Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Bennett Bringing out the History Of his
Application for the French Mission.-It is
well known in political circles in Washington
| that the letter from General Pierce, which was
published in Saturday mornings New York
Herald, was addressed to Mr.. Frederic Hud-
son, who is the controlling man of the Herald
| establishment in Benefits absence and has
the chief direction of the details of the Office at
all times. 1t is well known, too, that this let
ter to Hudson, was in reply to one from him,
enclosing another from Bennett, written Just
before the latter sailed for Europe, at the close
OF the last political canvass. Our readers can
form their own opinion as to whether this let
ter contained The application for the mission
to France There Is no doubt, at least Ben
nett's friends do not deny that it contained
| statement of the services rendered by Bennett
in the canvass, written by himself, with an
appeal for consideration on that account.
Benefits friends upon the Avenue. and in
the eating houses, for they most generally con.
gregate in the latter places, do not deny that
the letter of Hudson begged General Pierce to
at least acknowledge the receipt of Benefits
| letter, upon the ground that it would please
the ''old man (Bennett so much'' Neither is
it denied that one of the Herald's editors was
| sent to Concord, in person, to induce General
Pierce to so much as say to Hudson, by letter
that Benefits letter had been received, and
| his kindness and attention appreciated. This
we are satisfied, is the history of the letter
| from General Pierce, which Bennett parades in
| his columns as written to friend. The object
| Of the publication is obvious to any one The
circulation and consequent influence of the
Herald is diminishing in proportion to the in
crease of its mendacity and infamy. Bennett
knows this, and feels it. Consequently, pri-
| vate letter is resorted to as plank to save his
| establishment from ruin. The trick will not
answer. Drowning men, however, grasp at
| straws.
The Public Lands.-Our readers will recol-
| lect that, not very long since, Mr. Florence
proposed land distribution bill for the benefit
of all classes of those who have participated
in any war of the United States 1t was a
grand plan, of course, for Mr. F. never docs
anything by halves. However, the Secretary
| of the Interior was requested by House COM
mittee to aid them with his views as to the
| probable effect of the enactment of the mea-
sure upon the public land sales and system of
the government. The bill proposes to grant
bounty land, without regard to length of ser
vice, and to give one hundred and sixty acres
of land, or so much as added to that previously
received will make that quantity for the SER
vice Of each soldier, and it provides for four
classes not embraced by existing laws, viz:
LIST. To all who have served in any wa since
1870, in the capacity of teamsters, wagoners
| warrant officers of the staff, artifcers and Ia
borers of the ordnance CORPS Of these, the
Secretary supposes there would be about 90, Sll
which, at 16O acres of land each, would REQUIRE
| 9,729, $50 acres
"a. The officers, nOn-c0mmissioned officers,
musicians, privates, mariners, marines who
were engaged in the naval, revenue, marine,
gun-boat or fotilla service, or in defence OF
the coast or army part thereof, or who may
have been taken captive by the enemy, and
remained in captivity or on parole in any and
all the wars referred to. This class is supposed
to embrace about 80, 1000 persons-I6O acres to
each Of these would amount to 5000, 900 acres
| Sd. Tbs heirs at law Of those persons who,
having served in said wars, died without re-
ceiving bounty land. and who have not left
relatives who are entitled, ON account of their
services, under existing laws. The Secretary
estimates this class at 300 900, and at 100 acres
each, it would absorb 4S,OOO,OOO of acres
4th All those persons who were formerly
widows of soldiers, who served in the wars re-
ferred to, and who have married and again be-
come widows. The estimate of the number in
cluded in this class is about 900, but as the
cases in which they would take land are esti-
mated in the third class, they would not in.
crease the aggregate number of persons pro-
vided for by the bill. twill thus be seen that
the bill makes provision for ,Sl1 persons
not embraced by existing laws, and to whom
| it proposes to grant 1928, 76O acres of land
The Secretary estimates that of the persons en-.
braced by existing laws, there are $4,000 who
have only received 80 acres of land each, and
who, under this BILL would be entitled to 81
acres additional making 4 400 900 acres; and
100, 900, who have only received 40 acres each
and who would, consequently, be entitled to
l2O acres more each, making 13,OS0 900 acres
making the whole number of warrants to be
issued 574,sl1, and the quantity of land re.
quired to satisfy them eaghty-three millions
| taco hundred and mine thousand seuen han
dred and SIXTY acres.
! We feel very confident that the honorable
member who proposed this bill did not appre-
bend such results as these.
I We are in favor of liberal bounties and re-
wards to the patriotic defenders of the country
and to their widows and orphans, but we dc
not approve Of granting land to the g heirs at
law" More than half of the land proposed to
be granted by this act is to the general heirs
at law of persons who have rendered military
services, but who have died Without having
received it themselves or left relations entitled
thereto. We doubt the propriety or practical
benefit of distributing one hundred and sixty
acres of land amongst the numerous heirs at
law Of person who served or was killed in
battle sixty or seventy years ago.
4 L Ec-