New-York tribune., 1871-01-21

REVENUE COLLECTIONS-THE ARMY APPRO
PRIATION BILL-CRUELTY TO sEAMEN.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNBI
WASHINGTON, Friday, Jan. 90, 1871.
Mr. Tulburd, Controller Of the Currency was before
the Committee Banking and Currency this morning
and the Committee considered without coming to any
conclusion, proposition for establishing in New-York
City Central Redemption Agency, at which all National
Bank notes shall be redeemabe Such measure II con
Tered by bankers and other business to be very
desirable now, and when specie payments resumed
IL will be necessary To maintain the uniform value
d the bank currency in all parts OF the country II the
Western and Southern banks not compelled TO ne
deem their notes at par in NewYork. when resumption
is established, such notes will be received in the East
only discount like the notes of sound Western State
banks previous to the Two methods OF redemption
proposed. The first IL that each National Bank
shall have the privilege Of selecting some bank in
New-York for It's redeeming agent The second plan
which is favorably regarded by the Committee
contempates the establishment in NewYork Of a grand
Central Bank Of Redemption which might be called
The Bank Of Banks" at which aiNationa Bank notes
shall always be redeemable a par, the capital OF this
Central Bank TO he furnished by each National Bank
taking stock IL to the extent OF not less than five
than ten per cent of its capital The whole
banking interest OF the country, uniting in this way
could establish Redemption Bank, with capital OF
s2oOOO which would act as the heart of the National
Bank system to and from which the circulation would
flOw Beside its business Of redemption, the Central
Bank would gather up all mntiIated and worn out
notes and have them replaced with new Ones and would
detect and destroy cOunereits and TINS Keep the cir
culating medium clean and pure II Is probably too late
TO expect the adoption OF any legislation on this subject
during the present session, but such measure as
described above will be demanded. The Committee
on Banking and Currency appointed subcommittee
to-day to visit the Treasury and inquire into the neces
sty OF authorizing the engraving Of new plates for the
National Bank notes Of the denominations of S. S0 and
so.
Since organization of the Internal Revenue Bureau
in 1862 until the ls of January lSl the fun amount col
lected has been slis2OdO00O. OF this total, NrSs7o"D
was collected in the several distriets Tie remainder
s95OO, is direct receipts from sae of STAMPS Of the
above total one-sixth collected from tax on spire
Railroads furnished s3 100000, while banks and incomes
average SOS 100000 each. The New England and Middle
states paid about s9O0,O0OOOO. New-York furnished
sS2 COO of which total NewYork City paid in round
Numbers, s182,OOO,O00
1t having been found impractcable to consolidate the
Internal Revenue Districts in the more sparsely settled
portions Of the country the Commissioner Is adopting
other methods OF reducing the expenses OF his Bureau
The only Districts which have already been consolidated
are those of New-York Brooklyn, Philadelphia Bat
more and Cincinnati. The reduction in the expenses OF
the already amounts to about $4,000, and Com
missioner PleasontOn thinks that he can soon dispense
with the Of at least Assistant Assessors.
preparation bill this morning SECRETARY BelkIrip has
been active and vglan in cutting down the estimates
OF his bureau officers and in reducing the expenses u
his department TO the lowest figures that the Committee
found very little TO do, and accepted the estimates ap
proved by the Secretary for every item except two
those ordnance expenses and for the payment OF In
dian scouts-which the Committee reduced one-hat
The total amount appropriated by the bill is s27 52O
which IL ~ less than the appropriations for the
Army last year. This saving is effected by tn operation
Of the Army Reduction law Of last Sumner. The prfne
pal items OF the bill For the pay Of the Army sls
600 for subsistence sO5O0 for expenses Of Quarter
masters department, slI,l55O0o, including clothing
transportation erection and hire OF quarters, fne
forage purchase Of horses, &c; for the medical depart
s2J7, coo; for ordnance expenses $1o0o, ncning
500 900 buy heavy cannonfor coast forts.
The Fertilization bill finished in the House Com
mittee to-day The amounts agreed upon follows:
Fl Ontario Oswego 1000 Fl Miin, near Phila 26OO0
IT. Preble Porto Me. 2s 500 Baty on Finns Point,
TT SCANNED. Portld $1,000 Delaware River. 5000
Boston Harbor, Fort New Fort, opposite
L. !. Head Battery 1900 TT. Mouitre, Charos
Fort winthrop. $500 Tom Harbor.....'. @oW
wetts pTi Point +. r. 1900 IT, JefTson Pa i2SoO
NY Uarbor 1T Ham TT. Jackson, Miss. r.. 5000
ilton and additional Ft ST. Philip, Mis- X. ~ 800
batteries 80. ...... 25,000 san Francisco HartDr,
Fort site OF Fort Fort Polnt..-.. 0OO
Tompkns 5000 Lime Point .lDVD
Battery Hudson 1850 Alcatraz Island 1900
Fort Sandy Hook. 5000
These appropriations just half Of the amounts re-
commended by the Chief Of Engineers The following
appropriations made in accordance with the esti-
mates: Purchase Of sites for permanent seaooast de-
fenscs sl5OOOO contingencies OF fortiicatiOns, $en0
seacoas mortar batteries, 100000; surveys for mill
tary defenses, s5OOO0. Appropriations for q forca-
TONS and old asked for by the estimates, were en-
trely omitted by the Committed
Charges Of cruelty have been preferred against Com
mander A. A. Semmes of the United States ship Poris
mouth now on the Brazil saton in the North Atlantic
Squadron about nine months ago. The records OF
cours-martial, in the OF several of the men ON
board the ship for refusing TO do aty TO the Navy
DEPARTMENT and as these claimed In defense, that
they had been cruelty treated, court Of inquiry was
ordered The records Of tho court embracing coo or 100
pages OF manuscript came tO the DepWtmit In Septeh
ber and from these it appears that nearly every man
aboard the ship had been subjected 10 punishment
These punshments consisted sf mailing up in boxes
for days tying them up by the thumbs sc. One OF the
ships writers cognzant of ali Of these cruelti and
had entered returns of punishment in the logbook
The officers thinking that he knew much Of the way
in which things managed reduced him. He after
ward refused TO do duty, and was mtmartflled and
sentenced 10 the Penitentary for several years Though
there has been much delay it reported that the com
mander and his executive officers to be tried.
The House Committee Of Ways and Means did no busi
ness of importance at its meeting teay The next sub
ec OF disc cussion in this Committee will bo the Income
Tax and the proposition Of Commissioner Pleasonton to
abolish it.
The House Judiciary Committee to-day considered Sow
eral bills referred TO il. Gen. Butler was instructed to
report to the House for printing and recommital bill
enlargng the powers of District Supreme Court In
cases where the officers Of the GeDer Government are
involved The Committee also considered bill amend