of such laws as will fully, fairly and justly protect the rights of the people and of transportation companies; recognizing the . mutual dependence of labor and capital, and deprecating all attempts’ti/ antagonize them; that labor is the basis of all human wealth, happiness and progress, and must, have equal protection by law, that usury must be abolished by National laws; the homestead of a family, to the value of *2.000, never to be liable to sale for debtvno man to be eligible to the office of President or Vice-President for two consecutive terms. A National Executive Committee was appointed, composed as follows: Ohio, Hugh Preyer, Chairman; Nebraska, W. H. Dcch; Indiana, Dr. Winslow; Texas, B. J. Chambers; Colorado, Joseph Wolff; Kansas, J. O. McKee; Illinois. M. M. Pomeroy; Vermont, C’.- E. Grill; Mississippi, H. Nelson, Jr.; Wisconsin, D. W. C. Priest; Rhode Island, J. C. Vat let te; Pennsylvania, W. C. Plumer; Michigan, RalptT E. Hoyt; New York, John Cameron; Missouri, J. M. Landon; lowa, C. 11. Jackson.

The Wieconisn Legislature adjourned nine die, on the sth.. The Republican State Convention of Michigan was held at Lansing, on the 6th. Resol utioqs were adopted opposing any radical change in our present financial system, and congratulating the country on “the successful resumption of specie payments and the signs of returning prosperity in all branches "Of business; 5 ’ invitingGre eo-operatfon of all men "who are in favor of financial honesty and a safe and sound basis for the business of the country.’’ James V. Campbell was nominated for Judge of the Supreme Court, and E-O. Grosvenor and James M. Shearer for Regents of the University. AlFew weeks ago, E. L. Smith, Manager of the 'Western Union Telegraph Company at Topeka. K an., was put under arrest by: the. State House of Representatives for refusing to give to au Investigating Committee'of that body the telegrams sent from and received at his office in regard to the late’Senatorial election in the Legislature. He was set at liberty, on the 7th, by a unanimous vote of the House. • Mr. Smith had been under arrest for a number of weeks, and persisted to the last in hie refusal to yield to the demands of the committee, claiming that to com; ly with such demands would be a violation on his part of a sacred trust. "■~L ■ . Thebe was great excitement on the Chicago Board of Trade, on the 7th, caused by a fall of five cents per bushel in the price of April wheat.. The origin of the decline was the sale of over 3,000,000 bushels held by Keene and the New York clique. Later in the day it waS said that Keene’s agent had broken the market' on forged orders from New Y’ork. It was stated in the queuing Uiat the Telegraph Compa'tiy had offered a regard of *25,000 for the discovery of the man who sent ths order.

At its recent session in Chicago, the Na- 4 tional Butter aud Egg Convention re-elected. J. F. Joyce, of New York, President for trie ensuing year, andß. M. Littler, of Davenport, lowa, Secretary and Treasurer. Among the Vice-Presidents chdsen are George E. Gooch, Illinois; A. J.*W. Pierce, Wisconsin; J.,R. Budd, Indiana; H. T. Sherman, lowa, and T. G- Bottsfoi-d, Kentucky. A resoultion was adopted favoring the total abolition of the tax on dairy salt. I ■: Ox the 6th, in the "Illinois House of Representatives, an immense petition, said to be 900 feet long and to contain 110,000 signatures, was presented, asking for local option, and also that women of legal age be allowed to vote on the question of license. This is the “ Home-Protection'’ petition, and the signatures were secured by the ladies of the Illinois Women’s Temperance Union. A Chicago jury have found John Lamb guilty of the murder of Officer Race,, last October, and fixed the penalty at death by hanging. '■ THEAttorney-General of ‘South’ "Carolina has notified ex-Senator Patterson, of that State, that all indictments found against him have been cancelled. Godchaux Bros.! A Co., bankers of Sap Francisco, failed lately, owing over #1,000,000. Their assets aggregate #475,000. A flood In the region round about Humboldt Bay, Cal., the other day, was very destructive of railroad and telegraph lines, fences, outbuildings and dwelling^,,.i aons lost theft lives, several others were injured, and a great deal of stock was drowned. Columbus, Ohio, is greatly excited over the subject of incendiary fires, of which not less than eight were started simultaneously, on the morning of theßth. Over 300 armed men were sworn in as patrolft. IM Chiqago, on March Bth. Spring Wheat No. 2 closed at fash;

