The New York Herald Newspaper, December 14, 1871, Page 3

WASHINGTON Highly Important Revelations Respect- ing tho Alabama Claims, ‘Spanish Diplomatic Intrigues with the Geneva Conference. The Treaty of Washington im Danger. Excitement at the White House and in Cabinet Circles. The Spanish Government Alarmed’ and Have Despatched a Special Mes- senger to Washington. WAR WITH SPAIN NOT IMPROBABLE, = Important Debate Expected in the House To-Day. Arraignment. of the Administra- tion’s Policy Toward Cuba, rf ‘Wasnrncron, Dec, 12, 1871, Alarming Complications with Spain in Consc- qmence of Cuban Affairs, and Their Recent Action Relative to the Geneva Conference Outspoken Threats of War. ~y %¢m now generally understood in the highest Jegal circles that the Geneva Conference will be a failure, and that the administration was completely Outwitted on that part of the Treaty of Washington ‘Which provides for the appointment of arbitrators, ‘With the exception of Mr. Adams and, perhaps, Mr. Staemfe, all the men who compose the Board of Arbi- tration are opposed to republican institutions. Two Out of the five belong to the fallen and degenerate Latin race, and it is not belleved possible that they can be induced to make a fair and honorable award. For some time it has been whispered about that ‘@pain was interesving’ herself in the resulta of the Oonference, and that Great Britain would use the escape of the Hornet, Florida, Virginia, Upton and Aullian from American ports, to assist the insurreo- tionary Cubans, as an argument against allowing ‘any damages whatever for the depredations of the Alabama; but it wos not till within a day or two that the matter assumed such form that the situa- tion became intelligible. In another day one of the Most astounding pieces of intelligence which has Yet been made public in regara to the Washington ‘Treaty, and the often reported. and as often denied Complications with Spain, will have been scat- tered broadcast over the country; for it 4s the intention to ventilate the whole subject in, the House of Representatives when the Yesolution for making the appropriation for the Geneva Conference comes up in Committes of the Whole, to which it was yesterday reterred. General Banks, acting in the Cuban interest, ga well as doing his duty as an American Repre- sentative, 1s pressing immediate action, and Mr. Cox, of New York, will take the leadership of the other side of the House, but in reality on the same Side of the question, ‘The attack will be the flercest one yet mado upon the administration, and the result cannot fail to bo ® complete overthrow. of President Grant, For two Or thrée days the terror at the White House has been frightful, and the earnest friends of the Presi- Gent are wila in their demonstrations of anger and resentment at the republican Senators who were imatramental in keeping Secretary Fish in the Cabinet. Seeing the danger of his own - defeat looming up in the blackest colors, the President is anxious to cover the retreat on the Alabama question by a change of policy with regard to Cuba and a declaration of war against Spain. Tnis is the meaning of the alarm in Madrid and tne secret of the despatching of a special messenger to the Spanish Minister at Wash- ington. Italso accounts for the extensive military ‘and naval preparations in Spain, and the recent ye motion of Count Valmaseda in garrisoning the forts at Havana with regular soldiers, instead of the un- bridied volunteors, But perhapa the most remark- able feature of the whole case is the anxiety of the administration to get rid of Fish, Heis the man who did most of the dining with the Joint High Commissioners, and he is tobe Grant's morsel to whale off the public fary. A Fish to the whale will certainly be very good, and the ‘way Babcock and the other chaps who stand round te Presidential chair are working to cast him out {a rofreshing, and Senator Wilson comes in for a “* great share of the abuse, Tho good.natured old fellow has been trying to sit on “both sides of the fence’—to keop in with Grant and yet obey the bedests of Sumner. But for once he not only pur “his foot into the pie, but a very big foot at that, ‘The administration is more embarrassed by Fish’s femaining in the Cabinet even than by the terrible state of affairs at Geneva, He !s the man of brains and culture in what the President calls his ataf, but the big dinners y @ hia fuctuating policy in regard to Cabs have ruined him. A more unfortunate man eannot be found, He maddened the friends of Cuban Andependence by refusing to countenance the insur- '°Y geotion in Cuba, ond at the same time made Spain furn against him through imsofMicient vigilance in guarding against secret expeditions. He extorted te admiration of his countrymen by the wonderful @iplomacy displayed in the Treaty of Washington, fut left the frait to turn to ashes in his mouth by Biving the enemies of hia country an opportunity to ‘Mecide against him on arguments furnished by his OWN administration of the Department of State. Buttho conduct of the administration is most un- fat, Everybody who knows anything about the ‘Wisse House 1s aware that the Cabinet oMcers are mere’ Duppetsin Grant's hands, and the Sphinx does all the tating in the Cabinet coun- ~yclls. = Mr. Fist wWas tong = tha_—figure- “head ofthe prowiof Grant's ship of state; but now he is @ mermaid, coming up ont of the sea to Grighten the sailors just before the storm, It is no peromaer, then, that Babcock is unusually busy, that * Horace Porter looks bath wise and fierce, and that General Dent assumes again his martial aspect, We aro to have war with’ Spain, to Wrest tne an. tes from the grasp of the Spaniard snd to make ‘she American people pay in pivgd and treasure for » 7 | glory of defending the Cabanas and the Morro Uas- NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, Db the blunders of imbecfliry. This is tne way the , case stands, In all the negotiations for tne Treaty of Washington it was impossible to extort an ad- misssion, much less @ confessiun, that Great Britain had violated the law of nations or done | any wrongful act in allowing the Ala- bama