The New York herald., 1870-03-05
The Radical Programme Fore
shadoWed.
TENNESSEE TO Be TIE NEXT VICTIM.
Republican Opposition to Congressional
USurpation.
Currency and Gold Balances in the
Treasury.
WASHINGTON, March 4. 1870.

WASHINGTON, March L. 1870.
Heavy Land Grants for Railroad Purposes.
The House Pacific Railroad Committee at its meet
ing to-day agreed TO report avoraby on the bill to
extend the time for completing the Atlantic and Pa
cidc Railroad the bill to authorize junction be-
tween the Central Pacific and The Onion Pacific, and
lne bill granting the right OF way ana land subsidy
70 the Kansas branch OF the Pacific Railroad to puid
aroad from Chey enne Wells TO point in northern
Mexico. The committee has had these bills under
consideration for weeks, ana at every meeting the
committee room has been crowded with the lobby
ists who here In the employ or the several COM
psnies put the scheme through. The bill for the
eenent OF the Atlantic and Pacific road gives
no additional subsidy or land grant but sim
ply provides thai the privileges and franchises
heretofore granted by Congress snail not be forfeited
by the failure OF the the company TO complete It's road
within the tune originally prescribed. The Kansas
Pacific Railroad bill involves an enormous land
grant OF several hundred thousand acres. Most OF
~ SAID to excellent agricultural land The rela
tive OF prominent radical Senator Is president OF
this company ana its lobby agent Is an exSecreiary
Of the Interior.
The Proposed Removal of the Brooklyn Navy
Yard.
William L. RobinsoR OF Brooklyn, appeared this
morning before the House Committee on Naval Al
fairs and submitted arguments against the removal
Of The Brooklyn Navy Yard, as detrimental to the
interests OF the city and OF the entire country.
General S,ocum followed with some remarks on the
otner sde. and Mr.. Robinson briefly responded.
General Socum Is the present and Mr. Robinson the
past representative in Congress from the district IN
which the Navy Yard ts situated. The committee
having authorized representatives SlocuIn and
Starkweather to draw up bill they have done So
providing the Navy Yard shall be sold AID It's opera
TONS removed TO some other point.
The Banking aud Currency Committee.
The Committee on Banking and Currency had a
meeting to-day and discussed the general business
bsfore them but did not take definite action any
oill. The work OF the committee Is much behind on
account OF the time scent ia the gold panic nvestl
cation, and the chairman is determined 10 bold
meetings aai.y until the work Is brought up. The
question OF the premature publication OF the eyi-
dence of the gold investigation was discussed, and
The clerk OF the committee, who mad been charged
with giving 1t out, was exonerated from blame.
The Proposed Increase Of the Currency.
The Committee on Banking and Currency al their
meeting to-day had an interchange OF views on the
instructions OF the House to report bill increasing
the volume OF the currency $4,000 900. The com.
mittee are at loss TO know whether 1t intended
the increase should be IN greenbacks or in national
bank notes. and therefore the character OF the bi is
YET undetermined. IL is probable that in this
Aec0n they VIII report plan for the funding OF the
national debt. They Will carefully consider the
entire question.
Carrency md Gold Baian nccs In fhe Treasury.
AT the close OF business hour to-day the currency
balance In the Treasury was so,57s,475 &c. The gold
balance was SI03,051 473 "a, OF which $44, $40
represent golo certificates outstanding, leaving an
available gold balance OF $57 $50 033 a. The receipts
from internal revenue have been very heavy for the
last four days, averaging nearly million day.
The New Minister 10 Liberia.
James w. Mason who was to-day nominated as
Minister Resident and Consul General a. Liberia is
q muIatto and native and resident OF Chicot
county, Arkansas, where he Is now largely engaged
IN planting. After graduating IN Oberlin College,
Ohio, he was taken by his father to Paris where he
again graduated az French national school. En-
listing in the French army he served throughout the
Crimean war and was brevetted lieutenant colonel
for distinguished services. About a year ago he
was nominated Judge OF the Court at Cape Town.
Dut owing to unfavorable legislation in regard TO
the continuance OF the courts IN Africa he de.
Clned the appointment. His present nomination as
Minister to Liberia was mate on the recommends
ti0n and at the Instance OF Senator Mcdonald
An Exceptional Pension Case.
The House to-day passed bll! giving 10 a colored
man residing IN the DistrIc. OF Coiunba who lost
both feet at the second battle OF Bul Run, pension
commencing rrom 1862. II appears this man, being
a teamster and an cmploye of the Quariermas.er
his name was not on Ihe muster rolls. His for
this and other reasons received an unsavorabie re-
port in the present as In the preceding Congress.
In opposition to the claim 1t urged that pas
sage would set a precedent requiring eXpendi-
ture or two or three milnons dollars every
year TO meet similar exceptional cases, for
which provision would have TO be made
in addition to the expenditure OF thirty-three or
fhirty-hve millions per annum for pensions. il was
stated In the debate that thousands OF petitions TO
meet cases nor provided for by law had already been
presented to Congress relating TO injuries for life
sustained by persons who though not mustered into
the service, were employed IN connection with the
military movements and jeopardlzed their lives as
much AS those who were enrolled.
Official Records Of the Rebellion.
Ia compliance with resolution directing him 10
report what progress has been made in the prepara
tlon for the publication Of The oficial documents
relating TO the rebellion the operations OF the
army PROVIDED for TN the act OF July 81, 1866, the
Secretary Of War to-day informed the Senate that
Peter II. Watson. the person appointed to perform
said duties, did not do so and received no compensa
ton. The Secretary states that the only additional
legislation now required on the subject Is TO revive
the Joint resolution OF July 81 1866 and amend IL
80 as 10 provide FOR the publication or such docu.
ments only a. are found be OF historical import.
ance and yalne. by which means the proposed work
would be greatly reduced in size and cost without
decreasing It's usefulness.
Repeating the Test oaih.
Senator Robertson, from the Committee on Dtsabiii
dies TO-DAY reported favoraDiy Senator Ferry's b,l to
repeal the Test Oath act OF july 1862 and IL be-
lieved the bill will soon be passed by born Houses.
il lelieves all persons OF disabilities except those
disqualified under the fourteenth amendment.
Executive Nominations.
The following nominations were sent 10 the Sen
ate to.day:-Ge0rge H. Butler, OF California, to be
Consul at Alexandria, Egypt; Almon A. Thompson,
or Michigan, TO be Consul at Ccdench; J. 7. Aeigs,
OF Tennessee, TO be Consul at Montevtdeo; James
W. Mason OF Arkansas, TO be Minister Resident and
Consul General IN Liberia; James Riley Weaver, OF
West Virginia, to be Consul at Antwerp: David j.
Wll,iamson OF California 10 be Consul d. Ga.iao.
Nomination Withdraw