The New York Herald Newspaper, March 14, 1876, Page 3

- WASHINGTON. * ¢ 12 the House led by Mr. Morrison, and very ably led, The Democratic Caucus Committee and the Financial Question. OFFSHOOTS OF THE BELKNAP SCANDAL A Final Effort to Affect the New Hampshire Election. NEW INVESTIGATION SENSATIONS. A Search for Information Speedily Rewarded. FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ‘Wasutncton, March 13, 1876. THR BELKNAP EXPOSE AND ITS OF¥SHOOTS— THE SECRETS OF, THE KENTUCKY CENTRAL | RAILROAD CLAIM TO BE LAID OPEN, The Judiciary Committee has determined to take the Heratp’s advice, and will summon Mr, Gobright before | them to tell them where he got tho statement which he telegraphed in the Associated Press reports on the night of March 3, that the Cabinet had ordered the ap- | prehension of Marsh: ° There seems to be no doubt that Ubis despatch stated a falsehood, and a good many per- sons here are as curious to know who misled the Asso- ciated Press agent as the Henaxo ig, General Boynton will appear before the Clymer com- Mittee to-morrow morning. The books of the Ken- tucky Central Railroad arrived here to-night in charge of Mr. H. P, Ransom, the general ticket agent of the road. They will be examined by an expert on behalf of | the committee. An investigation at the Treasury De- partment to-day shows that the claim of the road, amounting in all to $148,553, was paid to Mr. | Pendleton in three drafts, one for $68,553, which, the draft shows, was collected by a Covington bank; one for $50,000, which was collected by a Cincinnati bank, and a third for $30,000, which was collected by another Cincinnati bank. The last draft appears to have been endorsed in violet col- ored ink. The committee sent out subpcnas for sev- @ral persons to-day, and expect to have a number of important witnesses before them in the next few days. It is generally felt inthe House that the Belknap in- vestigation ought to be turned over to another com- mittee, as this one has other matter to attend to quite suflicient to keep it busy for a number of days, and of | ® kind to incapacitate it trom acting vigorously in the | Belknap matter, PROBABLE ADOPTION OF THE PAYNE BILL BY THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS COMMITTEE—ITS CHANCRS IN THE SENATE, The democratic caucus on the currency policy is to come to a decision at its next meeting, to-morrow evening. The discussion will be upon two points— whether to repeal the Resumption act and stop there, or to adopt the modified ,Payne bill, which demands the laying up of three per cent in gold each year of the total paper currency of the tountry, but prohibits contraction of greenbacks. It #8 probable that the Payne proposition will be carried | in caucus, and, in that case, it will be introduced in the Gouse by the Banking and Currency Committee and Will receive the support of the democrats, though it may be that Mr. Holman will move as a substitute a simple repeal of the Resumption act. This, however, . Will not matter, for the Payne bill will probably pass the House anyhow. When it goes to the Senate, it is possible that it may there be so changed as to allow of a very moderate contraction ot greenback: and it is now probable that, if it is returned to tl House in that shape, it will be passed there. Thus | tM is-vory likely that a bill, contracting the greenback @orrency at a rate of perhaps a unilion a month, may become @ jaw at this, session. It is not much, but it will be at least a movement in the right direction, and for it, if it is got, the country will have to thank the energetic resistance of the hard money democrats against the constant and vigorous attacks of the West- ero anti-contractionists, ARDUOUS LABORS OF THE COMMITTEES. ‘The committees of the House are uncommonly hard worked this winter, and their labors are im most cases of great importance. The work is getting more and | more systematized, and committee men are more at | ease than formerly, and begin to sce that todo their work thoroughly they must take time and that the Public does not mean to hurry them, FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT, a Wasurvaton, March 13, 1876, 4M EFFORT FOR POLITICAL CAPITAL IN NEW | HAMPSHIRE—BUNCOMBE RESOLUTIONS IN THE HOUSE, ‘The interest taken in the result of the New Hamp- Bhire election to-morrow shows itself in @ general lull in the gossip about the Belknap scandal Both partios adinit that the vote will be very close, and, curiously envugh, each fears that the other sido ts going to suc- | ceed. Thas the republicans dread that their chances have been killed by the Belknap scandal, while the | { democrats are apprebensive that their fizzle in daading the Belknap impeachment will not | iemolivh the dreaded republican majority, Both parties im the House to-day wanted to make capital in iho New Hampshire papers to-morrow and the demo- crats got the better of the struggle. Mr. Baker, of Indi- aua, introduced the very ancient set of buncombe res- olutions, beg nning with a platitude about as flat as saying, ‘‘Resolved, that we are @ nation,” once Presented im the Senate by Mr, Morton, and which the | wags used to paraphrase as follows esolved, that we ure human beings. Resolved, that we stand on our hind Jegs.” The House had the good sense toy vote them down instanter. Mr. Baker Was immodiately followed by Mr. Cox, of New York, who proposed a very patriotic set, brimful of loyalty and unionism, calculated to show New Hampshire that tho Southern democrats were reconstracted thoroughly. Mr. Blaine, seeing the advantage the democrats were about to gain by the aduption of this resolution, pro- tested vehemently against it, calling out that every Union man should vote against it. He voted against | the resolution in company with forty-two others, mak- Ing & minority at whom a good deal of fun was poked, When the vote adopting the resolution was aunounced, Ben. Hill, of Georgia, made the remark :— “Well, I'm sorry to find there are only forty-three Union men eit in the House.” & PERTINENT INQUIRY BY AN EDITOR AND A SPEEDY KEPLY—AN EXPOSE NOT CALCULATED TO ASTONISH THE CIVILIZED WORLD. A good joke is ufloat to-day about the editor of the Washington Republican. This morning the Republican Contained tho joliowing paragraph iu its editorial col amps :— What js the matter with Mr, Whitthorue? He Promised that long ere this he Would uswnish the | civilized world with starting disclosures, but, alas, it seems thut he bas failed. Poor Whitihorae. Mr, Whitteborne is the chairman of the Naval Com- mittee, Wheo Mr. Murtagh printed the above he did bot know the following facts had been proved and were in