The New York Herald Newspaper, March 9, 1872, Page 3

VG “MME STATE CAPITAL, Southmayd’s Bill Reported in the House, Ways and Means of Railroad Legislation. The Senate Erie Classification Repeal Bill the Special Order for Wednesday Next. Arguments. For and Against the Seventy’s Charter. Cumulative Voting aStumbling Block. Fixing the Salaries of Surrogates and Supervisors. GEORGE LAW’S’ FERRIES. ALBANY, March 8, 1872, ‘The long suspense has been relieved at last, the Railroad Vommittee of the Assembly having this Morning presented majority and minority reports on the pending issue concerning the Erie Railroad. ‘The third reading of bills had consumed the princi- Pal portion of the time of the Assembly during the Jast few days, and the remaining time was devoted to the consideration of subjects which had been Madespecial orders ior specified days and hours. ‘dhe ordinary routine of business was resumed this Morning, and a flood of petitions and a number of Feports of committees came rolling in upon the House in quick succession, A solemn silence reigned throughout the Assembly Chamber when the presentation of reports from the Committee on Railroads was announced, A few reports on sub- Jects devoid of general interest came first, and then, at half-past twelve o’clock, Mr. White, of Kings county, chairman of the committee, handea in THE MAJORITY REPORT, ‘which is simply the Southmayd bill as reported nanimously by the Judiciary Committee of the Senate and published to this morning’s HERALD, with some slight amendments, as hereinafter indi- caved. The third section of the bill, as reported to the Senate and printed in the HERALD, relating to the examination of the transfer books of the com. pany, is amended by the Assembly committee by adding at the end of it the words ‘“providea, how- ever, that this section shall not apply while such books are deposited with a trust company in pur- suance of the ninth section of this act.’ That ninth section 1s not contained in the bill as reported to the Senate. The Senate bill has eight substantial sec- tons, the Assemoly ten, These two sections have been added to the bill by the Assembly committee, and that addition constitutes the only difference be+ tween the Senate and the Assembly bill, The addi- tonal sections are as follows:— SECTION 9.—From and after the second Monday of June next until the second Monday of July next the stock transfer books of said company and the stock ledger or ledgers con. taining the record of she names of its shareholders and of = number of shares held by tem respectively shail be fully id freely open to the inspection and examination of all holders of said railway company and their respective ‘of attorneys, it shall be the especial duty ot = ae o of oad eaivay. wligationd { see ri ol ol ions imyosed hy by Abia aection,, and at n mpany hall make defauit herein he shall be subject to a penalty $10,000 for each day such detault shall continue, and to be sued for and recovered by the Attorney General in the name ‘of the people, and:paid into the Treasury of this State; and, moreover, the performance by said company 9 the duly qu: joined upon ft by this section may~be enforea yy manda. ‘upon the application of th ne nd opt cons ney General or of any may, 2 Aha) ellgtbte to the ofice of director shall bea citizen and resident of “giantigomamel ate TNE MAJORITY SWALLOWING THE MINORITY. This majority report, which was presented by the chairman, Mr. Smitn, is also sustainea by Mr. Watbeck, of New York; Mr. Lewis, of Delaware; Mr. Greenhalgh, of Schenectady, and Mr. G. W. L. Bmith, of Washington county. It was known last Might, as I telegraphed you, that Mr. Smith, who bas heretofore been with the majority in the interests of the Erie Ring, had concluded to adopt the views of the members of the committee who have been laboring long and earnestly in the interests of the (piablic and the stockholders. At the special meeting ‘whicn the committee held this morning, preparatory to presenting their reports, Mr. Smith formally an- mounced his determination to leave the bad com- pany he was in and go over to the side of the reformers. ‘This change of front caused the defeat of the Ring 1m the Committee, and gave a brilliant vicvory to the friends of the stocknolders. Thus, what was expected to be the report of the majority became that of the minority, and vice versa, When the majority report had been announced in the Chamber, Mr. Smyth, of Tioga, asked leave to pre- sent @ minority bili and report upon the subject. Under previous rulings of tne Speaker the Puy Of a committee cannot introauce a repor ee the consent o1 the House. It was thts consent Mr. Smyth requested, and 1+ was unanimously ted, esi: remap THE MINORITY BIL! —" ‘The following 15 the bil reported )v the minority nd ‘of the committee:— Kia ax Act relating 1 the Erle Rallway Company, repeating ‘chapter 916 of the Laws of 1869 s0 far as relates to the cias- sification of Direetors of the Irie Railway Company, and iding regulattons relating to the election of Directors of Said company and the transfer of its stock. The Upeon of the State of New York, represented in Sen- to and Assembly, follows — ied “An act to amend chapter lg the Laws of 1868, entitled “An act in relation to the New York Central, Hudson River and Harlem raii- road companies,’ ” passed May 20, 1809, being chapter 916 of the Laws of 1869, is hereby repealed so far as relates to the Clansification of the Directors of the Erie Railway Company. ‘SRo. 2.—On the second Tuesday of October next there shali be heid, ‘the oflice or the Erie Railway Company, in the aity of New York, au election for directors of said coinpany, who shail be citizens of the United States, At such election ‘ll the stockholders of said company shall be entitled to vote, rin m or by proxy, according to the number of shares held oy them respectively, subject to the regulations and provisions hereinafter contained and those elsewhere Brovided by law. SEC. 3.—For thirty days immediately preceding the holding of the election provided for in the last preceding section, the transfer books of the said porparssion in which the tranfers of its stock ure or shall be entered, and the stock ledger or ledgers containing the names of the stockholders of said company shail at all times during Treely open, at the ofce of seld ‘company, to the exancl, 9) oftice 0 company, to the ex: Qation of sli the stockholders; and it shall’ ve the duty of the President and Secr or y gaid company, respectively, at ail such times, ve ‘keep such books open to such examination by all such stock- holoers as shall apply therefor. and to allow to them respect- ively all reasonabie facilities for such examination and for inking copies or abstracts ot the jes contained in suid Seats {2 cage of refusal oF -of such President or jo perform the duties enjoined upon them re- ively by this section, the party aggrieved thereby'shall Berontiued to reller by mandamus.” é ‘SRc, 4.—The transfer books of said company shail be closed om the second Monday of September next, at the mm that day, and shail remain‘ closed ion; and atsuch election no per- son shall be entitled to vote upon any stock unless the same was standing in bis name on the transfer bogks of paid yon the day above fixed for closthg of transier books From the time of the passing of this act until the said secona Monday of September neat, inclusive, the sald company shall keep open its traasfer books at its office, in the city of New York, and during the whole of such period, during the usual hours of transacting shall freely permit all pace holding and being the beneficial owners of its stock certificates, with proper power of atiorney, (or the transfer of such stock, to tranaier ach stock upon the said company’s books, in ac- eordance with such power of attorney, and said com- shail thereupon issue and deliver to such person, ‘Or bis agent or attorney so presenting such stock for trans- fer, its new stock certilicate or certiticates, in the proper and customary form, in the name of such transferee, for auch stock thus transferred. In case of re(usal on the part of. the said company to comply with any of the provisions of this section reiating thereto, the party thereby aggrieved, in adaition to any other legal remedies to which he may be en- titied, shall be entitled to enforce the performance of such said company by mandamus, and shall be entitled to the preference accorded by law in other cases ot mandamus. SKC. 5.