The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-06
w..hington Gossip.


maximum the Law permits them to receive, 10 the
famous claim Of The msasussrs and other subordi.
nate custom house officers. for fees alleged to be
due them by law, which, If allowed, will accord to
some of those gsntlelaen, the maximum of whose
possible pay had always conceived TO be 81 500,
at least 825, 900 per annum. 1t appears that Mr..
Merediths original refusal 70 admit the oonstruc.
ton of the law for which the collectors at the mi.
nor ports above referred to commended, amounted
to legal Interpretation which admitted the much
gre9ker claim of those under revenue officers, who
we're not slow to take advantage of it. President
Fillmore practically reversed the decision of Ator-
neys General Johnson and Crittenden. perhaps in
order to avoid the necessity for allowing the last.
mentioned claims to which he was notoriously dis.
inclined. being strengthened in this position by
Mr. Corwin's view of the subject matter. The
House of Representatives, you will recollect passed
resolution Of inquiry, evidently intended to pre-
vent the payment of those demands, which met his
hearty response. Secretary Guthrie early learned
that to fail to carry out the views of his predeces
in this matter, would cost the treasury quite
million of dollars in the end, which accounts for
bis promptness in deciding that the "maximum"
feature of the law of 1888 had not been rendered
imperative by subsequent legislation.
II 10 due to those interested in obtaining a diff
ferent reading Of the law, to say that they alege
that Congress, in their legislation on the subject,
acted on but partial information; the Treasury De.
partment, in replying to the call for information,
having failed to Transmit to the House all the i'm
portant papers on their side of the question, among
them teing the opinion of Attorney General Crit.
tenden in their favor. V n
Though they may not perceive the fact, believe
clearly discover in Mr.. Guthrie's prompt action
above referred to, fixed determination that no
collectors ordinary subordinate shall get from the
national treasury more than Sl.5OO per annum
in the next four years. except by direct action of
Congress to that end.
We are about TO have " music" from Florida,
and Uncle Sam must pay the piper. The PEG.
pie of that sovereign State have made up their
minds to get rid of the Indians remaining
there. ut whatever hazard. Not long since their
Legislature provided for calling out their militia
to that end, but the Ohen) Wing Governor hesita-
ted in his construction of the law. His Democratic
successor is However, taking easures to thus get
rid of them. The War Department here is fairly
worn out in it, contest with the cunning of the
negro Abraham, and Departing of devising:.a sue
cessful scheme for peaceably compelling them to
fulfil their agreement to go west, are, fancy, glad
to have Florida take this job off their hands. Since
the new Administration came into power, of course
another effort has been made to find some one
who might possibly not be baffled in negotiating
with these savages; but in vain. have reason to
believe that the idea is already abandoned. Mr..
George CONWAY, the aboriginal lecturer, has
OF late been ambitious to undertake special COM
mission of this kind but it has been Judged that
he will not succeed 90 we'll in humbugging Abra-
ham as in entertaining lscture-g going audiences
at the North. So the prospect is that Florida will
be permitted to 60 ahead with the implied under
standing that Uncle Sam will foot the bill literally,
provided the work be speedily and neatly accom-
plisbed.
1t 10 the opinion Of those best informed that this
troublesome savage band numbers five hundred
souls, the large proportion of one hundred and
twenty of them being warriors. These same
Florida Indians have already cost the national
treasury about $4,000 GOO. If the remaining
five hundred are removed and exterminated to-
gether at cost not exceeding S 500 head it may
be considered dog cheap, when estimating by what
has heretofore been the expense Of Indian hunting
in Florida.
The hitherto respectable lawyer of Syracuse,
New York, who was recently arrested for forging
pension papers, it appears was after "doing' the
treasury quite modestiy, the whole amount sought
to be obtained in the case not exceeding $50.
Walter Taylor, now being tried at Hartford, Con.
necticut, for a similar offence, has five indictments
hanging over him, on all of which the Pension
Bureau confidently calculate to convict him,
sending him to the penieniary for the rest of his
life. He had thus extracted some $1,000 from the
treasury when his system was discovered, and had
similar papers in other cases pending, which, had
hey passed without the scrutiny they received,
would have enabled him to rob the Government OF
an aggregate of $4,000.
alta to.H au -, ",
coming by the last arrival from Mexico, saying
hat Santa Anna, since resuming power, had
Informally declared his appreciation of the Sloo
TehuantePec treaty, accepting the $50 900 month
y payment under the contract with SIoo which
ell due subsequent to his elevation to the Pres.
iency or Dictatorship.
Seeing 1t stated in northern papers that the New
Orleans company (the assgnees of Hargous and
others) had entered protest at the State Depart
nent against the Sloo treaty, as contemplating a
violation Of their rights, l have satisfied myself
hat this is mistake. So far, nothing of the sort
has reached the Government, though there il no
telling how soon it may come. In the mean time,s
The diplomacy of the Administration in this con.
nexion continues, no one obtaining an opinion
from them on the subject, pro or con.
The appointment of Solicitor of the Treasury has
been rendered to Judge Alfred Constable, of Mary.
land, VINO was In Congress lew years ago, 1t
will be remembered. His friends say that he hest.
ates, SO far, about accepting it. After the usual
,1ordium of bushes. consent will be very apt to
follow take it, as his heart ia proverbially tender
More OF the solicitorship to morrow.
The Commissioner of Pensions has issued an
order requiring the attendance of the clerks of bis
office from half-past eight m. until four p. M,
which is making great noise over the city
alas, the poor cle.ksp' being in many mouths.
So general appears to be public sympathy in this
case. that it is anticipated by some that the Co.
vernment employees in the Warrington navy yard
and arsenal will shortly ask to have their hours of
work reduced to something like the same stand
ard.
The following gentlemen we're to-day removed
from clerkships in the Third Auditors Office,
which will greatly astonish certain good hearted
Methodist ciergymen of Washington, who really
fancied that there was to be no political removals
in that Office, 30 long it boasts South Carolina
head. Their names are-Messrs. 8. H. Hill. w.
Hagan, jr., F. H. Moore, E. NJ. Scott, R. T Queen,
A. 8. Preuss, William Tyson, William Thompson,
w. H. Dunkinson, T. D. Winter. J. A. Beatty,
and J. Colston.
The following army officers have been ordered
upon the Pacific Railroad Surveying Expedition,
soon to start out under the command of Governor
Stevens. viz: