The American Senate has rejected the proposal for the reduc-
tion of the Army, and restored the original number of 25,000 men. The House of Representatives was inclined to resist the change, but the Texan Democrats, who represent a people harassed by brigands from beyond the border, joined the Repub- licans, and the decision of the Senate was upheld, not, we imagine, to the regret of the minority, who were bidding for the Labour vote. The Government and the Republican Senators have, however, sustained a severe rebuff from an unexpected quarter. They had, by an agreement between Mr. 1Iayes and the Republicans, named Mr. Ingersoll for Minister to Berlin, but the religious community protested. Mr. Inger- soll is an unbeliever of a very pronounced and aggressive kind, and the immense majority of Americans, in spite of the many strange sects among them, are still orthodox Christians. The remonstrances, therefore, became so loud that Mr. Ingersoll, rather than embarrass his party, bent before the storm, and declined to be put in nomination.
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