HON SENATOR'S DEFENSE.End Smoot Betes lie is Not andlas Not Seen a Polygamist andis Not Sound fey Alleged Oath:

Thé Answer to the ChargesThrows Some Light on Afairs

of His Church.

1 RIOT IN NORFOLK.

Norfolk, Va., Jan. IO.-As the re¬

nault of a fight between citizens andmarines at the Portsmouth Ferry docktoday Lawson Caddy and Joseph Flynnmxe in a hospital fatally cut, and"Sobert Dadden, Benjamin Marks,frank Benedick and Joe Donohne,marines, are held by the police pend-

-iag the result of the men's injuries,llore serions trouble was averted by a

large detachment of police chargingthe ferry house and fighting their way.-though the combatants to stop a squadof marines on an incoming ferry boat.feom landing. The affray occurred in--¿be white passenger room on the Nor¬folk side of the river. Just whatcaused the row is not yet known, butit started suddenly, and in an instant

^athere was a general fight, in whichabout fifty citizens and marines, aboutequally divided, were engaged. Oneof the marines, Dadden, the policecharge, drew a razor and began slash¬ing right and left. Lawson Cuddy'sbreast is a series of gashes and a widecat on the back and side of his neckbarely missed his jugular vein. Joe^flynn's right ann is almost severed atthe shoulder by a wound, extending?from bis collar bone down and aroundto his spine. He has ether dangerousinjuries. A riot call for police broughta detail of police, who stopped the^fighting.

Washington, Jan. 9-The response ofSenator Seed Smoot of Utah to thecharges made against him was present¬ed to the senate committee on privi-3eges and elections today hy SenatorBuriows, chairman of the committtee.lt- was agreed that at the regular meet¬ing of the committee to be held nextSaturday,the attorneys for Mr. Smootand also for the petitioners should beieard. They will be expected to showprecedents and authorities, and after

they shall have made their presentationthe committee will decide whether togo further into the matter by callingwitnesses, or dispose of it on the show¬ing which will then have been made.

M:r. Smoot submits in answer tocharges against him the following :

"£his respondent is advised andavers that but two of the charges madeagainst him in said protests, either

etly or by implication, are such as,if true, could legally affect his rightto hold his* seat in the senate. Thesetwo charges are :~ "JL, That the respondent is a poly¬gamyThat he is bound by some oath'Ior obligation which SB inconsistent!?with the oath required by the const]tu-

'

tion, which was administered to himbefore he took his seat as a senator.

.* 1Both of these charges the respondentdenies,".As to the charge that he is a poly¬

gamist, the respondent says that hewas married on the 17th of September,£884, to Alpha May Eldridge. She is.still his.wife and the mother of all of

children. He has never had anywife, and has never cohabitatedany other woman.

As to the charge that the respondentis bound by some oath or obligationwctrolling his duty under his oath as

a senator, the respondent says that hehas never .taken any sucia oath, or inany way assumed any such obligation.He holds himself bound to obey anduphold the constitution and laWs ofthe United States, including thecondition in reference to polygamyupon which the State of Utah was ad¬mitted into the union.

*1The respondent denies that he isone of said alleged self-perpetuatingbody of lo men, or that there is anysuch body of men, or that the follow¬ers or members of the Church of Jesus.Christ of Latter Day Saints, or anyof them, accord the right to said alleg¬ed body to claim supreme authority,either divinely sanctioned or onerwi se,-to shape the belief or control the con¬

duct of those under them in all or anymatters, civil or temporal, or thatsaid church or such alleged bodyclaims or otherwise exercises any suchalleged rights: or that said church,or said

* alleged body, or anyperson or body exercises anyauthority or power too inculcate or

