New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-04
WASHINGTON.


ALASKA PURCHASE INYESTlGAIIoN-lhH
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Feb s. lSo'
A paragraph which originally appeared III - -
York Journal Is going the rounds OF inc Ie So,
affect that the Banks-Grant-Stanton controversy
will be soon ended by the publication oI '"T Loiv,
respondence Gen Banks, as the report runs -
now engaged in preparing the orders ana th"' my
will appear during the present week. lheio 10 i no
tptb whatever in these reports. Gen. BANKS a' 'no
,e Of the nnblicaton of the letter charging hV N0
nod been directed TO relieve Gen. Grant OF his COM
mand before the taking of Ncks0mg nau no' GU" -
70 the subject TO anybody excepting Uen' 80 -
and the information upon which the VI gina, 80
WAS based did not come from Gen. baliAS' Ai0 -
&C tl,e idea Of pubshng the orders such as 'leS
- never entered his mind. So the report tna' nc
is to make the orders public IS ueli.u ~ IN
antboritv He does not believe that zen "l"i' VIZ
nnblish them Indeed, he knows II Is MS pIesehV III
tontion not TO do So Both gentlemen think good
Soai too mpeh has already been said about the
matter.
In the Senate to-day, nothing of any Importance
occurred during the morning hour. The Consular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill after having oc-
crpied the best part Of three days was passed this
afternoon the clause relative to the expenses OF the
rrived commission appointed under the treaty with
Great Britain, for the suppression Of the African
slave trade being finally amended by providing that
the salaries of the judges shall cease so soon as the
consent of Great Britain to the termination Of the
treaty shall be obtained by the President
There was another set-to between MI
Summer and Mr. Patterson of New-Hamp-
shire the latter showing even more excitement
than he did yesterday. When the Consular and Di-
plomatic bill was finally disposed of there was
sharp but friendly struggle between Mr.. Stewart and
AZ fart ho pTepcleuce in the taking of
the respective bills under their charge. The infer
ence to be drawn from Mr. SheTmans appeal was that
the currency and the finances generally would 90 to
the dogs if his bill was not taken up Immediately;
while Mr.. Stewart equally as positive that the
Republic would be in great danger if the suffrage
amendment was not disposed of within very few
dlys The argument of Mr. Stewart was evidently
the most potential for by large majority the Senate
determined TO proceed with the Suffrage BILL and out
of respect TO the Senators who are anXOusy waiting
TO deliver speeches sthe finances there seemed to
be disposition TO proceed with the Currency
bill soon as the suffrage question rs settled. No
definite time however, can be fixed, for nearly
dozen amendments were offered to the Suffrage
amendment as soon it was taken up there are half
as many pending, and there is good prospect
of fully as many more. The intimation thrown out
by Mr.. Grimes as 10 the Tenure-of-O Office bill this
afternoon will probably have the effect of bringing
that subject before the Senate at no distant day.
Indeed, Mr.. Edmunds stated, though perhaps joking
~. that he should antagonze it with the Currency
bill. 1t viii be remembered that the Senate Com
mittee reported substitute for the House bill re-
peang the act. which is amendatory only. The
important bill reported by Mr. Trumbun from the
Judiciary Committee, amending the judicial system
of the United States, thought TO be demanded by
the necessities of our judicial service.
nrODOsitiOn q nav All bonds gold
unless otherwise provided by law, and legaizing
cold contracts, was under discussion by the Ways
and Means Committee at their meeting to-day. The
Committee in favor Of this measure and viii also
embody in the same bill the features of the PROPOSE
ton presented by Representative Judd of Illinois,
preventing the Secretary Of the Treasury from sell
ing or transferring anv more bonds or issuing any
more notes bearing interest or otherwise Legisla-
ton Of this character is regarded necessary in
order to prevent the present future Secretary of
the Treasury from issuing bonds notes without the
consent Of Congress.
The Secretary of War Gen Schofeld, was before
the House Military Committee for a long time to-day,
and gave much important and interesting testimony
In relation to the movement to reduce the expenses
Of the army and also regarding the Indian diifcnl-
ties and the subject of army bTeyets The Secretary
announced himself in favor Of consolidation, gener-
ally in order that there should be as few heads as
possible. lie believed the Pay Department, Commits
sary Department, and Quartermasters Department
might be consolidated, with great saving to the
public service also the Engineer Corps, and the
Coast Survey, and the Ordnance and Artillery
Bureaus. lie also made the remarkable state
ment that in bis opinion the War and
Navy Departments could be ad vantageOusly consol-
idated, giving many very plausible reasons for his
belief. lie said was one thing not two and he
Il Il ~ A. =
power. That the army and navy should be under
one administrative head like the Secretary of War
the Secretary of the Navy but that both
branches ought 10 be under the command, one of Il
General and the other of an Admiral. lie did not
believe, lie said. that cooperation of the army and
navy Is possible in war; and that the officer fighting
battle or taking a fort should have the
supreme command of all engaged in the under
taking On the subject Of the Indian
uouoies ana their causes and results the Secretary
believes there viii he general Indian war next
summer III whieh al the Indians north of the Platte
viii engage, unless some provision is made for food
tng them sHe SAID more money had been exnond.d
ia fighting the Indians during the past year than II
would take TO feed them for five years. When asked
what action he thought would prevent future trouble
he said he believed the settlement of the Indian diff
ties would be found in transferring the control of the
Indian Bureau from the Interior the War Depart
ment. He said nobody was more interested in keeping
peace with the Indians than the soldiers who have
TO fight them. He thinks one of the leading causes
Of the wars is the constant entertainments of the
white man upon the Indian reservations, and their
interference with their right guaranteed by their
treaties. He thinks the military authorities would
be obeyed and respected by even the white men,.
The Senate Committee on Pacific Railroads to-day
finally agreed upon the subject Of granting aid to