New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-16


WASHINGTON, Tuesday Feb. u.s. 1870.
The Special Committee on Navigation Interests will
make their report Thursday. The suggestions they
made deaony with the question Of the decadence OF
American commerce. Its causes and their remedies The
latter consist Of proposed drawback imported ma
teral or equivalent bounty when American material
Is used allowing the of bonded ship stores and coal
for vessels sailing to foreign ports and also giving small
bounty to American vesseengaged in the foreign trade
All State and municipal taxes dues, and fees, except
wharfage and pilOtage to be abolished and uni
form unnage duty Of 80 cents per tun is proposed to be
levied. The Committee xpect to make further report
on the matter Of aid to mail steamship lines There
now several propositions referred to them which are
now under consideration They hope also to report q
vsed for the protection Of merchant sailors and
to promote Its efficiency and character THE Committee
have had under discussion the idea OF establishing O
Naval Reserve system like the one In use by Great
Britain, which enables that Government to summons TO
her service 10000 ablebOdcd seamen. Practical nayi-
gators merchants, and most efficient consuls at
maritime ports, complain greatly OF the nadequacy OF
the present legislation relating to American
The Committee are unit on the recommendations
already agreed and upon the policy to be pursued
generally. The three observation-disclosures Calkn OF
New York, Wells of Missouri. and Holman Of Indiana
active in its support agreeing fully with the Repub
lcan majority In the necessity OF adopting vigorous
American policy.
Mr. starkweather OF Connecticut to-day made an argu-
before the House Naval Committee OF which he is
member in favor Of the removal OF the Brooklyn Navy
Yard to the site owned by the Government the
Thames River claiming that by the sale Of the Brooklyn
Yard and its establishment the Thames, the Govern
ment will at least $5OOOO0. He also claimed that
the change OF situation would afford that protection
the city and commerce of New.York, which their i'm.
portance demands. and which is not secured by the
present location The objections TO retaining the Navy
Yard at Brooklyn summed up follows The avail
able waterfront is insufficient; there is adjacent
roadstead in which vessels safely anchor; the chan
mel is narrow and subject to extraordinary deposits from
the Of the city, involving large annual ex-
pense for dredgng the Of land inadequate, and
the growth Of the cities OF Brooklyn and Wamsburgh
up to- and around tho Yard, renders it difficult to pre-
proper police arrangements within its boundaries
The House Naval Committee received a letter from
VceAdmiral Porter to-day, strongly opposing the Civ
ing OF rank to the staff Officers Of the Navy. In the
OF his remarks Admiral Porter makes use of the
following extraordinary language concerning the staff
Of the Navy:
These gentlemen OF the staff who applying for
absolute rank already calculating among themselves
arranged suit themselves and the result viii
be Of affairs than existed during Mr. Weess
encroachment on naval discipline long as bring
argument 10 bear against them; and 1t shall not be
said that legislation went wrong because those officers
who should have had the best interests OF
the at heart. failed TO place this matter in its
the status shipboard OF any staff officer, aud no
QUO desires that they should be subjected TO any ncOn
have sailed many years in the Navy with staff officers
holding very inferior positions from what they do now
aud the Navy in most efficient condition. am
afraid ~ glory viii depart in this sweeping attempt to
ignore its discipline.
Ia the Senate to-day. resolution was eh"P'od' ut tho
instance OF Mr. Morton, calling upon The President Tor
detailed exhibit cost and construction OF our iron
eiads preeont condition. and by whom differed
The bill to abolish the FraBking Privilege was once more
taken up and talked until the expiration
Of the morning hour, this time 10y Mr.. Morrill, OF Yer
mont, who had "A written speech, the burden OF which
was that the bill too Sweeping In its provisions, and
should he rcconsidered and amended. The Mississippi
J up in regular order, and MI Bayard made the
into Executive session early yesterday Then came the
usual three hours discourse from Garrett Davis BY the
way, some Republican Senators inclined TO initiate
the habit OF the prosy Kentuckian in speaking all
casons and all subjects. distinguished Western
Senator has been the floor probably dozen times
the Mississippi bill, and was certainly up as many
more times while the Virginia bill under discussion.
When Mr. Davis got through long past o'clock, every
one was tired out aud the Senate Immediately adjourned
aud although effort made to have understand
ing that the vote should be taken tomorrow, it failed
The time OF the House. to-day, was mostly taken up
with the contested election of Van Wyck vs. Greene
OF the Orange and Sullivan District NewYork. Greene
the sitting member. is Democrat. and the Committee
report that he obtained his election by fraudulent votes,
aud that Mr. Van Wyck the legally elected Represent
alive. No tvote reached. The Fenian resolution.
which has occupied many Of the morning hours OF the
House, finally disposed of to-day, after number OF
members who threatened to nfict the House with the
reading OF long essays the subject were granted the
privilege OF printing their speeches in The Globe
The trouble between the Internal Revenue Bureau
here and the Dstlers in Ohio regarding the fermenta
ton period promises to resolve itself into a serious mat
ter Mr.. Williams the Indiana Supervisor, who is now
here has ordered to Cincinnati TO assist the Dis
trc prepare for the prosecution Of the Dis
ters Southern Ohio who oppose the enforcement Of
the decision Of Mr. Delano Mr.. Bateman has been in
formed that an officer of the Revenue Bureau will pro-
coed al once toCincinna with all the necessary papers,
and that IL is the desire OF the Commissioner that his
right TO specify the limits OF the fermentation period
shall be fully tested The Cincinnati Dstillers have ell
gagged eminent counsel and will make issue, on Constr
tutional grounds that the Commissioner has right TO
interfere in the matter The Deputy Commissioner has
lust returned from inspection of the largest dsteres
m Virginia In reference 10 the same subject.
Gen Spinner L. S. Treasurer, has begun new system
OF redeeming the old greenback and currency
OF dapdated notes bonds OF any description at the
various SubTreasuries and national repositories
throughout the country IL has been the practice 10
count and redeem all tho money and then transmit 1t to
the Treasures Office here Now the SubTreasurers and
other accounting officers receive 1t in bundles give
conditional receipt for it, and send 1t here for examna
ton and count II the package is correct in amount and
the notes are ell genuine, the conditional receipt is
cashed II the count Is short and there counter
fets In the package the amount Is deducted from the
receipt.
The Secretary Of the Navy has an order ready to dis
patch 10 the different Navy ards directing that all the
men be placed ut work at the Of
the Congress of the Navy Appropriation bill
The Monarch Is expected at Annapolis on Thursday
evening and Capt Commerell viii come at by rail to
this city and make arrangements with Minister Thornton
for tho festivities during the ensuing week Minister