H&wicourage a belief in the practice ofpolygamous cohabitation, or that

: -either countenances or connives at anyviolation of the laws of the State ofUtah or of the United States, and this

v respondent for himself in particulardenies that he is one of said alleged

'.?J; -self-perpetuating body of 15 men, or

that there is any such body, Or thatsaid church, or any part thereof, or

K|any person therein, inculcates or

«^encourages a belief in the practice ofpolygamy or belief in or practice ofpolygamous cohabitation, and this re¬

spondent denies that he is guilty of- polygamous cohabitation, or that he isa polygamist, or that he has been a

polygamist, or that he ever practiced-polygamous cohabitation. "

Mr. Smoot denies that he has ever' connived at any violation of any law ofUtah or the United States, and de¬clares that "since the manifesto ofPresident Wilford Woodruff was issuedin 1890, neither a belief in, nor a prac¬tice of polygamy or polygamous'^cohabitation has either been taught¿or encouraged.'.

Mr. Smoot admits that the first presi¬dency of the Mormon church is vestederith supreme authority in all thingstemporal so far as temporal thingspertain to the affairs of the church.Mo denies that the first presidency or 12apostles are supreme in the exercise«sf t ie alleged mandates.

It is admitted that the Mormon-church made a rule in regard to its-leading officials taking part in politics,.bat denies that this mle is fully or

correctly set forth in the protest.

Seattle, Wn., Jan. 9.-The steamer-Clallaxn of the Seattle-Victoria fleetwent down early this morning midwaybetween Smith Island and Dungenness,ia the straits of Juan de Feca. Fifty-two persons were drowned. Imt

SEN. JOHN B. GORDON DEAD.

The CI036 of an Eventful andDistinguished Career-Com-,mander-in-Chief of the Con¬

federate Veterans.

Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 9.-Lieut. Gen.John Brown Gordon died at his winterhome near Miami, Fla., at 10.05 to¬night. His fatal illness, which over¬

took him last Wednesday, was conges¬tion of the stomach and liver, follow¬ing an acute attack of indigestion, towhich he was subject.The beginning of the end occnrred

this afternoon, serious complicationssetting in, land by night his pbysicians had abndoned all hope, as hiskidneys refused to secrete, and^ uramicpoisoning was very decided. His deathwas quiet. He fell peacefully to sleepand all was over.Gen. Gordon became ill Wednesday

afternoon last with acute indigestion.He had suffered from the same troublein Mississippi many months ago. Atll o'clock Thursday morning a con¬

sultation of physicians was held, andit was found that he was seriously andcritically ill. His son, Maj. HughGordon, who resided at Biscayne, was

with him. A telegram was sent to hisdaughter, /Mrs. Burton Smith ofAtlanta, calling her to his bedside.She was with him when he died.Gen. Gordon grew steadily worse until'today, when he was unconscious mostof the time.

Gen. and Mrs. Gordon hád been inFlorida this winter only three weeksbefore his death. His health hadbeen unusually good prior to his fatalattack,G?n. Gordon's body will be shipped

to his home at Kirkwood, near At¬lanta, Ga., tomorrow night, leavinghere a 8 oclock. The party will reachAtlanta Monday afternoon.Gen. Gordon was born in Upson

county. Ga., July 6, 1832, of Scotchancestry, which had a prominent partin the Revolutonary war.Young Gordon graduated from the

Georgia State university, and a fewmonths later was admitted to thepractice of law. Early in 1861 heenlisted in the volunteer Confederateservice, and was elected captain of hiscompany. He rose rapidly by promo¬tion to be lieutenant colonel of theSixth Alabama infantry, in Dec. 1861.He participated in the struggle on thepeninsula, had part in the battle atMalvern Hill and was commissionedbrigadier general in Nov., 1862. Hewas in command: at Chancellorsvilleand in the peninsula campaign. Hewas at the battle of Gettysburg, thebattle of the Wilderness, at Spottsyl-vania Court House. In May, 1864,was promoted to be major général,and took part in the important battleswhich marked the closing scenes of.the Civil war. His bearing wascharacterized by boldness and a dashwhich made him the idol of his soldiersIa an official report of Gen. D. H.Hill, Gen. Gordon was characterizedas "the Chevalier Bayard of the Con-federcy."When hostilities were ended he called