and the other pirates to escape. A milk and water regret, weaker in every | way than “Boutwell’s brandy,” was all that could | be obtained. The regret inno way interferes with ' the English case before tho arbitrators, while the | British counsel meetthe American argument with | the reply that “our complaints against Great Britain are identical wito our practice against Spain.” Anticipating this answer to the specifica tions and deductions of the American counsel, Francia Clare Ford, long connected with the British Legation here, spent months tn preparing a detailed account of all our expeditions against Cuba, to- gether with a view of the American practice in similar emergencies from the establishment of the republic down tothe present hour. fe vegun his work long before the treaty was signed, and had it well on toward completion when the treaty was ratified, Before the arbitrators at Geneva the ques tion will be, “Did England tn her municipal capa- city do everything in her power to prevent | the fittingout and departure of the piratical ships of ware” T swer the question by citing volumes of similar instances in the practice of the United | States will not'be such an answer as will satisfy the enlightened conscience of the civilized worla, but what the effect will be upon the minds of Lord Omief Justice Cockburn and his Brazilian and Italian assoctates 1s another matter. The Amert- can counsel will reply by citing the constant Eng- lish practice as set off by our own. If it is alleged that we flited out privatecrs against Spain when she was at war with her South American posses- | sions, we will show that by the Treaty of 1819 we | shouldered the entire responsibility and paid for our acts, If it is argued that we permitted | the Cuban Junta in New York to levy war against ; Spain from our shores, we will reply | that England allowed a society of Poles | in London to project expeditions against Russia, and not only by the voice of her most eminent statesmen defonded une acts of the Polish refugees in Parllament, but when the govern- Ment of the Ozar complained, officially informed the Russian Bear that it was nobody's business. We will go further, and show that in the great plot to assusainate Napoleon III. the scheme was devised | in London, and even the hand grenades which | | were to take the Emperor's life were carried from England into France. All this, however, 1s regarded here as very little to the purpose, each side, like dis- putants on points of theological doctrine, finding plenty of texts to support extraneous propositions founded solely on tne principle of crying, “You're another.” But the position and attitude of Spain are more | aimcult to understand. It is said here that the | Spanish government has taken the deepest interost | m furthering the English view of the case and in supporting the English arguments before the Con- ference at Geneva. If the Conterence decides in our favor on the main question, ruling that England did not use suMcient vigilance m preventing the | violating of her own laws to our detriment, it is ad- mitted that we shall be compelled to settle with Spain tn the case of the Hornet and other vessels which did injury to Cuba. At the same time ivis evident that Spain is alarmed, as if anticipating the | decision of the Vonforence, She is arming both on land and sea, There is no longer an insurrection in Cuba requiring her to send out to the Sver Faith. ful Isle a singie general, much less 10,000 soldiers, or to deprive the Havana volunteers of the martial tle. A single word in the Iresiaent’s Message— “intervention” —puts all Madrid in commotion, and induces the young King to call his old counsellors together. An attaché is at once despatchea to the Spanish Minister at Washington, and there are dark hints here that tho fate of Catacazy is yet in store for Roberts. Secretary Robeson gets upon his sea legs and goes stalking around among the sailors of Washington, talking of his three ships-of-war, with the bad boilers, in the harbor of Havana, and the glories in store for the | navy blue. He wants-more-4htps and more money, and is unceasing in his importunities of Senators for the bones and sinews of war. There are whis- perings that we are to have a new policy in regard to Onba, and the good old Secretary of State, who don’t want to stay in the Cabinet and won’t bo kicked out, becomes at once, not only an object of indifference, but a positive annoyance. Mr. Fish is not only the reputed friend of Spain, but Sidney Webster, his son-in-law, has long been the legal counsellor of Spanish interests, Webster Is now here seeking to discover the meaning of the movement here in favor of Judge Pierrepont and the Cuban intrigue which is at the bottom of it, ‘This is the movement in which Babcock 13 so much Interested, and accounts for the anxiety to wet Fish out of it, but does not explain the sudden war policy of the administration, When the Spanish attaché | arrives here with his despatches to the Spanisn | Minister the State Department will not be in tne hands of a Secretary breathing the spirit of the new Policy, unless Fish can be got out of i, This is the reason why the satellites of the administration are cursing Senator Wilson for his ill-advised assistance in inducing Fish to “stick,” and the poor old man will yet find out that in trying to please everybody nobody is pleased. The character of the despatciies which Spain has sent to the United States ts still a Matter of speculation, but there can be little doubt that they deniand an explanation of President Grant’s meaning in that part of the Message which refers to Guba, and call the attention of our government to the alleged vioiations, in the protection afforded to the Hornet and Florida, of the spirit of neutrality contwimed in the rules ailopted tinder the Treaty of Washington. If this hypothesis should prove to oe true, ond It is gener- ally credited among the few persons who can pre- tend to judge of the complications with Spain, it will go far to explain the peculiar attitude of that Power with regard to the Conference at Geneva, ana the position about to be assamed