The New York Herald Newspaper, April 22, 1873, Page 7

a ERIE’S EREBUS The Tale of Dishonesty, Plunder and Bri- bery Continued Yesterday at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, SAM. BARLOW SAVAGE. Conspiracy of the London Stockholders and the Secret Service Done by. Crouch and Sickles. The Price of the Honor (?) of the Old Board of Directors $600,000. GENERAL BARLOW’S RETAINER. Queerly Entangled Testimony and Some New Disclosures—The Plot of James McHenry to Consolidate the Erie and the Atlantic and Great Western Railroads, The Erie Committee again assembled yesterday morning at the Fifth Avenue Hotel and proceeded with the examination of witnesses. All of the Wembers were present. ‘The first testimony taken was that of Mr. John J. @isco, the banker of Wall street, who was sworn and said :— I became a Director of Erie just after the coup @ état, in place of Mr. Hall; I was present at the meeting which directed the payment of $30,000 TO W. H. VANDERBILT, but was not present when the resolution direct- ing the payment was passed; was present when the aividend was authorized; heard the statements of the officers of the road, and was in favor of declaring it, as every confidence was felt in the probity of the eMcers making the statements and in the correct- ness of the statements themselves; I had none of the negotiations or correspondence with Bischoff- seheim & Co. relative to the $10,000,000 convertible bonds; I should regard a commission of two and a half per cent for such a loan as very reasonable, and I deemed the transactien extremely favorable to Erie. To Mr. Babcock—I was not informed of the state- ment of a former auditor that a surplus of only $79,000 was earned in the first six months of 1872, MR. WHEELER HW. PECKUAM ‘Was next recalled and testified that he had seen a report of the proceedings on Saturday that Mr. Shearman swore that he (Peckn@m) had divided a fee of $10,000 with General Bariow, and further, that when the Grand Jury had commenced an in- quiry into the transaction, they were discharged; all that he had to say of this statement was Mat it was wholly uutrue; no part of the fees of witness were divided with General Barlow, either directly or indirectly, in that or any other case; never acted as agent for General Barlow in receiving money for him; knew of no money paid improperly to General Barlow, and, as faras one man could be certain of another, was certain that mo money had ever been improperly paid him; had no relations with the Grand Jury of which Stevens ‘was foreman, and had nothing todo in the re- Metest degree with the discharge of that Grand dury. MR. SAMUEL J. TILDEN ‘Was sworn, and testified that no money derived from Mr. Gould or the Erie Company was ever paid into the treasury of the Democratic Committee; has been chairman of that committee since 1866; neither has any considerable sum been received from ‘William M. Tweed; this period covers the gala days of these chaps; on one occasion Mr. Tweed made contributions to the State Committee, but none of very considerable amount; could not remember how much he had con- tributed, but possibly he gave $5,000 to the election of Governor Hoffman; does not think he contributed anything in 1870 nor after; Tweed was not a member of the committee; as ® general thing the bills of these gentlemen amounted to more than they contributed; knew that a train ‘load of raMans arrived in Rochester during the Convention of 1870, but was Dot aware that their fare was paid by the Erie Com- pany; they were sent in hostility to witness, whose ‘Watch was stolen by one of them; the Tweed and Erie gang had never been of any use te the com- mittee; they were selfish and rapacious; an armed neutrality existed at all times between them and witness. To Mr. Wight—Mr. Gould or Mr. Tweed might have contributed to the election of Senators and Representatives without the intervention of the Central Committee; that committee seldom mixed in with such elections, leaving that to local com- mittees; no free tickets were furnished to Koches- ter in 1870 by the committee; witness always sup- posed that the roughs had stolen the tickets on ‘which they rode to Rochester. MR. 8. L. M. BARLOW ‘was recalled, being present and seeming rather mervous and anxious to say something. He re- marked, alter being sworn, that there had been an article on the affairs et the Atlantic and Great Western Railway Company published in the Hexarp which was calculated to excite much at- ‘tention. Its statements were entirely incorrect and they were evidently concocted in the HERALD in New York. Then in reference te Erie mat- ters, he said in response to questions :— At the time of the statement made up by Mr. Morosini, the late Auditor, it only designed to show that the earnings of the Erie road had been sufficient to pay 3% per cent dividend on preferred stock; it was made chiefly trom estimate; even in that immature form it showed mall surplus; ‘when Watson came in a thorough posting of the books was had, and it was ascertained that the earnings were large enough te declare both @ividends; this second posting was totally differ- ent from that made by Morosini. Mr. C, C. Clark, TREASURER OF THE NEW YORK CENTRAL and Hudson River Railroad, was swern and testi- fied that he knew of no money being paid to E. D. Barbor. A. Van Vechten and Dutcher, vy the Central Company in connection with the Pro Rata Freight Dill; knew of no such sum as $50,000 bein, paid to any person for favorable legislation a pany; never knew of money being paid by Mr. ‘anderbiit for expenses at Albany in connection with the Pro Rata mbt 2g bill; there was nothi! aid Mr, Depew except legiti- mate fees and his notel bill at Albany, which g@mounted to only a couple hundred dollars; if any large sums of money had been pad to any = “spi egislationat Albany I should have known G. F. MORISINI, late anditor of the Erie Ratiroad, testified Im op- Position to the statements of Mr. S. L. M. Barlow regarding the surplus earnings justifying the de- claring of the February dividend on the com- mon stock, that the surplus earnings of the road fer the first six months of 1872 were only $11,000; that was up to the Ist of Juiy; he left on the 30th September, and the earnings from the Ist July till then had decreased very largely, on ac- count of the coal strike and other causes; he left the Erie office because the new Board of Directors ‘wanted to give him private information about the vious management of the read, and treated Sin as ‘@ spy more than an Auditer, » HORACE F. CLARK was examined regarding the connection of the Erie road with the Atlantic and Great Western; from his knowledge of railroad matters he believe the stock of the Atlantic and Great Western never ‘was and never could be worth Soyitings he be- Meved the expenses of running the Erie and almost every large trunk road have largely in- ereased during the last few years; he con- sidered legal expenses should in no case be charged to construction account; such ex- | mgd were worse than lost; 1 den’t think Erie Road can be operated as cheaply as the Lake Shore Road; no broad guage road can be run gs economically as a narrow one; the surplus carn- of the Lake Shore !ast year were $4,000,900, on ich a