New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-22

bia River and north of the Yakima Indian reserva-
tion in Ferguson County, embracing an area of G160
acres About $4,000 of this tract well adapted
for agricultural purposes tue surface being generally
rolling and the soil of superior quality. while the
balance is suitable for grazing purposes, the whole
tract being clothed with fine growth of excellent
grass There is no timber the tract but it be
found in abundance about eight miles north with
gentle rolling country intervening The lands lie In
the valley of the Yakima river an aftfuent OF the
Columbia The geological formations are basatic and
volcanic. small portion of these lands are occu.
pied by Indians who are engaged IN agricultural
pursuits and stock raising large amount OF these
lands are still unoccupied and open to settlement and
entry under the Homestead and Presumption laws:
The President has signed the pardon OF William
ment aud 800 fine, for assault and battery upon Gen.
Duncan, Assistant Commissioner of Patents.
The. BOYS in Blue" have consolidated into three
brgades, and will parade tomorrow night III torch
DO-NoTHING POLICY OF CONGRESS ON THE
THANKSGIVING DECISIONS OF THE
t SUPREME COURT ON ENFORCING COIN
CONTRACTS AND TILE LEGAL TENDER
ACT D ID Err. .rr.r a.'
t.t lPRoM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Feb l5--EnOugh has been grad
ually developed here to show that neither this Con
gress nor the one that is TO be its immediate sue
cessor, intends to do anything to improve our hnan
cial condition. The disease has taken on chronic
contraction, the wisdom of Congress the subject
has proved to be foolishness This body has totally
failed TO show either an honest desire or an nteih
gent purpose. In the first place, it does not Know,
and in the next, it wont do as well as 1t knows
Look for example ut the nsolence Of the refusal by
the HOUSE TO legalize coin contracts 1t opposes the
slight mitigation of the present condition OF things
which such q measure would Afford on the the nane
pretense that somebody will be able to take advan
tage Of somebody if bargaining in the precious metals
is left free. Why not go further and follow TINS
charming logic to the end. If the guard
ianship of Congress is necessary to pre-
vent men from taking advantage oil one
another in one kind of trading why not IN an
Why do not the people on Capitol Iiili assume 10
take charge of all the transactions OF the peopie'
To tell them how and when and what they may do
in regard to all their contracts and all their pur
chases and sales, from jackknife or a jackass mp
TO Steamship shant make coin contracts, indeed
Pray whence comes this lordly pretcnse OF power
to forbid themf In war we freely tolerate almost
ANYTHING TO secure our ends We have tolerated
pretty much everything. But If War abrogates In
diydual rights Peace restores them. | allude 10
this particular subject merely to illustrate the tenn
per and the intelligence of Congress. IL shows the
animus of the body. There is dim apprehension
that such measure may, in some underlined manner
operate against imitation and So without stopping 20
consider their own authority or the justice OF the
demand made that contracts in coin may be legal
led the House contemptuously rejects 1t. Such
conduct is intolerable enough from any
point OF view And the men who sup
port the principle on which such measures
can alone rest have forgotten the first duty OF Re
publican legislators, and ought TO be sent homo TO
take a few easy lessons from the handbook OF
Democracy. Recent decisions OF the Supreme Court
furnish grounds for the hope that If the country can
get nothing sautary out of Congress on the financial
question, it may find some relief in the decision OF
some cases now before the Court. That body will
decide at the present teTm'whether coin contracts
shall be enforced according TO their terms and there
is an opinion anoat that where such bargains have
been made the specific terms must be adhered to-
Should this opinion prove to be correct, this import
ant question will be closed without further Congress
sional action il is understood nso that the consti
nationality Of the Legal Tender act will bo soon deter
mined The legal mind Of Washington has suggested
this solution of it, That the issue Of legal tenders
was lawful as an exercise Of the power, but that
the right TO issue them was exhausted when the war
ended. Should tins prove TO be the judgment of the
Court. all apprehensions Of any further imitation of
the paper circulation by the Government viii be
put TO rest and another most important point thus
gained TO the interests Of sound finances These OF
course are but speculatons 10 what the Court will
do but in the absence Of any hope that Congress will
do anything on the finances at this, or tho coming
session. they sufficient to excite lively interest
among those who deprocate the -in-the-mnd
policy of the National Legislature. J. s. p