by the British government respecting those very vessels. The Spanish Minister 1s evidently alarmed, not so much, perhaps, at the perplexity of the complications as the suddenly belligerent tone of the President's Message and the idle chatter of the Secretary of the Navy. Should war ensue it will be owing to an un- diplomatio word in the President’s counsel to Gon- gress and the talk of an official chaiterer among unoMotal busybodies and gossips. Tho danger to the administration in a political sensa, independently of all the whisperings about impeachment and the antagonisms of party ditfer- ences will ve developed in committee of the whole in the House to-morrow, on the promised motion of General Banks. There isa disposition to hurry up the appropriation of $250,000 for defraying the expenses of the Geneva Conference, but while nearly every- body will, probably, vote for the resolution, the whole subject will be dissected in the debate. Not only the friends of the President, but the leaders of both parties are alarmed for the security of American interests before the Board of Arbitration. The way in which the Board of Arbitration 1a con- stituted under the treaty ts unsatisfactory to many Representatives, and the results of the Conference at best are doubtful. Lord Uhief Justice Cockburn cannot be expected to be friendly to us, bound, as he cannot fati to be, by the views of his own government. Count Scelopis, the Italian, and Baron Gajuba, the Bra- zillan arbitrator—the former the servant of the favner of the Spanish King, nd the latter a Portu- guese whom a long residence in Paris has made an old-fashioned Frenchman—cannot be expected to be naturally favorable either to us, to our insti. tutions or to our views of the comity of nations, especially in an Isolated instance, such as that ‘which will come before them for determination and judgment. Mr, Staempfie, the Swiss arbitrator, is the repre eentative of a nominal republic, but it is not con? sidered sale to depend upon his republican proclivi. ties in bearing down upon his colleagues or controlling their action. The decision wil be rendered in the very heat of the Presidential canvass, and if it 1s against us, as it is now confidently expected it will be, it will be used with terrible effect by the democracy. Herein is, then, a sudden gleam of hope for the demooratio Jeaders, and the reason in @ nutshell for the sud. den change of policy toward Spain in the Presi- donv’g hint at intervention, Foilare aj Geneva -of “the man with the cigar.” ; hope of the democratic leaders, and they are so con- Cannot be traced to our counsel. General Cushing 1s, without exception, the ablest lawyer in the country. William M, Evarts 13 scarcely inferior to him, either in reputation or ability. Mr. Waite, a gentleman whom nobody appears to know, is also Weli versed in international law. Everything that | counsel can do will be done; but when Mr, Cox takes the floor to-morrow—unless, indeed, the | Apportionment bill should crowd it off—to favor the appropriation, but demonstrate the futility of the arbliration by the unfriendly foreigners who are to judge the case under the terms ot the Treaty of Washington, the question will have assumed anew, @ wonderful and a most unexpected phase, It will then be shown that the treaty is weak in this great essential of strength. While the point of in- ternational law that England was bound to use | every effort to prevent the depredations of the pirates is frankly admitted, sue will endeavour to show, not only that due diligence in pre- venting the escape was exercised, but that the getting away of the vessel is admitted by the treaty itself asan actual escape. The trouble here 1s that we allowed the treaty to be worded so loosely and yet so cunningly that while we have admitted the escape of the cruisers from the English ports there ts not a word to indicate a claim of English lability, showing how weak and short-sighted was the work of our High Commis. sioners in these respects, The Cass-Herran Treaty, growing out of tne riot on the Isthmus of Panama, in 1856—about which there were preliminary nego- tiations for many years—will be cited, and it will be shown that General Cass would not allow the treaty to be signed till the Tespopsibility was acknowledged, and had been in- serted In the document itself, as a predicate that New Granada should acknowledge her habiiity for all outrages and wrongs committed by the citizens ofthat republic, The Secretary held that it was the acknowledgment of liability which was first neces- | Sary, so that the only duty left to the Commussion- ers would be to determine the amount of damages and make award to parties after fall prool. failure to do this in the present instance, tie proba- bility of iailure to seciire tne payment of any | damages whatever for the Anglo-rebel depreda- tions, and the unnecessary disposition to provoke & war with Spain has stirred up an immense quan tity of bile, and will in the end entirely overshadow all the efforts of the Trumbull-Schurz faction to overwhelm Grant and with the awkward decision ofthe Board of Arbitrators in tne middie of the Presidential canvasses complete!y put out the light At least this 18 the fident that the meeting of the Executive Commuttee ; has been deferred till January. Proceedings in Beth Houses—The Luvestiga- Hon and Ketreacament, Apportionment and Labor and Education Weasures, The campaign of the recalcitrant republicans against the administration was continued in the Senate to-day, but it was far from being in any way 43 brilliant as the battle which 1s promised in the House to-morrow on the Treaty of Washington. So far as results are concerned they were of no im- portance, and though the Senate consumed four hours to-day im the discussion of a resd- lution, reported from the republican cau- cus by Mr. Anthony, for of a joint standmg Committee on Investigation and Retrenchment, the only thing accomplished was a still wider breach in the republican party. ‘fhe ob- ject of this committee}eems to be to act as a sort of detective corps and grand jury on tne Executive portion of the government, It