AMERICAN ITEMS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3044, 29 April 1867, Page 6

AMERICAN ITEMS.

We compile the following summary of news from the telegrams which appear in the San Francisco Bulletvti : — New York, March 1. — The Times aays the Southern Relief Committee h»ve sent over 40,000 bushels of corn to Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas, the distribution to be made under the joint direction of the Governors and military commanders. The Tribune intimates that the managers of the Russo-American Telegraph have been bought off by the Atlantic Telegraph Company, who are supposed to be operating similarly to defeat the bill before the New "Xork Assembly to lay a cable from New York to Brest, France. The bill has passed the Senate, X.if Vtnnrca fira in tilo _A'sßP»"blv. , , New York, February 28. — There were sales of 1,000 California Sevens, at 1 dollar 184 c ents J » nd sale of white California wheat, 3 dollars 3 cents to 3 dollars 10 cents. Boston, March 2.— There is trouble in financial circles here. The cashier of the First National Bank of Newton, being short 110,000 dollars, came to Boston yesterday, and has not been heard of since. Another cause of excitement in the bfcate is the certification of the check of Miller, Ward, and Co., who failed yesterday, by the cashier of the State Bank, to the amount of 500,000 dollars. The Directors of the Bank declare the action of the cashier entirely unauthorised. Few York, March 2.— The New York Herald's Montreal special says : — The Provisional Territory will be declared a Kingdom at the first meeting of the Parliament. There will be a limited number of Representatives, and Prince Arthur, the third son of Queen Victoria, will assume charge of it. He is 17 years of age, and one of his numerous names is Patrick, given as a mark of Royal regard for the Irish people. He made his entry into public life in Dublin, and it is supposed he may do much in his executive capacity towards neutralizing the Irish tendency towards Fenian ism in America. Washington, March 1. — Mr. Harlan introduced a bill to admit Colorado, and gave notice of a bill to construct a military and freight railroad from the Mississippi river to the Atlantic coast. Mr. Summer introduced a bill to provide a Republican form of government for the late rebellious States. The bill prescribes that every person in any States, except Tennessee, lately declared to be in rebellion, before being allowed to vote or hold office shall take an oath or affirmation to maintain a republican form of government in the State in which he is an inhabitant, and in the United States ; that he will recognise the indissoluble right of the Republic to discountenance all efforts to break away or secede from the Union ; that he will give his influence to sustain the national currency j discountenance the repudiation of the war debt of the United States, or the payment of the rebel debt or any claim for loss of Blaves ; that he will discountenance and resist all laws making a distinction on account of race or colour ; that he will give his support to education and the diffusion of knowledge m the public schools, open to all ; and any person who shall falsely take such oath to be deemed guilty of perjury, and subject to the penalties therefor, and rendered incapable of holding any office. The bill was ordered on the table until the committees were appointed. Washington, March 2.— The Senate has pxaaed the House bill fixing the tariff on wool and wooolleo. goods. The President sent in his veto messages of the Reconstruction and Tenure of Office Bills— the first to the House and the other to the Senate. The President, in his veto of the Reconstruction Bill, sums up bis reasons as follows : — "The bill places all the people of ten States under the absolute dominion of the military, and undertakes to give the reasons upon which it can be justified. It (the bill) declares that there exists in those States no legal Government and no adequate protection to life and property, and asserts that there is * necessity to enforce peace and good order within their limits. It is true, as a matter of fact, and not denied, that the States in question have each of them an actual Government, with all the powers— executire, judicial, and legislative — which properly belong to a free State ; they are organised like the other States in the Union, and like them make and administer and .execute laws which concern their affairs. An existiag de facto government, exercising such functions, is itself the law of the State, upon which all matters within the jurisdiction are to conform ; and, as the supreme lav-making power -of an established State is legal, that Jaar [the Reconstruction Act] is itself unlawful. AH the information I have, convinces me that most of the Southern people, and those who control their acts, while they entertain diverse views on questions of Federal policy, are completely united in their •efforts to reorganise that society on a basis of pease, and to restore national prosperity m rapidly and completely as circumstances will permit." The President tbsn concludes : "The Constitution, in its whole integrity, throughout the length add breadth of the land, is the best of all compromises. Besides, our duty does not, in my judgment, leave us a choice between that $>ud another.lbeliev«thatitcontatnstheiemedywesomuch need, and if the co-ordinate branches of the Government would unite upon its provisions, they would be '

found broad enough and strong enough to sustain in time of peace the nation which they bore safely through the ordeal of a protracted war. Among the most sacred guarantees in that instrument are those which declare that each State shall have at least one representative, and that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of equal suffrages. " The Chicago Times this morning suspects that the President's veto, as a shot at Congress, has no more effect than a bomb shell shot at an ironclad, because it simply makes a noise in bursting. The Times also t-ays that this is probably the end of the tariff question for some time to come. The wool interest having been provided for, there will be no further increase of the tariff; Chicago, March 3.— Both of the vetoed bills (the Military Re-construction Bill and the Tenure of Office Bill) have been passed over the veto — the former in the Eouse by 135 ayes to 47 noes, and 1 in the Senate by 38 ayes to 10 noes ; the latter in the House by 131 ayes to 37 noes. Both of these bills contain a description of what constitutes a misdemeanour. When the Senate received the message of the President, Reverdy Johnson took the floor, and made a "speech, in which he announced his determination to vote for the bill, against the veto ; and said that, if the President could not humble his pride enough to meet public opinion, he(tteverdy) could. This declaration caused a decided sensation, whereupon Reverdy Johnson repeated it. Mr. Buckalew made a reply, and was answered by Mr. Johnson more strongly than before. Then at ten o'clock Garrett Davis took the floor, and, to the surprise of everybody, only occupied 20 minutes, whereupon the vote was taken. The House had previously passed the Reconstruction Bill which originated in that body, and it therefore became law. When the veto of the Reconstruction Bill appeared in the House, Mr. Eldridge said his side would not quarrel with the majority. Then Messrs. Finck and Le Blond disclaimed any such arrangement, and raised points of order, which were decided against them by the Speaker, from which they appealed. The Speaker was sustained by a vote of 127 to 4— the Utter being Messrs. Harding, Shanklin, Trimble, and Ward. At ten o'clock the Tenure of Office Bill had passed both branches without debate. The general opinion is that the Thirty-ninth Congress has won, and that the Fortieth Congress has the key to the positiou. Washington, March 4. — The House Judiciary Committee reported, on the impeachment matter, that a large number of witnesses had been examined and many documents collected, that everything was done that could be done to reach a conclusion, but the investigation covers a broad field and embraces many novel, interesting, and important questions, and involves a multitude of facts, while many of the witnesses are distant from the Capitol. Owing to this, and in view of the magnitude of the interests involved, the Committee has not been able to conclude its labours ; and therefore [is un- ?] prepared to submit a definite and final report The committee have not fully investigated all the charges against the President, and it is deemed inexpedient to submit any conclusion beyond a statement that sufficient testimony has been brought to its notice to justify and demand a further prosecution of the investigation. The report is signed by all the committee except Rogers. He says there is not one particle of evidence to sustain any charges. The report of the Committee on Frauds in the New York Custom-house fills two and a half pages of the Times. It discloses scandalous and dishonest conduct on the part of Collector Smythe. The committee find that, soon after Smythes appointment, he sold the office of Keeper of the General Order Store for 40,000 dollars a year, of which Senators Doolittle and Patterson each were to have 5,000 dollars. Smythe afterwards resold the same office to B. C. Johnson, who caused charges to be made against importers illegally raised, received 35 per cent., of which he gave Smythe 5. The report of the committee is damaging in its disclosures regarding Willard B. Farwell, Government detective. The Custom-house expenses increased between 250,000 dollars and 350,000 dollars a year. The committee say that public propriety and decency require the immediate removal of Smythe. The majority report of the Impeachment Committee is signed by all the Judiciary Committee except Rogers, who makes a minority report that there is not a particle oE evidence to sustain the charges. The majority say that the charges have not been negatived to such an extent as to admit of no discussion. Sufficient testimony has been taken to justify and demand further prosecution of the investigation. Washington, March 4. — The Senate has confirmed Charles T. Russell as aftH°<>*°* of Boston, and Robert A. Gflmore, Postmaster of Chicago. Among the rejected is Frank McLaughlin, Postmaster of Philadelphia. The only nominations made for Speaker were Schuyler Colfax and Samuel S. Marshall. The former received 127 and the latter 30 votes. In the course of his remarks in the House, Mr. Brooks said, "If the indications of the public press elsewhere are to be realised ; if the process of impeachment is to go on, or, what is more revolutionary, the suspension of the President by the action .of this House, it is revolution, call it by what other name you please." Mr. Brook's protest, signed by himself and other members of that side, was received with silent contempt. The President signed the Army Bill, but said : " I must call attention to the second section, which, in certain cases, virtually deprives the President of his constitutional functions as commander of the army ; and to the sixth section, which denies to the States of the Union their constitutional right to protect themselves in any emergency by means of their militia. These provisions are out of place in an Appropriation Bill. lam compelled to defeat the necessary appropriations if I withhold my signature. Pressed by these circumstances I feel constrained to return the bill with my signature, but protest." New York, March 5. — Despatches were forwarded to the Consul-General of England at Havana, asking the immediate support of a man-of-war from that station ; but, as there was no British vessel within easy communication, it is said the United States Consul at Cuba was about to send an American gunboat Lo aid the Eoglish. The Anglo-Indian affair assumes a serious aspect. The Post's Washington despatch states that the extremists of the House will try to-morrow to raise a special committee on the impeachment of the President, with Butler as chairman, instead of Wilson, of lowa. The intention is to constitute the committee so as to ensure extreme measures, but success is impossible. A Times special despatch says :—": — " Private information received here gives assurance that the Southern people will at once accepb the situation, select delegates, and form conventions, pursuant to the provisions of the military government law." A delegation from Virginia is here consulting with leading men, to whom the President eaid he will execute the law to the letter. The Herald 1 s advices from British Honduras, dated Belize, the 12th, say the Indians are still in arms against the English teoopfl, and marching on Belize with such steady progress that the worst consequences were feared. The Herald learns that Spain intends seizing the Island of Ciloe, and placed 10,000 troops there in order to renew the war against Ohile, using ironclads to second the land forces, and also to establish a naval station near Montevideo. New York, March 6.— The Wool Tariff Bill, which has become a lav, requires the Secretary of the Treasury to select standard samples of wool named, and deposit the same in yarious Customhouses. The Secretary of War and of the Treasury, an.d _ General Grant, are said to be much interested in the ■ proposed geological survey between the Rocky Moun- i tains and the Sierra Nevada, and the expedition is to j be accompanied by an efficient military escort. It will probably result in a complete scientific reconnaissance of that region. The appropriation for the .expedition comes out of the unexpected fund of the War "Department. The chief of the geological party will be King.