possession of Mr. Whitthorue. During the years (834 aod 1875 Murtagh received from one Wallace $3,000 a8 a commission fur securing him the soutract for furnishing live oak timber to the Navy De- partment, It was also proved that Murtagh received $10,000 for bis influence in heiping Savage get his | wm allowed, Goll had gone up von bh fork for | tha department was done; wi ud provisions had pone up, and & proportionate drawback was claimed. With Muriagh’s help Savage got the amount, which was $10,000, i Alter the above taunting editorial paragraph ap. | peared to-day Mr. Murtagh was summoned beroge the sommitt Then he went to Savage and told bim shat i he would consider the $10,000 a loaa he would geve bom his pote or (be cvsh tor the amount, Mr, Murtagh went before the committee, but when he was ’ i the building, &c. The committee found that the bills | “actually presented = and the expenditures | actually made exhibit a discrepancy of | at least $20,000, and it appears that an | estate pool through Edwin M. Lewis, trustee of the | | equity was practically a fraud because it embraced | then patiently sifting the whout trom tho chaff, Mr, | whose smooth talking was afterward used to such good | firm of Kilbourne & Latte conirentea witn the evidence he owned up. To further questions, however, he answered that none of the money had gone to the Secretary of the Navy. He had only used bis personal ‘influence” to get the con- tracts, THE PROFITS RESULTING FROM THE REMOVAL O¥ THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE, AND WHO PROFITED. Frauds and irregularities are constantly coming to | the sarfuce under the investigating harrow, The trans- actions connected with the removal of the Quarter- master General’s office ate being investigated. On tho 14th of Jast month Congressman Willis introduced a resolution calling for copies of all bills for fitting up a:ount even larger than this has been a clear profit to those who made the removal, among whom a member of Congress says were General Babcock, Rulus Ingalls and Mr. Shepherd. The removal of the building was, it is said, in direct violation of a statute enacted last year. Another removal said to bo illegal is to be in- Vestigated—namely, that of the Lighthouse Board from the Treasury, whore menbers of Congress say there 1s suficient room, down to the new Republican Building, oa the avenue. THE PROPOSITION TO BUY A MINE FOR RESUMP- TION PURPOSES. It is said by one of the owners of the great Nevada mines that there is no particalar proposition on the part of the government to buy the product of the Nevada and California mines, as stated in the des” patehes this morning, but Mr. James G. Fair is making arrapgements to soli the government the $10,600,000 of bullion needed at the Centennial If any silver is re- quired for facilitating specie payments the owner of the mines will be glad to sell, This is ail there is to the matter spoken of im the telegram from San Fran- cisco, THE REAL ESTATE POOL—SMALL IMPORTANCE OP KILBOURNE’S BOOKS. So far as relates to the matter of the Jay Cooke & Co, transactions it is not important whether Kilbourne submits his books or not, as the | committee have information of the facts of the settle- ment with the creditors of Jay Cooke & Co, by the real | bankrupt firm. This information shows that the set- tement was nota proper one; that the Dill fled in | only a portion of the real estate owned by the firm of Jay Cooke & Co. as members of the real estate pool. | | FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT. —_— Wasutxeron, March 13, 1876, PREVALENCE OF RUMORS AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL—THE DEMOCRATS JUBILANT—THE NAVY DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION—/ BME |, NISCENCE OF THE OLD DISTRICT RING. ‘The atmosphere at Washington is at present if rarified with rumor and report, and the newsboy doing a thriving business, as everybody appears of | | qué vive for some new developments, The demociuis | are jubilant, and tatk pleasantly of the success that has crowned the labors of the different mvestigating com- mittees, and they mysteriously whisper, ‘‘the worst has yet tocome.’’ Thecity is very (ull, and govern- ment officials from all sections of the country are lounging about the Capitol discussing the situation. ‘The post traders of the West are well represented, and trom what 1 learned the other day are coming from all scctions as fast ag steam can carry them. Uld army officers that have served on the Missouri at Forts Lin, coln, Randall, Rice, Benton and othor posts congregate daily at Ebbitt’s and talk over the changes that have taken place in the post traders gince Belknap took the appointments away from the post commander. There are not many navy officers in the city at present, as the gathering of the fleet at Port Royal has puta number of the old Aabitués on active duty, out some of the old faces are still to be seen at their aceus- tomed haunts. Mr, Whitthorne, of Tennessee, tho Chairman of the Investigating Committee on War Affairs, 18 plodding along in his shrewd, cautious | way, listening to everything amy one has to tell, and Whitthorne is an oxecilent listener, and hia patience is often rewarded, as ree ofeonversation with the hundreds that rast vo fornish information he occa- sionally picks up something worth hearing. To the eredit of the navy, héwéver, he told me the other day that in @ thousand commanicatious that he had re- ecived concerning frauds connected with the navy he had not beard one word likely to taint the fair fame of a lino officer ofthe navy. ‘To-day we have had a new excitement, ahd the name of John A. Gatficld, of Ohio, is being passed around as a momber of the Columbia Ring and one of the sharers in some of their remunerative schemes, My. Gartield, it is said, was connected with the Ring in 1872, at the time Boss Shepherd was at the height of his power and surrounded by such men as Dick | Parsons, of Cleveland; De Golyer, McClelland und | Chittenden, the oily tonguod “Fosco’’ of the clique, effect. When De Golyer and McClelland attempted to | put their pavement on the Washington streets they | employed Chittenden to do the lobbying part of the | business, Mr. Richard Parsona, now representing tho | republicans of Cleveland, Ohio, in Congress, was in | Washington at the time and joined Mr, Chittenden in the | pavement scheme, his influence and services being | rated, it is said, at the trifling sum of $15,000. Parsons was very mtimate with Garfield, and, furnished with a model of the De Golyer patented pavement, they finally succeedsd in convinctne Boss Shepherd and the | Board of Public Works