New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-16

THE ALASKA INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON, Monday Feb. Is, 1862
The treaty made by General Cushing with the
Government of Columbia, comedies to the unlteu
States the exclusive right to construct an inter-
oceanic canal across the lsthmus OF Daren' at any
point which may be selected by the Onteu otaVes
The Columbian Government cedes six miles of land
OH each side of the canal onehalf FORTS own benefit
and the other for that Of the party undertaking the
construction of the work. The Columbian Govern
ment is to receive ten per cent of the net income for
the first ten years, and after the canal is
Maid for 25 per cent of the net profits.
The treaty is to be ratified by the United
States within ten months; the surveys TO
be made within two years after the ratifcatlon the
canal begun within five years, and finished WITHIN 10
wears after the ratification, otherwise the chaIter
fails The charter runs for 100 years. The canal IS
TO be under tho control of the United States, and
Congress can fix the rate of tolls. The navigation is
to be open to all nations in time of peace, but closed
TO belligerents who may seek to avail themselves OF
its advantages 1t is estimated that the canal VIII
cost $lOO.OOOOOO. A Company was not long ago or
canized in New-York under a charter of that State
with Peter Cooper as President 1t is said on distn
gushed authority that the Company has the capital
and is ready to commence the work. Congress, how
ever is at liberty to give the preference to this or
to any other private Company or the United States
can itself undertake the construction Of the canal
The decision made by the Supreme Court to-day
respecting the validity of contracts made payable IN
gold prior TO the war; and that similar contracts are
binding now on the ground that the law making
gold and silver legaltender had never been re-
pcalcd has caused considerable comment among
Members of Congress- aud is looked upon as an lndl-
cation that the Court intend to meet squarely the
question Of the cOnsttutionality of the LegaIender
49, Al - Il m aFf yAn
to state that the Court has not yet decided relative
to IT'S opinion upon this question.
In the Senate, to-day, Mr. Morton from the Joint
Committee appointed to wait on Gen. Grant and
Speaker Colfax and notify them of their election to
the offices of President and Viee-President, sub
mitted the response of these gentlemen in writing
Mr. Howard from the Joint Committee on Ordnance,
reported most important bill to provide for COM
mission of ordnance and to consolidate the ordnance
and artillery departments. long debate took place
ON the bill called mp by Mr.. Sawyer to
pay Mr.. McCuloch's Revenue appointees of
1865 who could not take the test OATH
This bill has already twice passed the Senate but
if is very doubtful about its going through third
time. The Conference report on the bill amending
certain acts relating to the Navy laid over for
further consideration, some Senators Directing to
the large reduction made in the personnel of the
Marine Corps The Indian Appropriation bill occu-
pied most of the afternoon and was then laid over
II covers 20 pages, and it is hard to tell how many
millions of dollars called for by it were voted away,
while the few Senators who were present wrote
their private letters, OF INDUCED in conversation.
At the Senate took recess until Z, when District
of Columbia bills only were considered
The Joint Committee on Ordnance submitted a re-
port on the feature of heavy guns to-day to the
Senate, through the Chairman. Mr. Howard. The
po1r Of l.rr1a
adopted in the army which, while partially success
full in smooth bores is held to be entirely unreliable
in rifles of large caliber Several of these guns have
exploded spontaneously in the foundery while being
finished, through excessive tension. The navy
solid cast guns the Committee think are better
rs smooth bores, but no better as rifles Tx
periments are recommended to determine upon
N reliable system of fabrication. The failure
to secure better guns the Committee think due to the
influence of officers and inventors who have secured
the adoption of their own inventions without due
regard to merit. The report contains considerable
testimony, ana large amount of technical nforma-
ton of interest to iron-workers. 1t is accompanied
by a bill which creates an Ordnance Commission,
composed of army and navy officers and civilians
eminent for scientific knowledge. into whose hands
il is proposed TO place the duty of making expert
ments and adopting arms for both army and navy
Mr. Ella Of Ncw-H Hampshire will report in the
morning from the Printing Committee bill provid-
ing that the Congressional Printer be directed to
port aud print the debates and proceedings Of each
House Of Congress daily. Two copies TO be fur
nished to Senators and Representatives, one to be
deposited IN the Office in season for distribution
in the mornings mail TO members and the other
to be placed their files by the doOrkeeper.
Six thousand copies TO be printed in
QuartO form, TO he bound in volumes Of
convenient size, each to be PACED and ndexed sepa-
rately: 1900 copies to be distributed to Senator'S and
the remaining copies to the Representatives. Per
sons requiring copies of the daily report can procure
it by sending names and price in advance to the
Congressional Printer; and any number of copies of
special speeches or proceedings may be obtained at
cost exclusive of composition provided the order is
given before the type is disrbuted and in no case
shall any document be reset except by the order of
Que or both Houses of Congress Tie Congressional
Globe contract terminates with this Congress, and
the bill is intended to provide for the future
A document of the utmost Importance was laid
before the House Committee on Military Affairs.
to-day, and will receive immediate attention. Some
weeks ago Gen. Garfield, the Chairman of the Mil
itary Committee, in order to acquaint himself with
the workings OF the Quartermaster's Department of
the Army. and to learn the causes of the immense
OUTLAWS thereof, addressed letter to the Quarter
ster-General asking for q detailed statement of
the number of persons employed by the Department,
what service they performed, and what pay they
ceiyed. To-day the Quartermaster- General made his
return. He reports the total number OF persons in
the employment of the Department at the present
time TO be 14672 of this number 1044 are civilians
and Alb enlisted men, detailed for civilian duty.
The total pay per month for the civilians employed
amounts 10 sl425g2 o. or $531l ,OOi As per annum.