differs from the com. talttee proposed py Senator Trumbull in this, that it 1s a regular standing committee instead of a “spectal committee,” and is to nave the usual privi- leges and powers of a standing committee, instead of the extraordinary ones proposed by the Ilinols Senator, The debate today was of @ rambling nature, and was brought about by an amendment, offered by Trumbull, giving the new committee power to sit in perpetual ses- sion, and to investigate everybody ana everything | without fear or hindrance. This appears to be Trumbuil’s idea of getting at civil service reform. In this he was backed up by Schurz, who inthe course of his remarks proguced the report of the committee of the last Congress which invesugated the “general order” business of the New York Oustom House as an ex- ample of the stupendous frauds daily perpetrated against the government without cor- rection, and which, “notwithstanding the promises of the President of reform in the civil service, are sti! maintained.” Said the Senator, +a pound of performance would be more acceptable to the coun- try than a ton of such promises.” He cited the case of Colonel Leet, who resigned from General Grant’s staf and took a personal letter from Grant to the Coliector of Customs, which secured him the “general order’ business, from which his income is said to be from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars a year, chants and the Secretary of the Treasury himself, he is maintained in that position, which the Missourt Senator thinks indicates a power somewhere greater than that of the Seoretary. Schurz’s earnestness brought out Conkling to the defence of the White House and the republican party generally. He controverted tne statements of Schurz about the New York Custom House, saying that the committee of investigation was the work of the republican party, and all the recom- mendations of that committee for reform had been | carried out by the Executive, Morton, Edmunds and Anthony followed up in the same strain, and during the last hour the debate fell into a sort of a running fre from both sides as to whether the re- publicans or democrats stole the most, and as to which party had gone the furthest to punish the thieves, At four o’clock the debate got to be very stupid and trifing, and so an adjournment was eftected without a vote being reached, In the House yesterday, Mr. Connor, of Texas, failed to introduce a bill calling for information relative to Governors of Territories—of thelr pere- -grinations 1a foreign countries and their status gen- erally. After the expiration of the morning hour Mr. Hoar, from the Committee on Education and Labor, called up a Dill providing for a commission of three persons to examine the subject of the hours of labor and the dtvisions of the profits on labor, and asked to bave a day ap- pointed for its special consideration, This question proved to be of interest by the flutter its mentinn occasioned. The objects of the bill being to pro- vide only tor investigation upon the questions in- volved in labor, the causes of discontent among the workingmen, and to discover, if possible, the remedy, opposition to it was not looked for from any quarter, and surprise was manifested at the promptness with which Mr. Kerr, of Indiana, moved to lay the bill on the table. The motion being lost Mr. Hoar proceed to address the House upon the merits of the measure, ana soon he aroused interest and held attention, which in- creased as he proceeded. The failure to give this subject light in the Old World, he said, had createa tne International, an organization which is making its volce heard and its power felt throughout the civilizea world, Mr. Dawes regretted the action of the other side in refusing to give attention to this overshadowing question, and appealed to Messrs, Wood and Kerr to withdraw their opposition to the consideration of vne bill. Mr. Kerr replied that he hoped the gentleman from Massachusetts would give that side of the House an opportunity to be heard upon the bill, that they might prove the falsity of the charge made that they were opposed to it. Mr. Hoar replied that they had shown no desire to be heard, but on the contrary moved to dispose of the question, Witn discussion Mr. Kerr grew restive in the position in which he found himself, and Mr. Hoar proceeded with the consideration of it, ylelding this time to diferent members who wished to speak upon the bill. Lew Campbell made a point of order involving, he said, the practice which had grown up among members, without sanction of law, of farming out the Ume belonging to them among those they wished to have speak. The Speaker offectually disposed of that point, by having the rule upon the subject read, Mr, Kelley, of Pennsylvania, spoke warmly in favor of a full and free investigation of the subject involved in wages and labor. He declared the same causes were in operation here that haa Dauperised Great Britain, In our great cittes are te be seen already the same re- sults, and inquiry may reveal the causes end snggest a remedy. After a spirited: The | the organization | Ana yet, in spite of the protests of the mer- | ey * |-for tho tHefuing nour ati nally disposed of It } Will probably provoge much discussion, democrats | beimg anxious to get out of the predicament | they are in regarding it, and members gen | erally~ being anxious to speak upon it, The | Apportionment bill then came up in Com- | mittee of the Whole. Debate was in earnest ness, assuming & tinge of bitterness as conflicting interests mect and clash, ‘The me tor general de- ' bate was limived to one hour. Messrs. Kerr, Cox | and Potter spoke in criticism of the effect of the fourteenth amendment, and generally favoring & House not larger than the present one. On the re- speaker, supporting the original bill, which, as it now stands, culls for 283 members. The Ohio | Thetorician was great on the claims of the great West, The discussion on tne matter is j settling down to a simple question of increase of | Bumbe® over the present number, and to the prop- osition of Genera) Butler to provide that Represent- | atives shall be elected