—The said company has and snall have no right to enact or maintain or keep in foree any bylaw or regulation forbidding the transfer of any of ita stock upon any trust or agency created by law, but {t may restrict the trans( its stock to cases of change in the beneficial ownershi ‘8 of hip thereof, and may forbid transfers of its stock to others than ‘the beneficial owners. Seo. 6.—The beneficial owners of stock within the meaning ‘of this act shall be deemed to be all persons owning stock in their own right, or to whom such stock has been pledged for ‘Rot less than one-half jts market value at the time of the edge ; but no one shall ne deemed a beneficial owner, even Eicagh'ne holds the. stock certificates, who has issued an document intended to be salable as a representative of sucl OF who holds such stock under any trust not expressly y law. SEC. 7.—No person who shall have issued any certificate or other document, intended to be salable as representative of atock in the said company, ve to hoid atoek for the benent of the holders of said certilicates or ite igsued by another person, shal vote or grant anv Combaayy exception wich, amount ce shell Mand ane a mount as mame in excens of the amount for which such certificates or nite are ow ing. Ske. 6.-.Thie act take effect immediately. THE MINORITY REPORT. Accompanying the bili 1s the following report or Statement of the minortiy of the committee, con- sisung Of Mr, Stayin, of Noga; Mr. Burns, of Onon- NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1872.-TRIPLE SHEET, ; Mr. A. Hil, of Greene, and Mr. Champers, of — Railroads to whieh two bitls ‘of the whole or pier a6 of Part of chapter 916 of inj or fore! But they could not fail to be ere erasiinaoon ‘of tne bill on remarkab) kes citizens of this State, t] at belog a ‘ourown men of business are accustomed to e their vacation, and when they are unwilling to be in- volved in apy anxious or exciting contests. The proposition that agents or attorneys of stockholders may sue the ollicers = one in their own names instead of the names of their principals i unreasonable, con- the entire spirit of our laws foreigners. No such rule bi 5 any Legislature. The position that no stock pempcied 5c Ine One, ‘ofthe ae Seaway Com- Bud je 0 the operation of an; Ks rocess Until five days after the time wien the now stock certificates have been dellvered ls perfeediy monsizoun, and cannot be Justided by any allegations of former abusss ‘of such ‘legal process. If such abuses have existed those abuses must ve Temedied in some other way. The remedy asked by the English stockholders would be liself an abuse’ of the most Outrageous character, Under such a law, if enacted, It would be entirely practicable for A THIEF TO GET POBBEBBION 01 RIE RAILWAY stock, and to get it transferred to his name or the name of a triend, securing five clear days for the escape of himself and his confederates, with the stock actually in their roadbed have been tmproved, ment lat Increased and its capacity for certian arentte ealatgea lunder the existing ‘Many allusious have been ‘THE GOOD FAITH OF THE MANAGEMENT as between the directors and the stockholders, but none of these have been supported by any evi ‘and upon onl, Bu gnocase haa there been a specitieation, of the charge. ine of four of our principal rai corporations to classity million dollars for which they have. failed 10 account themse!ves, apd the! to hold o1 for, the terms tixed | The committee desire to use no harsh language, but must such clasaitication. The other bil, introduced by Mr. | ex their opiaion that this is charged in an unfair and Batncan, provides for @ repeal of this law only in so faras | untruthful manner. So long as the advocates of the bill had it relates to the Erie Railway Company, bad makes: ial | the to themselves the committee were clearly provisions for the meeasee of a single election of that | to un that the managers of the road had received company, to which reference will hereaiter be made. The | the whole sum of $600,000.00; but upon the appearance of cominitice have istened to very full arguments “upon the opponents of the bill the very geutlemen wo had most des these bills, and have also listeued to parties | strenuously asserted the receipt of this Immense sum ad- who 4 to make suggestions in the public interest for ‘that they had never supposed the managers to have the protection of the public against the acts of both the advo- | reccived more Such conduct upon an ar- cates and the opponents of the bills as introduced. gument belore a jve committee is neither candid nor Tne Stet, tad, Be it seemed to the honorable, ada goes far to destroy confidence in any other fay a AT a assertion which may be made bi the'partiy ‘The managers ° or the I the recespt of ‘bout. $22,000,000. up to fully expected that Sam ‘and thoy have furnishet the committee before & with an Accouat of the disposition of sum, ciple hat this account ouzht to have been given cone, oe te 4p fuil in the annual engin arguments it ‘that these are made ‘upon a printed Serene oF Teneal form furnished by the State to the diferent com- anies, provising only for the statement of speciic items, oO a and that the who.e amount of expendiures which was not par bey ve said one ‘set forth in these reports was le for purposes of a legiti- ‘altiee invited tnelr attention mate character, but for which there was no provision in the ment, and even then the utmost that terms of the torms furnished by the Biate, The was that tne pronriety of gommitieg ao net undertake to decide whether these items ought to have been a Ye report sent in to < the bin ineredneed ab tho. instance of the for the State Engineers; but {itt fact tbat these items were not elders. an have adopted so inserted haa been ag well known for more than two years ‘stockholders and to enable the real owners ot Past ae ite nor OOURSR OF THE COMPANY copirol the y represented thereby, im this respect was objectionable, it was the duty of the State minority of the committee truss that they are entirely | Engineer or of the Legwlature to have instituied an inquit Log Prejudice against Speblenese) and: certainly would on the subject long axo. No inquiry ever was iatituted, ot recommend the ado oF continuance of any law | nor, so tar as we can learn, dit any member 0: the Legisla- which snould do fo any class of stocknolders, | ture ever offer # resolution of inauiry. ‘The committee made wi no formal demand f 4 for an account, but upon the informal re- impressed, upon a uest of one or two of its members the company furnished a Ley a i? ae _mecreckens with Lo} ie an Hatement, showing the Brocesae of ite bonds an stock and convenfence of fore ‘many of thou wih eaure dare. Poy sn aglal rrcs easy ti read pga Sha some ‘of tem’ in toch. manser an to give 16 | Tees hcnee eMayns Sock of the, company Toveighers” an. meviabie and” offre, Sdpasufe"oet rom October, 1, 1867, to January 1, IB71......., $21,764,708 zee mntests for the control of the Erie itailway. ficial ‘A few ot these provisions will be hereby indicatod. “The | COcuusr ene ne