his men about him and advised themto bear the trial of defeat, to go homein peace, obey the laws and rebuildthe wasted country. He has taken a

prominent part in the c^mcils of hisparty since 1866. He was a defeatedcandidate for governor of Georgia in1868, and in 1873 and 1879 was electedto the United States senate. Resign¬ing that position in 1880, he partici¬pated actively in building the GeorgiaPacific railroad. In 1880 and 1888 hewas elected governor of Georgia, andin 1890 entered again the UnitedStates senate for the full term. Sincehis retirement from political activityhe bas devoted much of his time tolecturing, presenting to the north as

well as the south his lecture upon"The Last Days of the Confederacy."Since the organization of the UnitedConfederate Veterans he has held ¿heposition of commander in chief, andhis frequent reelections to that posi¬tion have testified to the warm ofaffection in which he has been held inthe south.

The State Out of Debt !

Colubia, Jan. 10.-The reports ofthe fiscal officers of the State for thepast year will be in the nature ol a

surprise to the general public, forinstead of a deficit a small surplus,,something in the neighborhood of $50,-000, will be shown. It is explainedthat this surplus is due to the moneySenator Tillman obtained from theUnited States on account of Indianand other claims. That sum will notbe available again this year in countingthe receipts, but it. is expected thatincreased valuation of property andincreased receipts from other sourceswill place the State on a cash basiaThis is probable, even if nothing isdone in the way of tax ro'form, andthere will be numerous schemes on thatline to come before the Legislature.It was the supposed lack of funds thatoperated against an appropriation forthe St. Louis Exposition. The bill inreference to that is still on the Calen¬dar and maybe it is not too late yet todo something towards having the Staterepresented at that Exposition.

Gen. Reyes Leaves Washington.Washington, Jan. ll. -Gen. Rafael

Reyes, the Colombian envoy who hasbeen in Wash i neon in connection withthe Panama matter for about a mouthleft the city at midnight for NewYork. preparato»y to his departure forColombia in a fuw days.The departure of Gen. Reyes does

not constitute the breaking of diplo-maic relations with the United States,but merely the suspension of thenegotiations which have been goingon with the state department havingin view the rei! ;egrationof Panama as

a part of the United States of Colom¬bia. Whether they will be resumedhereafter is not known.Dr. Herran, 'the Colombian charge,

remains in Washington to attend tolegation busiuess other than Pananiamatters. Advices which have reachedhere from Colombia show that thereis still considerable excitemeut thereover the attitude the United States bastaken in the Panama matter.Gen. Reyes made a farewell call on

Secretary Hay today. He endeavored jto show Gen. Reyes the. futility of |Colombia's efforts to regain Panama, !but regards the matter as still opento further efforts toward a peacefuladjustment. '

GERMANY WILL NOT INTERFERE.

Japan and Russia Must Go itAlone if They Insist on Fight¬

ing.Germany's Neutral Position Insures the

Non-interference of Other EuropeanPowers in Case of War-Prepa¬

rations for Hostilities are

Still Actively Progress¬ing.

London, Jan. IO.-It is learned onthe highest authority that it has beendecided, in the event of war betweenRussia and Japan, that Germany willmaintain a strict neutrality, and thatother members of the Dreiband willobserve a similar attitude.The importance of this decision,

which will be announced almost im¬mediately in some official manner inBerlin,cannot be easily over-estimated.In a measure it will insure that hosti¬lities will be confined to the two pow¬ers concerned, and it will be certainto give a great stimulus to the effortsFrance and Great Britian are makingin St. Petersburg and Tokio respective¬ly in favor bf peace. jRUSSIA BULLDOZES CHINA.London, Jan. H.-The Tien Tsin

correspondent of the Daily Mail saysthat the. Russian Government has sentto the Chinese Government a threatthat Russia would immediately occupyPekin should China join forces withJapan. As a result the grand councilhas advised the throne to adopt a pol¬icy of neutrality.JAPAN PONDERS HER ANSWER.London, Jan. 10.-At the Japanese

legation tonight it was said that thefar Eastern situation remained un¬

changed. No news has been receivedby the legation, and it was believedthat some days might elapse beforeany developments occurred, as Japanwas still considering her reply. Nonews had been received at the legationconcerning the reported dispatch oftroops to Corea.CHINESE BADLY FRIGHTENED.Pekin, Jan. 10.-Predictions in the

native press that a war is inevitableand imminent, and that China willcertainly be involved, are causing-great uneasiness. Many Chinese feara repetition of the scenes of pillagea".d murder which made the year 1900UK arable.