on the second Thursday in { November. This was discussed by different mem- | bers from States whose elections are now held at | different times in the year. Butler’s proposition | will not be operative unul 1874, and will | mot then effect States whose elections are held in | the spring. After tue commuttce rose there was | quite ‘a tempestin a teapot” over a resolution re- } ported by Mr. Kandail, from the Committee on Rules, allowing the Delegate from tms District @ Place op the District Committee; also allowing a Territorial Delegate a seat on the Committee om Territories, Tho rule was finally adopted by a vote } Of two to one, when the House adjourned. Kepublican Senatorial Caucus. The republican Senators reassembled in caucus this morning at half-past ten and remained in ses- | sion until noon. When the Senate was called to | order the flusned faces and kmit brows of Chaudler, ; Conkling apd others gave occular demonstration {to observant eyes of the truth of rumors | which had oozed out, of the caucus room that the discussion was even more turbulent, bitter and personal than yesterday. Messrs, Trum- j bull, Schurz, Wilson, Tipton, Edmunds, Conkling, | Anthony and Morton were the principal combat- ants, The near approach of noon compelled the chairman to bring the disputunis to @ vote, the result of which was the adoption of a substi‘ute pre- pared by Sevator Morton, providing for a standing committee of seven, entitled Retrenchment and In- vestigation, whose duty it should be to consider and investigate all matters referred to it by the } Senate. It is easily seen how much leas sweeping | sn character it is than that Mr, Trumbull proposes, | and it is evident that the administration Senators understand the adroit role played by the Mitnois caucuser, who, while declaring himself a friend of the President and a@ faithful supporter of his administration, in the opinion of Senators | luke Morton, Conkling and Chandler, is really seeke ‘ ing to gain promimence vy such pretences to un- | dermine Grant and create capital for the expected | resistance to his renomination, which tne recalcl- trants think they may yet make form‘dable, All these points were wrangled over in | caucus, and threats were freely indulged in by the majority of reading out those who declared they woul oppose wm open Senate, the Morton resolution. After it had been adopted m party conference the irrepressible Tipton, of Nebraska, flew the track enurely, and, repudiating in advance any concession, retired trom the caucus ‘im thorough disgust. The caucus was fully attended. ar. Morton’s motion is reported as having been adopted by the following vote:—For it Messrs. Alcorn, Ames, Anthony, Bore- man, Buckingham, Carpenter, Chandler, Ulayton, Conkling, Corbett, Cragin, Edmunds, Ferry of Mich., Flanagan, Frelinghuysen, Gilbert, Harlan, Hawlin, | Hill, Howe, Kellogg, Lewis, Morrill of Vt., Morton, | Nye, Osborn, Pomeroy, Pool, Praté Ram- | sey, Rice, Scott, Sherman, Stewart and Windom—36. Against the motion and in favor of the Trumbull resolution were Messrs, Caldwell, Fenton, Ferry of Connecticut, Hitchcock, Logan, Patterson, Sawyer, Schurz, Spencer, Sume ner, Trumbull of West, Wilson and Wright—four- teen. Messrs. Brownlow, Cole, Hamilton of Texas, Morrill of Maine, Robertson and Sprague were | absent. With the exception of Mr. Sprague these may be covived tu with the administration Senators. The Political Trouble iu Georgia. Georgia republicans who arrived here to-day ex- Press themselves greatly disgusted with the course of Acting Governor Conley. The democratic ma jority in the Legislature having passed a bill ordering a special election for Governor, the Acting Executive, cialming the election to be illegal, announced @ determination to contest the result, A majority of active republicans proposed | to nominate a candidate and so get their party into working order. They agreed with Governor Conley | to discuss the iegal points raised. It was known that the President deemed it best to run a candi- date. Mr, Conley, who is regardeu, in spite of all disclaimers, as Governor Bullock's and the railroad ring’s legatee, gave his party associ- | ates to understand that he would remain neutral. Onthis it was determined to put Mr. J, Atkins, of | Savannah, in nomination. The Governor opposed | the proceeding at once, for up to the time of reach- ing this decision he and his friends had not believed that a nomination was possible. So the republi- cans havo abandoned the idea of contesting the democratic choice. This action ism any event the finishing stroke to Foster, Blodgett, Bullock and Company, Thue Anglo-American Commission. The United States and British Commisston re- sumed their session to-day. In the case of John Hommes Hanna va the United States, No 4 the Commissioners decide that the United States cannot be held lable for injuries caused by the acts of rebels over whom they could exercise no control and which acts they had no power to prevent, Upon this grouna, and without giving any opinion upon other points raised in the case, which will be con- sidered hereafter in other cases, the cialm of Joun Holmes Hanna is therefore disallowed. In the case of Alfred Paul Walker vs. The United States, No. 13, the Commissioners decide that this claim shall be disallowed, as stating no case fora claim against the United States within the intent of the treaty, ‘The Commission adjourned until to-morrow, Civil Service Reform. The House Committee on Civil Service Reform met to-day and considered the general pature of the work they aro charged with, A curious para- graph appeared this morning in the administration Organ here, denouncing the plan of the Curtis Commission in advance, ana declaring that ® practicable scheme would be matured by Mr. Kelley’s commitiee, Tnis ts regarded ag another of the proofs, daily accumulating, of the Jealousy with which Congressmen look upon any movement which will really relieve them of- the power of controlling patronage, Indian Affairs and Patents, The Committees on Indian Affairs and Patents met to-day, and devoted their session to an exami- nation of referred bills. There