Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-10
Decline in Gold.
PHILADELPHIA, April 9.-Gold has declined to 12534.
FROM WASHINGTON.

THE TEST OATH.
The message of the President enclosing cOmmuni-
cations from the Secretary of the Treasury with Post
master General, suggesting a modification of the
oath of Office has been printed synopsis of these
documents has already been publ shed. but the fol-
lowing extract may be interesting. The Secretary of
the Treasury says:
In regard to future appointments, I have to say
that am well satisfied that it will be difficult if not
impossible, to find competent men at the South to fill
the Revenue offices, who can qualify under the
statute Especially will this be so in regard to the
subordinate positions.
In the progress of the rebellion very few persons
of character and intelligence in most of these States
failed in some other to participate in the hos
tlities or connect themselves with the insurgent
Government This is almost universally true of the
young men, who are expected to fill cerkships and
other inferior places in the service Men of
the necessary qualifications who were able to take
the oath and were willing to accept appointments,
have as far as they could be tound, already been en-
ployed hy the Government for these offices. that
must soon become vacant, II Congress should not
deem it to be safe or proper to modify the oath.
am at loss to know where the right men to
be Obtaine9, or how the revenues in many of the
Southern Districts arc to be collected. 1t Is urged
know that there are plenty of men at the South who
can comply with the statute and that if this should
not prove to be the fact, men at the North can be
found who will acceptthe prominent offices at the
present salaries and also the subordinate positions
If the proper inducements in the way Uf increased
salaries are held out to them 1t is true that there
applicants for Office in the Southern States
VINO present what they call clear record Tor loyalty
but with rare exceptions they are persons who would
have been able to present equally fair record for
place under the confederate government. If the re-
belll0n had been success persons lacking the
qualifications which needed in positions
In regard to the matter of compensation, | have
only to remark that the law fixes definitely the sala
ries and commissions of most officers and that the
pay of subordinate officers is altogether inadequate
to tempt northern men to assume the risk aud the
odium Of collecting taxes in the Southern States,
cept perhaps in the commercial cities the Seaboard
| deem ii my duty further to remark that | do not
consider it advisable for the Government to attempt
to collect taxes in the Southern States by the hand
of strangers After having given the subject careful
consideration, anxious as l am to increase the reye
nue. and to tighten by distributing and equaZing
the burdens of the people, with no party ne est to
heart have come TO the deliberate conclusion that
it would be better for the country politically and
financially to suspend the collection of Internal Rev.
enue taxes in the Southern States except in the
commercial cities for months, if not for years to
come, rather than undertake to collect them by
men not identified with the tax payers in sympathy
or IN interest.
1t appears from communication prepared at the
War Department, in reny to resolution of the
has received from the United States for transpora-
ton of troops and supplies from March 1862 to April
1865, 81 j9G 56 and from other roads, 1892 l13 The
Company paid to these other roads, SS76436 The
net amount received by the Illinois Central Railroad
Company within the above named period, was
TIE PATAPsc0 SHIP CANAL.
Tho estimates made under the direction OF the
Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, to the mouth of the
Patapsco river, are S2lO7,OOO.
GRANTS OF LANDS TO SOUTHERN STATES.
The President sent to-day a message enclosing
communication from the Secretary Of the Interior
with accompanying papers in reference to grants Of
and 1856, to the Ststes of Mississippi Alabama Ar
kansas Florida and Louisiana.
THE PASSAGE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
The proceedings of the House on the civil rights
bill, attracted dense crowd of spectators, both in
the galleries and on the floor of the Hall including
the Governor of ppnnSylynuia and his md
large representation of United States Senator'S Owing
to the seconding ofthe demand for theprevious ques
tlOn which cut of all debate several of the OppOsi
ton members commenced making dilatory notions
but soon abandoned this system of tactics and left
the majority free to consumate their work. No one
seemed TO have any doubt whatever to the
of the bill the question being merely to what
number OF votes it would receive and to spare,
the constitutional requiSltion Ot tWO-t Thirds.
