The Montana post., 1868-12-18
Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs.
SENATE.-The President presented a com
munication from the Secretary of the Interi-
or, setting forth the destitute condition Of
the Indians on the Upper Missouri and their
urgent need; also a communication from the
Commissioner of Patents, transmitting the
accounts Of receipts and expenses of that of
fee.
Ramsey introduced n bill to abolish the
franking privilege. Ordered printed.
Summer offered resolution, calling for in
formation on the alleged outrages oy Lopez,
President of Paraguay.
Drake called up the resolution offered last
| July, to amend the rules of the Senate so As
to require Indian treaties To be considered in
open session. Laid over.
Several other bills and resolutions were in
| troduced and the Senate adjourned.
a Rampant Representative.
Washington, Dec. Robinson,
of New York, obtained the floor and spoke on
| the subject of American citizens imprIson-
ment In Great Bitain. IL he had his will no
man should eat has dinner, no woman marry a
| husband and no business of life be carried on
until war was declared against Great Britain.
Fernando Wood concuued In the views of
his colleague. Adjourned.
Secretary IIcCuIIoch,s Report.
Chicago. Dec. s.-Secretary McCuIIoch's
report, put lished this forenoon. favors specie
! resumption through retirement, by funding,
or otherwise, certain portion of the green
| backs, and by the legalIzation of gold con-
| tracts. lie recommends that after January
lst. 1871, they shall cease to be- legal tender
for any purpose Whatever, except for Govern
meDt duties All notes then outstanding
/ shall be converted into bonds bearing such
| rate of Interest as Congress shall deem expe-
dIent. In the words Of Daniel Webster.
| "gOld and silver only can be constitutional
/ tender in payment of debts" The Supreme
/ Court may take the same view of the ques-
tion. He favors an increase OF tie whisky
! iaX, the restoration of the tax manufactures
| sud an increased Uniform tax sales. The
Secretary reiterntes his statements and Tecom-
mendatiuns in his hist report relative TO the
| policy Of the Government in re gard To the
funded debt and further Issue Of bonds. The
report concludes by denying that the SecTe-
tlry has bad any agency or completely In any
Il Of the operations TO affect the gold or stock
/ markets. lie alleges il TO have been impos-
sible TO transact all the business OF the de-
partment over its own counters. rendering it
necessary to have recourse to New York bro,
kers. The receipts for the present fiscal year
have been nearly forty-four millions in ex>
cess of the ordinary expenses of the Govern
ment, but for the extraordinary expense, iu-
| Guiding forty four millions for soldiers
bounties. seven millions for the Alaska pur-
chase, and twenty-five millions for the Pa
| Ci6c railroad.
The department receipts for the next fiscal
year are estimated at S24l ,372,S6S; expendi-
lures at $3.50, l52,470. For the fiscal year of
| 1870, the receipts are estimated at 1924. .0O0,-
! coo; expenses, 303. 100000. These estimates
are based upon existing taxes. The War De-
paTtment, In the event OF an Indian war,
! may add many millions to the above estima-
| ted expenses. The Secretary strongly urges
amending something TO the existing taxation,
so to have each year n surplus of fifty
/ millions for reducing the debt. lie recon-
| mends Congress TO authorize the issue of five
hundred millions of bonds, redeemable after
ten years and payable IN thirty years after
date. to be sold whenever the Government
credit is sufficiently improved, the proceeds
to be used In paying the first installment on
the 5-20s; the same plan to be adopted on the
remaining 5-2Os as fast as they mature.
Another Vessel Lost - Particulars
| OF the Loss of the Hibernia.
Liverpool, Dec. The ship j John Duncan,
from st. Johns for Liverpool, capsized in the
middle of the Atlantic and was lost. The
Captain and wife and nine of the crew were
drowned.
The following additional particulars of the
| loss of the steamship Hibernia are obtained.
The principal cause of the disaster was the
\ breaking of the screw-shaft inside. The
screw pipe got loose and damaged the stern
post and pipe, which caused fearful leak,
| through which a large volume of water
rushed into the hold. Every attempt was
made to save the ship, but strong gale pre-
vailing at the time, and a heavy sea, it was
found impossible to stop the leak. The
steamer rapidly settling when the boats
were lowered, and the passengers all en-
baked. Excellent order was maintained by
/ the ships officers, who kept the crew under
complete control, thus preventing any panic
among the passengers. The Two boats previ-
onsly reported saved we're picked up by the
ship Star of Hope, bound for Aberdeen. The
Captain of the Hibernia landed at John
0'iroatis house.
bad Business. u. p u. R. Blocked
with snow. nc is believed 10
| be an ImpractIcable Win
| ter Route.
San Francisco, Dec. lO.-The Union Pa
! cIfc railroad is reported blocked with snow
since the fourth inst, no trains having ar
rived at Bryan, where the stages receive the
overland mail. since that date. and none have
arrived at Cheyenne from the west.
! The President of the Central Pacific rail-
road telegraPhs the following from Salt
\ Lake, to-day: 81 think it inevitable, we
/ must pass through this valley and the sue
cession of fine valleys south, and make con-
nection with the smoky Hill route, as the
only practicable winter line. The short.
distance we pass through the deep snow we
can easily protect by covering, but the dis
tance and great elevation of the Union Pa
cifc road Is too long TO make covering
4 ITacticable- HI .aI
An Earthquake I'm California to-
.Tfr. day.
Havana, December l0.-Professor Delisser,
| OF Kingston, Jamaica, who has for a long
4 time. ia advance, announced the days on
which earthquakes would visit st. Thomas,
Chill and Peru, announces there will be an
earthquake in California about the eIeventh
| Of December
The Loss OF the Hibernia.
Liverpool, Dec 7--fO p. m.-Additionai
lsrti eulars are received of the loss of the Hi