eee appomtment of the month of July for the holding of all ber De ase $405,761 to hay usted by the loss ‘on current business. No specitic objections were make to the items of this account, and the committees bad no au- thority to make any furiher inquiries, The whole subject is, indeed, one which belongs to the courts, and if for any rear son the courts in New York city are a0 pressed wit that @ prover investigation cannot be had, then it other committee than this to consider whether be passed providing for such investigations in other counties. ‘A minority of the committee feel, for these reasons, con- strained to recommend that the Southma;d bill introduced by Mr. Kastman do not pass, Four members of the commit- tee unite in recommending the amended bill herewith sub- and with unquestioned power to sell 1t; free of all claims by | "Ue Wo ibis e real owners. But amore frequent ‘occurrence would be P. BURNS, the tranafer of stock by a foreigner against whom an attach- GEORG UHAMBERS, ot this. “State, oyu anal ths foreign “devine | _ Upon mouon of Mr. Husted the bills and reports could put al his rie Ratlway stock in ‘name | Were ordered to be printed, and were made the of some other person, and could carry the cer. | special order for consideration in the House next witeate. ie pe an ef, ae ne under the | Thursday. The suoject will also be up for discuasion poration should own sock in the Erie Halves cence | inthe Senate next week; for Senator O’Brien of- and a receiver of its property be the very eyes Teceiver and he be entirely ‘aking possession of it for the benellt of creditors residing in our own State, The na tural result of such a law wor at foreigners cot old any amount Of stock in the { gers at all their creditors who reside in this State, Iti Obvious that this poruion of the bill nas been drawn exclu- sively in the interest of foreigners and with a total disregard of all the just rights of citizens of our own State. In the next piace the ‘bill under consideration provides tnat no stock- oider shall vote unless he has ion of the stock certili- cate at the time of voting and 1s the real ‘an express exception trom this general rule is made in favor Of persons holding stock as or agents. Both the rule and the exeeption would work exclusively in favor of foreign stockholders, ana would make {t utterly impossible for American citizens holding three-fifths of the stock to defeat Englisnmen holding the remaining two-litths. ‘his Was to be accomplished in the following manner:—The in- Spectors being authorized to inquire into the faats, it would be impossible for any stockholder residing in tts State to prevent the inspectors trom discovering the birth of the Matter, which could always be dove by a tew inquiries in Wall where a very lange portion of the American mock is continually pledged. Not more than one-half of the Amefican stock could at any time be voted upon under this ule, The, English stockho}dersy om contrary, could send out agent {6 vole POH. he look who might sincerely believe that his ‘pHnciate ‘were the bona Ade owners of the stock, and who would thereafter swear without hesitation that such was the fact; yet in reality they mizbt not one of them be such bon: side ‘owner; or if they were all at the time when he left England they might all dispose of the stock the next day, and it would be impossible for the agent himself or the inabéstors of elec. tion to ascertain the truth of the matter until weeks nad elapsed after the election, The inspectors woula therefore ‘compelled to receive the entire English vote, although not owner thereof; but fered a resolution in’ the Senate making the Ere Repesl bi the special order for Wednesday next, immediately aiter the reading of tue journal, The resolution was introduced out of order, and, unanimous consent being necessary to admit oi its introduction, Senator Madden availed himself of thd ruse and objected. Senator Wiuslow, however, mduced him to withdraw lis objections, and the resolution was adopted, ‘The report of tae minority of the committee gives the reasons which induced them to report in favor of the bill, It 1s claimed by the inends of the Erie Railroad managers that this bill provides not only Jor a repeal of che Classification act, but for a tair and impartial eleciton, giving the power to all the vona Jide stockholders and their trustees to vote for directors who shull be citizens of the United states and places the rights and privileges of American ana foreign stockholders upon precisely the same footing, while it is claimed that the Southmayd ill confers special privileges over foreign stocknolders which will enable them, through the banking houses which represen: their interests, to consolidate the entire amount of stock held by toreigners and precipitate tne same upon the Afhérican stockholders, while those banking houses are not legally the possessors of the stock, but are merely agents for It; the stock itself being laid awa) AA Abe sales of hundreds of individuals all over Edgiahd.*= eye n gt ois, cae SENATOR JAMES woon's Chak... ¢ The prolonged absence of Senator aines, chair- man of the committee appointed to investigate the charges against Senator James Wood, is giving rise 8 Gnee aee roune, cn. ust ae crned iS tare | to consideraple comment, very uniavorable 2 the Vote could be received unless the actual’ owner could swear | Main to Mr. Ames. He hag in ms possessida not ¥upon his personal knowledge a he gz at she time of the Solar cae eae ieyne a ‘ed cue Bag the report ossession of seriificates, and had b | cen make. This repor SON AURAL TRS WC Germ of athe aes | he had written ouy nel ten mm; hor could his vote be received even then if ¥ INFORMATION RECEIVED fore he leit Albany for his ten days’ vacation ft home, but he retused pefore ¥ he went Way to give anybody any idca So rate ne DOE eae Bue noe conte’ hat | of wast it amounted to, on the ground avi a ed, the visions of the bill so as to | “yat Senator Allen, wis repudican colleague on the secut a pany. the oeRTON of the eleetio: Committee, had not signed it, and thatit would be iscunsed 44 cel here ore! ave made a special exce| ‘Which only to thelr own case, and can operal Mei of no Sry exoept themselves. a ‘astees and agente vy powers t9 Fors, jother provision of the billany afd every kind of or agen the stock of this company jf Foade lar ul. ‘The operation of this ‘exception requires a full al A PARTY OF THE ENGLISH STOCKHOLDERS have appointed Messrs. Heath & Raphael, of London, their trustees, ai we affected @ combination with London stockjobbers, by which the recelpts of Messrs, Heath & Raphael are made corréct upon the London Stock Exchange good dehvery in place of the actual stock certificates represented thereby. Messrs, Brocko‘T- aheim & Goldschmidt, who are also London brokers, have made a similar arrangement, by which their receipts are in ike manner recognized as'a food delivery of Krie Raliway stock. This combination having established a mar ket for these receipts, these gentlemen seli their receipts and Duy the stock in with the proceeds, under a general declara- Hon of trust, constituting, them | trustees for, the geal owners of the stock certificates; but not binding the manuer; on the contrary, the rule fae is ball hi to act in any particular leaving them to vote for whomsoever they please as directors of the company. No such arrangement as this has ever been made or ever can be made in this country. It will easily be seen that by repeating the operation of selling these receipts and purchasing stock certiiicates with the pro- ceeds for a guficlens lengta of time, Messrs, Heath | & Erevan hoe Mesure ‘Grockeitaberm & tol it mid tight ecome the nol no the books of the company o! all the Erie Railway stock which is hela in Europe. Accord- ing