that it was just the right article | for the streets of Washington. Finaliy, when Congress | ‘warded several millions for tho paving of the city of | ‘Washington, Boss Shepherd awarded De Golyer and | McClelland a contract to lay down 200,000 square yards of their payement at the moderate figure of | $3 50 per square foot, Parsons thon got his $16,000, | oat of which ho paid James A. Gartielu, of Ohio, the | sum of $5,000. In these days of bribery such an item | attracts considerable attention; but, again, it is only | fair to say that GarGeld states he was paid the money for professional services, It is, however, alleged that if Garfleld had not been chairman of the Committee on Appropriations his services would not have been re- quired at all. GENERAL WASHINGTON DESPATCHES, Wasuiscroy March 13, 1976, PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATION—THE TRIAL oP | THE SAFE BURGLARY CONSPIRATORS—SECRETS | O¥ THE BEAL ESTATE POOL—THR COST OP | NAVAL EXPERIMENTS. | District Attorney Wells to-day again appeared betore | the House Committee on the Judiciary now investiga. | ‘ing into the causes why the Harrington safe burglary conspirators have not been tried, ag uiso into the con- spiracy itself, and presented the original confessions made by Nettleship and Cunz, as also the siatement made by Harrington himself, Harrington’s statement is pot in the wature of a confession, but is more of a denial of the main facts set forth im the confession of Nottie. ship. Several other witnesses were also exumimed, ‘The anticipated developments are creating cousiderabie anxiety in certain quarters here. The investigation, Mir. Kuott says, will be thorough. Mr. Hallett Kilbourne appeared before the Real ' | Estate Pool Committee this morning, and again do- ¢lined to produce the private books and papers of the ‘a relation to their the ground that | be and his partners are = engaged stn private business, and have no connection | with tho government of the United States except to | pay taxes and obey the laws; further, that they are | conscious of having violated any law, nor are they | not charged with any fraud, and that the production of | their books aud papers would reveal their transactions with all their customers, If, however, any respectable | citizen would allege that their business bas aay relation with the public interests, they Would submit ail their books and papers to the committee, but not otherwise, | Mr. Kilbourne takes the additional, ground «hat he stands on the constitutional right guaranteed to every | citizen, not accused of violating any law, of being pro- real estate transactions, on | weted in his personal liberty and property and from unreasonable search of his private papers, | ‘The room was then clesred for deiiveration, with the exception of counsel, and the committee proceeded to make up a case against Mr. Kilbourne to be reported to the House. The committee decided to report to-morrow Mr, } there have been tested 190 various paents apd inven- NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET. Kilbourne’s refusal to answer to the House, together with excerpts from the record showing the questions to which he refused answers, and accompanied with a resolution directing the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House to present the recusant witness at the bar of the House for its action. An official report has been made by tho Navy Depart- mont in response to a resolution of the House, inquir- ing as to the manner and to what exteut tho various Appropriations made by Congress since July 1, 1869, to Nest the usefulness of patents and inven- tiops, have been expentied, Mr. Hanscoin, the Chief of the Bureau of Construction | and Repair, says tho number of articles and Processes for which tests were or- dered is forty-nine, but as in many instances no report of the test, orof the merits of the particular inven- tion or process has ever beca received, it ts reasonable to mmfer in such cases that the articles were never oflered for trial at the naval stations designated. . Wilham Wood, Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engi- | neering, says that under the cognizance of the Bureau, tions, relating to improvements in the machinery of naval vessels, at @ total cost of $2,036 It is tho custom of the Bureau, he says, to grant permission to all applicants to have tests made where there isa reasonable prospect of obtaining useful results aud in- formation, but all expense of making said experiments to be without cost tothe government. The very lim- | feed expenditure has been made on applications that established their usefulness to such a aegree that the actual! costof the labor and material only was paid, j and the inventions kept in eflective operation | without any royalty being paid from the | appropriations of the Bureau for their use, } Tv appears {rom the statement of the Chief of the Bu: | reun of Ordnance that the Nut Island experiments by | Norman Wiard resulted in no good, the guns either | bursting or were thrown aside. Thirty-tlve thousand | five huudred dollars was paid him for these experi, | ments. { THE COLORED PEOPLE ON PINCHBACK'S REJEC- | TION—TRIBUTE TO SENATOR MORTON—THE GREAT BATTLE OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO BE AGAIN FOUGHT. i A largely attended meeting of colored persons to- | night passed a series of resolutions, declaring, among other things, that | The Senate, in refusing to seat Mr. Pinehback, pro- | fessedly on technical grounds, did an unjust act affect- | ing the colored race, ignored the rights of w sovereign | State, bowed to caste, and aided proscription, rebellion | and anarchy. The resolutions also condemn Senators Edmunds and Paddock tor young against Mr. Pinchback, and eulo- | gize Senator Morton, whose course, they say, “makes | hum a fitting person for any position in which law and | Justice may be equitably administered and defended by an honest and resolute person,”” ‘These fesolutions were supported by Frederick ‘Dongs George Tt, Downing, and others, and were oan y adopted. _.