Rates On Third-class Mail Matter

The attenüon of the public has been 'requently called to the nlause which Senator Hamlin sncceected in having mserted in the Sundry Civil Approprition bill, by which the rate of postago on mail matter of the third class was doubled. Mr. Ivan C. Michels, of New York, h'is instituted proceedings to test the constitutionality of the law. A short time ago he presented to Postniaster Jauies, a book for transmission to Philadelphia with the oíd rute of postage only affixed. The postmaster refussd to receive or transmit it. Mr. Michols now ruakes application for a mandamus to compel him to receive and tranamit the book. Mr. Michel's affidavit which has been filed with the clerk of the United States Circuit Court, shows that tbe United States Con8titution directs that all revenue bilis hall origínate in the House of Representativos, although the Senate may propose amendments ; that the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill as it came from the House when the Senate amended it by iuserting the provisioi for the increased rate of postage con tained no provisión for the raisiug o revenue, and was in no sense a revenue bill, and that, therefore, the Senate could not amend it by the additiou o an amendment providing for the rais ing of revenue, whioh is the effect o the provisión, that in fact the Sundr; Civil Appropriation bill, so far as i provides for the raising of ruveuue originated in the Senate, in violation o the clause of the Constitution abov referred to. The application will oom up for a hearing before Samuel R Blatchford, on the 3d of August. A COMMUNICATION in the New York Times, from its Omaha correspondent, has fallen undei our notice. This confinas all the highest anticipation indulged in respecting the crops in the West. He says the wheat erop will be bevond all expectations, and oats, bar ley, rye and otber crop8 promise exceedingly well. The erop of corn has ntver proinised so abundantly. It is estimated that in Nebraska alone tbere will be raised for exportation 10,000,000 bushels of whoat. He claims that there is no cause for discouragenient.' that the reports of the grasshopper ravages have been greatly exaggerated, and that the general appearauce of the State is one of thrift and plenty. The sanie, he says, is true of Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, and there is no cause for complaint as to the crops in any of those States. On the contrary, there is great cause for re"joicing that thty are so abundant, and that the future promises so well. Another tax is levied by arbitrary decisión of the Comrnissioner of Internal Eevenue, upon persons who are so ill-disposed as to be sick. This time it is not to protect the Philadelphia manufacturers of quinine, but to extort a pecuniary tribute from domestic dyspeptics. A dispute having occurred in Iowa as to the taxability of solution of citrate of magnosia, the question was referred to the departiuent at Washington, wheuce has issued the reply that although " medicine ia offi cinal " which means that it is catalogued iu the dispensatory on a footing with castor oil and Epsoui salts), yet as it " is put up in a style or manner similar to that of patent or proprietary medicines in general," it must bear on each bottle a stamp. The absurdity of such a decisión is evident when it is considered that a druggiat may escape the tax by simply keepiug his customer waiting while he prepares the solution to order. The Toledo Commercial says : It has been suggested that a reunión of the survivors of Libby Prison, Belle Isle, Andersonville, and all Southern prisons of the war of the rebellion, be held some time during the Suminer or Fall, at the Islands of Erie. The suggestion as made to us contemplates the reunión of all soldiers who were prisoners during the war, who live in the región easily accessible to the islaud resorts. The proposal for a gathering of this kind should be well received, and certainly no more desirable place can be named than that suggested, at which to hold it. We would be glad at any time to forward such a proposal. ■ i- - mm uw The London Standard of the 6th, in commenting on the Fourth of July celebration held at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, utters a growl in this language : "The Fourth of July falling this year on a Suuday the Americaus were obliged to postpone their demoustrations of good will and brutberly love to the nation ver whom they celébrate tn annual triumph till yesterday, when they assembled in the Crystal Palaoe to boast, in England and in face of the British nation, the disruption of the British Empire. It is hardly necessary to say that none but Americana would venture on such a display of bad taste and discourtesy, and none but Englishmen would tolérate it. What would be thought ot' us if we were to celébrate the anniversary of Waterloo by a public dinner in Paris - and what would become of the celebrants? Would the Belgians propose to hold at the Hugue or in Amsterdam, a public festival in bonor of their suocesstul revolt from Holland ; or, despite the cordial feeling which now exists between Austria and Italy, would the Italiatis propose or Au8trians permit a public dinner at Vienna on the anuiversaries of Solferino and Südowa 'i It is equally needless to aay that since our American guests have not sufficient sense of the becoming to abstain from this kind of ofiVnsivo gelfglorification, it would never enter into the head of any Englisnman to disturb them ; tbough we thiuk it is hardly decent for any loyal Englishman to join in a demonstration which, whatever its immediate form and actual incidents, avowedly commemorates a great dis honor austained by English anus and a grave disaster to the British Empiro." A remarkable streak of lightning visited Alton, Me., one evening lately It entered a house at one end, passed between a mother and a son who were sitting in aroom, into the pantry where it pierced holeB in the top of a coffuepot, jarred a dipper into a tin waterpail and soldering them firmly together. A cat was singed as smoothly as though she had been shaved, without otherwise in j uring her.