? mbers of the employees on thera..road between New Chwang andSpan Hai Kwan have deserted theirposts, thinking that the country tra¬versed by the railroad will surely bethe scene of the fighting.Reports from Manchuria are to the

effect that there is great military ac¬

tivity there. The railroads are bring¬ing troops from Russia, and the wom¬

en and children at Port Arthur andNew Chwang are preparing to leave.The Russian general at New Chwanghas been called to Port Arthur forservice.Every steamer for Japan is carrying

the Japanese from North China whobelong to the reserve.

THE NEWS RECEIVED IN LON¬DON.

London, Jan. ll.-The reassuringnews that the Russian war shipswhich recently left Vladivostock havereturned there is confirmed irr a Vla¬divostock dispatch received at St.Petersburg.The dispatch asserts, however, that

only the armored cruiser Gromovolwent to sea for a couple of days' prac¬tice, th6 other ships of the fleets hav¬ing remained at Vladivostock through¬out.

Special dispatches from Tokio,printed in this mc ming's newspapersare ver? warlike, but add little or

nothing to the knowledge of the situa-tion. jThey reiterate that Japan has no

idea of sending an ultimatum to Rus¬sia.Anxiety is apparently felt in To^io

for the safety of the cruisers Niasinand Kasaga, which left Genoa on Sat¬urday and in connection with the de¬parture of which the Genoa corres¬

pondent of the Daily Mail this morn¬

ing gives a curious story to the effectthat an iron bar was found inside theammunition hold of the Niasin, placedin such a position that it short-cir¬cuited the electrical apparatus, with,it is suggested, the object of destroy¬ing the vessel, although there, is no

evidence to show that its being therewas not accidental. No serious dam¬age was done.Seoul dispatches report the arrival

of additional Russian and Italian ma¬

rines there.The Daily Mail's Tokio correspond¬

ent asserts that the negotiations be¬tween Russia and Japan have passedbeyond diplomacy, and states thatsome Corean officials have appealed tothe American legation at Seoul forprotection, hut that Minister Allen up¬braided them for thinking of theirpersonal safety at such a juncture.RUSSIAN VIEW OF OUR CLAIMS.

St. Petersburg, Jan. 10 -Referringto the interest of the United States inthe situation the Novoe Vremya says :

"Undoubtedly the United States,above all other Powers, can confident¬ly expect that its trade will not sufferby Russian possession of Manchuria,and it would be tactless on America'spart to demand now what she couldgain peacefullywhen everything quietsdown."NO FIGHTING FOR A MONTH.St. Petersburg, Jan 10.-The most

reliable news recieved here is that t.bemass of Russian troops in the far Eastis concentrated at Vladivostock or on

the northern frontier of Corea.A traveller, who h«*.s returned late¬

ly from the far East, estimates tharbetween 100,000 and '200.0( 0 soldierswere in the vicinity of Vladivostock.He surmises that the Russians willoccupy Northern Corea, but that thepossible collision was not imminentfor a month or more, taking into con-

sideration distances and the difficul¬ties of marching.