dividend of eight per cent was declared; as far as I personally know I cannot say whether lcHenry and Bischoifschein own any @tock in the Atlantic and Great Western; the gross earnings of the Lake Shore Road for the last year ‘were more by $2,000,000, and yet the net or surplus @arnings were less; this was caused by the in- cost of running the road. ante Barlow—We have also increased our capl- ‘At three o'clock the committee adjourned. Evening Session. At five o’clock the investigation was resumed md many attachés of the old and new régime of Erie were present, seeming more or less oppressed % Long esl? and Rg of listening to the evi- Pry eka aps on the old adage, ‘‘Fore- Aerqeantat.4ems of the Senate. @ big mals, NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1873—QUADRUPLE SHEET. ‘with @ jovial face, covered by florid whiskers, comptes peverey of the miasmic state of the weather for the last few weeks, which has caused most of the gentlemen whom he has been obliged to visit with subpa-nues to be affected with rheu- matism, pneumonia, laryngitis and other numerous varieties of convenient diseases, PRESIDENT WATSON was recalled and testified as follows :—The pay- ment of $10,000 to Barlow, I think, was about the time that Gould turned his stock over to the com- ; I have recollection of many gentlemen’ terms of General Barlow's ability, was in connection with expressions of disparagement of his char- acter, and it was suggested that a resolution be passed by the Board of Directors that a letter from Barlow be entered on the books touching the jatter, in which he said it was wrong to charge him with receiving the money which he had di bureed for the company; I have no recollection of any SonTareA TS with Mr. Shearman in refer- ence pany king im high abit 28 ana i GENERAL BARLOW’S FEES; I have no recollection of any one suggesting that I should pay him a tee of $10,000, To General Barlow—I never in my recollection had any communication with you; may have Fpcken: to you years ago; the letter from General jarlow, explaining that the money received by him was used tor disbursements, for expenses for stockholders, was received by me, and was placed on file in the records of the Boars Mr. Shearman’s testimony in regard to the sug- gestion of giving a retainer to General Barlow, ‘was read to the witness, and he denied apy recol- lection of its having been made to him. MR. CHARLES H. TWEED, @ lawyer, associate counsel for Messrs. Isickeege 3 & Choate, testified—one afternoon, about the time of his sult against Gould & Lane foran ac- counting, Mr. Southmay4d, of our office, handed me this letter, which he had just received from Mr. Barlow :— Orrice oF Bartow. Hyatt & Ouney, New Youx, April 5, 1872. My Dear Sir—Some one trom Gould is coming to see me this eve “to give me some valuable information which may influence me in the suit.” T have an idea it may be some release given by the company. Twant a witness to be present, Can't you come tomy house at a quarter before eight P. M., or stop here before half-past four to-day? If you can’t come will you send young Butler or some reliable person trom your office f Answer. Yqnre a Mr. Sopthmard desired me to go to Mr. Barlow’s house; I went there; Mr. Hays and Mr. Belden came in; Mr. Barlow was at home; Mr. Hays intro- duced Mr. Belden to Mr. Barlow, saying that he ‘was authorized to represent Mr. Gould; Mr. Bel- den, after some reference to Mr. Gould having Tost his position, and desiring to resume business on the treet, told THE STORY OF LORD GORDON, consuming three-quarters of an hour in a relation of his connection with Gould and efforts the latter was then making to recover moneys and stocks which Gordon had procured from him; Mr. Bel- den said that they were in a position to show to General Barlow that no relia! could be placed upon any statement of Gordon’s; they made their statements apparently on supposition that South- mayd was moved to this suit by Gordon; I think that General Barlow did not deny their assumption, but plainly indicated that he thought the conversation of no importance, and if he required any informa- tion about Gordon he said he would let them know; I think that those were the only other points of im- portance in the interview. General Barlow here said that he wished to say that the suit referred to was begun at Mr. South- Mayd’s request, and stopped at his request only. MR. SIMON STEVENS, President of the Tehauntepec Railroad Company, was hext examined in relation to statements made by him or in bis presence in relation to General Barlow, and when David Dudley Field and Mr, Shearman were present:—I was in Mr. Field’s office a few days ago, and Field, in a jocular way, asked if I had not seen A LEITER ON GENERAL SICKLES) TABLE, purporting to come from General Barlow, and de- manding $100,000 for services to the Erie Company? I made no answer. General Sickles has sown me certain letters on his table, but I never said what I saw in them; General Sickles employed me to make up the accounts, amd told me some of the contents of his letters. I saw a statement of General Barlow of money disbursed by him. Q. Did you see such a letter as that referred to by Mr. Fields on General Sickles’ table? A. I can- not say anything about any letters that I saw there; there were several letters endorsed on the back as coming from General Barlow; I do not re- collect any knowledge of their contents; I recollect no statement in General Barlow's letter which I read about payment for his — services, There was one in reference to the pay- ment of the other counsel; I don’t know that General Barlow ever made any claim for services rendered; General Sickles asked me to make up the accounts; he asked if I wished to examine the letters; I said 1 did not care to; I afterwards heard that one of those letters con- tained such a claim. By James C. Carter, counsel for General Barlow— Did you read any’portion of any of those letters, other than the one you read entirely? A. My im- pression is that I did. Q. Was there an expression of any claim for money for servicesrendered? A. I think that there ‘Was a suggestion Or intimation that he ought to be — $2,000 more, and that he needed $12,000 in all; have an indistinct recollection that at the time I had before me his vouchers for $10,000, ‘The witness was shown a letter which had been jagged in the papers; he thought it could not be he one which he saw, as it was about Tuesday or Wednesday previous to its date that he made up the accounts: the one I referred to contained the statement that Mr. Tremain had $1,500, that Mr. Hale had $1,500 and Mr, Smith had $1,500, ‘To Mr. Stickney—I was foreman of the Grand Jury and received a letter asking me to go over to the Comptroller’s office and ascertain if William H. Peckham had not received half of the $10,000 paid to General Barlow; I decline to state by whom it was signed; it was sent to me in confidence as a Grand Juror; I have destroyed the letter. MR. GEORGE CROUCH was next examined, and gave a detailed history of his connection with the English stockholders of the Erie Company. When Fisk discovered that Gould intended to get rid of him he made ‘Crouch the ypronoaiace. to work for him against Gould on the other side; he went over