®n was then formed and proceeded to the _**, where Senator Morton was compli- serenade, The colored speaker, who in- / ef Senatu. Morton of what had taken place at the --oOung and the character of the resolutions, said that heretofore the colored people could vnly thank their | friends, bat now they could express their gratitude in votes, . Senator Morton responded, Saying, among other things, that Mr. Pinchback was fairly and legally | elected and had the sympathy of the entire republican party throughout the country, and that the great bat- Ue of human rights would be fought in the coming Presidential contest. ‘The procession then proceeded to Capito) Hill, where they serenaded Mr. Pinchback, who returned thanks in a speech, | REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTRE OF THE Jvu- | DICIARY COMMITTER ON THE INDEBTEDNESS | OF THE PACIFIC RAILROADS TO THE GOVERN- MENT. On motion of Mr, Lawrence, of Ohio, the House Ju- dictary Committee wero recently instructed to inquire and report what legislation is necessary to secure the | government against loss on account of the subsidy bonds issued to the various Pacific railroad companies. | ‘The subject was referred to a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Knott and Lawrence, who to-day submitted | to the full committee their report, embodying a num- ber of important recommendations. The report (which was prepared by Jadge Lawrence and makes 100 piges of manuscript) goea into an elaborate examination of the relations which exist betweea the Pacific railroads and the ‘government, and shows by detailed statistics and computations that after applying allthe means now provided by law for the reimbursement of the inserest | advances there will be o deficiency of at least $150,000,000 in principal und tnterest when the subsidy bonds mature, This result ts arrived at without allow- | ing the government to calculate compound interest on | its advances, It ig argued that the companies will not be able to pay this sum in addition to their first mort- gage indebtedness to private parties, and the belief is expressed that they do not expect to. The sub-com- mittee, therefore, recommend the passage of a bill, of | which the main features arc as follows:— Wirst—The government is to retain tn the Treasury | all mouey which is or may be due to the companies, | ‘and apply it to their indebtedness to the United Stat Second—it requires each company to pay to the gov- ernment semi-annually such sum as the Secretwry of the Treasury shall prescribe, and which tnvested at in- terest will, at the maturity of the subsidy bonds, create a fund sutiicieut to pay the principal. Third—It requires the creation of a similar fand to | pay at the maturity of the subsidy bonds the amount | Ol the-interest uot then reimbursed by services and by the five per cent of the net earnings now required to be paid into the Treasury, Fourth—It prohibits each company trom making any | dividends while it is in default of complying with any | ol these requirements tor setni-aunual payments. Fyth—It gives the government @ right of action to recover all money due or to become due, and to take possession of any or to operate any road in default, | during a portion of the year, THE ARMY. How Our Sons of Mars Are Housed in Times of Peace, Hg Dead | THEIR DUTIBS AS LEADERS IN THE GERMAN | Comparative Inconvenience of the Resi- | dences in Forts and Garrisons. The Cost of Indulgence in Elegant Tastes and Expensive Habits. FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT, SAE a BB Wasmiycrox, March 13, 1876. The Hexavp was the first to call attention some weeks ago to the chormous aud ueediess extravagances | of the War Department in regard to the rent of extrav- agant and costly buildings in all of our large cities as quarters and oilices for the many officers of the army huddled together here and toere throughout the land. Ivalso pointed out how a saving of about $1,000,000 could annually be made by requesting these miltary gentlemen to vacate sueh expensive lodgings and re- move themselves and their ollices to some one of the many half occupied torts which are available, or could be rendered so, at points convenient for the efficient | discharge of all necessary duties, to build which the goverument has expended many millions of dollare, | It was predicted ut the timo this suggeation in favor of econotny was mude that it would encounter doterminod opposition from almost every officer of the army who 18 stationed or expeets to be stationed in the large and fashionable cities, It is uot claimed that tn twaugierring the various department and division headquarters trom the cities to the military posts the olficers affected by the order will not be required to tear themsolves away from some of tho enticing al- turoments of a lity of luxury and fashiouabdle idieaess, It is true Colonel —— might be deprived of the pleasure of leading tho german at Mrs, So-and so’s, or Major might not be able to lead his martial ties given by his friend Mrs, Bonanza, There are a dozen ways in which theso sons of Mars might be made to feel that lite was without un object unless to be spent amid the dangers and privations of an existence in some large city. But that question is not to bo considered, Does the country feci willing and able, m these times of studied economy, to maintain expensive catablishments from whieh little or no eor- responding beneft is derived? Keeping hundreds of the most expensive officers quartered in cities at an extra expense while at the same time Uncle Sam ts taxed millions annually to build and keep tn repair forts which in the present diminished strength of the my are only half filled, is very much upon the plan adopted by some of our wealthiest citizens, who, while keeping up an elaborate and costly establishment ta the city can also afford to spend hundreds of thousands upon from one to half a dozen country places, the only difference being that the private citizen who proposes to indulge in such extravagances at his individual ex- pense aims to occupy his several places in succession While Uncle Sam main- tains both establishments, city and country, the lat- ter, however, is merely for appearance, tt would as it would not do to banish these delightful partners of the waltz from New York, St. Louis and Chicago and other centres of fashion and require them to risk their lives with those horrid soldiers in the forts, even if Uncle Sat by so doing could save a clear million of dollars annually. No sooner did the Henan suggest this move in favor of economy to the House Military Committee, as well as to the public, than the opposition to the proposed change which had been foretold manifested itself. First, the Quartermaster General, or the one who is to be Quartermaster General, provided that General Meigs can be coaxed, driven or scared to resign, retire or compromise on a foreign mission, drawing full pay tn the meanwhile, da Dan Sickles, prepared and sent to | General Banotng, Chairman of the Military Commit. | tee in the House, a statement which purports to show | gust how much money Uncle Sam pays out annually | for rent of buildings throughout the United States for the use of the army. The following is the statement as given to the public:— STATEMENT OF RENTS PAID. ‘The Quartormuster General has transmitted a state- ment to General Bunning, Chairman of tho House Committee on Military Alfairs, showing the amount of rents paid per annum by the Quuartermuster's De- partinent of the army for buildings occupied in the regular service. Tho following is an abstract of the statement :-— DEPARTMENT OF THR Paciric. San Francisco $19,068 Portland, Oregon. 