New-York tribune., 1869-01-06
WASHINGTON.


TkiNAI WASHINGTON, Tuesday Jan. s. lsc''
Roth Houses r 1sembled to-day DuSinooJ 4'ort
DO,n each House, much TO the disappointment
no"S Eodv who expected work. In the senate
OF y,sointon requesting the President 10 tranS-
Congress copy Of his last Amnesty fIocian'-
ni' ri,b his authority for issuing the same was
oS uO"' bv large majority Inc remain
psSSou .bo davis session was consumed IN
dsbatjpg claim for tne Ieehouloonen' ,I'''l.,i'
uo"A''e e. lost in the Southern States during the
tor ni' p,vp The debate was long and tedious, but
the fact that the Senate is opposed to pay
oe''iOp che southern claims for losses during the
Rebellion
-. !" hill was reported and made the special or
.ororrow. A resolution to annul the con-
80 90 Wells Fargo & Co. for carrying the over
- nails and appoint a committee of investiga-
tion was debated briefly but nothing definite was
oooompsbed The bill to reimburse Iowa was passed.
also bill 10 repeal that portion of the naval laws
which prevents the selection of civilian to be Chief
of the Bureau of Steam Engineering. The House
then went into the Committee of the Whole on the
State of the Union, and Mr. Window spent the time
in prasng the project for a Northern Pacific Rail
road.
The Commissioner of Patents having declined to
pay the bills of the contractor for furnishing station
cry and bond paper for the Patent Office, on the
ground that there was fraud in the contract the
Secretary of the Interior appointed a commission.
composed of B. +. James, Norris Peters, and e. w.
Griffin, principal examiners in the Patent Office, to
inquire into the alleged fraud The charge Is made
that these commissioners were in cOluson with the
contractors, and their report amounts to nothing.
This the commission deny. They say they investl-
ta1 fba oft
their report they say the articles furnished were
such as were specified in the contracts
and schedules attached, and at the prices specified
or by a special or implied agreement, so far as the
Patent Office is concerned with the Commissioner
of Patents to furnish such unenumerated articles
required prices paid and agreed 10 be paid by
him. The terms and conditions of the contract prop
necessarily exclude any inquiry into its character
of the prices stipulated to be paid unless fraud is
shown. And we are also of opinion that bills pre-
sented TO the Patent-0fic accepted and paid. are
also estoppel the part of the Office to the
character of goods purchased and the prices paid
therefor. Such purchases may be considered matter
of contract particularly when the payment
of the bills rendered are by of
requisition upon the Treasury Department for
the amount required, signed by the Commits
sOner of Patents and the Secretary of the Interior
making it ipsO fdctO contract with the Department
proper, and becomes a subjects of review only upon
proof of fraud The unadiusted accounts of the
tractor against the Patent Office their bills
dered the first of September, amounting TO about
5000 and their claim for balance due contract
on bond paper, amounting to $4,000 The items
comprising the first bill proven to have been de-
livered by tho contractors, by persons having cog
nizance of such matters As regards the bond paper
the Commission set forth that there is doubt that
the Commissioner Of Patents contracted with
the contractor to purchase 100000 sheets of bond pa
perat cents per sheet The Office received upon this
contract 800 $40 sheets and the contractors admit they
have on hand 10000, which have been rendered TO
the Office and refused. The Commission recommend
that the contractor deliver the additional 27O0O the
balance of the 100000 contract and that the Patent
Office should adjust and pay the bills above referred
10. This is the defense of the COn1mssiOn and the
contractors, but the Commissioner of Patents and
the Printing Committee of the House also made in
yestgations Of the charges, and they are of the
opinion that the evidences of fraud having been
practiced fragrant and need further investigation
In connection with this matter the report that
President johnson will remove Commissioner Foote
within the next ten days and nominate successor.
Secretary Browning is said to be in favor of Foote'S
removal and bis friends are pressing the matter at
the White House. The Printing Committee of Con-
gresS care nothing for Foote nor Browning but wish
merely to protect the Government.
The news from Albany to-day regarding the New
York Senatorial question is the subject of general
remark here tonight Senator Morgan's friends are
takative and Sangune while others say little. The
elections about take place in the other States
also being discussed with much interest. Senators
Morgan, Henderson Ramsey Chandler and Morrill, |
OF Maine are all absent from the city looking after
their chances. Senator Ramsey writes that his re-
election is probable and Senator Henderson is re-
ported as having said that he would give more for
ms chances now than when he was first
elected when the entire press of the State
was opposing him. Chandler's reelection is
generally conceded. The contest in Maine is very
hVey and opinions expressed here are usually 10 the
eieCt that Morrill, will be reelected. The result in
Inuiaha next TO pennsylvania, is the most doubtful
"r' De1rees and number of other leading Republi-
cans oi that State have gone to Indianapolis in the
so'ss' Oh their candidates. and there are no de-
'"'u Opinhons expressed whether Cumbacl Tbomn
90" or hughes viii be elected. Senator Cameron
t 'i A""ienee, MI Olman, and other Pennsylyanians
nave gone 70 Harrisburg to lock after the
"i DuoASiew' Nobody attempts to form anv iudo-
ment on the result w any JUG
oinciai dispatches have been received to-aav tro.,
the officer charged with the se+tloroot rom ron
cui'ies IN the Ogeechee tGa.) District reoroso,,ti
tho almost utter want of foundation i, .L e
thus tar received through the Assoco,od p- -NpOi'
the troubles IN that quarter. The fnn o,sc;oI -
wil' without doubt, be given to the nhlc =; ioPOi'
days. puonc III few
IN the House TINS morning Mr. Wasbhrrro f,..
man OF the committee On Appropriations ,snor.n,
tne VII making appropriations for the Consnlar GA
Dpo'a'' oAPehSes ol the Government for thu veor |
onuns juno o. i0'O me onl appropriates slO6 ooo
less than was appropriated for the same
year IL contains the usnal aDnr.--. 'aeV