to Bonde. and while there arranging matters heard of Fisk’s death; he told the English stock- holders that the quickest way to get rid of Gould was to buy his expulsion; a proposition was then made that $100,000 be placed in the hands of Lane aud O’Dougherty; Mr. McHenry opened negotia- tions with Lane, and Crouch started tor this side; before he left, Biscnoffsheim and Goldschmidt told him that they had retained General sickles in their service, who had represented to them that he had great influence at Albany; they said that they were very much disappointed in not havin; heard from nim, as he had been over here a goo while, and they wanted Crouch to see him, to reveal to him the new pian of operations and if he could be of any use te retain his as ance, Whe he arrived here the Legislature had takeh its recess, He asked the directors of the Erie Company tt they were willing to resign their places. Others were willing to do so for the sake of ousting Gould; others represented that the: would incur some loss by being compelled to suc! acourse. The witness then continued as follows :- I telegraphed for Sickles, and met kim in the of- fice; I toid him how anxious the stockholders were on the other side, and that they said he had not accomplished anything; he answered that he had been in Albany, and HAD LAID ALL HIS PIPES and thought that when the Legislature re- assembled everything would be ready for the work. I then concluded that he would be a great deal of use to us, and told him what had already been done, On his pes of seccecy, I revealed to him the new Pecos and introduced him to some of the mem- rs of the old Board, Some of them did not care about trusting him in the matter. Sickles made arrangements to pay the ethers for their resignations on the condition that Bischofsheim & Goldschmidt should have the nominatin; the new Board. ‘the moving spirit of the whole thing was James McHenry. Sickles telegraphed him that so much money would be necessary, and Bischoffsheim & Goldschmidt furnished it. It was distributed by General Sickles, McHenry’s object in making this movement was to benefit the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. He first had come over and leased the Atlantic and Great Western to the Erie Lompany, and then he discovered that it was being plundered worse than everit had been before. Bischoffsheim & Gould were largely interested in Atlantic and Great Western, and also in Erie. A combination was made between the Atlantic and Great Western and the Erie stockholders. In order to benefit the Atlantic and Great Western McHenry saw that he first of all must get Mr. Gould out ef the Erie management. Mr. McHenry makes no secret of the ebject of the revolution which he produced. Bischoifsheim and Goldschmidt say unreservedly that they subscribed for it with the view of benefiting the Atlantic and Great Western and are surprised that Mr. Barlow should be un- willing to disclose its reai object. To tir. Babcock—McHenry 1s anxtons to obtain some permanent arrangement between tne Erie aud the Atlantic and Great Western as i 5 To Mr. Lincoin—The majority of the English stockholders are anxious for a combination ol the two roads. Bischoffscheim and Goldschmidt holds controlling interest of Atlantic and Great Western, and their large influence in the Londonand Ger- man markets gives them in reality the control of the Erte road also, besides their being large holders Of its stock. With reference to $60,000 which has been men- tioned before the committee as having been paid to me, I wish to say that it was given as a bonus b; the English stookholders for my services, through Mr. McHenry, who was authorized to pay it to me, and I fave no knowledge of it ever having been drawn irom the funds of the Erie road, McHenry asks no return for his disbursements in securing the resolution, except a fair arrange- ment with the Atlantic and Great Western Rail- road. Since the overthrow of Gould, Erie has been depenting. on McHenry & Bischoffsheim for sup- port. I think that now one or two of the directors are in favor of the arrangement which he desires, General Lansing is one, and there are two others. I never heard from Bischoffsheim and Gold- schmidt that the object of the dividend was to raise the stock; Mr, Gould was the man who Was partic- ularly anxious to have it declared, and would have been willing to have advanced the money himsell, as he was a large owner of the stock at that time; L understood that it was declared upon the earn- ings of tne road, think that the road was in better condition under Gould than now; the rolling stock was better and so was the service, ‘To Mr. Babcock—I have heard positively that the AMOUNT EXPENDED BY SICKLES for Bischoffsheim and Goldschmidt was $300,000, and I think that there was $200,000 expended be- sides to effect the change in the Erie management; 1 believe that Sickles received $100,000 for his services from Bischoifsheim and Goldschmidt on tt a ee he Pain Rice gi e ency of the Company, but not ge (Laughter.) ts Mr. John E. Parsons testified in reference to the statements that General Barlow had received fees from the Erie Railway Company, a coniused mass of hearsay evidence about General Barlow's fees from Erie, which in truth amounted to nothing but @ vague attempt to disprove those charges. oe committee then adjourned until ten o'clock jay. THE LABOR QUESTION. A General Movement of Labor Against Capital Threatened—The Internationals to Take the Subject in Hand—The Le- gality of Eight Hours Labor To Be Es- tablished—The Position of the Gas Strikers. Labor is again preparing to array itself against capital, and there 1s good reason for expecting a repetition of the scenes of last summer. The move- Ment this season seems to possess a more thorough organization than ever before, and the leaders in the enterprise appear quite confident of ultimate success. A meeting of tradesmen and mechanics is called for this evening, and the recent gas strikers will doubtless avaii themselves of this Movement to further their cause, The cigar makers, the quarrymen, the street pavers and many other branches have already united in spirit with the gas men, and, although they have not stopped work, claim to be in perfect sympathy with the eight-hour movemert. There are always two sides toastory, ana the capitalist claims for himseif and his interests some consideration. The Mechanic has the undoubted right to say whether he will or will not work the pre- scribed number of hours for the agreed upon com- pensation, But when he takes it upon himself to prevent other men from performing his work, alter e has leit it, the striker becomes an enemy to civil liberty and can be dealt with only as au out- jaw. it were not enough for h.m to dictate the number of hours which shall constitute a day’s work, the mechanic, as he promises to appear in a few weeks, fixes his own rates of pay as well as the-class of work which he will periorm, LABORERS NOT POORLY PAID. The loudest complaints come from men who re- ceive irom $3 50 to $4 for ten hours of labor, They claim that they are forced to hide away in garrets and cannot suiciently clothe or feed their fam- ilies, No class of professional men are on an ave} age better paid. The