will be some im- portant changes considered with regard to the Patent laws, Tobacco Stamps and the Tobacco Tax, The demand for the sixteen cent tobacco stamps is 80 great that the Internal Revenue Department has much difficulty in filling orders with sufficient promptness to suit the tobacco manufacturers and dealers. Eight millions of these stamps were sola in November, which is double the number ever fornished before in a single month, and the orders are still increasing, It is gen- erally thought that any uniform tax which Congress can be induced to fix will not be less than twenty-four cents per pound for all grades, ana the dealers are, therefore, anxious to secure the benefit of the present tax on the inferior qualities by stamping all the topacco of such qualities at the present rato before the passage of the expected law, and 60 pocket the extra profit that will result from the raising of prices on the raising of the tax to a uniform rate, Presidential Nominations. ‘The President sent the following nominations to the Senate to-day:— le—Arthur Morrill, of New York, at San Consul José, Costa Rica; Stewart Barnes, of Connecticut, at Rio Negro; Jon Wilson, of Pennayivania, at Collectors of Internal Revenue—J, J, Mott, sixth G. s, Richards, Seco istrict of North Carolina; G. = na district of Virginia; Andres Wuliman, N iriot of New York. siueat wieoad dich 9 gat Bee. arian, Tae pudiican side Mr, Bingham was the principal | \bER 14, 1871.—TRIPLE SHEET | district of Texas; T. H. Brooks, First district of Vir- gina; J. Hogan, Third district of Louisiana; J. We | Rees,’ Fifth district of indiana; Charles Will Surveyor of Customs at Fredericksburg, Va. Postmasters—J. 8. Pollock, Little Rock, Ark.; C. F. Coffin, Madison, Ind. 8, H, Alban, Register, Land oMtce, Stevensport, wis. 23 L, Quinn, Receiver, “Land office, Stevens- pr » Wis. Appointments in the Revenue Marine Service.— Third Lientenants—W. G. Woodward, of Maasachu- setts; H. B. Rogers, of Michigan; W. K. Orcutt, of Massachusetts; J. Morriasey, Jr., of Massachusetts; W. H. Hawes, of Rhode Island; J. 0. N. Granam, of Maine; A. Buhner, of South Carolina; A. EB, Bate- | man, of Iowa: W. F. Baldwin, of New York; J. Be | ane of Pennsylvania; ©. T. Bryan, of Virginia, ; and East Burke, of Wisconsin. Second Lieutenants—A. Weston, of Massachu- setts; F. J. Simmonds, of Vii ia; W. D. Roath, of Connecticnt; A. D. Littlefield, of Massachusetts; W. H. Hand, of New York; VU. C, Hamiet, of Micht- gan; W. J. Herring, of New York; EB, D, Edmunds, of New Jersey; J. Dennett, of Maine; John brown, of New Jersey, and E. Biondi, of Louisiana. L, M, Keene, of Missouri, to be First uieatenant, and D. Ritchie, of the District of Columbia, to be Capiam. The nominations of the President to the Senate thus far are of persons appointed to office during the recess of Congress. The Catacazy Catastrophe. Mr. Catacazy, in a private tetter to @ friend in Washington, says:—‘‘Being fully approved and sus- tained by my government, I accept very philoso- phically the wanton outrages heaped upon me solely because 1 have done my duty.” the Final Adjournment ef the House. Numerous members of Congress, especially re- Publicans, favor the resolution of Senutor Morton to adjourn Congress on the third Monday in May, believing between now and that time that they can transact all the necessary pubiic business, THS GRAND DUKE. A Princely Gift to the Poor of New York. Alexis Will Travel Incognito in Canada—Mon- treal in Mourning Gives Up the Ball—Mil- waukee Waking Up to Receive Him— His Last Day in Boston—Quiet Promenade About the “Hub,” Boston, Deo, 18, 1871, The Grand Duke has spent nearly the whole of to- day in his apartments at the Revere House. He was only absent an hour or two thia forenoon, dur- ing which time he visited Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market and took an unobserved promenade up and down Washington street. Tu-morrow morning ho leaves for Montreal, His Visit to Montroal to be Incognitco—The Ball Given Up on Accouut of the Prince of Wales’ Iliness. MONTRRAL, Dec, 13, 1871, The reception of the Grand Duke will be shorn of much of the brilliancy frst intended, His Highness telegraphed to the Mayor that he desired to be allowed to visit Montreal incognito, A message was received shortly afterwards announcing that the bail would noc be given in cousequence of the iness of the Prince of Wales. Preparing for the Western Tour. MILWAUKEE, Wis., Dec, 13, 1871. M, Catucazy has telegraphed Mayor Ludington that the Grand Duko will visit Milwaukee about the 8d of January, and suitable preparations are being made for his reception and entertainment Alexis Allots $5,000 to the Poor of New York. Now that the echoes of the sounds of revelry and joy which met the Prince on his ar- nival in our midst have died away, to be held only among the pleasures of memory, it 18 gratifying that a token of the most practical kind comes to tell us how he appreciated our wol- come, In forwarding his CHECK FOR FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, 40 Mr. Aspinwall to be distripured among the poor of New York, he has taken the most delicate means of returning & compliment teudered to him for the great nation he represented, The following correspondence will explain itself:— ADMIRAL POSSIET’S LETTER. Boston, Deo. 11, 1671. My Dgar Srr—His Imperial Highuess the Grand Duke Alexis has desired me to enclose you a check for $5,000 lor distribution among the poor of New York, wishing them to feel that a visit which has afforded sv much pleasure to him has been the oc. casion of some slight relief to them. Lam, my dear sir, yours, most sincereiy, WALLIAM H. ASPINWALL, E8q. C. POSSIET. ' MR, ASPINWALIS REPLY, New York Dec. 12, 1871, To Admirat PosstEt, of the Kussian Navy:— DEAR Sin—I take Wiig pleasure in acknowl edging the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant enclosing a check for $5,000 a8 & manifestation of the sympathy of His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Alexis for the poor of this city, His visit will surely be held in pleasant remembrance by ail classes of Unis community. In carrying out