Paris. Jan. 11.-A sttroog current;of official sentiment was set in motiontoday favorable to strengthening thehand of Russia in her claims to exer-

eise paramount influence in Man-cliuria. lt is pointed out that Russia,baving conceded Japan's paramountinfluence in Corea, Japan appears tobe unwilling to make a reciprocal COD-

cession by recognizing Russia's paramount influence in Manchuria. Thereis reason to believe that the late

Russian note makes clear Kassia's atti¬tude and intentions concerning Man¬churia and how far she is disposed torecognize Japanese ambitions in Man¬churia.The general purport of the Russian

position is that Japanese merchantsand individuals shall have the right offree access to Manchuria for purposesof travel and commerce, but that Kas¬sia does not wish this to be extendedto the colonization of Japanese inlarge communities .in Manchuria.Strong sympathy is expressed here

in behalf of the Russian view as it issaid that the general admission ofJapanese colonization in Manchuriawould create questions of politicaland racial domination. It is assertedto be in the interest of the commerceof Europe and America that Russiashould replace China's authorityin Manchuria. It is maintained ingovernmental quarters that it is tothe general interests of Europe andAmerica to give moral support to asettlement of the pending conflict onthe basis of Japan's authority inCorea and Russia's authority in Man¬churia. Those who are in the bestposition to know Russia's intentionssay her determination to exercise her

sphere of influence in Manchuria isirrevocable.Owing to Russia's latest attitude

in Manchuria it is the view of officialcircleg here that the main issue of thenegotiations now centers cn Manchu¬ria, instead of Corea.RUSSIA'S MANCHURIAN POSI¬

TION.Berlin, Jan. H.-The Russian gov-

eminent has informed the power thatit will respect fully the rights anynation has in Manchuria under treatywith China. This declaration is madewithout'reservation.Russia gives formal exxpression to

this policy now in consequence of thecontroversy with Japan, one cf whosepersistent contentions has been for adefinition of Russia's policy in Man¬churia and an acknowledgment ofJapan's trade privileges. Russia'sreply has been, in substance, as follows :

"We cannot discuss Manchuria withyou any more than we could Australiaor the Philippines. Manchuria be¬longs neither to us nor to you. Itdoes not lie within the jurisdiction ofeither of us to dispose of the future ofManchuria." '

Russia, however, is willing to ob¬serve the treaty rights ox the powersin Manchuria and now engages to doso.

Russia, it is added, thus removesfrom the negotiations one of the moral '

supports of other powers and whereonshe especially had the sympathy of theUnited States and Great Britain.CHINESE MINISTERS' ADVICES.London, Jan. 12.-The Times' Pekin

correspondent, cabling under yester¬day's date, says that the Chinese min¬ister at Tokio, at the request of theJapanese foreign office, telegraphed thefollowing communication to PrinceChing :"The second Russian reply to the

Japanese proposals has been receivedat Tokio, but it is unfavoraDle andcannot be accepted by Japan, whowill, unless Russia recedes, be com¬

pelled to promptly resort to arms."In view of such an eventuality

Japan urges and expects China tomin-tain the strictest neutrality, to pre¬serve order throughout the empire, toguard foreigners resident in the inte¬rior and to take special care to pre¬serve order in the provinces of ShanTung and Yunnan, lest foreign powersmight seize the pretext of disorderand make aggressive movements there¬in."The correspondent says that the dis¬

patch has deeply impressed the Chinesewho now believe war to be inevitable.I He adds that notes looking to theratification of the treaty betweenChina and Japan were exchangedyesterday afternoon.

NOTHTNIG NEW.London, Jan. ll.-It is learned by

the Associated Press that the termsenunciated in the forecast of the Rus¬sian communication to the powerscabled from Berlin today are practi¬cally identical with Russia's formerreply of which Japan asked a recon¬sideration.

It is stated that Russia's last reply,which Japan is now considering, dif¬fers in not essential from Russia'sprevious proposals, the only differencebeing in the wording, together withsome minor concessions concerningCorea, which it is stated Japan conaiders immaterial.PREPARING HER FINAL PRO¬

POSALS.Tokio, Jan. ll.-The cabinet and

elder statesmen met for a joint con¬ference at the official residence ofPremier Katsura this afternoon. Thepremier, who is ill, was not present.They discussed the political'and strate¬gical situation and will report to thethrone tomorrow.The note delivered by Foreign Min-

ister Honiara on Saturday to Baron deRosen, the Russian minister, was

merely preliminary to Japan's formalresponse which has not yet been de¬livered.The questions at issue were discussed

at today's conference of the cabinetand elder statesmen and a final deci-sion is expected tomorrow. When thishas been reached, the conference willappear before the throne and submitthe answer agreed upon. After thishas been done the final proposals ofJapan will be handed to Baron deRosen.