bookkeepers have never re- sorted to a strike, yet their wages range from $25 to $30 per week, upon which they are expected to dress respectably. Yet many are married and live comtortably upon French flats. The great reason fer all the squalor and wretchedness of a large class of laboring men is indicated by the unparaileled prosperity of the drinking saloons in the neigh- orhood ef large manufacturing establishments, THE GREAT CAUSE OF TROUBLE. It is @ lamentable fact that trom one-third to one-half of the money paid out to the lower classes of labor finds its way into the tills of the liquor dealers. The saloon keepers in the vicjnity of the New York gas works are very anxious for the strike to cease, because they claim that the gas men are not spending any money. It is asserted by the men now on the strike that the petition to the company to have the ola employés taken back was drawn up and sent by the liquor sellers. In several cases olfers of money were made to the men if they would sign the petition, The strikers repudiate all connection with the document, and declare that it did not originate with them. THE GAS STRIKE is yet an unsolved question. Many men who claim to be possessed of positive information assert that the employés of the Mutual and Metropolitan gas companies will join the movement betere ten days. The Manhattan seems to possess the confidence of its men. Asa reason for this it may be mentioned that this company pensions for life all tnose wno have grown too eid in its service to work, or who have by accident been disanled. THE MEETING THIS EVENING at the Germania ee, Rooms, on the Bowery, will be largely attended by laboring men of all classes, Itis called by the Federal Council of the International Workingmen’s Association, and in their card direct appeal is made to the members of all the various trades of the city. The first ob- ject of the meeting is declared to be the employ- ment of the best legal advice. A test case will then be brought before the Supreme Court of the State to ascertain the amount of protec- tion which is to be afforded to those who come within the Eight-Hour_ statute. The case of the employés on the Harlem Railroad is admiraoly calculated to afford the desired oppor- tunity. These men employed in sinking the tracks in the upper end of the city receive one-half of their money from the city and the other from the railroad company. THE EIGHT-HOUR LAW JO BE TESTED, The statute provides that all workmen in the By, of the city or State shall only be required to laber eight hours per day. The Internationals are determined to ascertain whether this statute is to ae reted in favor of the laborer or the capi- st. laws are to be interpreted or enforced in the inter- ests of the working Classes, the Internationals Sirestess to turn all creation oyer and have a new eal. THE “SEVENTH? WARRIORS, Meeting of the Property Owners About Reservoir Square. There was a meeting last evening at the Harvard Rooms, Sixth avenue and Forty-second street, to oppose the appropriation of Reservoir square for the purposes of a Seventh regiment armory. Con- siderable discussion took place during the evening, in which the immortal braves of the immortal Seventh were either badly wounded or totally obliterated. The following resolutions we adopted and a committee was appointed to give them force :— Whereas the Assembly of the State Legislature has just passed a bill known as the “Seventh Regiment Armory bill.” the object of which bill is to place an armory for ‘that regiment on Reservoir square; and whereas said bill is, in our judgment, most unwise in its Provisions because’ it opens the way to another Court jouse job; because any action under it, should it become w, would saddie our now burdened city treasury with an increase ness of milfions it may be: because it locates the armory where the best safety of the city do not require it: because { & precedent for other regiments to demar ‘over: debted- virtur nierests aid tahlisies ond Ww equal justice oceupy, other of our city park’; 1 cx while it gives the tree use of a million deliars word! property to this regiment, 1t does not limit t addition thereto ot erecting the armory t cause it takes from the Commissioners of F thority and discretion as relates to Reservoir Square; because it is not reform, but provision for a reckles Penditure of money, and should the bill become @ law it will involve the city in endless litigation; and whereas in our judgment said bill is unjust in its provisions, because it seeks to deprive the citizens of a legal right in taking trom them because it will destroy one of the prettiest pa city, and one most irequented by children, and therefore most needed ; because it plants in front of four churches a regimental armory, with all its attendant nuisances of drums, music, &c., which cannot but seriously disturb the services of those churches, particularly when held week days; because itdeprives ten large schools of a playground ; because Reservoir square, being one of the most isolated of the New York parks, furnishing a breathing place to a larger area of the city than any other park, its prostitution for an armory would deprive the invalid—the poor and desti- tute—of a much needed right, and because when the Park was dedicated to the use of the people it was “to be forever kept asa public park,” unless needed for an additional reservoir, it would be a violation of good faith on the part of the city to yield itto any other use; erefore Resolved, That we entreat the members of the State Senate to promptly defeat such an unjust measure as that known as thé Amended Assembly bill 664; that we thank the members of the State Assembly who so nobly defended the rights of our citizens in opposing that bill; that a copy of this preamble and resolution be sent toeach member of the State Senate, and also that the same be published in the daily papers of this city. THE HARLEM CHURCH WAR. a The Smoke Clearing from the Ficid, and the Position of the Combatants Revealed—The Disaffected Members for Pence—Prospect of a Cessation of Hostilities, The Harlem church war, which was inaugurated about two years ago and has since been continued with great hostility and bitterness en both sides, bids fair at last to be amicably closed, as woth par- ties, the disaffected and the regular members of the church, have taken initiator; steps to inter the theological hatchet. This little hatchet, which has, since the war began, been 1ap- ping away at the devoted heads of both minister ‘and congregation, is to be ap- Boeaacey shrouded and buried, it 18 to hope forever, and if not, until the the next time it is wanted. Some of the members of the church who ‘know a thing or two” declare it will be resurrected and unshrouded ‘before six months have gone by. This remains to be seen. Those who best know Mr. Lucas, the pastor, are the ones who promulgate the dogma, The conference, which was held yesterday at Harlem Hail, and which was called by the mutual council, held November 6, 1872, decided to clect a cominittce of three to confer with a committee of the same number frem the church, and their duty is to have the churchmen elect a com- mittee of two, who will confer with a committee of theirs (the