6,724 £brenverg, Tucson, 1,920 DIVISION OF T Department of the Platte. + 6,240 Department of the Gulf, 13,033 + 7,670 + 26, DIVISION OV THE ATLANTIC, + 2,000 2 81,720 Philadelphia 231500 Fort Bruay, Mic + 19a Washingtoa, D. ee 26,460 Total. seeeeees 22 Department of the South, $16,090 96. ‘The grand suin total of rents paid each year for the use Of our standing army is $182,098 96, To read this statement one would be at a loss to Know bow 80 groat a saving could be annually made, as ‘Tbe bill also, among other things, requires the Sec- retary of the Treasury to report to Congress what may be reasonable rutes for government transportation, ‘The amounts of sem!-annual paymentsto create a fund | for the payment of interest are to be prescribed from | time to time. according to the amounts realized from | the five per cent of net carnings and tife retention of | charges for government business, The report says | the proposed bill “adds nothing to the obligation of the companies as to the payment of interest, It teaves | the question open whether the companies should pay | tho interest as it accrues, so that if the government at | any time desires to ask the Supreme Court to review | the recent decision this can be done.” rominent | mombers of tho committee are of opinion that the tnain recommendations of this report will be adopted | aud reported to the House, | THE DISTRIBUTION OF THR GENEVA aAWaRD— | MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS OF THE | COMMITTEE. j The House Committee on the Judiciary will to-mor- | row make @ report amendatory of the act for the dis- | tributica of the Genev ‘ard. It will be recollected | that the former Congress provided for payment to | actual josers, excluding insurance companies, unless it | was shown that their losses, by reason of the acts of cruisers, were greater than their gains (rom war pre- miums, The majority will report in favor of distribu ing the amount which will remain of the award atter poying the claims already adjudicated and now veing adjudicated by the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims, to three classes, namely :—Actual losses on the high seas by reason of Contederate cruisers; second, actual losses to those who paid war premiums; sud third, insurance companies 38 secondary josers, on the prueiple that although as @ whole, they realized profits, their profits would have beea greater but tor the destruction by cruisers of the particular vessels they tosured. There would, in case of the passsage of the bill, be attributed to the first class $1,500,000; to the second, $5,000,000, and to the third, $4,000,000 ‘The minority of the committee agree with the majority on the question as to the power of Congress to dis- tribute the entire amount, but recommend the bal- | ance of the award bamed—tho §2,500,000—ve covered into the Treasury. 11 is understood that a second mi- nority report will be sebuitted. ! in @ discussion of the report by the Jadiciary Com. mittee great differeuces of opinion were made manifest, | and the committee adjourned without taking any | action, | THR NEW ASSISTANT SERCRETARY OF TeRion, Mr, Charles T. Gorham, the new Assistant Secretary | Of the Luterior, arrived bere yesterday. He took the Oath of office this moruing wnd remained at the depart- ment during the day. He will not take charge of the oiice uatil the 1éth Inet, as General Cowan's resigna- tom does oot take elfect uatil then, | THR IN. | | tion of an untruth or misstatement. Have they been | or offices. The commonly understood method, but | cities then the above statement of rents might be | that Uncle Sam, with all bis foolish extravagences, | rented a Louse in the ordinary manner through the claimed, by the transter of the various military bead- quarters to suitable forts, We have all heard the old ying that “gures won't le” Probably they will not if let alone, but they certainly can be made to bear | 4 most unportant, if wot principal, part im the fabrica- made to do this ta the case under consideration? Let us sce, Inthe first place the general reador must bo told that for military purposes the government has at least two ways of obtaining private buildings in towns oF cities for the uso of officers as quarters not the usual one, perhaps, is for the Quartermaster’s Departinent to enter into @ writton contract with the owner of buildings, by whichpthe goverament, in retura for te payment ofa tixed mouthly or yearly rental, obtains the use of tho buildings for such purposes as may be desired. Having once obtained the buildings in this way they may be used as quarters, as oflices, storehouses, &c, Now, if this was the ouly mauner in which the military service can provide the necessary quarters for such officers and men as aro stationed in accepted as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. lo many of the larger cities where officers are stationed the latter prefer not to occupy a house ‘nu the ordinary waaner, but to live ata public hotel or boarding house. Now, it will uot be expected that it General Hard Tack or Major Pork and Beans desire to Juxuriate at the Arlington Hotel in this city or the Fifth Aveoue ta New York or the Lindell in 8+, Louw will rent one or the other of these magaificent hotels, But what can he dof? for, as betore stated, ‘es will never answer to allow these delicate sons of | Mars to be thrust into one of the military forts whore he might probably forget the latest gure in the g manand possibly gain some useful knowledge of bis profession. lo this dilemma he compromises with his military nephews in this wise:—“While 1 cannot, unfortunately, tu the present condition of my finances and the agitated condition of political sentiments, rent cach of you a hotel, I will do the next best thing } 1 can. Go and select tho best rooms inthe most luxurious aud costly hotels in the city, and at the end of the month { will send the proprievor a check tor amount equal to what yoo would pay in case you Quartermasier’s Department.’ The result is that of the immense number of oflicers statioued in the large cities very few actually eccupy a rented house; con- soquently the above statement of the Qaartermaster | | Geveral, while intended to sufle further inquiry, only | corpa, tt has been deemed necessary for years to place | covers stual! portion of the expense to which the gov- | dontly the word and they ‘‘mean business | tu one of Uncle Sum’s miltary habitations ? | the House, in the hope that that body may be deterred | It will be seeu from tho partial statement of rents | Department of the Gulf, while possessing tar less im- presence as often as usual at the charming theatre par | but, to | Show that the above statement evades tho facts and | misieads the ordinary reader, let General Banning now | call for ay additional report from the Quartermaster General, showing just that which is set forth in the statement referred to, then (ho amount paid out by the government as commutation for rent, fuel and | forage furnished to officers and enlisted men stationed | in towns and cities. It will then be seen that Uncle | Sam pays more than treble the amount set forth in the above statement. It will be found that while the build- ings which are actually rented for military purposes— | principally offices—may cost only the sum named above, the amounts paid out as comtoutation tor rent | | and the amount spent for forege for horses that have po existence, and for fuel, all of whieh could be saved by. the transfer of te various j headquarters to forts. will foot up in the | | neighborhood of $1,000,000 a year, Is it worth while to make an effort to effect this economy? Tae War Department bus not been content with shoving forward the Quartermaster’s statement, but bas called upon the generals and other ollicers living in cities to g:Ve opinions as to whether it would be advisable and practicable to adopt the suggestions of the Henao in regard to transferring thom bag and baggage to the forts. It is easy to predict in advance what the char- acter of the replies will be—they will be unanimous against the change. And who can blame them? Who would not prefer to be quartered at one of our public hotels or costly city residences to taking up au abode ‘The latter are good enough perhaps tor soldiers and their officers, but not for men of the Captain Jinks order. The public can prepare itself to hear a mournful wail come up | | shortly from the military gentlemen who are waiting in fear and trembling the order transferring them frow | shoir present delightful abodes, What they will find | | to advance against the change can only be inferred. | When these reports have been received here they will no doubt be bauded over to the Military Committee of | trom passing the proposed measure. given above that the Department of the South and the portance than either the Department of the Platte or that of Dakota, the rents im tho two former amount to | more than double that of the two latter combined. A further examination of the same statement pre- | Sente tLe remarkable fact thas io those departments, | Where olfivers aud suldiers are most ceded, and where | they are required to perform a purely military duty— i viz, On tho froutier—the cost to the goverament is but @ trifle compared with the cost of maintaining officers j and men in lucalities where they are uot necessary. Tho departments of the Piatto aud Dakota contaia a | greaser number of officers aud men than the entire di- | visions of the Atlantic and the South; yet the rent roll | im the latter exceeds that of the former in a greater | proportion than five to one, simply because in the former ollicers and men aro generally required to oc- | cupy government forts and public buildings crected for | them, while in the latter, althougtt there are a suitable | number of unoccupied forts, purticularly in the divis- jon of the Atlantic, ollicers and men are quartered at } the highest priced hotels and in rented houses, COLONKL FRED GRANT. 4 correspondent of a paper trom somewhere out tn | Obio managed tv get hold of Colonol Fred Grant a few | days ago, aud that military oracle, Black Hills geologist and Yellowstone navigator put forth some foancial opinions as to how the army might be reduced and economical measures adopted. Ho was free to eonfess that there were certain extravagances and abuses somotimes by the War Department which should be | corrected, Such an acknowledgment and from sucn a source 1s Somewhat noteworthy, when it 13 considered that chief among the abuses and extravagances referred to is tho case of Lioutenant Colonel Fred Grant, who, for no merit of his own, was thrust into a place due to | an officer of ability and experience, passed over the heads of his betters, and now draws and for years has drawn from the government the pay and emo‘umonts | ofa heutenant colonel, and during much of this time | has been idling, #0 far as appropriate military duty 1s concerned, in Washington or at Long Branch, while bis proper place has been at Chicago. ‘To the ordinary observer no more promising | step in the way of retrenchment and retorm of abuses | | Colonel Fred Grant The government will wait a long time before it will realize from the ihvestment it has | made and ig making in such costly lieutenant coloucls, The appointment of this young man, devoid as He is upon the score of ubility or experience of any claim to deprive the position of that distinction and value which an aspiring and meritorious oilicer would otherwise Place upon it, There are corporals in the army who | have rendered to the goverument far more valuable | and important service than this samo Lieutenant | Colonel If the War Department desires to cut down useless expenses and at Lhe same time increase the use- fulness of the line of the army, let it begin a woeding process, the result of which will give to euch regiment not only its complement of officers, ag at present, but Jet each and every one of these officers be men whoare physically aud mentally able to discharge inan efficient | manner the duties which pertain to their particular | oifice, As tt is now there is scarcely a regiment | | but, like some of the staif departments, is loaded down with dead weight in the shape of officers who, trom age, | drankeuness or some other equally potent cause, are | | disqualified from a full and proper discharge of their | | dutios. Many of tho colonels of regiments and captains | | President’s reply not | presents itself than in the person of Lioutenant | such position, will, so long as his present chief lives, H ! To re Epiror ov THE Pruee:— adds to their knowledge and experience and enlarges their professional abilities, so that inatead of the early decay of their mentul powers officers of the Engineer corps usually arrive at their greatest distinction and period of greatest usefulness at anage when