The New York herald., 1870-12-01

tion. The amount involved In unpaid duties Is
quite large. Affecting New YORK houses principally,
and the report OF General Starring will be anai.
The Additional Tnx an Bonded Merchandise
The Secretary OF the Treasury. in reply 10 letter
OF Collector Murphy OF New York. relative TO a
question arising out OF the new tarl, has answered
1t as follows:-
Nov. 90 1870.
slR-The question has been presented TO this De-
par,ment mnrcnen,,.a as 60 whether goods wares ana
nouso ne Tor more than one year from date
2, Sar nmportat!on win be liable, withdrawal
10 inc ten per cent additional duty provided for by
.no % nrst section OF the act or March Ia. 1896. In
yGw @ oL inc swenty.sxth section OF the Tariff act OF
goods, wares and merchandise which may be IN
sne public stores or bonded warehouses on the day
anu year THIS act shall take elect shall be sub
thereof Tor consumption than 'I il IN The sasSs sams
careful consideration OF the questions involved,
am Of opinion that it was, MOI, tps inten:
o tss er sos of nars Si' Y rsEss sss
Er imposinS Mos the autes aforesaid, but That Tie
manifest purpose the. ol was 70 nioaiiy what may be
termed the ordinary,specln. af Ga NY'cf'i dul,ss-
goods immediately upon Importation this .ea per
cent additional duty, however, must be estimate.
on sAs rates provided for by the said act OF Jay H.
GEORGE 8. BOUTWELL,,
Secretary OF the Treasury.
PROPOSED tOatul convention with RuasIu.
Negotiations. which have been pending for some
tlne between the government and Russia respect.
Ing postal convention between the two countries,
eliminated to-day In the Postmaster General send.
lug to the Russian Minister drat OF ar tlcles 10 be
presented Tor ratification. IL provides for an ex-
change OF correspondence between the two coun-
uics by direct steam ~ via Bremen, Cherbourg aud
North Germany, and also via England Belgium ana
North Germany The rates ON closed letter mails
transmitted in either direction between the United
States and Russia average about three aud
oEe-half cents per single rate OF fifteen
grammes when conveyed by direct steamer via
Bremen or Hamburg and North Germany and about
1--WE and opc-nalf cents when conveyed VIA England,
Belgium and North Germany. This admits OF the
establishment OF an International letter rate OF eight
cents bv the direct German steamers via Bremen
or Hamburg, ana of ten cents by the route via Eng
land, Belgium and North Germany, leaving to
Russia the, usual profit for inland service
respectively, OF two and One-quarter cents
ON each single rate OF fifteen grammes, or
under Otherwise the provisions or the articles SUBJ
mittcd are similar to those of tho existing postal
convention between the United States and Italy,
Each government will make Its own internal regu-
lations, which VIII be mutually respected. The ef
feet OF the convention will be to render mall CON-
municauon between Alaska and Russia direct and
of transcontnental postal route between the
United States and Russia and the several Aslatlc
countries. The only European Powers with which
we now have postal treaties are Turkey, Greece and
the Scandinavian countries. AS the main points or
the articles of this cow enton had been previously
submitted to the Russian Minister their prompt
rattncation VIII follow as matter OF course.
Attempt to BriDo a 4 treasury Clerk.
gentleman who holds a subordinate position in
the Treasury Department was called on at his lodg-
ings night or two ago, and was offered ZOO for
an advance copy OF the report OF the Secretary OF tho
Treasury. Several Of the other Secretaries, owing
to the recent premature publication OF Official docu.
ments have lost confidence In their ability to keep
private their own printed reports until the proper
time for their Official PRONUNCIATION, but seem una
BILE to provide remedy.
Report Of the Lnnd Omcc Commissioner.
The report OF the Commissioner OF the General
Land ONCE has been completed. 1t Is vo.
luminous document, which contains elaborate
| chapters on the various subjects connected
| with the public land system and EN-
braces comments on the present situation
OF emigration, the naturalization laws railroad In
terests, and an elaborate essay on California. The
report also shows the aggregate amount OF public
land disposed OF during last year for agricultural
purposes and actual homestead. ana gives details OF
surveys Of new lands, &c.
A General Indian War Apprehented.
An Official letter has been received here from a
prominent military officer now iD the West, in
which he declares his impression that the Indians
VIII enter upon general war on the opening OF the
spring. The reasons given by the author for the
apprehensions conveyed that the Indians assert
they have been badly treated by the army officers IN
command near their Reservations.
Activity in the Navy Yards.
Orders have been issued from the Navy Depart
ment to commence repairs on the United States
steamers Powhotan and Canonicus, both OF which
have been for some time out OF commission II Wi
take some months to prepare them for sea service
The Army Retiring Board.
Several chaplains have applied to the War Depart.
ment with Wow to retirement under the recent
law. but have been unsuccessful owing to the TACT
that none but line officers have been sent before the
boards for examination. From among those who
nave been thirty years In military service, or
lncapacitated by reason Of wounds or physical dis
ability, the number which can be re.
tired ia 3OO instead or Ia as hitherto
The number OF applicants, however. Is
much larger than can be accomm odated
Meantime, under the board OF which General
Hancock is president, some officers will be dropped
from the service or allowed to resign with one
years full pay, having been reported as dis.
qualified or otherwise unified for the ser.
vice. Competent officers, unassigned, will be
appointed to the places thus made vacant
Attempted Frauds ON the Pension Burenu.
Dr. Saltcr, medical referee OF the Pension Bureau,
left here this evening for the North ana West
on important business connected with that
bureau. The Commissioner Of Pensions desires
the professional opinion Of DR.. Salter as
to the nature and extent OF physical disability ex-
istng In number OF claimants, whose claims in
vove large sums Of money. 1t has been ascertained
that in many instances the government has been
imposed upon by the reports OF examining surgeons,
and 1t is now proposed to obtain satisfactory evi.
dence through the regular medical referee OF the
Pension Bureau before admitting the claims OF GER
tain parties.
The Consul mt Cork.
William II. Townsend, appointed Consul at Cork
received his Instructions to-day from the Treasury
Na1 and In fasr 4ia=