disatfected) and try and bring about a restoration of fellow- ship among the present and quandam members of the comgregation. This committee. consists of the following gentiemen :—Dr. 1. D. Anderson, Rev. A. G. F. Behrends and A. T. Hastings. The com- mittee have been given unlimited time to fulfll their mission, but they expect to be able to report in about two weeks, at which time the world will te eo ee the First Baptist church, of Harlem, will reinstate or give letters of dismissal to the disadected members if neither the government nor the State ° | Jndians. THE RED MEN. The Peace Commission to Meet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel To-Day. The Murder of Captain Jack’s Father and the Slaughter of the Elder Schonchin Told for the First Time. The Bloody Reprisal of the Modoc Chief After Twenty Years. Bids for Millions of Dollars’ Worth of Indian Supplies To Be Closed To-Day. No Hope of Capturing Captain Jack or His Band. Now that the band ef nfty Modoc warriors have escaped from the hands of the seven or eight hun- dred men made up from the artillery, infantry and cavalry of the United States regular army, our citi- zens are beginning to ask what the views of the Peace or Indian Commission may be in regard to the policy now to be pursued toward thé Oregon Indians. A call was published some days since in diferent newspapers from Mr. George H. Stuart, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Indian Commissioners, to have a meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on Monday, April 21. Now, to make matters clearly understood, we will here State that the Peace Commission and the Board of Indian Commissioners are one and the same body, though having dual corporate titles, And furthermore let 1t be understood that the Peace or Indian Commission is a volunteer body act- ing with discretionary powers under the advisory authority of the Secretary of the Interior at Wash- ington, Mr. Columbus Delano, who is alse chief ef the Bureau of Indian Affairs, And _ the names of the Peace Commissien who were to have met yesterday at the Fifth Ave. nue Hotel are as follows :—Felix R. Brunet, George H, Stuart, of Philadelphia; Robert Campbell, of St. Louis; Nathan Bishop, Wiliam E. Dodge, of New York city; Joun V. Farwell, John D, Lang and N, J. Turner. The secretary of the Indian or Peace Com- mission is Mr. Thomas K. Cree, whose office is in Washington city in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Owing to the death of the mother of the chairman of the Commission, Mr. Felix Brunot, whose funeral was to have taken place at Pittsburg, Pa., on Sun- day, and the non-arrival of any of the members, with the exception of Mr, Campbell, of St. Louis, there was not any session yesterday of the Commission, and it is not probable that there will be any before Wednesday, by which time all the members will have arrived in this city. It is well that the public should Know, however, thatit is this Peace Commission which has the sole and only power to receive bids and make awards on the mil- lions of dollars worth of supplies which are fur- nished to the 35,000 Indians of the United States and to-day at noon all proposals-will be closed at 40 and 42 Leonard street, in this city, for the immense stores of goods and provisions for the gentle savages, The Peace Comimission have a vast fleld beiore them as to how they will award bids where so many hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake. For the past four or five days it has been noticeable that a space of nearly twocolumns has been eccupied in the HERALD With specitications of all the articles desired for Indian use, from a million pounds of beef cattle on the hoof, for the Santee Indians, to the twelve thousand pounds of saleratus demanded by Red Cloud. It is @ curious specification of items, indeed, and will repay erusal. We may discover, on reading the speci- cations, that the Cheyennes will need 40,000 pounds of brown sugar next year, to “put in their tay,” as Darby McBiart said, while the howling Kiowas will not be satisfied with less than 4,000 pounds of plug tobacco; the Blackfeet want 4,000 pounds of green coffee, and the Crows need 7,000 pounds o{ salt. For one agency alone, the Whet- stone, there is needed no Jess than 5,000,000 pounds of beef, 300,000 pounds of bacon, 1,200,000 pounds of flour and reed prop of sugar. The savages of the Upper mugen lemand 1,850,000 pounds of beef, 108,000 pounds of bacon, 600,000 pounds of flour, 36,000 pounds of coffee, 70,000 pounds of brown sugar, and strange to say, fer toilet purposes, the Missouri Sioux must have 9,000 pounds of soap. The Yancton Sioux want to get 7,000 pounds of soap and 3,000 P wi tated of plug tobacce, but those who saw the Yancton,Sioux in this city last Summer and conversed with them will not believe that they desiré the soap to wash themselves, for it is certain that if they ever at- tempted to wash themselves the feeling would be such an unusual one that diphtheria would carry off the tribe. To endeavor to discover what the Peace Commis- sioners have been called to meet for a HERALD re- porter paid a visit to the Fifth Avenue Hotel and dis- covered that but two members, the Secretary, Mr. ‘Thomas K. Cree, and Rovert Campbell bad arri' A card was sent to Mr. Cree, who soon lnswe the summons and entered into a conversation | with the writer, of which the following 1s the sub- stance :— REPORTER—Mr. Cree, a8 you are the Secretary of the Peace Commission, which was to have mei to- day, I want to know for the benefit of the public what the purpose of the Commission ts in meeting, and if there will be any change in their policy towards the Modoc savages, Secretary Crez—It is the Board of Indian Com- missioners, a8 well as the Peace Cemmissioners, ly the way, Lsaw a@ card from @ man named Par- dee in regard to the new religion started among the Oren. and Washington Territory The religion is called the ‘Smoholler Religion,” trom Smoheller, a great prophet among the Warm Spring Indians, whe are our friends. It is net the hostile Indians who are “Suoholievs.? ‘The Modocs are not “Smohollers.” this relig: has taken great hold on the Warm Spring Lidians, and it tends somewhat to Mormon- ism, and that it is degrading to dress like white men or wear their hair like white men, or follow the pursuits of agriculturists. Smoholler, who is a Snake Indian, of which nation the Warm Spring Indians, our allies, are a tribe, has four or five thousand followers who believe in this new religion, and his headquarters are at Priests’ Rapids, on a river in Washington Territory, about one thousand miles from the country of the Modocs, All along the Pacific ridge there are strewn about one hundred tribes of Indians who belong to one grand jon and speak what is known as the Chinoek language. These tribes are located in Washington Territory, Oregen and Idaho. Now the Modecs are a brave sor and are purely @ California tribe, who speak their own dialect, REPORTER—Mr. Cree, I want to ask one question, which seems to bother every one. How many eople, men, women and children, are there in the jodoc tribe’ Secretary Crrz—One year ago, when they were more numerous than they are now, there were according, to actual count, 258 Modoc