Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-02

voted 1T the last session to the smployees Of
Congress To do so, they imagine variety Of
things which have had 20 existence in faat
including scena between the Secretary Of
the Treasury and the President, the former
against and the lstter for the claim, and throw
in gratuito usly an opinion of the ATTORNEY
General in favor of the payment Of the claim
In question, all Of which is without the least
foundation
Now the whole truth Of the matter is az fol.
lows, to wit; The Public Printer conceived
that he had valid right, being by law an
officer OF the House to the twenty per oentum
extra compensation. He presented the claim
to the Secretary Of the Treasury, who regarded
his job for the Government in the light of q
special contract. and therefore, as not COMING
under the twenty per centum extra compen.
sation law, he rejected it. The printer, in the
belief that his rights were, under the law a.
he had argued them to be, urged that the Sec
rotary would submit the legal question in.
volved to the Attorney General. That Office,
declined doing so on the ground that in his
mind there was not the slightest difficulty in.
volved in the question, and that, not doubling
himself, he saw no reason for so submitting 1t.
There the matter ended, the Attorney General
never having given an opinion, verbal or other.
wise on the subject; and the President know.
ing as little about the affair, perhaps as the
man in the moon, and never having opened
his lips upon it, it not being his province 80 t.
do unless on such special application for his
interference as was not dreamed of, in this
case.
We have carefully assceTtained all these
facts, only by way Of illustrating to our read
ers the foolish extremes to which tho w-;t.r0
In Washington for the distant press 90, in their
Efforts to supply the place of news with roor-
backs, In the remarkable dsarth Of real news
now affecting us in Washington.
By the way, as apropos to this subject, We
may not inappropri ately add that before the
resolution to give 20 per centum extra Yompen
sation to the officers of the House was passed
the public printer addressed to the joint print
ing committee letter, setting forth that his
that it lie known here that he was induced not
to pursue the subject with them, by assurances
given him by member Of that committee, i'm.
msdiately on tho passage of the resolution
in question. that it covered his case, ard there
fore rendered further movement on his part
unnecessary.
Decision upon Land Claim.-An Alabama
case was recently decided at the General Land
Office, involving important principles An i'm
perfect Spanish title had been confirmed by an
act of Congress in 1922. No survey of it had
been executed under the Spanish Government.
1t therefore became necessary for this Govern.
ment, according to the principles of justice
and the spirit Of the treaty, to satisfy the
claim; and the principle observed was to give
the United States survey square form, plac.
ing the ancient Improvements as near the
center as possible. Before the United States
location and survey were made, certain half
quarter section of land was entered, it not ap
pearing as reserved lands'' on the public
plats. Afterwards, the United States survey
of the Spanish cleim was made, embracing
this half quarter 1t was held that the sale
should be patented, for the reason that the
Spanish location could not be made to the pre-
JUDGE of the settler But the grant to the
latter was framed as not to preclude judi
cial investigation into, and decision upon. the
rights of the respective parties.
Real Progress There is at this time, in
this city, delegation Of the Wyandot tribe of
Indians, in Kansas, consisting of five persons,
viz: Tauroomee, principal chief of the tribe,)
Mathew Mud Eater, John Hicks, Silas Arm
strong George j. Clark, and Joel Walker.
They come to make an arrangement with the
Government by which their lands in Kansas,
now held by them in common, shall be divided
out among them in fee as the whites own lands.
Many of them are now sufficiently advanced
to cultivate them to advantage when SO sub.
divided out. This morning they had their
first interview with tho head of the Indian
Bureau
Aspirants for the Clerkship Of the Next
House Of Repressntatives.-We hear that
Nathan Sergeant, Esq, we'll known, formerly,
as Washington correspondent for the distant
press, and subsequently Recorder of the Gen.
eral Land Office, has addressed a circular lot
ter to many members elect to tho next Con-
gross, announcing that he is a candidate for
the clerkship. We hear, also, that Robert
Beale, Esq, of this city, late Sergeant-at-
Arms of the United States Senate, has an
nounced himself as candidate.
Daniel E. sickels, Esq.-We understand
on authority which We have reason to regard
reliable, that the return of Mr.. Sickles to
New York by the last steamer was preceded
by his resignation, which was rendered to Mr..
Buchanan; and that he left his post of Score
tary of the American Legation in London,
bringing with him the warmest regards of our
Minister there.