to thelr statements the amount of stock 4 FR Ohhh uate bes asters all the stock of the Erie Railway v she: theed tthe is yn the sa HOW dh foot and made considerable progresg. would ty owning a single share Of jollar in it, to contro) the entire Set MANAGEMENT OF THR COMPANY. They would numerically come within the terms of the rule requiring votes to hold the stock certificates, would have long before sold their receipts identical certificates Sind would be in no legitimate sense the owners of the stock. The bill proposed by them for the adoption of thig Legislature would tie up the hands ot the Americdh owners and leave them absolutely at the mercy of two, or, at the most, four Englishmen, who would name all'the directors, and ‘these directors would, of scheme whic! in which they have le them, without in ‘stock or investing one course, be mere puppets in the hands of the sh com- binatidn, Even if such a scheme could fed out in Ais country it would be very unwise tg gly aislative Sanction, Inasmuch as {t would put ‘of the cora- pany entirely at nation; but the tionable when it not only proposed to management into the hands of four stockjobbers, When the gentlemen thus selected for Legislative sippo are exclusively foreigners. The Legislature shouid give both to foreigners and to stockjobbers all those rights which legitimately follow from a real ownership ot the stock, but it should not encourage in any way the formation of cliques, foreign or domestic, nor give to them any advantages which tend to enable them to overcome the voice of other stock- holders, The bill advocated by the English party is open: to Many other grave objections, hot only as an extraordinary piece of special and iar legislation, rolling up Penalty after penalty, providing new remiedies | when- ever they to be benef the foreien stockholders and Coed | existing remedies which ‘seem likely to operate more favorably toward Americans, but algo upon constitutional grounds, It was insistea upon the argument that the Legislature has nd power to abridge the term of directors of a corporation, and although this roposition was in general terms denied by the counsel for Rie Enghsh stockholders, no real reply was made to the iment. It ie well settled that the Legislature cannot im- air the 7" OBLIGATIONS OF CONTRACTS, although it may amend the charter of acorporation. The classification law empowered the stockholders to enter into @ contract with the directors for aterm of five vears, nd ‘Although tae : wit cannot ft had sach power in thi wer to wipe out all the bonds and mort. fasts issued by jroad companies in this State and leave creditors remediless, because all such bonds and mort- gages have been executed under the authority of a law Dassed in 1860, which law the Legislature of course can re- ‘al. The committees have grave douvts whether the Legiis- lature has any such power, and any attempt to exercise it would certainly lead to tedious and expensive litigation. eople living along the line of the Erie Railway have been largely represented before the committee, both in person and by petitions, and almost unanimously manitest an extremé anxiety to prevent the enactment of any law which shovid interfere with the present management of the Fallway, and whieh, hould tend to place it under the con- trol of foreigners. ‘The millions of dollars wbich have been ES, outright by this State to aid in the construction of the rie Railway, and the millions more which have been con- bseription to stock and donations of land on the along the line entitied these citizens to some atter, especialiy in view of the fs is no leva! limitation upon the rates of fare and ‘the Erie Railway, and that the onty two successful rail companies in the country which have’ been managed by Isnglish owns name! he Lllinots Central Railroad and the Reading Railroad, have notoriously charged MOBT EXCESSIVE AND EXORUITANT RATES to their customers; the Iltinois Central Railway having charged passengers as much as seven cents s miley and we Reading Ratiroad having charged for transportation of coal, in some instances, mose than the selling price at its destined market. The people aiong the line of the Erie. Rallway not unnaturally, fear that they might meet with a like fate. It is true that the Legisiature might limit the rate of for masengert Dut it has no practical means of ailixing the reight, and th but rt rates Of e best security for the people in this respect must always lie in character and interest of the ‘management. ‘The nt jemen| prese tirely satisfactory to them in this management conducted entirely tockholders and in no way respon- in, thie State would adopt « very ts tariff to auch a figure as at all These considerations cannot be TManacement has proved sible to the opin different poltcy and rat Gvents to bar dividends, allowed to influence the committee or the Legisiature so far as to lead them to den; but it fs undisputed Erie ajtimice to forelen stockholters, 2 nominal i Ratiw mpany is immensely in excess of t mount of cash Paid in by the, stockholders and mnaed upon the construction of the line, a very large ton of the stock held abroad having been purchased present holders at not over twenty. ‘The wisdom and good faith of the present man Erie Railway have been the principal subject of dis fore the committee, At a very early stage of the discus. sion it was intimated that these questions belonged the not to lature. jevertheless, as’ tl these points, the comet x 5 mous featimony of the chiizens living along the line has con- vineed the committee that the Erie Kaliway was never better managed 80, far af the interest oF persons employing It as 4 carsier are now copcecygd. boau Jt Js DoW; habits jrack apd E 5 stock of the , indecorous to do anything in the matter until Mr. Allen’s returi. Mr. Allen 13 now here, but Mr. ‘Anes is not, and it is suspected that if the later ever should put in an appearance vefore the close of the session Mr. Allen will find it convenient to be absent. ‘Tne idea ls fast gaming ground that the committee will not make any report, and that one Of the two republican Senators wih make it a point whenever the necessities of the case require it to be absent, and out of the reach of even a sergeant-at- arms. What gives color io the suspicion that there 1s a “put-up job” of some Kind to defer the report of the committee indetinitely 1s the fact that Senator Ames ‘cannot’? be heard from. Nobody seems to Know where he 1s, and wherever he 13 1t is said he takes good care to jet nobody know where a letter would reach him, ‘The friends of Senator Ames, however, contend that he 1s too ill to come to Al- bany, and that when he does come he will hand in the reporl.