Indians all old, warriot juaws and pa) a REPORTERS 4 it osaible. that t that number of Modocs could keep the United States at bay, and ter laughing at their escape? Secretary Crek—I believe that of that number of persons there were about seventy warriors able to fight, and no more. The Lava Beds, which are the home and country of the Modocs, is @ hundred miles square, and 10,000 United States troops could not surround it or prevent the escape of the seventy warriors under Captain Jack, who is acquainted with all the passes and places of concealment. ‘The lava beds have never been explored. The Modocs have traversed them thousands of times and it is their country. ‘The lava beds are full of streams choking with fish, and there are fine zing tracts in which the Modocs have concealed their beef cattle. REPORTER—What provocation have thi had to make them commit the murders of Canby and Thomas ? Secretary CreE—Captain Jack’s father was one of a party of eigiiteen Modocs who came in under a flag of truce to the camp of Captain Benjamin Wright; Sehonchin’s tather was also among the party, and while the Modocs were all at dinner with the whites, they were ail treacherously murdered by Captain Wright's company, Captain Jack's father and Shonchin’s father am: the rest. This eccurred in 1852, over twenty years ago, and then Captain Jack was a tall lad of eighteen, and he was determined to seek vengeance for his father’s blood. One day Captain Wright was killed by an unknown Modoc, who was afterwards hanged fer the crime, and who ceniessed that it was he who shot Wright. Some of the Modocs stated that Wright had killed Schonchin’s father, RerorteR—Do you know anything about the Warm Spring Indians, who are our allies ? Secretary Onge—They are u brave tribe. Eighty of those Indians are under the command of Donald McKay, a half breed, but a well educated man. They have hitherto been fignting the Snake In- dians, who number some one thou: rons of both sexes, in California, and owing the fact that the Warm Spi In are now ip pursuit of the Modocs thei is considerable danger that the Snakes may jein the Modoc warriors to repay their old gnomes, the Warm Spring Indians. The country of the latter tribe is some two hundred miles distant from that occupied by the Modocs, The Snakes are really all Shoshones. ‘There are about fifteen hundred Snake Indians in Oregon. The United States have had two previous fights with the Medocs, and, I believe, the govern- ment was victorious; but, I think, we might call it a draw on such occasion in 1856 and 1863, REPoRTER—Do you believe that the Modocs have escaped irom the lava beds, and that if they have not they will? Secretary CREE—I do, Ther can get into some of the valleys or they can get into the great coast range 01 mountains, where there is nothing but a trail or path which could only be followed by prac- tised hanters or Indians, and in these mountains not even infantry, without aking of cavalry or artillery, could follow them thither, The moun- tains are full of streams, in which are great stocks of fish, and the finest to be had for the tching or shooting, If they wish to stay in the lava beds twere is lots of water, The Klamath Indians are more to the South, and number about 2,500. They are on bad terms with the Modocs, ‘They have been on a reservation, and did goo in guarding property when the Modocs tool to fighting. To be plain, it was wrong to attempt to move the Modocs off their reser- vation without the knowledge of the Sec- retary of the Interior, It resulted from @ change 1m local superintendents and the promise made by the returning superintendent was not thought of for the space of over a year. ‘The Modocs had been preserving @ reservation, which was about six miles square in extent and was a good fish and grazing country. The people in Yreka advised them net to leave the reservation, and letters from citizens of that place were found upon the Modocs, one of which was from Captain Jack’s lawyer at Yreka, advising him to stay where he was and not allow himself to be displacea, REPORTER—Well, now I would like to know what will be the policy of the Peace and Indian Commis- sion who meet to-morrow, ; Secretary CrEE—Our policy has never been changed, and has always been right. We have washed our hands of the Modocs and have turned them over to the War, Department, The policy of the Commission has been working admiranly. There is no danger ef any general Indian war, although it is possible that the Snakes may give us some trouble. The HERARD reporter next conversed with Mr. Robert Campbell, of St. Louis, anotner of the In- dian Commissioners. Mr. Campbell is a tall old gentieman, with a@ smooth face, rosy cheeks and @ pleasant, hearty manner. He received the re- resentative of the HERALD with much politeness. the following is the substance of the interview :— REPoRTER—I presume the Commissioners have not decided as yet upon any fixed policy ? Mr. CampBeri—Well, we have really nothing to do with the Indian policy of the government. ‘The President alone has the power to determine the policy of the government, We are simply ap- jointed to atd him and to see that his policy is faithfully carried eut, REPORTER—Do you think. the treachery of-the Lie will bring about a change in the Indian policy Mr. CAMPBELL—I assure you we have nothing to do with that—we were simply appointed to ald the President tn carrying eut his policy. At the very first meeting of the Commissioners we adopted @ resolution that no member should RECOMMEND ANY ONE FOR OFFICE, SO as to leave us free to investigate the conduct of any person, The abe of our appointment was to overlook the whole Indian Department, and to as- sist the Commissioners of Indian Affairs in making the purchases for the Indians. REPORTER—What is the object of your meeting in this city ? Mr. CAMPBELL—Our object is to open the bids for the different provisions ior the Indians—as adver- tised in this morning’s HERALD, The committee, consisting of George H, Stuart, William E. Dodge, John V. Farwell and myseli, will do that to-morrow (this day) noon, REPORTER—Will there not be a general meeting of ail the Commissioners to-morrow ? Mr, CAMPBELL—We Were to have held to-night a meeting of the General Commission, but Mr. Brunot, our chairman, has to bury his mother to- day, and 80 we were compelled to postpone the meeting. KEPORTER—Can you give me an idea ef the objeot of this general meeting ? Mr. CaMPBELL—Well, this meeting to-night was to have been for the purpose o! sending out different committees in diflerent directions to examine INTO THE CONDITION OF THE INDIANS, &c. We should then report to the President. REPORTER—What will be the result of the war against the Modocs? Mr. CAMPBELL—I trust that it will lead to the ex- termination of the whole tribe. General Canby, whom they so basely murdered, was as noble & man as ever lived. I knew him personally. Sgpink their Ks SH will eventually give us pedoe. [ have always thought that where war was abso- lutely negessary—where it could not well be avoided—the best thing tnat could be done was to strike as heavy blows as possible for the purpose of producing peace. I trust that the pun- ishment of the Modocs will be a terrible one. The punishment of