Pardons of a Year.The Governor hes completed his re¬

port as to pardons ra iited during 1003.Of offenses grave enough to put thcconvicts in the Pentientiary onlyfifteen were granted, which is quitea fjilli PS" of from previous yeirs.

For chain gang offenses the pardonsand commutations were anout thesame. The matter of pardons is ;newhich requires a great deal of atten-tion from the Governor. Petitionsare almost daily received, and it is no

uncommon thing for delegations tocall in behalf of some pricier. It isimpossible for the Governor to reviewail the papers presented to him, andactiun is almost invariably taken on

the recommendation of the solicitoran«l Judge. In many cases the jurorswho convicted the criminal recom¬mends pardon or a commutation. Itseems a very easy mater for a greatmany convicts to get all of these en¬

dorsements for pardon, and whateverthe number granted hy the present or

former Governors, it is insignificantin comparison with the number ofpetitions presented, which are endors¬ed by citizens, solicitors and Judges.

GEN. JOHN B. GORDON VERY ILL.

His Physicians Entertain SeriousFears That He Wi!! Die.

Miami, Fla., Jpn. 7.-Geu. John B.Gordon is dangerously ill at his home,Biscayne, seven miles north of thecity. The attack is similar to onethat he suffered from some time agoon a railroad train in Mississippi. Itis inaflmmation of the stomach, caus¬ed by an acute attack of indigestion,to which he is subject.The following bulletin has just been

issued by the attening physicians ofGen. John B. Gordon:"Gen. John B. Gordon's condition

remains the same as at noon. He grewmuch weaker at 5 this afternoon, bntresponded to stimulants and has ralliedsomewhat; is now resting more quiet¬ly. Temperature 104 ; pulse -16."His wife and two sons are with

him. His daughters, Mrs. BurtonSmith and Mrs. Orton Bishop Brown,have been notified."Gen. Gordon's condition is very

critical. His advanced age (72) andgeneral depleted strength from pre¬vious impaired health, causes hisphysicians to entertain serious fearsof the outcome.

"Gramling and Jackson,"Attending Phsicians."

ELEVEN O'CLOCK BULLETIN.The following bulletin, issued by

Drs. Gramling and Jackson, the at¬tending physicians to Gen. John B.Gordon, was given out at ll o'cocktonight:Temperature 102 3-5 ; pulse 10$.

Resting little more quiet.

FOR BACK TAX ON ROLLING STOOLEffort Being Made by Mr. Gantt,as the Agent of the Sinking

Fund Commission.

Hon. Jesse T. Gantt, agent of thesinking fund commission, recently in¬stituted proceedings to secure backtaxes with penalties from a number oflarge shipping concerns which operatetheir own cars in South Carolina. Thisaction was hacked up by an opinion ofthe attorney general, who decided thattaxes could be collected from firms ofthe character of the Pullman company,Nelson Morris, Armour, Plankington,the Standard Oil company and otherenterprises which operate freight carsin the State. Mr. Gantt communicat¬ed with these firms to the extent in¬dicated and the advance guard of theanswers have begun to arrive. NelsonMorris & Co., the well known packers,write that they have submitted- thematter to their counsel.

