New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-29
WASHINGTON.

The Secretary Of War days SINCE requested the
to give him an opinion In relation to
the intent and meaning OF the hth SIKH, and seventh
sections Of the Legislative, Executive, ana Judicial Ap
nronration bill passed the 18th Of July, 1870 To-day the
Attorney General transmitted to the War Departments
Ion onnion in the way Of To the questions
bounded The seventh section provides that no depart
ment must expend for the fiscal year s any sum In eH
cess of the appropriations for that year. OF 10 Involve the
Government i'm " contract for the future pay meat OF
money in excess Of such appropriations IN" Attorney
General gives "a opinion that all contracts MAIDEN
violation Of this section Of the bill vi" DE FoH' An" ihs
persons making the VIII be Liable 10 lp7f te 'hhe
amount while the Government Ofhfer VIII DC iaOis 70
such punishment Congress may prescribe. Inc 7seh
section relates to the duties OF the Government "'hn
in isbusing money and passing accounts. &c. ana OF
no public interest. The nth section Is as oio"S'
All balances of Appropriation bills made specinnaly
for the service OF any hscai year ap onIy i've
applied to the payment o. sHpehse' Propy nr"n
ery made within that year such balances not Heded
for the said purposes shall be carrier 80 se pnropTis
lions permanent or inde1nii" appropriations
In relation to the prOviso in this section the Attorney
General gives it his opinion that In Its exemption "
permanent indefinite appropriations II docs not Apply
to the regular appropriations made for the Army Hd'
Judicial, and Civil lists and that, therefore, all claims
arising any OF these branches Of the Government
prior the LIST OF july $780, and payable out OF the appr
priatons those respective services, cannot be paa
| APPROPRIATIONS
appropriations for previous years have been expended
and deficiency bills have been passed ~ meet the bal
ances due; therefore, 1t Is than probable that no
balance remains out Of which preexistng claims can he
paid, and the great mass Of claims collected OF duo
before the Ist Of july 1870, must remain I'M
paid until Congress makes appropriations for Them
or authorizes their payment out of the Ptes'h'
current appropriations. The First and Second Control
lers OF the Treasury Of the opinion to-day that t
decision of the Attorney General carried out, WI" ei
ectuay clog the wheels Of Government Tor thc'e TIA
sons viz: That no contractor empoye OF the Govern
ment no Judge attorney, no army or navy Oler nor
any person who has supplied the Government with any
goods stock etc. can recover dollar II there Is 20 IN
expended moneys that particular Department against
which they may have clamsthat Is If Their salaries OF
claims fell due contracted before July lo@
person may supplied the Navy other department
with $4,000 worth Of coal and have been paid $1,000 IL
all the moneys appropriated for the fiscal ending
June 20 is gone he get his remaining $4,000 un
Congress- next December legslaes for him. This IL the
in all Again, IL an officer OF the army of
navy should been absent for six months sick OF on
leave and failed his pay and the funds OF that
year exhausted he cannot get cent out oil the reg
lar appropriations Of this lie loses has pay 80
with soldiers, Sailors clerks or Others Inc Con
| troller remarked to-day:
As for claim agents. their business IS done They can
not get a dollar matter how just the caim Tor theh
moneys all contingent on the ISL appropriations
What course will be pursued by the heads Of depart
ments and the discussing officers thereof Is not yet
| known.
The following the official figures Of the appropria-
tons by the late session of Congress- for the purposes
named. This is the first official list published and may
| be relied correct. Others which have been pub
lished are Enthusiastically The total embraces the en-
tire appropriations excepting those contained in private
bills:
Military Academy. s3148s9 sundry civil expss13 SEA
Deficiencies. .... 4,I324e0 Deficiencies. 2Os llt
Consular service. l,OnS47 Army ,52 367
Works of defense. lI3 500 Indian Dept.. 652'SS5
Post-Ofice Dept. .26ss,998 Total .sl5G,0ols
| Leg, Ex. and Jud IS 949,25s
The Supreme Court in January last made decision In
regard to soldiers bounties in which determined
that all soldiers ensting before certain date and
ceivng honorable discharge, entitled to 500
bounty whether they served two years not The
Presidents proclamation OF May 1861 called for forty
regiments, and eghtytwo regiments received. The
accounting officers unable to decide which Of these
regiments entitled to the bounty and the matter
referred to the War Department for decision
which regiments enlisted during the prescribed time and
which did not. The War Department being unable to de-
termine the question at issue, the matter
| ferred to Congress, with the recommendation THAI
| all soldiers enlsting between the dates OF
} May 4, to July %, 1861, should be entitled
to the bounty providing they had already
under previous acts AS Congress failed 20 take any
action in the all the applications for the bounty
under the Supreme Court decision suspended in the
office Of the Second Auditor for future Congressional
action. private letter received to-day by Judge Noah
from Senator Brownlow at Knoxville, Tenn, denies the
reports to his falling health The Senator says he
in excellent health and spirits and is daily receiving
throngs Of visitors He also predicts that the Republic
will carry East Tennessee In the coming Judicial
elections and that the Hon. Horace Maynard will with
out doubt be reelected. The Republican party, he says
is gaining strength daily, owing TO the folly weakness
and mbecility Of the recent Legislature and that
viyal Of Repubicanism observable, particularly
East Tennessee.
There is general Misrepresentation that the Bureau Of
Military Justice of which Judge Advocate General
the chief, included in the of Congress consolt
dating the various legal branches the executive
partments into the Department Of Justice under the d.
rection OF the Attorney During the discussion
the bill In the House it proposed TO include Judge
Hollis Bureau but In view of the fact that is merely
military In its action, il decided continue il as
Bureau OF the War Department. The Bureau, however,
occupying the relations to the Navy Department.
was transferred to the new Department of Justice
The arrangement, therefore, is likely be some
what perplexing until the public become familiar with
! its eccentrictes.
Mr.. Hubbard, the Controller of the Currency to-day
ruled that all the National banks that have gone into
liquidation for the purpose Of winding up except those
that are consolidated with other banks will be Obliged
the act of July Il, 1870 deposit legal tender
notes for their outstanding crcylaon and take up
| their bonds by the l4th Of September next
The Collector Of the Port OF san Francisco some time
since submitted to Secretary Boutwell, the question as
to whether he must prevent the importation OF certain
articles intended for medicines among Chinese
residing in California. They consisted Of dried snakes
bugs lizards and all sorts Of animals ETC. The examiner
Of drugs refused TO pass them because they not in
his opinion pure drugs, and oathsome and disgusting
and unfit for medicines. The law officers OF the
Treasury Department have examined the customs laws
and upon their report of the matter Secretary Boutwell,
] .lN...