* im 4 “es + STREET RAILROAD FRANCHISES, Mr. Baker, from the vommittee on Railroads of the Senate, reported favorably upon the bill giving tae Comptroiler power to sell the Twenty-third treet Ratlroad franchise to the highest bidder. ary’s new Cross-town Railroad bill was aiso fa- vorably reported upon, with the new amendments which make the bill muct stronger, THAT FERRY BILL AGAIN. Mr. Perry introduced a bill to regulate the fares on the various Brookiyn ferryboat lines. It 18 soume- What sunilar to the bill defeated last Tuesday in the Assembly. A motion made to re- consider the vote by which the bili was lost, and that that motion lie upon the table ‘was carried, it will be remembered, after the deieat of the bill, The efect of this motion is that the bill can be taken wp Jor consideration in the lower house. Senator Perry's idea no doubt 1s to open fire on the opponents of the bili from anew battery which cannot be captured so easily as that which gave the jerry monopolists so muco trouvle im the Assembly before the defeat was brought about, THE COLORED TROOPS. ‘The bill striking out the word ‘white’ in the military code, and which provides for the organiza- tion of separate regiments of colored trvops in the National Guard, and which passed botn houses last week, has veen signed by the Governor. Captdin Jonnson, the colored janitor of the Senate, Is said 10 have been the father of (nis vill, and will soon be a full-fledged colonel of a colored regiment in his county as a reward for his services in managing the bill, The Captain 1s, of course, in great giee, and tne colored folks hereabouts are making prepara- tuons for a big time generally. THE NEW CHARTER—ITS FRIENDS AND ENEMIES, The Senate Committee on Cities neld another meeting this afternoon to listen to arguments tor ana against the charter of the Committee of Seventy. Mr. Opdyke Was the first speaker. He said that the charter Was open to serious objections—ovjections that were actually dangerous to the welfare of the metropolis. He appeared simply asa citizen of the great city, and was anxious that nothing should ve done by the Legisiature to injure the city. One of his. objections was the dangerous distribution of powers conierred by the cnarier. The cumulative voting clause Was @ greac mistake, and tustead of there being five to seven members of the various departments, there should only be one Member, wno coulda be held responsible for ms acts, The heads of departments should be elected by the opie aud not sppointed. ‘The Mayor was really, yy che charter, a nobody, a tigure head. It was tume that he was given the appointment of one member of each department; but what did that amount to? The Board of Aldermen were made a despotic body. They had the appointment of all the oficials; with the one exception iu each Board alluded to, levied taxes, Forty-iive men of co- equal power would ascertain as fute make combinations for plunder; they would make tnem- selves into a ring to steal. Everybody remembered THE FORTY THIEVES, . The history of the Board of Aldermen of years long past and of recent date showed the dangers that were to be avoided by placing a number of men of co-equal power on the Board, The Mayor, by the charter, had no real power of removal, Tne idea of giving him the appointment of onty one man in each Board and then holding him responsible for all wrongdoings by all the departments, was most bitter irony, The tdea of the five Commissioners in each department was anomalous and dangerous, ‘Thea as to the Board ot Public Safety; it combined tne Police, Heaith and Fire Departments, each of which was dissimilar to the other, having interests widely apart. It was not safe, he contenced, to have the police controtied by the officers of the city govern: ment, The Board of Aldermen, by the charter, appointed all the Commissioners, and virtually all their subordinates. Thus if they wanted to re- main in power, they couid through terrorism ana threats by the police to keep themselves in power. AN BXAMPLE of this kind of thing was given by the old Municipal Police. ‘The better way would be to have the Police Commissioners appointed by the State, ere should be a Metropolitan District, for the poll: vo be efficient, should have control “ot the surrounding districts. The Fire Commissioners should also be appointed by the State. The most objectionable feature u charter cumuiative voting clause, jurious «in every way. in boards and departments as a general thing did not expose wrong doin, but joined in ringa to plunder the people. ‘hat Was wanted was that the majority snouid rule and a good law to regulate elections, so that good men could have their votes counted by the cumuative system. Meo+ who wauted to make rings would combine to get In on athe minority side, InsWed of dare ayk Jor @ ‘ majority of votes, The real thi was for the =e the city to organize seal acacicut A with no political ‘affiliations in municipal elections, ons in municipal elect Pohtics should have no hold, By good men of all parties combining the majority woula rule and good men be in office. ‘The bribery clause was of ho use whatever in the charter. ‘There was a good statute already in existence on the subject, he believed, to avoid deaalocks be- tween the Mayor and the Aldermen, In the matter of fog et it would be well to so legislate as to give the Mayor the power, in case tne Aldermen several times refused to confirm good appoint- ments, to appoint temporarily, witnout auy con- ation. He closed by stating that the question of the con- stitutionality of the cumulative voting should be laid before, and decided upon vy, the Court of Appeals before a final vote was taken by the te. Mr. Charles 8. Spencer simply remarked that he had examined the charter with Mr. Opdyke, and thoroughly agreed with Lim in everything he had said about It. Mr, Simon Stern made a reply to refute the argu- ments of Mr. Updyke. His address was simply a repetition of his speech before the committee of the lower house some time ago, Messrs. Wheeler and Salomen, of tne Committee of Seventy; General Spinoia, General Cochrane and @ large number of tue Senators were present at the meeting. NEW YORK LEGISLATURE. Senate. ALBANY, March 8, 1872, REPORTS PRESENTED, By Mr. CAREY—Relative to the Crosstown Rail- Toad, from the foot of Twenty-third street, through Ninth avenue and Twenty-eightn street to Thirty- fourth street and Second avenue, New York city; toauthorize the Comptrolier of New York to ac- cept the bid of Henry A. Boeman for the Twenty- third Street Railroad granted in 1869; in relation to the medical laws of this State (this Dill is to establish medical socieiles in the State and to elevate the standard of Medical educaiton) to abolish the office of Auditor in Kings county: to restrict the powers of the Board of Supervisors of Kings county to raise Moneys; to amend the General Railroad act; to aliow less than twenty-five persons to form a com. pany; to release the tnverest of the peopie of tne State in a strip of land aqjoming Five Points House of Industry; relative vo Sheritis’ certificates upon ‘Ue sale of real estate, such certificates to be prima Jace evidence; uy relation to notices of publication (this abolishes the publicauon of Surrogate notices in the State papers); for a State registry law, except in New York county; to Hix tne salaries of Sul tes und County Judges a8 jollows:—In counties of less than 25,000, $1,000; less than 35,000, $2,000; less than 40,000, $2,500; more than 45,000, $3,000; less that 90,000, $3,500; 120,000, $4,000; less than 175,000, $4,500; all over 175,000, $6,000. When the Judge 1s Surro- ‘ate $600 per year extra, the Surrogates to have 000 per year Jess than the Judges; the County Judge and the Surrogate of Kings county $8,000 each. If @ County Judge dors duty in another county to receive $4 per day extra, BILLS INTRODUCED. ‘To incorporate the New York and Vanada Bridge Company \1t authorizes the construcuon of a bridge across the Niagara River at Saginaw Island); to provide for better representatives in Boards of Supervisors (it gives an additional Supervisor ior every $500,000 valuation of real estate and personal property); to regulate the running of ferries between lew York and Brooklyn (this is the bill passed in the Assembly on Wednesday); to provide for furnisning statues of Clinton and Fuiton (it appoints the Gov- ernor, the Secretary of State and &. D. Palmer as Commussioners, and appropriates $25,000) ; to define the purpose of the State Institution for the Blind (it Tequires a ceruficate from a County Judge or uper- visor to admit a patient); in relation to conveyances by married women (it authorizes acknowledgments by attorneys as if made by the woman), ORDERED TO A THIRD READING, ‘The bul for the protection of taxpayers against frauds and embezziements of public officers (it 1s substantially