A" new phase is disclosed in the let¬er to Mr. Gantt from Mr. Thos. M.Towl of New York city, the managerof the real estate and tax departmentof the Standard Oil company. Hewrites :"Your letter directed to the Stand¬

ard Oil company has been forwardedto me as/ agent of the Union TankLine compny, the Standard Qil com¬

pany not owning any cars which enterthe State of South Carolina."The Union Tank Line company,

a corporation organized and doingbusin* JS under the laws of the Stateof New Jersey, owns a large numberof tank cars that are used by thedifferent railroads in the country fortransporting liquid freight. Thesecars.are not operated by the UnionTank Line company but are leased tothe different railroads who use themas they would their own cars, billingand collecting for the freight. Theonly consideration which the UnionTank Line company receives for theuse of these cars is a mileage whichis paid to them by the different rail¬roads over which the cars run, whichrate is the same as one railroad wouldpay another for the use of ears belong¬ing to them which might come upontheir road."The Union Tank Line company has

no agent and never has had an agentand does no business in the State ofSouth Carolina. Therefore I cannotsee how said cmpany would be liableto taxation in said State."On receipt of this letter I would

like to have you send me a copy of chelatest edition of your statues with thesession laws from the date of the lastedition of your statutes to date, andwrite and tell me under what; provi¬sion of your law you claim that theUnion Tank Line company is liable totaxation in your State."On receipt of these laws I will in¬

vestigate the matter and write to youor, if necessary, come and see youwith regard to it."We do not wish to avoid taxation

but are not so generous that we careto pay taxes unless there is some lawcompelling us to do so."The movement which Mr. Gantt is

pushing has been forestalled by theState of Mississippi, which expects toget hundreds of thousands of dollarsof back tax from these companies.-The State.

The State's Money.The State has now on hand to run

the government until next November,or until taxes come in, $467,143.74,and if the State was run strictly on acash basis this would be all that couldbe appropriated, but such will not bethe case. The total claims against theState, including notes and othermatters of this kind, amounts to $516,-776.90, and the cash balance amountsto 820(3,983. OS. There is outstnding,however, including the $S9,000 securedby Senator Tillmn, which the generalassembly may place to the generalfund, 8776,937.61. This makes a totalof 8983,920.69, and with the $516.776.95subtracted from his there will be a

balance of $467,143.74.-ColumbiaK«cord.

London, Jan. IL-Short time, 40hours weekly, instead of 56, was start¬ed today in a number of mills usingAmerican cotton in the Ashton-Under-Lino district, in accordance with therecommendation of the Cotton Spin¬ners' association in its effort to abol¬ish cotton speculation.Washington, Jan. H.-The senate

in executive .-ession today laid on thotable the .motion to reconsider theconfirmation of tho nomination of W.[. Buchanan to 'oe minister tc Panama.Thc vote was 38 to 16, divided on

partv lines with the exception of Sena-or >leCreary (Dem.) of Kentucky,who voted with tho R?publians.

Gordon and Longstreet.Mrs. Longstreet gives out for publi¬

cation a statement to the effect that,when the General was stricken withhis last illness, she was engaged incompleting a reply to the recent criti¬cism of General John B. Gordon, onher husband's conduct at the basile ofGettysburg.We suppose Mrs. Longstreet's article

will be published in due time, andthat it will be taken as the last utter¬ance of her husband cn the subject ofGettysburg : for, while the compositionis hers, we suppose the views presentedare in the main his.Mrs. Longstreet is represented as

saying that General Longstreet'soperations at Gettysbrg were "abovesuspicion of reproach, nntii. he cameunder the political ban of the South."Inasmuch as Mrs. Longstreet has

referred to this question at this time,,it may not be amiss to quote what.General Gordon did say. Gordon in.his memoirs conceded that Longstreetwas undoubtedly among the greatAmerican soldiers who have attaineddistinction in our Civil War, and headded. But it is now certain tharimpartial military critics, after thor¬ough investigation, will consider thefollowing as established :"L That General Lee ordered Long¬

street to attack early the morning cf.the second day, and if he had done so,,two of the largest corps of Meade'sarmy would not have been in the fight :.but Longstreet delayed the attack un¬til 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and thuslost his opportunity of occupyingLittle Round Top, the key to theposition, which he might have done-in the morning without firing a shotor losing: a man.