office who have served a corresponding time in the Ordnan corps are forgotten or ouly remembered by their foibles or mental infirmities. If nine-tenths of the Ord- bance corps were blotted from oficial existence a single capable, evergetic officer, with real progressive ideas, would alone Ol! the biank now filled by so many. [t uv Dot that the officers of this corps were vot originally endowed, at least most of them, with a fair share o natural intelligence, nor that they did not culivay these abilities; but it is simply due to “rust,” to mea tal inactivity. NERAL LOGAN'S PRIVATE PROPERTY Nowever zealous and simcere the present majority the House may be in their desire fo reduce the nations expenditures, it is doubtful if General Banuing and hu Military Committee inthe House will be able to pul forward any measuro of retrenchment affecting the army which will secure approval in the Senate, unless the lutter body asserts*its independence of committees aud ignores General Logan and his peculiar ideas, Logan looks upon the army as his per- sonal and private property; it must neither be enlarged nor reduced, except the idea first originates with him. He will oppose any measure corm: ing {rom the House, If the latter presses a reduction 0! the army Logan will shout in favor of an increase; and vice versa, His great tear now is that the Mouse will be able to circumvent him apd the Senate will over: ride all opposition of the latter by adopting a trick im leyisiation for which the republican majority of the last Congress ia responsible—that of attaching doubt ful measures to appropriation bills and thus foremg tbeir adoption. In 1874 Wheeler, republican, trom New York, then in charge of the Committee on Appro- priations, introduced and drove through the House, under the party lash, ag a rider to the Army Appropri- ation bill, an amendment that uo money appropriated by that act should be paid to maintain an army beyond the number of 25,000 men, although the legal num- ber then allowed was 30,000, This measure passed the republican Houge and was also adopted by the Senate, thus reducing the army 6,000 mep by refusing to vote n appropriation to keep it up to its legal limit, Bee ing a republican dodge, Logan saw nothing objection- able in itthen, and gave the measure his support. Now, however, when the same trick ts threatened by the opposition in the House, Logan suddenly dis- covers shat this is not the proper way to effect such a result, Itis the old story again as to whose ox 1s being gored. [tis likely that Banning’s last bill, which pro- poses to disband or discharge two regiments of cave alry and two of infantry, will encounter serious oppo- sition from the friends of the colored man, ag the act is understood to be a covered attack upon the four romaining regiments of colored troops now in the service, There being two colored regiments im the cavalry and two in the infantry, and us it is usual ip caso of reductions by regiments to seloct the regt ments bearing tne highest numbers, it ts likely the proposed reduction would fall upon the Nintb and Tenth cavalry (colored), and tho Twenty-fourth and Twenty-Uith infantry (colored), No regrets would be felt iu the army 1f somo measure could be adopted doing away with negro troops, us itis admitted by all that the experiment of employing negro soldiers, par- ticularly in time of peace when moro thun the noces- sary numbor of suitable white men can be enlisted, Las proved an utter and expensive failure. THR TROOPS IN THE SOUTH, A member of tho Military Commitice tn the House 1» authority tor the statement that the House will pass @ resolution calling upon the President for information ag to the reasons which make it necessary in timea of profound peace to keep troops stationed throughout ‘vertuin States of the South, and, in the event of the containing any satisfactory reason further than is now publicly known, the House will add an amendment to the Appropriation bill pro viding that no portion of the money appropriated for the support of the army shall be paid for maintaining troops in any of the Southern States, except such at tmay be necessary to garrison a portion of the seacoast forts, The Texas members claim that more troops are absolutely demanded to protect their constituents on the Mexican border, and that the troops now tnaintainod tn idleness in Louisiana, Mississippi and other States should be moved to points where their services are required. Republicans, bowever, ure ip favor of keeping a portion of the army in the two States named, particularly since the recent steps toward the impeachment of Ames and Kellogg, Ben Butler is reported to have said that if tho regular forces wero to withdraw irom Mississippi his son-in- Jaw could not remain within the limits of the State ive minutes afterward, Most poople might regard this as suflicient reason to at once order their removal EVANS, THE POST TRADER, HIS BROTHER EXPLAINS. (From the Philadelphia Times.) With reference to these statements Mr, G. W. Evans, the brother of the trader, has addressed us the follows ing letter: MR, G. W. RVANS’ LETTER, . * * * . . . J.S, Evans was neverin the Contederate army as sutier, or in any other capacity whatever, At the breaking out of the war he was a resident of Lou ville, Ky., clerking for a mercantile house in that city. | of companies are men who do nut protend to discharge | their appropriate duties, given what is | termed “soft places,” the object of which is to enable | them to draw full pay and practically eseape duty. Lf | they are incompetent from any cause to perform tho | duties which properly belong tu their office they ehould be displaced, by retirement or otherwise, aad active, efficient officers placed in their stead. With an army | so reduced as ours it {8 essential to its eMciency that every officer in i te | capable of performing every duty belonging to bis | grade, Some of the disabled ones are hero eudeavor- ing to push epecial bills through Congress in their be- half. An officer, who for ycars has been a suitavio candidate for the retired hist, is engaged in the eflort to induce Congress to retire him upon a rank higher | than that he now holds, or is ever likely to hold, al, though upon what grounds tho distinction 1s to bo made it ia difficult to determine, unless it be that the applicant is the only officer im the service who resigned | tn '6L to joi | his mind and stuck to the winning sao. j TUB ORDNANCH DEPARTMENT, Another promising fleld of inquiry for a Congressiona, committee would be the expenditures of the Ordnance Department, particularly as to the amount of money Is would be found that there are several