i«*fc for April. Cash Corn closed at 33Xc (or No. 2; t 33>,c for April; 57c tor May. Cash Qate No. 2 sold at 23)<c; seller April; 26><c for May. Hye,. No. 2, 46X®- Barley No.’ 2, 77(gS0c for cash; 77®80c for March. Cash Mei* Fork dosed at Lard, *6.45. Beeves —Extra brought-*4 75 roh.OO; Cljolce, *4.40 (§4.60; Good, *4,<XX<*4.3); Medium Grades, »8.75(«HV0; Butcher*’ Stock, *2.6503.65; Stock Cattie, etc., *[email protected]. Hogs—Gfaxl. to Choice, *3.090*4.25. Sheep—Prwr to Choice, *3.250*5.25 1

Forcijjn Intelligence. A Madliid dispatch,of the 8d announces the resignation of the Spanish Cabinet in a body. Titg residence of ex-Emprees Carlotta, widow of the late Emperor of Mexico, the Royal Castle of Tervuercn, in Belgium, was burned on the 3d. - ‘ A genuine case of the plague lately ap« peered at St. Petersburg. M; Heek, late President of the Swiss Confederation, died, bn the 3d. ON the morning of the 3d, John Drouillard'a house at Sandwich, Ont., was destroyed by lire, and ids two children, aged respectively •fifteen and five years,were burned to death. Drotilllard himself was badly injured while attempting to rescue the children. DeMahcehe, the French Minister of the Interior, resigned on the 4th. The Russian Government has appointed a Medical Commission to investigate the alarming prevalence of diphtheria in Southern Russia. At Kleff, Russia, the police lately discovered a secret printlng office, containing presses and material ami a large number of forged documents, with counterfeit .seals of the various departments. On entering the department, the officers were received with a storm of bullets, and one was killed and two mortally wounded. According to London dispatches of the 5: h, the situation in South Africa was considered most critical, and fears of an immediate invasion of the Capb Colonies On the sth, an explosion occurred in DeepDrop Colliery, in England, w hich caused the death of nineteen persons. A Constantinople dispatch of the sth says intelligence had been received that 500 Greeks had crossed into Thessaly, and burned the Village of Ktenlikienter. Signor Fanfani, an eminent Italian lexicographer, is dead. According to Vienna telegrams of the 6th, the Czar had discovered an extensive con spiracy to forcibly liberate the imprisoned Nihilists. The Czarowitch also had been charged with subversive political tendencies and been forbidden to quit the palace.

A Tashkend (Central Asia) dispatch, received in St. Petersburg on the 6th, says that immediately after the death of Shere All a bloody tight broke out among the followers of the various pretenders to—the Afghan throne, and that the partisans of Yakdob Khan were victorious. The latter was at Herat. In the German Parliament, on the 7th, the bill introduced by Count Bismarck authorizing the discipline of members for Socialistic utterances, was rejected by a large Only the extreme and some of the moderate Conservatives voted for it. It was an acknowleged ignominious defeat for the Government. Henri Lacay, a banker, and President of the Tallies (France) Chamber of Commerce, has absconded with a large sum belonging to depositors and others. —■——~~— The French Legislative Committee of Inquiry has voted to impeach the DeßroglieFourtou Cabinet of the 16th of May. A motion favoring woman suffrage was defeated in the British House of Commons, on the 7th, by a vote of 103 to 217. PasSamente, the would-be assassin of King Humbert, of Italy, has been found guilty and condemned to death. Gn the s£h,.the cages in the Victoria (England) Coal-Pit collided. One person was precipitated to the bottom of the shaft and eight others were killed. According to a Tirnova dispatch of the Sth, the inhabitants of Djuma, in Macedonia, were emigrating en masse -before the advance of Turkish troops. According to Cape Town (South Africa) dispatches, received via Madeira on the 9tli, the Zulus had been defeated, with heavy loss, at Ekowe, by Col. Pearson’s command. It was believed that aTlfeafs'oTasuceeTsfilTTn-" vaslon of Natal had vanished. A Tashkend dispatch of the 9th states that intelligence had been received there that tranquillity had been re-es’ablislied at Cabul, and that Yakoob Khan had been proclaimed Ameer of Afghanistan.

