The New York herald., 1871-09-16
WASHING GTON..
Charges Preferred Against
Major Hodge.
No FayOrs To BE Granted Default.
ing Revenue Officials.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Is. 1871.

WASHINGTON, Sept Is. 1871.
Chnrges Preferred Auuinst Major Hodre.
The secretary OF War has sent to the Judge Advo.
cate General the communication OF General Brice To
the AdIutant General detailing the circumstances OF
the Hodge defalcation, and the Secretary has d.
rected the Judge Advocate General 10 prefer
charges against Major Hodge. The applIca-
ton on behalf OF Hodge to be relieved
from close confinement has been refused
by the Secretary OF War, and he Will
thereiore remain. as now, IN close
custody at Fort McHenry. Paymaster Gen.
eral Brice called the Secretary OF War
this morning to say that he courted the fun
est investigation into his olcal conduct In the al
mlnistratiOn OF the arairs OF the Pay Department.
and especially with regard to the Hodge defalca.
ton. General Belknap has officially informed the
Secretary OF tho Treasury OF Hodges defacation,
his arrest and Imprisonment, and Of the action
looking to his trial by the military authorities
A Breeze Among Oflclals-shi. ting aesponsi-
biiity.
Ir has transpired to-day that the statement fur.
nished by Paymaster General Brice to the Asso-
cated Press, concerning the defalcation or Major
Hodge, was his official report to the Secretary Of
War. The Treasury officials are naturally indignant
that charges should be made against that depart
ment; but positively refuse to make any statements
until the letter OF General Price Is officially transmit
ted to the Secretary OF the Treasury the Secretary
Of war, then the charge Of responsibility and ne
glect Will be definitely fixed. The Acting United
States Treasurer to-day instructed heads OF dvi-
sons under him to submit Immediately such facts
as they had In their possession and Acting Sec
retary Of the Treasury has also asked for copies of
all letters bearing upon the matter tnat have passed
between the Paymaster General and the Secretary
of War. The Treasury Department bames
the Paymaster General and this official
bames the Treasury Department for not discovering
the defalcatI0n OF Hodge months ago. At present
there are at best only surmses as 10 the actual de-
fclency, and the Second Auditor, in whose offcot
the accounts OF Hodge must he audited, has
ordered an extra force OF clerks to imme-
dlately examine the accounts OF Paymas-
ter Hodge. This VIII be slow process
and the exact amount of the deficit cannot possibly
be ascertaned for several months. There. are all
sorts OF stories as to the manner in which Hodge
was enabled to msapproprate government funds,
but they utterly fall to the conundrum OF the
day here in Washington, Glow did he do itr'
Suits Against Delauiters To BE Pressed.
The sureties upon the bonds OF the collectors on
internal revenue against whom suits have oeen
commenced for balances due the government are
very generally asking for continuance of the suits
until the next term or the Court. Commissioner
Douglass uniformly declines to accede to any re-
quests OF this character being determined to press
suits In all these cases.
Tho Hodge NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tito Ro.
spOrsiblity.
The cotton crop reports purporttng to have como
from the Department. OF Agriculture during the past
month have not been genuine. The items In circu-
lauon-Often contradictory In tenor and assuming
to be oflcia-have had no origin In the statistical
data OF that Office. The returns Of September in
cude reports from about four hundred cotton grow
ing counties, representing very large proportion
OF the cotton area. those for August point to an
average condition OF the crops, almost identical
with that OF the preceding reports the averages for
Alabama and Mississippi being the same, those OF
Louisiana and Tennessee being higher, and those Of
other cotton States being lower. The State
averages of the September report are some-
what lower than those of August though
the principal depreciation occurs In the States
which yield small proportion OF the crop. While
the reduction is slight in the important district rep
sipp and Louisiana the percentage OF full condition
In the first week OF September, as averaged from all
81; South Carolina, so; Georgia, IS; Florida IS; Ala
pama, SO; Mississippi 80; louisiana, II; Texas, 81;
injuries by the boil worm and caterpillar, mainly In
Mississippi and Louisiana, but no evidence that
prebaoe Rua ssI0 IS COMMON from % the inSeSt X
lantlc Staes and to some extent on the
llnas ana Texas though the reports Of rainfall
through the South Indicate fair supply OF moisture,
the dlStrlDutl0n or Wnlcn mas been somewhat more
unequal than usual. At one point in Georgia the
fall In August was nearly fourteen inches and In
parts Of Florida 1t amounted TO twenty three inches
The variable atmospheric conditions nave increased
the prevalence Of rust and caused the destruction
OF both leaves and fruit. These drawbacks, though
greater than those reported In September OF
last year, are not sufficiently serious
to excite apprehensions OF greatly depre-
cated yield. They are reported each year in
some portions Of the cotton area In the records Of
last year there was considerable complaint or dam
ages to the cotton crop from rust, worms and un-
favorable August weather. These facts do not
point to an enlargement OF the expectation hitherto
INDUCED in. II they are reliable the most favorable
season could scarcely bring crop exceeding three
and onethird millions OF bales. II the growing
should be short unfavOrabe 5000, 900 OF Dale3
would be good result and with q combination OF
unfavOraDe circumstances the product might be
still further reduced.
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