the considerate intentions of Hia Imperial Highness I have appropriated $1,000 te the relief of the destitute children of seamen, the suciety most nearly connected with the noble pro- fession to which you both belong, and the remain- ing $4,000 I give to the society for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor, and you may rely.on a‘ndicious distribution being made of the generous gift. With sincere regard, I remain very truly your ovedient servant, WM. H. ASPINWALL, THE WEATHER REPORT. Wan DEPARTMENT, } OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OrvicEeR, WASHINGTON, D. C., Dac. 1s—1 A. M. Synopsis for the Past Twenty-four Hours, The area of lowest pressure was Tuesday night on Lake Erle; has moved northeastward into New England, and is probably now central in Vermont @nd Connecticut, Easterly winds, with snow, have prevailed on the New England coast ‘The high barometer in the Northwest has extended south and eastward, and the pressure is now risen from New York south and westward. Northwest erly winds continue witn diminishing force from Lake Erie to Lake Superior, and now prevail on Lake Ontario, succeeding the Southeast winds of Wednesday. Clouay weather continues on the Guif Coast, with light rain in Louisiana anu Mississippl, Rising barometer and clear weather continue at the Pacific and Rocky Mountain stations, Provaditines, The barometer will probably rise very generally on Thursday, with aoortherly winds and clear or clearing weather, except in New England, where cloudy weather will probably continua, Rain or clond are probanle for the immediate Gulf coast; clear weather in the interior of the Southern ond Gulf States and on the Pacitio coast, Warning Signals Ordered, Dangerous winds are not anticipated for our coasts to-night, unless, possibly, on the coast of Maine, The Weather in this City Yesterday. ‘The following record will show tho changes in the temperature for the past twenty-four noars, m comparison with the corresponding day of last year, a pemeave? by tM Nees cater Ge amr Moe SRALD Building, coruer of Ann atrect:— ited 1870, 1871. 1870, 1371. 62 8 a 32 ‘ature yesterday... sees temperature for corresponding date Ave Inst yo VIRGINIA WANTS IMMIGRATION, RicHMonD, Va., Dec. 13, 1871. A large meéting of gentlemen representing all portions of the State was held here Jast night and to-day to consider the ‘best means to promote immigration, The report of the business com- mittee says this meeting oi the citizens of Virginia, fathered from all of the State, expresses faitntanly tne conviction of ail its people im deciar- | ing that the paramount need and desire of Virguia is to secure INTRODUCTION OF CAPITAL AND SUFFICIENT LABOR mineral I in utilizing the ore and manufac- turing resources and thatthe people and the govel of will extend & cor- hy to immigrants from all parts of thts country’ trom Europe who come to employ these essential heips within her its. Then follows @ of moat prominent means be se m secure the desired ende' ia now in- pa Ba ‘Sd otherwise, i furtherance of the t ol ‘Th of the Business ‘was adopted & | THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, | Successful Observation of the Phe- ‘nomenon by the Savans. | Important Result of the Labors of the Astronomers. , Science Masters the Critical Moment— History of the British Expedition— American Observations in Former Years, TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD, Lonpow, Dec. 18, 1871. | Adespatch bythe telegrapn line of Southern India and the Red Sea cable announces a successful observation of the total eclipse of the sun in the Southern Hemisphere, ‘The party of observers consisted of Mr. Newman, | Lockyer, the well-known writer on astronomical subjects, and translator. of Guillemen’s famous Treating on the Heavens; J. P. MacLean, R. N.3 Captain Tupman, H. N. Moreley, R, G. Friswell,! | W. J. Lewis and Kev. R. Abbay, At Suez, on the outward path of the party, Signor ° Respighi, the distinguished Italian astronomer, Joined the expedition; where also it was joined by M, Janusen, the French savan, who will always b@ remembered for his discoveries in regard to the red flames in the corona, and who so ably supple- Mented the observations and speculations of the French observers in that quarter. The photographs of the corona obtained are reported as perfect, and the result must be conclu. sive of several points regarded by modern astrom+ omers as needing more thorough demonstration. Report of the Observers, Lonpoy, Dee, 13, 1871. A telegram from Jaffa reporta that most satisfacs tory and interesting observations were taken of tae eclipse of the sun on Monday, The weather was splendid, Suiling of the British £xpedition—four Toma Weight of Instruments Silpped. The menibers of the British government oxpedi- tion which was despatched for the observation of thisecilpse of the aun, uuder charge of Mr. Lock- yer, sailed from Southampton in the steamship Mirzapore, for different stations in the north of Ceylon, on the 26th day of last October. ‘They were aware that the (erm of total obscuration of the sun would endure only two minutes and a balf, and were, therefore, fully prepared to note the grand event. The arrangements were all com- pleted with great care, and, owing to the courtes¥ of the Peninsular aud Oriental Company’s officers, every thing—even (o the smallest Leyden jars—werg shipped safely, although tue instruments, weighing four tons, all of them costly and delicate, only arrived at toe port during the same mourning. The observers: undertook @ long aud arduous jouraey to view the phenomena of @ total ccilpse, A few clouda velling for three minutes the place of the eclipsed sun would render futile ail the exertions, all the coat and trouvle of the journey to tne indian seas, the skill of Mr. Lockyer and his colleagues and the perfection of the mstraments. It argues noe slight desire to tucrease our knowledge—uno sinal) zeal in the gause oi sclauce—tiut so mach should have been done and risked where, after all, even with all the circumstances favorable, tie results May not be such as ustguomers hoped to obtain, , British Autictpations. After the departure of the expedition an English writer indulged In the following anticipatory come ments on the undertaking :— Let it be noted—in fairness not only to Mr. Locks yer and the expedition under bis charge, but also to hose observing parlies which Will be stationed ix India, Java and Northern Australta—that the set before the observers of the approaching eclipse ls altogether more dificult than any which baw hitherto been attempted. 