The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-08
The Work OF the Army Re.
firing Board.
Treasury Instructions to Col
lectors Of Customs.
The Decision in the Jay Cooke
Bond Case.
Prospects of u Perpetual
Congress.
WASHINGTON. Dec. I. 1870.
The Army Retiring Board.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 1870.
The Army Retiring Board.
The order assigning officers OF the army, as well
as the order retiring certain other army officers,
Will net be issued until the end Of the present month.
The Retiring Board now session In this city. have
large number OF officers yet to examine, and 1t
Will not be possible for them 10 complete the
duty assigned them within The time specified by
Congress-vz., the LIST OF January next 1t Is highly
probable that Congress will accede to the suggestion
or the Secretary OF War, ana extend the work OF
the Retiring Board until the LIST ofJuy. 1871. Unless
this Is done IT Is commended that number Of meri-
tor.ous officers are In danger OF being unjustIy dis
continued from the service.
There have yet been but two retlrements by the
President as consequence OF recommendation
from the Board, or which General Hancock Is presi
dent-one a lieutenant In the Second artillery ana
the other first lieutenant In the Thirteenth IN
fantry. Some officers have resigned against whom
allegations OF unitness had been flied, while others
have prepared testimony with which to combat the
charges brought against them.
The Importation OF Wines and Spirits.
The secretary OF the Treasury has issued the FOL.
lowing circular Collectors OF custom, relative to
the capacity OF packages and vessels In which
wines and spirtuous liquors may be imported after
the 3lst inst. -
To COLLECTORS OF CuSToMs:-
Y ur attention Is called To the fourth and sixrh
provisos OF section twenty-one OF "An to reduce
Internal taxes anu for other purposes approved
July Ia. 1870. Tue fourth proviso, Tar relates
TO the importation OF wines and spirituous liquors
In bottles, reads as follows
And provided further wines brandy and other spirtu
Gus liquors imported In bottles shall be packed in packages
containing less than one dozen bottles each package
The sixth proviso refers to the Importation Of
spirituous liquors In casks. and Is as ioilows:-
Provided that an, brandy Or other spuous liquors i'm
| he forfeited to the United States
| An importation OF the liquors described in pack
ages containing less than one dozen bottles cannot
DO admitted 10 entry and must be treated q tor
fcituio under section three oil the act OF Jnly 49,
1865 An Importation OF SUCH liquors In casks Of
less capacity than fourteen gallons Is express pro-
hbited under penalty OF forfeiture. You WILL there
fore, regard the third proviso or section OF an
act to protect the reveo ana for other purposes
approved July 2s. 1865 repealed SO far as il re,
| lates to the Importation OF sprItuous liquors In
| 3lst day OF December, 1870.
The Decision la the jay Cooke Bond Case
The principal topic or conversation among Urea.
sury officials to-day the verdict rendered yester.
day In New York making the bankers responsible
for the counterfeit seven-hrty bonds purchased OF
them by the government in 1857. The matter has
been under constipation for long time, ana it was
thought by some that the government would be
| compelled to lose the eighty thousand exchanged
| for these spurious bonds. Until there was a
probability Of establishing their identity and Gxinx
| them upon the parties from whom they were al
| legged 10 have been received no one believed hut
that the government would be the loser. The result
or the trial, however, puts quite different aspect
on the case and the fact that the bonds IN question
| were pronounced genuine by the former Superln-
! tendent OF the Bureau or Engraving aud Printing
gives additional importance. to the verdict OF the
jury, which establishes the testimony OF experts who
pronounced them counterfeits when iist discovered.
IL is not known whether Jay Cooke 4 Co. viii ap-
peal their case or abide the verdict that has
inst haan
Treasury holds that the government has no
right TO recognize counterfeit notes In its business
transactions, that In redeemng Its bonds ana notes
1t can only redeem what IL has lawfully issued on
the other hand, the government has redeemed
the counterfeit legal tenders ana placed the sum TO
the account OF profit and loss the books OF the
United States Treasurer According 10 the verdict
the question arises whether the government cannot
require parties from whom counterfeit notes are re-
ceived for redemptlon and which are not detected
until after the amount has been paid over TO make
good the loss thus occasloned.
Buffers Amnesty.
General Butler Will make an attempt tomorrow
to call up his General Amnesty bill, reported from
the Reconstruction Committee ut the last session
The bill exempts oil who participated In the late re.
bellion from the penalties of Acknowledgement
except persons who before the rebellion were
officers Of the army or navy OF the United States and
members OF Congress. Butler thinks he can get
enough strength In the House pass the bill at the
present session. He will be supported by the
democrats and some OF the republicans especially
those from the Southern States.
Business I'm the House-The Frapkinx Pri-
vieRe.
In the House to-day there was but little business
OF interest," most Of the time being spent in con-
sidering the bill reported from the Committee on
Post Offices and Post Roads for the codncation OF
the postal laws. Among the amendments reported
by the committee Is one for the abolition OF the
ranking privilege. As a substitute for that law it
is proposed that certain amount Of money shall
be appropriated every year to pay the postage ex-
penses OF the several executive departments, and
the Senators and members. This does not meet
with general favor, especially IN the Senate, where
the feeling to be in favor Of total abolition
OF the ranking privilege, or else OF allowing il to