New Yob?:, Mf-v^hJ,—-^ Joint Standing Committee of the Maine '£ l eg^rf ure P r °test against the proposed Canadian Con£edera.i;ioE p.s an implied infraction of the Monroe doctjripe, ,£,n£ dangerous to the friendly relations existing between tse and the United States. They ask the interposition and friendly remonstrance of the .Federal Govern- 1 jnent. The S^etary of the Treasury to-day issued a letter tp the Collectors of Customs, Btating that the preparations for the distribution of samples of wool and hair, under the t^pol tariff Act, will probably tftka several weeks. The collectors ar^ instructed to permit $bo entry of wool and' hair as heretofore until they receive .samples. The Appraisers' are making^ returns according po the classification of the Act, j retaining samples fox j^rbseguent' comparison. The liquidation of entries is tV.b.e suspended until the Appraisers are able to report a£qojrdfag to its provisions. The Appraisers are also" Jfeo jjend' .aamplea to the Treasury Department, the .name of the importer, the classification, \ and five v&9 oi duty, io his, opinion, chargeable, '

The department decides that the Act does not apply to goods in bond. The law takes effect from the 2nd ol March. The stock market is unsettled. Government bonds are lower, in sympathy with the fall in gold. A despatch has been received this morning from Heart's Content, that the trouble on the Irish, telegraph lines continues. No reliable account of the cause has been received. The trouble is between Valentia and Killarney. Despatches per cable from America are forwarded by car across the interruption. The New York papers are collating the opinions of the Southern press on the reconstruction law. It is agreed that the temper of the South is generally hostile and bitter, but it may accept the terms est a worse thing may come upon them. The World counsels immediate acceptance by the South. Profiting by the inability of the negroes to read Radical documents, they should surround them with Consernative influences, and improve this state of things while it lusts. The Tribune says that, with scarcely an exception, the Southern journals declare the new law an act of tyranny, and complain that the rebel States are opposed to the acceptance of the offer of Congress, and yielded to military rule only because it cannot be helped. An appeal must be made to the Supreme Court ; that failing, nothing is left but abject submission. Such appears to be the spirit of the South. ; gg The Herald's correspondent says there is excellent j authority for sayiug that the President, in the event of being arraigned before the Senate for impeachment, will decline, on the ground that the present body, representing only 20 States, cannot entertain the question. The Tribune, in an editorial, says : — "A majority of the Republican members are clearly in favour of impeachment, as was shown at the caucus last night, which, with great care, determined on a course of future action." Washington, March 7. — General Grant to-day sent the l'i esident the names of Generals Schofield, Sickles, Sheridan, Thomas, and McDowell, as the five commanders of the military districts in the rebel States. Philadelphia, March 7.— 2, 000 bushels of Cali fornia wheat were sold here yesterday at 3 dollars 15 cents per bushel ; 3,000 bushels at 3 dollars 14 cents ; 100 bags and barrels of California flour at 3 dollars 14 cents per 100 pounds. Kingston (C. W.), March 4. — The 14 Fenian convicts, whose sentences were recently commuted to 20 years' imprisonment, arrived here to-day, and were immediately conveyed to the Penitentiary. Toronto, March 7. — It is understood that offers have been issued to put 2,000 volunteers in readiness for immediate service on the frontier. It is supposed that the authorities are apprehensive of an immediate Fenian movement.