1t would not be diMiculs to repeat the observations made during the Ameri- can eclipse of 1369 and during the Mediterranean eclipse of 1870, but to do.tlis would be to do noth- ing. Something new must ve learned or the expe. didon nugnt as well not have Aud to discover sometniug new aiter go many skiltul observers have veen at work in the same fleid ta Ukely to prove no easy task, There is not & single moment in the progress Of totality wuich Nas not been already utilized by others. The insiaat when the last ray of direct sunlightis Jast obliterated has been employed by Proiessor Young, of Ame- Tica, WO such purpose us to reveal the @xlstence of a marvellously complex sviar avmosphere, in which the vapors of our jamiilar metals replace the Which in our alr form tie breath of iife, From that first instant onwards until the moment when the sun is about to disappear, that glory of light which astronomers Cail the corona has been studied and analyzed fa such sort that one would imagine that nothing new could be iearued respecting It Yes our expeditionists have set forth with the pure ose of learning something new, and the | lault will not be Cieirs if they ure wasuccessfal. To encourage wuem to swenuvus exerion they have this to consider, that if they fall many months must puss beiore astronomers have another oppor= tunity to institute such researches as they now pros pose to make. It ts quite-certain that we shall not have to call the attention of ow readers Ww any eclipse expeditions either in 1872 Or 1878. Im tho Jatier year, indeed, there will be no tocal solar eclipse at all, And the total eclipse os Novemuer 80, 1872, ls Buch 2 One thal nO astronomer bs likely vo take the trouble to witness it. Jt is so barely total that it actually begins and ends on the earth 8 an annular one, the wvon at those times nos Juily hiding the sun even on the line of Ceniral eclipse. It is only in the middio of the moon's shadow track upon the earta@ that the sup will pe ae htaden, and there oniy for afew seconds, Not until] April 16, 1874, will there be au eclipse worth an eclipse expedition; and in these days of rapid set- entific Pept an interval ol twenty-eight monias seems like anjage, Our observers, then, in India’and Ceylon, .a8 Well a8 the continental astronomers im Java, and the colonial astrouomers m North Aus+ tralia, are bound to exert themselves most Ailix geniy, $0 that astronomers may not want eciipse pabulum during that lou. tterval, AMERICAN AND OTHER PAST RESEANCHES, It is easy to Indicate the position to whieh past researches have brought the student of that won- | derful crown of light which is seen around the | echpsed sun, ‘The American observers tn 1360 found that this object ts in great part seif-laminous, and that its ligt in some respects resembles im quauty that of the aurora borealis, But doubts prevalied as to the extension of this seli-luminous solar giory. Some thougit that it did not extend more than some ninety thoasaud miles from the gun’8 suriace, while others believed that its eX; tension was to be measured by hundreds of thousands of miles. Last year the American observations were confirmed, and some- thing was learned as to the extent of the coron® A certain well marked gap or dark rift im the corona then seen was photo. ‘apbed in Spain by an American, and aiso In Sicily yy an Englishman, These photographs, enlarged to @ common scale, were submitted to Sir Jona Herschel, aud by him pronounced decisive as to the extra terrestrial character of @ radiated corona ex- tending at least as far from the sun asthe ooundae ) Ties of thls gap. CAUTION. On such @ matter HMerschel’s opinion—always authoritative--may ve regarded as ali but final, | The existence of a real solar oppendage reaching at least @ million miles trom the sans suri oo | having thus been demonstrated, it remain for vie present observers to determine how this strange appeniage is shaped, and how constituted. ‘hey had to distinguish 16 {vom all that light with which this appendage itself | fills our atmospuere during the ey of @ total chpse—to ayo being deceived, ax so many have | been deceived, by the strange optical esfects pro~ | duced during tho passage of the moon’s vase | shedow through the air above and around them, | Atthat time false rays appear, which the mnex- perienced wo readily conound with the ine coronal veams, ‘There is also & semblance of motion even among those rays which are real fixed. kverything has been new and startling, anc | no slight mental efort required to &x the thoughts | on that sole feature which the observer hat under- taken to examine, When so much of What ts caking place arownd tends to distract his attention, THE PHOTOGRAPH CAMERA “AND ITS USB, : Fortunately an mstrument was used which re- | corded the features of the eclipse without beg im any Way affected by the distractions we have men- tioned, ‘The telescopist may fail to make useful Obs servations, or he may be so misied as to make false Ones; the eux icine may ve unable ‘distin | guish between the light of the coroua and that of the | Dumetnated air; the draughtsman may juce | some Ot Shose marvellous pictures Ay 60 much sivess has lately been laid; Du camera will do tts work unmoved by the palling aspect of the surrounding scoue, Whatever Photographic pictures may sow, we are made certain that neither exctiement nor sffec- the resu. uch other means wiil be greatly inc In value by hotographic recoras. If the spectroscopist has fi nt of such and such a quality from & certain of the corona tue Pe oe will show what the aspect of that particu! ta used to | mian succeeas in pictur! 5 the corona with Tach, Harts of Work a8 may be the reat. peasant asa oa