During the proceedings there was loud and con-
tinuous hum of voices AL over the ball much so
that even the strong and distinct voice of DR.. Ma
haify one of the clcrs could not be heard with the
usual advantage. The excited Representatives and
those who had the privilege of he floor were there
fore called to order. This demand of the Speaker
had the effect of partially restoring quiet but there
was evident mpatiencc on the partof the majority
of the House to come to vote, and this reached
after unsuccessful motion to lay the bill upon the
table.
As as the Speaker announced that the bill had
become law notwithstanding the objections Of the
President the majority Of the members of Congress
and many Of the spectators in the galleries to
their feet, waving their hats and handkereheis
while OF hers cIapped their hands all uniting in oft
repeated cheers. Amid this confusion the House ad
jOurned.
The proceedings customary on the passage of a
pill over veto is to max an endorsement thereon
by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the
House. briefly stating the action of the respective
Houses. Thus enrolled, the bill is then deposited
with the Secretary Of State like all other acts which
become law.
NATIONAL RAILROAD SYSTEM.
Representative Garfield, Of OHIO, to-day intro
until the End of Dec. next, proposing a National
Railroad system. 1t establishes, in connection with
the interior Department, a Bureau of railroads. and
authorizes any number OF persons, when the neces-
sary capital is subscribed, to construct railroad
from one State to another The courts are required
TO grant the right OF appoint commissioners to
damages for the land occupied, and aid in the
construction of railroads As these grants will expire
by limitation on the lth OF August next leaving the
roads for whose benefit they conferred in
finished condition it is recommended that the time
within which they may be completed be extended for
sioner efthe General Land Office in his letter to the Sc
cretary of the Interior, urges the accomplishment of
these impOrtant works, which says cannot fail to
add to the prosperity not only CT the several States
named but OF the entire country. The letter of the
Secretary is in accord with the views of the Comms
sioner The roads embrace the Mobile and Ohio, the
Southern Railroad, the Gulf and Mississippi the
Mobile and Ohio. the Alabama and Florida, the Pen
sacola and Georgia, the New Orleans the 0pelousas
amount Of land granted under these grants is over
eleven million acres.
and become national railroads, and regulates the
character of the track and the tariff of the charges
The plan is, in effect to the nation, what general
State law is to the State. The power claimed for
the passage of the bill is in the clause of the Consti
tuition relative to the promotion Of commerce and to
establish post and military roads By this bill the
railroad business isopen to general competition.
Representative Winfield. of New York, succeeds
Mr.. Brooks as q member of the Committee of Ways
and Means. appointment by the Speaker which
is regarded as excellent.
RECoNsTRUCTIoN.
Mr.. Stephen Powers. correspondent ef the Cincin-
natl COMMERCIAL was before the Reconstruction Com
mittee to-day, and TESTIFIED at length respecting
Florida. Louisiana and Texas. He takes hopeful
thinks would not get 10000 recruits from the South
unless army invaded that section. The people
generally in favor of paying the rebel debt. but will
offer very little resistance to the collection of the
national tax.
The Freedmen's Bureau has been necessary. and
still is, though, afer the next Christmas holidays,
when the contracts for the ensuing year made it
will not be needed anywhere. The negroes have
care of themselves. Some of the Bureau officers
have been incompetent, and speculated on it and
made the Institution a by-word. The people are
more loyal than they were at the end of the war
The noise of newspapers and politicians is only the
natural reaction from the terror of defeat and the
apprehension OF punishment:
The SMALL Pox-The Chattanooga Union, of the
4th instant says; This terrible disease has commit
ted fearful ravages in this section OF the country. Its
traces may be in the graves OF hundreds and the
faces of thousands of tho cOored population and the
whites have not been sighted. At times the negro
huts heTeabouts have been in danger of losing all
their inmates. Now however. the disease seems to
have outlived its fercest attacks, and is gradually
giving away to the influences of the opening spring
The number of cases admitted to the hospital here
from September . TO Decem'r 81, was 900 of whom
100 citizens and 42 soldiers Of these 80 died.
Making an average of 800 cases month, in the hos
pital during the last three months of 1865. But the
number admitted in the hospital during the first two
months of lStif only 200, of whom l6 died