Congressional Proceedings. Considerable discussion was had in the Senate, on the 3d, on the proposed amendment to Mr. Shields’ amendment to the Arrears-of-l’ensions bill, declaring that no pension should be paid under the act to Jefferaua Davis, after which the amendment was agreed to—23 to 22. The Shields amendment including soldiers and sailors of the Mexican War in the provisions of the bill was then rejected—2o to 22 after which the bill was avain passed-44 to 3. .... A new Conference Committee was appointed on the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Appropriation bi 11... .Conference reports were agreed to on the River and Harbor, Fortification, Deficiency and Sundry-Givil Appropriation bills. • ...The.Tellez Comnuttciq wfts autlMtfjxedJp sit during the recess, to continue the inquiry into the alleged violation of the Constitutional rights of citizens during the late elections ... The Home amendments to the bill providing for the taking of the Tenthand subsequent Censuses were agreed to, and the bill was passed.... Bill’s were also passed: House bill for the’relief of soldiers and sailors becoming totally blind in the service of their country; making appropriations for the payment of claims reported by the Southern Claims Commission; House bill to f>romo»e the education of the blind. . . The seect committee, appointed at the instance of Mr. Mattbewsi made a report fully exonerating that Senator from gll charges or suspicions of complicity with any. real or supposed frauds in the election in Louisiana, and that his statements were true, and he iiad been guiltv of no corrupt conduct in any of the matters referred to in the testimony; but the committee say they cannot but regard the Senator's ‘‘action in respect to Janies E. Anderson's effort to obtain an appointment tooflice. under the circumstances, aS wrong and injurious to the public interest.’’ Bills were passed in the House relating to homestead settlements on.public lands within railroad limits.... Conference reports on the Fortijication, Bn«dry-Civil, River and Harbor, Deficiency and Postoffice Appropriation bills were agreed t 0.... The Senate amendments to the PostRoute bill were concurred in... .Seventeen articles of impeachment against George F. Seward were presented in the majority report of the Committee on Expenditures in the Slate Department. A minority report was also made, when considerable debate ensued, after which the minority report to refer the., whole subject to the Judiciary Committee was voted down—l2o to 98.

After a lengthy debate, the Senate refused, on the 4th. to recede from the amendments to the Legislative, Executive and Judicial and to the Army Appropriation bills, and they failed to pass ..In the absence of the VicePresident. Senator Ferry was chosen President pro vtm....K number of pension and private bills were passed, as was also the House bill to prevent the introduction of infectious or contagious diseases into the United States and to establish a National Board of Health. . . . At noon, Mr. Ferry, as President pro tern’., declared the Forty-fifth Congressadjourned sine die. A number of private bills were passed in the House....A motion to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the Ar-reare-of-Pensions bill was agreed t0....Mr. Hewitt reported that the Conference Committees had been unable to agree on the Army Appropriation bill, and stated that an agreement could be reached on alj,the questions in oontrO versy except as to the presence of troops at the p 0115.... After a lengthy debate..the House returned to yield ite position on legislative and the Army bills, and they ttohsequenUy failed to pass. :. . The Senate bill for the appointment of James Shields as a Brigadier General on the retired list was passed—ll 3to 56 ...Aresolution was v adopted that the charges against Judge Blodgett, of the Northern District of Illinois, be laid on the table, and that the House take no action thereon. ... A supplementary Conference report on the Poetoffice Appropriation bilk with a provision for double postal cards, was agreed t 0.... The vote, ordering the previous question on the Seward ’impeachprerrt resohitawwas. reoaeeid,, ered . . .Thecommittee appointed to investigate | the charge contained jn a> letter of Special Agent I

William* againct Hpeaker Randall made a report t> the effect that < vrn statement of wrong made in the letter was without even the *emblanoe of truth.,..A retolutibn of thank* to Bpealtar Randallyias iinanimoualy adbptcd.and. alter a stormy atul exciting seen* 1 , and thadelivery of strong political siMo-chea on both sides, the House wu declared adjourned fine dU.