this tribe would be a great punish- ment to others, and be @ saving of lives. think the more severe the punishment the better the effect would be. That is my candid epinion. REPORTER—What do the Commissieners say of the HERALD commissioner's part in the campaign’ Mr. CAMPBELL—I think he has done very well, he has certainly shown a good deal of courage and bravery, Me did just right. The only way to fight them i8 to do what they do—take all the advantage we can. REPORTER—How do chases for the Indians’ Mr. CAMPBELL—Well, we open the bids and keep the samples till experts from different parts ef the country are selected. When the articies are de- livered THEY COMPARE THEM WITH THE SAMPLES and if they are not of the same quality they are rejected. RerorreR—Do you think the present difficulty will lead to a general war against the Indians? Mr. CamrseLi—Ob, I think not. 1 can only give you my opinion as a private individual on this point, but I think not. KerortER—How long will the Commissioners remain in the city? Mr. CamvpeLi—Well, we shall be in session three days to do the work connected with the makin, of the purchases, and then we shall probably nold our general meeting to divide ourselves into com- mittees and to decide where the different commit- tees are togo. In October there will bea meet- ing of the Commissioners in the West to pre- pare our report. Here Mr. Campbell was called away by a gentle- man who had te see him en important business, and the reporter took his leave. THE NEW CHARTER. Gossip Around the City Hall About the Charter—Increased Activity Among the Ofice-Seekers=What the Combination in the Board of Aldermen Amounts To—The Explanation of the Alder- manic Gathcring at Alderman Morris’ House on Saturday Night—What the Police Cammissioners Cannot Do. Now that it 1s understood by those whom it most concerns that the new charter is virtually law, there 18 great activity among ofMice-seekers. Gov- ernor Dix will probably not sign the charter until the 26th, which is the last day allowed him by « law; those wno are hungering and thirsting after the spoils, Yesterday the Mayor's office was thronged from early morn to dewy eve with prominent politicians of every grade, from ex-Governor Mor- gan down to the President of the Board of Assist- ant Aldermen, all of whom were, more or less, lobbying for place either for themselves or friends. If these hungry applicants would but content themselves with seeking for the Mayor in office hours there would be no ground of complaint on the part of His Honor; but when applicants in- vade the quietude of his home and the rest that is due to him on his domestic hearth, until eleven o'clock at night, as has been done ever since the charter was likely to become law, it is some- what difficult to obtain a sufficient stock of cour- tesy and patience to go round. A word to the wise is enough. There was considerable excitement around the hall yesterday, comsequent on .the ru- mor that a combination had been formed im the Board of Aldermen in reference to the appoint. ments under the charter. On inquiry it was found that there was a suficiency of fact to justify the rumor. It is true that a majority of the Board did meet on Saturday evening at the house of Alderman Morris; but Alderman Morris said yes- terday that it was a secial gathering: and although this question of Loe agi did come up in con- versation, no combination was formed, though it was hinted at. He denied that there was any justi- fication Jor the report, and that any combination that had for its purpose an interference with the “slate” of the Mayor as a “slate would be voted down. It was quite true, Alderman Morris said, that individual members had _ friends whom they were desirous of serving, and those Aldermen will individually use all the means at their disposal to place the claims of their friends before the Mayor; but beyond that there woula be no interference with the Mayor's appointments if the men selected were honest and were likely to meet with the tavor of the people eg The combination in this Board, of which Alderman Van Schaick was at the head, was broken long the charter passed, and from the present indications it is ot. that the chairman of the Committee of nance of the Board of Aldermen will be left eut in the cold. There is no truth whatever in the rumor ublished in a@ morning paver yesterday that the ard of Police Commissioners propose to elect a new President before the charter is ed, and thus leave Commissioner Smith to be legislated out of office. Such a statement must have been made without ordinary reflection, fer the twenty- fifth section of the new charter provides for the retentien of the heads of certain departments in office on the first of Any change, therefore, now in epartment would not invalidate in htest degree the retention in office of the official who held that position on the ist of January. It ts expected that the first nominations under the hew charter that the Mayer will send to the Board of Aldermen will be the Excise Commissioners. This will only be @ renominatien to conform to the Tequirements of the charter. To mollify the dis- content of the Germans it is understood that s very eficiont German will be appointed as chief clerk you generally make the pur- but this makes no difference to” T THE NEW OCEAN CABLE! Arrival of the Kangaroo in the Harbor. The Ghore End Laid at Halifax—The Line Ta Be Carried Down to Hog Island, of Long Island—Improvements in the New Cable—The Great Eastern Again in the Service. At an early hour yesterday morning the welb known old Inman steamship Kangaroo, now in the employ of the Telegraph Construction and Main. tenance Vompany, of London, came to anchor in the North River, having arrived from Halifax, where she had successfully laid and buoyed the two shore ends of the new Atlantic cable in Fresh- water Vove, situated in Halifax Harbor, on a piece of land in tne possession of the War Office, by which leave to use the cove had been granted. The two shore ends in question are to be attached on the one hand to the deep sea cable which ts being brought out by the Great Eastern and belongs to the Société du Cable Trang. atlantique Frangais, which have another line at work running from Brest, in France, to St. Pierre and on to New York, or, rather, did have till yes- terday, when news was received that a break had occurred, which is located by the electricians at about two hundred and thirty miles from Brest. The other shore end is for adjustment on the Long Tsland branch, THE PRESENT OCEAN CABLES. ‘The first ocean cable was laid and broken in 1868, picked up and completed‘in 1866, and the second was laid in 1866 from Valentia, in the county of Kerry, Ireland, to Newfoundland, belonging to the Atlantic Telegraph Company. The third and French line, alluded to above, was laid in 1868, and the present one about to be laid is also the preperty of the latter company, but the largest shareholders are said to be English. Considerable comment has taken place that the new cable, although nominally a French enterprise, should both leave and enter British soil, The point of departure in England 1s a place calied Germoe, on the north side of Mounts Bay Cornwall, and im close proximity to Land's