the bill vetoed by the Governor, but amended to meet his objections); to authorize the Suepherd’s Fold to hold real estate; the ill ree latiag to courts of record and other courts in New York city (unis bill authorizes the Judges to ap- oint their own clerks, &c. It applies to the Marine Jourt and Court of General Sessions, as well as to the Supreme, Superior and Common Pleas Courts); the Dill to authorize savings banks to imveBt in town bonds In New Jersey. Mr. O'BRIEN moved to make the Erie Railroad bu the special order for Wednesday morning, Care ae Assembly. ALBANY, March 8, 1872, BILLS REPORTED. The General Appropriation bill, which is made the special order for next Tuesday morning; also the bill to prevent the appropriation of property to sectarian schools; also tue bill to provide for the payment of Legislative employ és; also adversely on the bill to refund moneys to drafted men in Sara- toga county, which wus agreed to; aiso a concur- Tent resuviution to amend the constitution, pronibit- » ing appropriations out of the State Treasury except by virtue etaw. It provides that no giit or loan shall Maue by any county or town to any I. stitution under ecclesiastical control. 2 moved @ reconsideration of the vote by which the report of the minority of the Com- mittee on Ways and Means on THE NEW CAPITOL COMMISSION investigation was lost, and that motion to lle on the re jt The motion to reconsider was then jos The reports of bills were then resumed. Mr. Wuire, from the majority of the Ratlroad Committee, reported what 1s known as THE SOULHMAYD ERIE CLASSIFICATION ACT. Mr. SMyrd, from the minority of tae same com- mittee, asked leave to mage a report, with a bill, Which was granted, ‘The bill repeals the Classifica tion act, only as it relates to the Erie Ratlroad. On motion of Mr. HusTeD these reports were laid aside and made the special order for Thursday next, The bill to leave to voters the excise question was reported. Also the bill to imcorporate the Brookiyn safe Deposit Company. Also adversely on the bill to incorporate the Cayu- ga County Savings Bank, which was agreed to. Also adversely on the bill to mcorporate tne south brooklyn Land Improvement Company, which was agreed to, The following bilis were reported on adversely and the reports agreed to:—To protect the people against quackery and crime; to prevent the spread of contagious diseas to repeal the act relative to elections in New York; to furnish purer as in New York, authorizing the city authories of jew York to furnish gas to the citizens, ‘The bill to provide lor A CHARTER ELECTION . in New York on the second Tuesday in April was Teported on favorably. Mr. ALVORD calied up the report of the Committee on Ways and Means aeciaring the charges against Mr. James W. Husted, in connection with furnish- ing gravel for Central Park, uniounded, aud the report was agreed to. Mr. HUSTED, on @ question of privilege, thanked the Houso tor giving him an opportunity to vin- dicate his imtegrity against the charges, and pro- duged @ letter he haa received tuis morning from Mr. Rider, who made the charges, in which the writer proposed, with remarkable coolness, tnat he and Mr, Husted should go into partnersuip to do the very thing that Rider had charged upon Mr. Husted, THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. ‘The Judiciary Committee were on hand quite early yesterday, and at ten o'clock were in readiness to resume the examination of the Albany and Susquehanna charge against Judge Barnard, The first witness to be examined was Mr, David Dudley Field, and as soon as Judge Barnard and his counsel, Rufus F. An-+ drews, had arrived, the firm of Stickney & Parsons, representing the Bar Association, showed their teeth and commenced the onsjaugnt upon Mr. Fields. From all accounts, however, they had a very ively ume, but finally Mr. Field could not stand the very searching and, as report says, insult- ing examination, to which he was subjected by Mr. Stickaey, and suddenly rising from his seat, retused'to answer another question unless the Chairman put a stopto the present line of examination, Mr. Field said, ‘Tis man (Stickney) is the personal enemy of my firm, and has written articles about me and my firm tn «ifferent periodicals. Anyvody would ima- gine from the line of questions to which I was subjected that I was the accused instead of being simply a witness.” Mr. Field occupied the attention of the committee the greater part of the morning, but the prosecution did not arrive at any very satisfactory clue from nis evidence. Messrs, Stickney & Parsons were, however, anxious to prove the fact that a telegraphic despatch was sent some day August, 1370, from James Coleman, the well- known recetver, to Judge Barnard at Pough- keepsie, inviting him to attend a conference to be held at Joste Mansfield’s the same evening. Mr. William Orton, Superintendent of the Western Union Telegraph, was subpoenaed on this charge, and testified, on oath, that he searcned through atl tne duplicates of despatches sent in August, but could find nothing of that purport, Mr. James Coleman also teStified that ne had pever sent any such begs ated Failing to establish this little fact Mr. Stickney went back with renewed vigor to Mr. Field; but the whole party, exhausted with their efforts in behalf of jus- lice, took @ recess at a quarter past two, and the crackers and cheese suffered, The examination was resumed at three Pp. M., with Mr. Field again on the stand; Dut later in the afternoon Mr. William H. Morgan, the late Mr. Fisk’s private couusel, was brought up, and with lus assistance they had a lively ume for the rest of the day. The examination adjourned at six o'clock P.M. until ten o'clock A, M. this morning. Mr. George Tickaor Curtis was associated ere with Mr, Rufus Andrews as counsel for judge Barnard, . There appears to be considerable dissatisfac- tion among the witnesses to the maaner in which Messrs. Stickney & Parsons con- ducted the examination, and it is reported that as they are engaged as counsel for Bonner in tne Mt ag cases, they have under- taken this job in order to silt out a little more evi- dence on that subject. The examination of the charges against Judge nm will be resumed at ten o'clock this morn- WASHINGTON. The Trumbull Amendment About Senators’ Patronage. tion further than that counsel for certain Minnesota and Pacific bondholders urged that a large land grant which the Northern Pacific was offering a3 security for its bonds really belonged to his clients, P Proprietary Stamps. ‘The reversal, by the Court of Claims, of the ruling of ex-Commissioner Delano, concerning the per centage paid on the sale of proprietary stamps by parties having private dies under the Internal Rev- enue law, will render necessary a refunding by the A Mexican Protectorate Resolution at | overnment to parties who failed to get the proper the Wrong Side of the House. DEFICIT IN THE FISCAL ESTIMATES. California and_ the Buena Grab. Yerba THE FRENCH BLUNDERBUSS INQUIRY. The Japanese Government Ex- porting Rice. WASHINGTON, March 8, 1872. the Connecticut statues— Ii’) Amendment to the Conkling Patronage Resolution. The proceedings in the Senate to-day were ex- ceedingly dull and uninteresting. During the morn: ing hour Mr. Trumbull presented an amendment to Mr. Conkling’s resolution calling upon the President for information im relation to recommendations for appointments to office, providing that he jurnisn the Senate with a copy of the record or list kept in the respective departments showing the appoint- ments or removal s therein which have been cred. ited or charged to each of the Senators named, and to what Senator, together with the names of the persons recommended to or for removal from omice by each of said Senators, stating