, 1864-03-08

WASHINGTON. March 4, 1864.
TIE GOLD IN THE TREASURY.
Yesterday, IN the House, mr. stebbins, o1
New York War DEM offered a resolution
enabling the Secretary of the Treasury to sell
the gold therein (tirst rcscrving sufficient to
meet payments required by law), after giving
FIVE days notice In the New York daily pa.
pers. Mr. Fenton, of the same State, offered
substitute that lie be
Authorized to aell gold or other coin received In
payment for United States bonds negotiated, and
also to cell any foreign exchange thai may be re.
esiyed hy the agents officers Of the Treasury ofthc
United States: PFottded, That nothing herein con.
tanned thall be construed to authorize the ealc ot
any gold or other coin now on hand or that NAV be
.eceased hefcatierfn payment Of custom-house du-
ties: ALTO That he be authorized to anticipate The
payments OF Interest upon the public debt OF the
unttm States from time to time, either With Or
Without rebate Of interest npon the coupons as
M1. Fenton made IN ab1o speech III reply
tothe arguments Of his colleagues Fernando
Wood and James Brooks. He took the
ground that the financial strength Of the
United States could not be judged correctly
by that Of European countries; 1st, because
Its basis is largely in the property Of the
couutry-fn lands and agricultural products,
whose value is not adequately represented in
money; End, because the labor Of men en-
gagged in agriculture and the mechanic arts
produces more here than in Europe. We are
obtaining vast immigration of tho iudustri-
ous poor and middle classes of Europe.
although the country is engaged in war.
They bring property to the amount OF hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars annually, to
which il we add the influx Of labor at its
constantly increasing ratio Of value, We see
IN ever expanding basis Of public credit alto
gethcr not to be cstimatcd. 4 man who
could talk Of impending failure In our M
tional affairs, is either ignorant Of the fact or
miEchicyDnsly desires to create Gistrust and
weaken public confidence. he hoped that
men cxasperntcd and disappointed at the
success OF the Union cause aud the progress
Of liberty, would not eyince a1nnlignant on
position by detraction OF our public men,
and attempt to depreciate our true financial
strength and military success In couclu-
sion, he said that with the Union maintained
We would rise from the burden of our debt,
and nom our vast resources attain a condi.
ton Of the most ample wealth and independ-
ence known to any milton. On motion Of
Mr.. HOLMAN (Copper), Of Indiana, the
whole subject was laid on the table.
LATER.
The Senate has Just rcceded from its
amendments to the spirit duty bill, respect-
ing the Gliding scale. This settles the dues
ton, and stocks on hand remain untaxed.
II would be necessary to appoint another
committee or draft new bill, If they did not
do so. It retains the tar of 40 cents on for
eisn spirits on hand, but does not tax domes-
tic spirits on hand, and makes the tax from
and after It's passage 60 cents to July 1st,
bill, which Will be probably 80 cents from
July to the 1Et Of january, and after that
SLIGO. This imputed tax is to be collected
under the regulations Of the Secretary OF the
Treasury. but it Is understood those regula-
tons will not be Issued, but that a joint res
foreign liquors On hand.
THE AHAT APPROPRIATION BILL
It will be noticed that there is no provision
for bounties in the Army Appropriation Bill.
Now, the amount to which the Government
is committed on that head Is stated by Seua-
tor Sherman and others to be $105, ,0010Q0.
Senator Wilson said truly that 1t would not |
fore the end Of the next fiscal year-June 30,
leG5. Thus this vast sum is to be provided |
for in the Appropriation Bills which are to be |
passed this session. The estimates for boun- I
ties for the next fiscal year, at the beginning
od & ths year, were only ssee oo@ SSo &C., So That
appropriated. The deficiency bill for the
present fiscal year is orer S100, ,000, 900. The
amount yet 10 be appropriated for the 200, 900
men called out by the late proclamation Of
the President mot estimated for heEetoiore,)
regular estimates at the commencement Of
tho session, $500, ,000, 600, and the aggregate
this winter will be Il ,s00, Co.,
600. Gen. Mcigs says in his report to secre-
tary Stanton that the army organization for
for artillery. and Isl, ,09o for cayalry-at SIPS
eacl,, but the actual requirement Tas cid 44f5
at $40 each. Deficiency Of horses, g., $50,
The appropriation for transportation was
81, ,500, ,00, but the expenditure has been Sa5,-
6d, co., o1 corn 2GA ,ooo bushels, at
4,15. 900 bushels at same price. OF hay 49,
0C0 tons was purchased at $50 per ton. The
expenses Of transportation have been Inn
mcnse, on account Of the removal Of large
bodies Of troops great distances; also on ac-
count Of vessels for the Banks expedition.
PACIFIC RAILROAD BnL-PRoP0sED AMEND
MEST THERETO.
Senator Conness was to-day to introduce a
bill to amend the Pacific Railroad and Tc1e-
graph Bill. Sec. provides that the shares
are to be one hundred instead Of one thous-
and dollars; the number Of shares to be one
million instead Of one hundred thousand;
fifty instead Of five shares shall constitute
director; every, subscriber to the capital
stock, for each share Of one thousand dollars
heretofore subscribed, shall be entitled to \
certificate for ten shares Of one hundred dol
lars each, and that no person NAV hold more
than two hundred shares. Sec. g provides
for additional legislation in regard to the
right of way; the condemnation of lands,
old. Sec. 5 provides that the company can
take coal or iron ores on the public lands
along the route Tor Its construction, and mar
purchase the fee Of said lands. Sec. pro-
yides that the title to the lands shall remain
{Ini$n3 -
tions and provisions Of the act, and shall not
be open to entry, sale, DC. Sec 5 provides
That If the company be unable to locate the
whole of five full alternate sections per mile
on each side Of the road BY reason Of barren
ness, &C., it ehall be lawful to locate other
lands lying within twenty miles Of the road,
as will make up the quantity provided By
law. The term mineral land Is defined as
gold or silver mines. Sec. 6 provides that
sec: be amended BY striking out the word
sixteen where it occurs first, and inserting
twenty tour; aud inserting Of 'tmay be paid
be paid in the same way and manner as the
bonds Of the United Stntes,' &c. Sec. Z pro-
yidcs Tor extending the time Of filing the
maps Of the route, d., one rear: and that
the Cent11l Pacific Railroad Company be re.
quircd to build only twenty-five miles Of
their ROAD instead Of dfty in each year here
atter; and that only one-half of services rem
dered for the Government BY said companies
be required for the payment Of the bonds fa-
sued by the Government for the coustruc.
tion; ind that the curves and grades eball
not exceed the maximum Of such in the Uni
ted States. Sec. 8 provides for the re.
peal Of that part requiring the use Of Ameri~
a Commissioner for SO much ofthe line as lies |
west Of the eastern terminus of the railroad
and telegraph authorized by the act to be |
by the Central Pacific Railroad |
Company Of California; and that the Union |
Pacific Railroad Company can purchase iron |
free Of duty, md use iron rails and ]ocomo-
tiycs sufficient to lay and equip one hundred |
miles Of its road and aIl provisions Of Sec. 1,
as modified, shall extend to any fraction Of |
forty miles lying west Of and contiguous to |
tle western base Of the Sierrn Neyada Noun /
[ains or east Of and contiguous to the eastern |