Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-12-06

the route proposed for this Minnesota rail.
road.
Though all, doubtless, wish to see the road
constructed, it cannot be that in the face of
the action of Congress in repeating the bill in
question, the highest court under the Govern.
ment will interpret the law SO as to secure to
the New York company the lands involved in
the issue
Railroad Iron-The action of the House,
yesterday, in promptly tabling the propo-
sition looking either to repeal or extension
of time for the payment of duties on railroad
iron by very decided vote, shows that the
present Congress are by NO means disposed to
grant more favors to railroad interpretations.
The fact that not one in twenty Of those with
| which the Government has had mail contract
dealings has failed to screw the last dime pos
sible out of the National Treasury, accounts
for much of the prevalent hostility to the idea
ofgranting them favors at the expense Of other
| American interests. In former times that was
| done at q total cost of some seven millions,
We believe, to the Treasury. It has made
few Of them disposed to carry the mails for q
penny less than they can screw out Of the
government, and in the vote to which we re-
| fer above, the House seems not to forget this
| fact.
Special or class legislation is to be avoid.
ed. 1t was thought that we were to have
much Of it this winter. This vote, however,
Sha1n ad,I; \
of the majority. The railroad interests which
are to press this proposition mast make tre-
mendous showing Of right and justice to over
come the state of feeling with reference to
them in the uouse as already manifested, or
We are greatly mistaken.
The Reports.-We commence to-day to
spread before the Stars readers, abstracts Of
the important facts embraced in the various
reports to the Heads Of Departments and blu.
reaus. We have condensed the contents of
these important state papers as much as pos
sihle, SO as to bring them within the reading
time Of thousands Of the Stnr's patrons who
are without sufficient leisure to enable them
to wade through long documents. All that
we publish concerning them is of great public
Importance, and therefore Of interest to all in
the community who would faithfully discharge
that leading duty of Amsrican citizenship
the obligation to keep we'll informed concern
ing the action Of the Government, to enable
the voter to discharge his duty in;eligently.
Expenses in Taking Testimony in the Case
Of the Loss Of Government Property In
cases where public property has unavoidably
been lost without fault on the part of the Off
Ger responsible for it, and proof has been re-
quired By one or more dispositions, under the
act of May Is, 1925, section 3, or for the sat-
isfaction Of the accounting officers, the expense
Of the magistrates fees, &C., may be allowed
to the officer in the settlement of his accounts,
| if the evidence be such as to warrant the ad-
| mission Of the lost property to his credit but
| no such expense will be allowed if the public
property has been lost through any neglect or
| fault of the officer responsible for it.
The Rape Of the Report.--We hear that a
| thorough investigation which has been had
in the matter, by the Treasury Department,
proves conclusiyely that the Seeretarys re-
| port did nat get out prematurely from that
quarter. 1t was not finally drawn up until
Thursday morning last, and was Immediately
carried by the transcriber to the public print
ing office, where it was duly deposited with the
injunction Of secrecy, then for the first time
leaving his hands. On Friday the proofs
were sent to the Department, all Of which were
duly returned on being promptly corrected.
So there was no earthly opportunity for any
one about the Department to have furnished
the distracted copies or copy for the northern
press. Under the circumstances, the thing
| was physically impossible, it seems to ua.
General Simon Cameron.-On further in
qoiry, we find that we were somewhat mis-
taken, yesterday, in giving out the impression
that General Cameron had buried the Ratchet
with his ancient Democratic foes in Penn
sylvania.
On moro careful inquiry We have now reason
to believe that the former relations between
these parties as yet remain unchanged, though
hopes are certainly entertained, by the peace
fully inclined on either side of this Democratic
feud, that the Ratchet will soon be buried.
Work Iope at the General Land Office
The work completed at the General Land
Office for the last four weeks, ending Decem-
her 2, is as follows:
Letters received, hrefed and registered. 1903
Letters written and recorded. ...........1 ,569
Do. do. occupying pages, folio
RECORD. ..... ......s.... ,U3S
Cash patents written. .................4, 1881
Military do. do. NATURALIZATION. s., 744
Cash patents recorded. .................4,52 1
Military do do. ..................3,92 9
Cash patents examined and compared
with record. ................., 1856
Military do. do. .............. ,554
Acres Of Virginia revenue bounty land
scrip issued. ..................4,976
Death Of an Army Oficer.-News reached
Washington last night of the death of Major
Allen Loud, first artillery, United States
,Lo l;oI NJ A.