particularly mm each case whether’ it was @ request for an appointment or removal, the endorsement of recommendation made by others, giving the names of such others or of the character of the parties re- commending, without any reference to the appil- cant or @ reference of the papers of others to him or the head of a department, witnout any expres- sion of opinion by the Senators in regard thereto, and whether appointments or removuls have in any instance.been made at the suggestion or re- queat of any third party, who has acted as a go- between between either of said Senators ana the appointing power or represented, or in any manner caused it to be understood such appointments or removals would be agreeable to, or were desired by, any Senators, and if so, giving the names of the Senators and of the per- son who so represented or caused it to be 80 un- derstood, and particularly whether any such appointments or removals have been made at the suggestion of Roswell Hart, an Assistant Superin- tendent of Mail Service in the State of New York, or of A. H. Lafiin, now Naval Officer of the Port of New York, or of A. B. Cornell, Surveyor of the Port | of New York, Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, also | presented a resolution, upon which there was no | action, calling upon the President to suspend the | Board of Public Works of the District of Columbia , until the committee of Congress now in- vestigating the charges against them shall have reported. After the expiration of the morning hour Mr. Buckingham and Mr. Ferry, of Connecticut, occupied the time of the Senate for an hour or more with eulogies upon the life, character and services of Jonathan Trumbull and Roger Sherman, the occasion being the formal presentation to Congress of marble statues of these | Connecticut statesmen, to be placed in the oid hall of the House of Representatives. The Legislauve, | Executive and Judicial Appropriation bill was then | taken up and occupied the attention of the Senate during the remainder of the day, Mr. Howe and others making extended speeches upon civil service reform to empty galleries and vacant seats upon the | floor of the Senate, Private Pensions and Disnbilities—Dawes in His Role of Mourner—A Mexican Protecies rate Resolution. Friday being private bill day, when the pocket of Uncle Sam 1s violently assailed by calls from all sorts of people for all sorts of things, to-day was largely spent in presenting the disabilities of pov- erty aud the political disabilities of private pet tioners. After the consideration of these various relief measures the House went into Committee of tne Whole on the Post Office Appropriation bill, and the balance of the day was spent in the discus- sion of an amendment ortered by Mr. Myers, of Pennsylvania, for an increase of pay for letter carriers, Mx, Dawes made his annual speech on economy, and succeeded in showing to his satisfac- tion a very unsatisfactory balance sheet. He said the appropriations made by the House already were $26,000,000 in excess of the estimates, while the re- duction in revenue was $29,000,000, besides $18,000,000 of miscellaneous taxes which could not be depended upon, thus leaving but $17,000,000 for the sinking fund, creating a deficiency o1$10,000,000, The democrats gathered around nim, and seemed to enjoy hugely the rebuke which he ad- ministered to the House upon its disregard of the means to provide for such Ways as it hed been indulg- ing in of late. Mr. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, made a different showing from that o° the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and succeeded in | calming the aroused fears which Mr. Dawes under. | stands so well the art of raising. Mr. Wood, of New York, after the commiitee had risen, offered a very unique resolution, asking for a protectorate to be appointed to watch over the 1n- tereats of Mexico, in the snape of a joint committee of three members of the Senate and tnree of the | House to act in that capacity. It was so surprising | in its features that consideration of it was properly postponed to some future time. The Double-Barrelled Arms Inquiry—General | Dyer Examined. ‘The Senate Select Committee on the Sale of Arms this morning examined Generat Dyer, Chief of Ordnance, at his residence at the Arsenal, Senator Schurz was present, and elicited replies to a number of questions regarding the manner and dates of sales, &c. The most important fact disclosed vy the testimony corroborated that of the Secretary of War yesterday—namely, that a contract was made for the sale of arms to Mr, Remington on the 13th of October, 1870, and the Grdnauce Officer at New York was tmen notified of the completed sale. Tnis, however, was done before (on the same day) the Secretary of War received from Mr. Kellar, now deceasea—but at tnat time Chief Clerk in the Ordnance Omice— the telegram from Remington to Squires, which was the first intimation Generals Dyer ana Belknap had that Mr, Remington was a French agent. General Belknap, it will be recollected, hurried trom the Post OMce to his own department and gave orders to General Dyer not to sell arms to French agents, The arms were afterwards delivered to Mr. Remington in accordance with the contract, The House Committee on Expenditures in the War Department adjourned to-day until Monday. ‘They intend to examine Mr. Squires as to the pur- chase of arms, he having been summoned to appear on Monday, They will also examine General Dyer at bis rooms, ® The Sonp-Fat Men. George H. Proctor, of Cincinnati; B. T. Babbitt, of New York, and Charles McKeone, of Philadelphia, were before the Committee of Ways and Means to- day, on behalf of the soap manufacturers, to induce the abolition of the duty upon soda ash, as that article cannot be produced in this country profit- ably, and itenters into the manufacture of soap, which is becoming an article of export, as we have in this country a supply of tallow and rosin to com- pete with all other countries in the production of soap. Soda ash is among the articles recommended by the Secretary of the freasury to be admitted free of duty. ‘The Northern Pacific Railroad. The House Commitiee on Pacific Railroads had before them to-day the subject of Mr. Banks’ resolu- tion of inquiry into the affairs of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Although the resolu. tion was passed several weeks Ago No one has yet appgared to make charges against that corpora 1 commission on their purchase of about $10,000. The Mustard and Jam Tax. The President has approved the act of Congress Tepealing that part of schedule © of the Interval Revenue law imposing a tax on prepared mus- tards, sauces, syrups, jams and jellies, and the cole lection of the tax on these articles ceased on tne 6th inst. The Exchequer and Specie Payments. Daniel H. Loudon, of New York, was before the Committee on Banting and Currency to-day, on the subject of the Exchequer, He proposes through this instrumentality to increase the loanable Means of the country fom $809,000,000 to $1,200,000,000, at a rate not exceeding six percent per annum anywhere, the issue department to be under three commissioners, and the banking de- partment in charge of a board of managers at every point, they to take $150,000,000 of four per cent bonds, with the privilege of $690,009,000, There are to be specie payments {rom the start, The Law’s Delay in N York. United States District Attorney Noah Davis, of New York, in response to tne inquiry by the Attor- ney General why the cases ready tor trial were not proceeded with promptly, says that tt is because the “ocket 1s larger than the United States District Judge can attend to, and that tne only way to fa- cilitate business is to appoint additiona: judges and assistant