New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-14
WASHINGTON.


xopK ELECTION NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
-JUpGE INTERPRETATION MORTON ON
SPECIE PAYMENTs-COLLECTOR sMiTHE AND
ruE RUSSIAN MIsSI0N-PERsoNAL
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1903
ri. decision of the Supreme Court in the case now
fare that body involying the constitutionahty OF
uoIeral.Tender act is looked forward to with great
onxiety. Many of the most prominent men here
nress Great doubt as to what the decision will be-
qe Court has not met in consultation yet bat 1t is
.,nceted 10 do so during the present week. After
dy;sion is had. several weeks viii be consumed In
the ureparaion of the opinions. 1t is limited that
tustoes Chase Swayne, Miller, Davis, and Field VIII
eto sustain the consttutionality of the act and
aot Chief Justice Chase will write the majority
,rinion. This is one rumOr The one that gains
most ground however is that the Court will decide
e law 10 be unconstitutional, and that Judge Chase
viii be alone in bis dissent The effect Of such de-
,is;on would be universal. Gold would be the me-
dum Of contracts and business, and geenbacks
would be quoted at their value, Just as they are
,uo,ed in California and London at the present
time.
Tie proposed transfer Of the control Of the Indian
Bureau from the Interior TO the War Department,
will occasion much debate in the Senate An effort
is 10 be made to discharge the Indian Committee
from the further consideration of the House bill, on
account of their known opposition to the transfer
Last year the Committee reported unanimously
against similar bill Those in favor OF the bill as It
passed the House viii again make the effort to sub
nit the bill to the Military Committee, which is in
favor of the transfer. Ii is said that in support
yrtll
produce facts that must be very damag-
ing to the Indian Bureau rs at present
managed. Senator Henderson, Chairman of the SEN
ate Committee arrived here last night, and viii take
his seat tomorrow for the first time this session He
viii call meeting of his Committee for Tuesday,
when the whole subject will be discussed well as
the present condition of affairs the Plains. The
Senator says that so far he is individually con-
oorned be has no objection TO transferring the con-
troll Of the warlike tribes of the Indians to the War
Department; but he does not believe it inst to the
tribes Of Cherokees, Choetaws Chickasaws and Semi
nOles 10 have their affairs controlled by military
authorities; he believes that they in a better
condition for self-gOvernment than the people of
Georgia and some of the other Southern States that
they are more peaceful that their affairs are better
conducted, and that the tribes will require less
supervision and interference the part of the Gov
eminent than the people of some of the Southern
States. He holds that Congress is responsible,
and not the military, for the present
Indian difficulties, and that if the
House had PASSED his Appropriation bill
any time before May last, the time agreed upon by
the Indians and the Peace Commission for the set
Element of the annuites etc. that there would have
been peace on the Plains afterward He understands
that Gen. Shermans opinions regarding the transfer
aud the responsibility of congress coincide with
his OWL He does not know that anything can now
be doneto stop the war the Plains unless another
Peace Commission is sent with full powers to
elnde settlement The Senator thinks that the
Will not be much longer continued the part Of the
Indians Gen. Sherman and the other members of
the Peace Commission will arrive here after the
military meeting at Chicago on Tuesday and We'd
nesday.
The question Of a successor 10 Commissioner Of
Internal Revenue Rollins is actively agitated. 1t is
absolutely certain that Mr.. Rollins Will quit the
place 1t is well known that he is daily importuned
by many Of the most prominent Republican Con-
uessmen to withdraw his resignation and remain at
least until the Inauguration of the new admnistra-
ton. The members of the Finance and Ways and
Means Committees are especially DESTROYS that Mr..
Rollins shall remain. Mr.. Rollins, however, has
long been anticipating retirement from Office
and has been making his arrangements
vailed upon to remain President Johnson, it is un-
derstood. will nominate man for the position TO-
morrow. Col Alexander Cummings, Collector OF the
Nth District of Pennsylvania ii IS sad will receive
the nomination. 1t may be remembered that he was
nominated for the place in July last and that
while the Senate was acting on the nomination the
time Of adjournment arrived and no vote was taken
Tie West is making strong effort TO control the
appointment and the friends of the Hon. II. c. Par
sons Marshal Of the Supreme Court, are urging him
TO allow his name to be used. They say that if Par
tOns will consent he be appointed and confirmed.
The scandal about the Alaska purchase is freely
commented upon here, and is viewed as the latest
sensation The report that large sum Of money
used in the Lobby" to secure the appropriation
from Congress, is not generally credited. But 30
much has been said concerning it in the public
prints that il is not improbable that committee Of
investigation may be ordered by the HOUSE. AT first
twas asserted that only five million dollars Of the
purchase money was paid to the Russian Govern
ment; but now il is semi-Of6cially announced in
one Of the newspapers of this city, thatthe Gar was
paid 100000 leaving $4,000 yet to be accounted
for The newest feature to the scandal Is that per-
son who prominently figured here last Winter as a
candidate for first-cass foreign mission, then va
cant was promised the appointment If he would use
his influence in inducing Congress to make the APP
popriation for Alaska lie did use his influences at
least be says he did, and when the appropriation was
made lac claimed his reward but owing 10 misun-
derstanding between johnson and Seward, the prom
Use was not kept. lie went home very indignant
at the time, after spending deal Of money in dining
and wining members and other influential people
while the purchase was pend ding in Congress. The
story il that be was finally cared for by being sent
Oh secret and special mission, whose expenses are
"a hi. r. 4 81. d