The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-05

IooRlssrosDsucs OF TIE a-rusL,c.1

De
(coRRBsroNDsNCs OF TIRE RsPuDLrc1
MAY 4, 1853.
The Administration, in carefully refraininr from
expressing the slightest linking of an opinion on
the Sloo treaty, ara agonising quite number oil
gentlemen in various quarters Of the couutrv-its
friends and foes, of course. The question of the
best route for the travel to California affords 70
much room for splendid speculations
or s'over The ieft"-that It seems AZ though hall
those with money in their pockets seeking invest
ments have run mad over the merits of this or that
projects In the mean time the President and his
constitutional advisers fail 10 utter word from
which 1t can be inferred whether they design sub.
hitting this sloo treaty to the Senate, or not.
An impression has prevailed for a day or two
that Guthrie has decided the 20 per cent
extra duty question in favor of the claimants
Messrs. Maxwell, Bokee, and other collectors. ma.
val officers, Snd surveyors Of three or four large
ports. This mistake originates from the fact that
among bis 6rst acts Secretary Guthrie af rmed the
decision of President Fillmore, granting the col.
lectors of various uncomfortable ports fAiexan.
dris, Virginia, and Georgetown, D. c.. being
among the number, Iearn) the maximum COM
pensation allowed them by law. though the bust.
ness of their respective ports did not give them 90
much in fees under the existing tariff of duties on
imports. sae
Mr.. Meredith decided against this claim of
these collectors, and was backed in bis decision
by Attorneys General johnson and Crittenden.
Yet Messrs. Fillmore and Corwin dissented from
Mr.. Ms precedent. And, as before remarked,
Mr.. Guthrie has made ruling in this case which
Mr.. Corwin would doubtless have made had he
remained long enough in Office
There is "wheel within the wheel" in this
matter, of the working of which will write you
at some length tomorrow, after shall have more
fully satisfied myself with reference to the partc.
ulars involved. However, Il may now add that by
this decision an aggregate of twenty thousand
dollars is the maximum allowed to all the claim
ants, who receive respectively, from one to five
hundred dollars each of back pay enormously
withheld from them up to this time. Attorney
General Gushing has not yet decided on the Max
well and Bokee claims to which refer first above,
which does not involve. if confirmed, a very heavy
payment from the Treasury; otherwise, there
would be small chance for its allowance in the
present temper Of the Treasury Department heads
against all such terrible things on claims. Bat
little experience will satisfy Mr. Secretary Guthrie
that there may be just and lawful back claims
against his charge. +ts sa
Is The Hon. Henry A. Wise is again in Washing
ton. have again occasion to announce that he
wants no foreign mission, having asked for none.
though many of his special admirers will insist
that the Administration are bent on laying one at
his feet. fear these gentlemen are destined not
to be accommodated in this case. As the idea of
giving the go.by TO the many gentlemen Of dis
tinction, high character, and eminent party and
public services who do want foreign missions, and
are not too proud to ask one in order to enjoy the
privilege of soliciting gentleman whose qualif-
cations and desserts are in nothing sur erior to
theirs to be 30 condescending az to accept one un
asked, is rather too "highfalutin" for this COM
nonsense era.
The President, am inclined to believe, would
like exceedingly to give to Brevet Lieutenant Col
onel Henry L. Scott the post OF inspector general
vacated by the resignation of Colonel Mccall, as
Major General Winfield Scott has signifed to him,
understand. that he greatly desires this appoint
ment. Yet it seems that he (the Presdent) is i'm.
pressed with the belief that the new inspector gen.
eral, in justice to the army, should be taken from
among the field officers. If be determines that
such is imperatvely his duty, all the many aPpli.
cants for the position but four will be ruled out,
viz. Lieutenant Colonel Ewing, Lieutenant Colo
mel Sumner, Lieutenant Colonel Abercrombie, and
Lieutenant Colonel Lorenzo Thomas; the many
others being captains, with higher brevet rank
only.
II is surmised that Mr.. George Law, who is again
here, takes great interest in the success of Leute
nant Colonel Sumner in this matter, as his promo
ton would of course result in that of bis (Mr L.s)
gallant son-in law, Breyet Lieutenant Colonel
May, who in the line, is a captain of the regimen+
10 which Lieutenant Colonel Sumner is attached.
It strikes me that the President would like much
to make Mr.. Law happy in any possible manner
outside of leaning towards either of that gentle.
mans enterprises in connexion with Government
National or State. He could not do so more hap.
PLY than ia the present case, as the army contains
no officer better qualified In all respects for the
inspector generalshp than Lieutenant ColonelSum-
ner. and none whose further promotion would
please the public better than that of Lieutenant
Colonel May.
On Monday last the Cabinet took up the interior
Of New York appointments, as had occasion to
notify you. By Tuesday morning our hotels were
overwhelmed with gentlemen from that quarter,
all famed for prominence as Democratic politicians
Verify, they must have nostriis equal to those of
crows. to scent what was going on so far off from
their respective homes 90 quickly.
The confinement of the Secretary of War to his
house (by the neuralgia) prevented the Cabinet
from disposing of any important New York case
to-day. Nothing of interest transpired in their
except tho selection of some gentleman
for the governorship of New Mexico who won't
refuse it. Some how or other, few ambitious polit
clans cotton to that place, than one having of
late been In vain coaxed to accept it, Your readers
must look in the Union of tomorrow morning for
the name of the lassoed gentleman, as all my in.
genuity was fruitlessIy expended in the effort to
find it out for them. One fact satisfies me that the
Government will not be compelled to accept an
other refusal in this refer particularly to
the tenacity with which all who must know who
the 90 far nameless wight is refuse to disclose his
identity, reminding me vastly of the pleasant
amusement of hooking flea out of ones stocking.
They bold on to it with intense determination, az
though afraid to take Cor give) peep at it, lest
the prize may escape.
The following appointments have been made in
the Land Office to fill the vacancies occasioned by
yesterdays removals, viz:
Herman H. Heath. ..........8l, 800
Thomas ]. Robinson. 300
= Mr.. Willett. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 200
}. ID. Ward. observation-disclosures. 200
Amos Reed. loo
Oliver Dufour ............ 1000
Cyrus F.. Windup. ............ 1000