attorneys, The Japanese Embassy. ‘Bhe President will give a atnner to the Japanese Ambassadors on Weduesday. In addition to the Ambassadors and Commissioners the following guests have been invite. Mr. Mort, Minister De Long, all the Cabinet oficers, Chief Justice Chase, the Vice President, Speaker Blaine, Senator Came- ron, General Banks, Admiral Porter, Solicitor Gene ral Bristow, Governor Cook, Generais Porter, Bab- cock and Vent, and Colonel Robert M, Douglass, Advertising Japanese liice Sales. The following has been forwarded to the Treasury and State Departments:— TEOKII, the 23th of the eleventh month of the fourth year, Meyi. . We have the honor to inform Your Excellency that @ certain quanuty of rice heid tn store by the Finance Deparument from ume vo tine will be pub- licly sold on written proposals, both to the Japanese ana foreigners, at the open ports of Japan, for exportation, if there 18 a surplus of rice in the country, although the general exportation of the same remains prohivited. Proper notce will be given in the open ports wheu such sales ure to take place. We beg Jurther to remark that the Japanese government ‘Will itself occasionally export rice when it 1s thought expedient, This you will be pleased to notify to | your countrymen, With respect und constderation, SOYESKENID YAUEONIE TENASHENIA MUNE- | MONI, His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s Minister for foreign Alfairs. ‘Yo C, CHEPPARD, Esq., Chargé a’ Affaires of United States of America in Japan. The Captain of the Shawmut. Captain Potter, of the United States ship Shaw. mut, 18 to be detached and placed on waiting orders, It will be remembered that instead of car- rying out the orders of the Navy Department in protecting the Florida irom the menaces of the | Spanish war vessel Balboa, ne preferred to take the word of the Spanish commander that the Florida would not be molested, and was deceived, Negli- gence in this and other matters warrant the Secre- tary of the Navy in imposing upon him the lightest revuke in his power. San Francisco and the Goat Island Grab. Each member from California, the President and V:ce President and the Speaker of the House, re- ceived to-day, by telegraph, a copy of a remon- strance of the San Francisco Chamber of Com. merce against the pending bill granting @ portion of Goat Island to the Central Pactflc Railroad Com- | Pany for a depot, &c, They say this would be | equivalent to a $20,000,000 gilt to that company. Mr. Cole presented the remonstrance in the Senate and Mr. Sargent in the House. General Bunks also received a prief despatch on the subject. Judge Richardson’s Return. Judge Richardson, the First Assistant Secretary, of the Treasury will return to-morrow. THE STORM SIGNAL SERVICE. Proposed Extension of the Storm Sigual Sys tem, Weather and Water Keports—The Ap- propriation Too Small to Meet the De« mands of the People=The Popularity of the Weather Bureau and Resolution of the Steamboatmen’s Convention. The Nautical Gazette recently pubushed the fol- lowing resolution of the National Steamboatmen’s Convention, referring to the remarkably accurate and useful labors of the Storm Signal Service:— Rooms OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, NATIONAL STEAMBOATMEN’S CONVENTION, WASHINUTON, D. C,, Jan. 30, 1972, The subject of the weather reports issued by thé War Department having been brought up in the discussions of this body It was Resolved, That the Chairman be instructed to cofmmunt- cate with tle Hon. Secretarv of War, and to state that this committee, representing more than’ two-thirds of the entire | steam tonnage of the United States, desire, at this time, to | express to him our unqualitied appreciation of the value ana uselulness of “probabilities”? by the Chi eather and water reporta, as well as the ted in connection therewith, as furnished ¥ Signal Oflicer dally to the press and the variot nge and news roums throughout the country. Itis action that we have watched the steady ith mat Itereaae of the eflicienoy of the aystem, and we express tho belief that 1 will prove of incalculable benefit to commerce abd navigation, besides guaraing in a great measure both live and proverty along t the United States. We venture to hope thal continue the necessary appropriations for matntaining continuing che usefulness of the service, 1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. JAMES, Chairman pro tem, To the Hon. SECRETAKY OF WAR, &C. The resolution has elicited the fotlowing impor. tant and Interesting correspondence, {rom whicn it will be seen that the increasing success and popu- larity of the Signa: Bureau have already createa such demanas on for extension that the appro- priation asked for it this year is entirely made. quate:— War DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 1872, L, JaAMus, Chairman pro tem. Steamboatmen’s ational Convention, Ebbitt House, Washington, Sin—The Secretary of War expresses his thanks to the Executive Committee of the Steamboatmen’s National Convention for the very courteous resolu- tion, compiimentary to the Department, conveyed in their communication of January 30, 1872, and en- closes, for the information of the committee, the ac- ys letter of the Chief Sigaal OMicer of the rmy. With expressions of personal consideration, I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant WILLIAM W. BELKNAP, Secretary of War. WAR DrPARTMENT, BUREAU OF TELEGRAMS a REPORTS FOR THB BENEFIT OF COMMERCE, WASHINGTON, D. O., Feb, 6, 1872, To the Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR:— Sin—Referring to the resolutions of the Executt!.¢ Committee of the Steamboatmen’s National Von- vention, of which the enclosed 13 a copy (publusned im the Nautical Gazette), the Cnier Signal OMicer begs to os his gratification that tue duties of this office have reflected cred!t upon the War De- partment, of which it 1s a division. The Chie Signal Onicer must, however, refer to the anxiety he feels lest the amount of appropria- tion estimated for the year 18 184, should Prove too small to give that satisfacuon to the steam interesis of the United States it will be hig aim to attain. If the full number of river reports Which ought to be had are had, and the demands for new stattons or facilities, in themselves only proper, are complied with, the sum appropriated ht not to be less than $250,000 for this service for me year ending June 30, 1873. While acknow- ledging, with thanks, the courteous expressions of the committee, it seems proper, as tney have refer- red to the subject of appropriations, that they should | be injormed of this lact. 1 am, sir, very respect- fully, ALBERT J. MYE Brig. Gen, and Chief Signal Ofticer of the Army. ‘The Signal Service bas within @ short time exe | tended ils labors to the water reports of the great rivers of the country, 50 that every branch of trade and every interest of the community has become, in @ measure, dependent on its bulletins for orui- nary business information. The peopie and tie press have everywhere taken the deepest concerao in the storm signals and the metevrotogical “pro- babuities,"’ and will Bail every edortto wiaen the already unprecedented success of the enterprise. ‘The eminent propriety of Congress thus oan pro- viding for this service {8 greatly neighteued vy the untversal desire of the people to see everytni done to encourage and restore whe commerc! shipbuilding interests of the country, whicn, through numerous boards of trade and lolies, have acknowledged their Indebtedness to the labora of Genera: Myers. Usually applications for the expansion of govye ernment ofices have come from te ofices theming selves. Now it 18 af appreciative people who ria mand of Congress ampie provision for the wide ~ and universai Lerrefits of the slznals |