instances in than would be necessary to build a complete post for an eutire garrison ou the trontier, These expensive and | extravagantly devised quarters are built at the public | | expense only to be occupied. im some cases | fer a few years and theo abandoned oF | gold for @ ‘rifle of their original cost. The Ordnance corps ts becoming so largo und the officers «o numerous that it is impossible to give the latter suitabic employment. To partially obviate this difficulty the idea bas occurred to distribute some of the officers throughout the country at the different beadquariers, where they are of aboutas much real service as so many chaplains If the duties wh now distributed among the sixty or seventy ordnance oiticers were given to one-iourth that number the gov- | ernment would insure «more efficient service, be spared the expense of maintaining the other three. fourths, and would not be called upon each year for an appropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars ia hon of the timo of this large number of oilicers which otherwise must be passed tu idleness. It has been suid that the duties of aa ordnance officer, or the lack of | them, have a tendency to produce insanity. This can | scarcely be said to be wholly true, as several of the | officers of this branch of the service aro still in posses- sion of the mental facuitios with which they originally entered the service, It is somewhat sug- | gestive, however, that with ono brigadier general, | three colonels, tour lieutenant colonels aud an in- | definite number of other grades in the Ordnance the most unportant arsenal in the entire country under ernment is pubeach year by keeping #0 many oiicers | tw the etttes RETICRNCE OF OFFICRRS, {t is impousibie vo gather intormation upon these points from any of the bureau odicers bere. When ap- proached 00 this or auy aumilar puulect ‘mum’? ia evi command of oue of the junior officers of that corps. THR BXUINKER COMPO rent; idleness is not the Confederacy and afterward changed | squandered upen officers’ quarters and about arseaals. | which more money has been spent in the erection of | quarters for a single oflicer of low rank in the ordnance | | general commanding the district vo the Secretary of order that something might be found to occupy a por- | He was a member of a military company, of which Brecken (afterward a general in the Confederate army) was captain, The company by vote determined to en- listin the Southern cause, My brother, voting with the migority—a smail one—declined to go with his company. Great influence was used to induce hit, he | being au offeer in the company (lieutenant) and popy- lar with bis companions, but ali ctlorts to persuade him totake up arms against his country failed, So much for falsehood No. 1 Shortly atter, being thrown out of # situation by the unsetticd state of business, he was teucered the sutlership of ope of (I think) U Indiana reg! ents ae * . . . In 1866 or 1867, when the military post dat Fort Gibson, then the most Wester tier, he secured the appointment of trader post {rom the general commanding the district. | ‘This station was continued jor about one year and | then moved about 200 miles further West aud estab. lished at Fort Arbuckle, my brotber going with the troops. In 186¥, from the undbtiled state of the In- dian country aud tue unbealthiulness of Arbuckle, ‘nd in order to better protect the frontier, the post | was moved yet turthor West, about 200 milez, and Fort Sill became and continues to be the outlying frontier | military post, my brother still keeping with the com- | mand, This’ station, it was supposed, would be pei | manent, and buildings of # substantial nature we: | constructed, both by the government und my brother, | $0 meet the demands that were likely to be made. ONK OF THY DENT FAMILY APPEARS, | In ashort time, aud just when the business of the trader was beginning to romunerative, one ot | the Deot family appears ob the scene, and supposing | that there was a good thing 1a the tradersbip Went .or the place for himself or some member ot the family. But finding that “Jack” wus in favor with those im authority, and that he could pot succeed ia having bin displaced, assistance Was sought at Washington by & change in the mode of making the appoiutment—i. «, by the law transierring the appointing power trom the oe ° © Vhe bill passed, of course, and simultaneously with its passage my brother waited oo the Secretary and laid bis application betore him, ask- ing tor his iutment, aud was informed that the appomtment bad already been made to Mr. GP. Sarat, of New York. The Secretary suggested that he had better seo Mr. Marsh, as provably be did pot iu. tend to occupy the place personally, ONE THUUSAND DOLLARS FRA MONTH. He called to see the geutieman, us suggested, and learned that such was the fact aud that he was ready to dispose of the place for 4 consideration, and, as bas been told by the geotieman himself, the result was tinally reached by a contract, Mg which be was w re- ceive for bis appointment $1,000 per mouth My brother subuitted to this unrighteous demand solely to prevent his finapet d to secure the interests of those to whom he was lations. ne be Another item pas: bill or tariff of prices charged at the The great risk in transportation, through bun. dreds of miles of unsettled country im wagous, exposed to wil weathers, and rarely reaching their destivation shurt of trom two to three months from the date of shipment, and often & mach louger time—all these cireuistances, with th further fact of inability to eflect insurance and damag® to goods by exposure, with logs by stealings, make acase Which renders it opossible for one not in t business to judge of @ proper tariff of prices necessar to be maintained. My brother's character as a buss) ess man is high-toned and honorable, as may be fully tained by reference to such vid’ and respectable mercantile houses as Monroe, Smaltz & Cv., O H. Gur- den & Co,, Siter, Price & Co,, Market sti and Coo. over & Co., southeast corner Seventh Chestnut Streets, this city, and L. M. Bates & Co, aud others of New York. J. 3. Evans does not occupy tne position of one compounding a felony in either o| or tak. sng @ bribe, but submitting to 4 most unrighteous aud andest imposition appareutly ef a poble and great coun- permitted to destroy tuveilect; vilicors are kept more constantly employed on the various kinds of public works of both civil and military character; each year | try, in the persvn or persons of those charged with the administration of its government and laws, * * * GEORGE W. EVANS. No, 3,000 Wasxor Sraset, Puisves rasa, March Ud,