New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-23

Walkers Pass will OF course connect with Gunnisons
lines.
There is no telling about when we shall have reports
from all or any Of these officers Government officials
are proverbially slow in such matters.
MoSrMoREscI
Good Effects of the New Clauses In the Public Land
Lnws-Bxcitement among the Department Bm-
pIo5ees-Claims not Paid on presentation OF Power
of Acknowledgements Decision by the secretary
of the Tressury-Navy Promotions.
Correspondence of The Ny. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Msy 21, 1853.
One particular clause of the law of March g. 1888,
providing for the survey Of the public lands in CaliOr
MIA &c, is found already to operate much to the adj
vantage Of the public, well as 70 that OF the Govern
ment This is the section which declares that all land
and other fnctiOnares OF the Government ofthe United
States shall continue in the full exercise of the powers
of their places until their successors are duly installed
Heretofore, after appointment was made IN place OF
any one removed or whose commission had expired,
more especially in the Land Department of public
affairs the incumbent by custom conceived only to
be authorized 10 exercise but the show OF the functions
of the Office refreiBng far as possible from the ell
cient transaction OF business until his successor entered
on the discharge Of his duties Your readers will readily
understand that this custom generated much embarrass
neDt to those transacting business with the offices OF
those so situated. Since the present Administration
have been making their changes Of subOrdnates, the
effect of this positive enactment OF law clothing the re-
moved with full powers until actually superseded by the
the appOintee IN person. there has been nothing like
the hiatus in the business of the land officer which here
tOore has regularly occurred the accession of each
new Administration
Another land law of the last session is also operating
greatly for the blic interest refer to the amend
stOIy of the act aboishing the Office of SuryeyOrGen
eral, under certain circumstances
This amendatOry act authOrses the Commissioner OF
the General Land Office to close up any apparent hiatus
in surveys OccasiOned by changes of boundaries or
Of rivers or by the act of malicious parties in
Lar Districts, from whence the paraphernaia of the
United States Land Offices has been withdrawn because
the business of that department Of the Government has
pretty much ceased therein At times the Indians have
Systematically deaced the marks of the Surveyors thus
rendering new surveys necessary in many quarters.
Under the law it stood recently, these resurveys
were costly far out of proportion to the work actually
performed Now, the Commissioner is enabled by EN-
plOyDg single surveyor in all such needfu cases. to re-
pair the damages done before described at 1.-THE OF
the former expense and in much less time.
Nearly all those employed in the departments here
prior to the accession of the present Administration
are utterng were This excitement caused by the
clause in the law rearrangng and remOdeng the various
bureaus, which virtually requires the new appointments,
and as consequence the virtual prior dsmissiOn of all
clerks, &c, at Washington. All to be dismissed
under c Idc but only such to be reapponed as the
Administration may choose TO reappont 1t not won
derfu therefore that the 3Oth May approaches, day
by day greater anxiety is manifested among the thousand
persons so employed at this point.
Within the last day or two the Secretary OF the
Navy and POstmaserGeneral have commenced to refuse
10 pay money to claim agents on powers OF attorney
know not under what authority of law they ignore the
night Of claimants assign TO others the right to re-
ceve their money in their name Yet IN nine eases out
of every ten the change will prove of value not only 20
the Treasury but very often to the honest claimant.
The practice thus resOTted TO by the two officers above
referred to has prevailed for many years IN the Pen
sion Bureau the claimant before it alone being allowed
TO receive money on its warrants Though occasionally
claimant cheats his Attorney through the operation OF
this rule practice question whether such an event
happened often the Attorney previous to its adOp
ton cheated the claimants The claim agents are ex-
ceedDpy ObstreperOus about this matter accusing the
Navy Secretary and Postmaster General OF violating
their rights DC &c Yet they have so far quietly acqui-
esced in the similar practice the part of the Pension
Bureau | am satisfied that if there IS no law for the
ruling of these high unctiOnarles there should De one,
and that as soon as possible
Secretary Guthrie has recently decided very i'm
porant question in refusing the application of the firm
Of Cay n Avee, of Charleston, C., for the return OF
the unnage duty Of five cents per tun on Spanish YES
sells coming into American ports The ground Ofthe APP
pcaton was because Spain, nleyyng similar duty, as
sessCd it alike the vessels OF her own clzens as on
those of foreigners. The Secretary however, decides
that she thus subjects our commerce to its payment
we must also so subject hers However, this decision is
but in keeping with that of his predecessors under
stand the application being made to him IN the hope
that being new hand az the bellows he would ignore
former action in like premises.
Richard Il. Connolly, County Clerk of New-YOrk, was
mere day or TWO SINCE begging Ior le appointment vi
his thernlaw to be of the Appraisers at the Port
of NeW-YOTk 1t strikes me that the Administration
will act in the on the hypothesis that having that
County Clerkship the family have substantial claims
on " the party" State or National, for more.
Commodore Horace b. Sawyer has been promoted TO
be Captain in the Navy from April ~, 1883, vice l. T.
Webb, deceased.
Lieut.. Amasa Paine to be Commodore from the
same date, vice Sawyer promoted
Passed Midshipmsn Alphonse Barber to be sLieuten-
ant vice Henry Moore deceased from March %, 1888
Passed Mdshipman A. n. smith, 70 be Lieutenant
vice Paine promoted, from April ID 1858
Passed Mdsbipman John c. Tebger To be Lleuten-
ant vice T. A. Bud, resigned, from April 80, 1853.
ToNBI6BEE.