End. ‘This part of Mounts Bay is sheltered from all the heaviest seas, and is, indeed, protected from twenty-five point® of the compass. pore fathoms of water are found in four miles. The descent into the two thousand fathom bottem is much less abrupt than off the coast ef Kerry, and there is no deeper water across, on this track, than in that of the cabies of 1865 and 1866, THE LANDING AT HOG ISLAND, As soon as the cable has heen spliced to one of the shore ends at Halifax, another steamer (either the Hibernian or the Kangaroo) will be entrusted with the mission of laying the continnation to Long Island, which will be spliced in @ similar manner to the second shore end, alluded to above, at Halifax, The point chosen in Long Island is Hog Island, where a cable house, for making tests when necessary by the electricians, hag already been erected, and here, as soon as “Old Probabilities” gives a guarantee that fine weather may be expected, the Kangaroo will leave our port and lay the corresponding shore line. The representative ot the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company and Captain Manning, of the steamer Kangaroo, who are now both stopping at the Astor House, intend leaving this city at an early hour this morning, for Hog Island, to make arrange. ments for the final laying of the third shore end, and which they hope will take piace within a very brief period. From Hog Island the cable will be brought over to the mainiand of Long Island and then proceed to Rockaway, striking the Southside Katlroad at Pearsall’s Corner, and following 1t to Breoklyn, where it will cross the Hast River in the neighborhood of Grand street ferry and it will thence be brought down town to the offices of the Western Union Telegraph Com- pany, in Liberty street. A REDUCTION OF RATES. Mr. Ward, at the office of the company just men- tioned, states that no opposition will take piace on account of the laying of the fourth cable, or “dupli- cate French one,” as he terms it, and states that it has been resolved by the three lines to reduce the tariffon the Ist of May from $1 .to seventy-five cents @ word for Great Britain. THE GREAT EASTERN AND THE CABLE. This leviathan of the deep and celebrated ocean cable layer is now lying in the River Medway, near Sheerness, almost abreast of the ancient town of Queenborough, and has received om board the | whole of the deep sea section of the new cable, The new cable differs somewhat from any hitherto Jaid, either in this country or elsewhere. There are seven No, 18 gauge copper strands twisted ina spiral and weighing about three hundred pounds per nautical mile, and these, in their turn, are coated with gutta percha and a thin layer of Latiner Clark's compound. The diameter of the strand 18 0,146 inch, and of gutta percha and com- Poon, 0.464 inch. This is again protected by ten iron wires, each wire being encircied in five yards of Manila hemp, laid in spirally, with a tarry compound te preserve it. The cable is not dis- sim! to those of 1865 and 1866, and ig almost identical with that of the French cable of 1868; but it is sensiply larger, and the difference is owing to the two servings of jute yarn weund in contrary directions. The cable 1s colled down under water in the same tanks which have thrice done duty across the Atlantic, THE TESTS GOOD. During the coiling of the cable the electrical tests which have beefmade throughout have been excellent. When the Great Eastern starts on the 1st of June, or earlier, if possible, she will have 145 hands in the sailing department, and 500 hands alt told, including electricians, engineers, cable hands, &c. Her old chief officer, Mr. Thompson, late in command of the Egypt, of the National line, will return to her for this voyage. Mr. J. C. Laws will be the electrician in charge on bourd, while Captain Halpin will not only command and navi-+ pete the ship but will act as engineer of the cable lepartment. YACHTING NOTES. The sloop Ariadne, Mr. Theodore A. Strange, N.Y. Y. C., 18 at Nyack-on-the-Hudson, being lengthened and refitted. The schooner Tidal Wave, Mr. William Voorhis, N.Y. ¥.C., is being re&tted at Smith’s yard, at Nyack. New sails will soon be provided her. The schooner Madeline, Commodore Voorhis, B. Y. ©., is having a new cabin fitted and her upholstering will be new, luxurious and appre- priate. ‘The schooner Fleur de Lis, Vice Commodore Dickerson, B. Y. C., is still at Essex, Conn., but her owner is about having her refitted for the Summer campaign. The schooner Magic, Mr. Rufus Hatch, N. Y. ¥, C., is being refitted with new sails. ‘The sloop Mariqueta, Mr. Cheever, B. Y. Y. ©., 1a havinganew cabin furnished her, She will be hard to beat in her class in the ceming feet race: The schooner Rambler, Mr. W. H. Thomas, N. Y. C., is still lying in Gowanus Bay, South Brook: lyn. The sloop Meta, Mr. G. A, Beling, B. Y. C., has Caen lengthened and refitted for the campaign of the year. . The schooner Idler, Mr. J. 8. Colgate, N.Y.Y.C., which has long been rebuilding at Mr. Steers’ yard, Greenpoint, L. 1., is nearly ready for the season. Always a handsome and fast vessel, it is the inten-* tion of her ewner soon to try her speed with the recognized clippers of the club. The sloop Gracie, N.Y.Y,C., will be ready to accept challenges, so it is ‘sald, within a month, She has been refitted in every particular and her new owner thinks well of her. The following yachts passed Whitestone telegraph station en Monday :—Steam yacht Emilie, Messrs, Hecker & Co., {rom Bridgeport for New York: yacht Peerless, N C., Mr. Maxwell, from Glencove for New York. SUNDAY SOHOOL TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION, The April meeting of the New York Sunday School Teachers’ Association was held last evening, at eight e’clock, in the Fourth avenue Presbyteriaa: church, corner of Twenty-second street. Rev. E. ©. Wilder presided, After the reading of the minutes by the secretary and the recitation of the introductory prayer, the Rev. Dr. John Hall, ina most logical discourse, showed how the sixteenth leagon of the International series for the fourth Sunday in April should be taught by the Sun- day School teachers. The subject was, “The Lord with Joseph.” Dr. Hall, in offering his sug- Ppt asked that concise, elaborate it logical view should be always taken ef the subject submitted for apprehension to the pupils, The lesson mentioned, taken from Genesis xxxix., 1, 6, 20, 23, he woul vide or analyze into three distinet parts—namely, the position, power and erity of Joseph. It was not necessary to Tue any other subject or idea irrelevant to the one in question, in order to make out for a class & very neat and serviceable discourse, This the Kev, Dr. Hall proved by taking up cach part and maki @ most pleasing and instructive sermon for \dience. oucfter concluding the Rev, Z. M. Humphrey, ef, Philadelphia, delivered an equal anpro riate ad- dress on ‘The Preacher and eacher,”’ in a he showed the harmony of feeling which sh exist between both in order that the desired effect ‘ht be produced on the mind of the oe President finally ongratuiated 1 present on the number and punctuality of the members the association, and, after the singing of an ay Rropriete hymp, pronounced the meeting our!