'12. That General Lee ordered Long-steet to attack at daybreak on themorning of the third day, and that hedid not attack until 2 or 3 o'clock inthe afternoon, the artillery opening atonce."3. That General Lee, according to

the testimony of Colonel Walter H.Taylor, Colonel C. S. Venable andGeneral A. L. Long, who were presentwhen the order was given, orderedLongstreet to make the attack on thelast day, with the three divisions ofhis corps, and two divisions of A. P.Hill's corps, and that instead of doingso he sent fourteen thousand men tc-,assail Meade's army, in bis stroug:position and heavily entrenched."4. That the great mistake of the-

halt on the first day would have beenrepaired on the second, and even on-'the third day, if Lee's orders had beenvigorously executed, and that General.Lee died believing (the testimony onthis point is overwhelming) that helost Gettysburg at last by Longstreets"disobedience of orders."It has remained," said Mrs. Lone-

street, "for Major-General John B.Gordon, once of the Army of NorthernVirginia, to revive this controversy,etc."

It will be seen that she refers toGeneral Gordon not as a lieutenant-general, but as a major-general. Théfact is, we believe that General Gor¬don, though but a major-general, com¬manded a corps towards the close ofhostilities, but it had been promisedthat a commission as lieutenant-general should be forwarded to himfrom Richmond. Whether the com¬mission was actually made out andsigned or not, we do not now remem¬

ber, but we do recall the fact thatGeneral Gordon once published acard claiming that the circum¬stances were such that he wasentitled to be called a lieuten¬ant-general. It may be, indeed, thatthe commission actually had beenmailed him.In this connection we may say that if

it is not a fact, as stated in somenewspapers, that the last of the com¬missioned lieutenant-generals of theConfederate army died with GeneralLongstreet. That is an error. Gen¬eral A. P. Stewart and General SimonP. Buckner, both of whom were lieut¬enant-generals, are living. So, toe,are Stephen D. Lee and GeneralWhether, but whether they had actuallyreceived the commission intended forthem before the surrender, we cannotsay.-Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Safety of London Theatres.Since 1858, upon authority of Sir

Algernon West, but one life has beenlost by fire in any properly licensedLondon theatre. The one life lost wasthat of a fireman who perished in theperformance of his duty at the Alham¬bra in 1882: This splendid showing isnot due to the superiority of Londontheatres, considered from a structuralstandpoi it, but rather to the precau¬tions enjoined and absolntely enforc¬ed. In London theatres the asbestoscurtain must be lowered once duringevery performance, to demonstratethat it is in working order, doors must"open outward, passages and stairwaysmust be kept clear and many otherprecautions must absolutely be observ¬ed. During a performance such exitdoors as are closed must be secured byautomatic bolts, such as are approvedby the council and a most important-matter, the public must be permittedto use any and all of the various exitswhen leaving the building, thus fami¬liarizing it with the different means-of escaping in the event of fire.An independent system of lighting,

to be used in the event of the extin¬guishment of the principal system,must be provided and kept in perfectworking order. These must be keptlighted while the public occupies thepremises. The use of mineral oil inthe lamps of this second lighting sys¬tem is prohibited. All hanging cur¬tains and draperies must be so treatedpainted on canvas that has been treatedas to be noniraflamablo. Scenery ::s-with a solution to render it nonimfiam-able, while the paints used by ttescenic artists, contain no oils. Heie-are some practicable suggestons for tteregulation of our American theatre?,They would amount to nothing, how-ever, without enforcement, a thingthat is strictly looked after in London,where they have a system of inspectionthat inspects, a system of regulationthat regulates.Mexico, Jan. 8.-At the Los Laurels

mines, west of Guadalajara, a largenumber of boxes of dynamite stored ir.a powder house, exploded yesterday,killing twenty men and injuring fortyothers. The detonations were heardmany miles away and an Americanmine owner, working in his mine.three miles away, was killed by a

falling rock that had been jarred bythe concussion. Details are lackiugbut it is reported that the disaster-was caused by the exploson of a

dynamite cap in the powder house.