The New York herald., 1872-11-04
Two Surveys Of Isthmus
Routes Preparing.
4 RAILROAD RELIC OF REBELDOM.
Tardy Complaints Of the Management Of
the Freedmen'S Bureau.
THE HEALTH Of the CHIEF JUSTICE.


The Acting Secretary Of the Treasury has d.
rected the Assistant Treasurer at New York to
purchase $1,OOO,OO0 OF bonds on each Wednesday
and to sell 81 OOO 900 OF gold each Thursday during
the month OF November.
The Indian Commission nership-Assistan
Secretary C0wan-The Quaker Policy.
The resignation OF Commissioner Walker, OF the
Indian Bureau, takes effect on the Is OF January,
and the President Secretary Delano besides the
Board OF Peace Commissioners, Young Mems
Christian Association and Methodist Conferences
urge the successorship upon Assistant Secretary
Cowan, Of the Interior Department, with such
warmth that he viii feel bound to withdraw his re-
fusal and take the ONCE. The straight talk Of Com
missioner Walker to the Indians lately here Is not
acceptable to the Quaker and benevolent elemntse
in Indian management, who contend that corporeal
punishment has no rightful place at all in the In
dian policy OF the government they understand H.
and the late letter Of Mr. Stuart of Philadelphia
President Grant, though apparently referring to
the reported change In policy was really protest
against the revival OF q dormant feature in the
policy as first understood, that Indians proving in
corrigible should be punished by the military be-
fore being second time turned over to the
Quakers. The latter object to tribal punishments
when only individuals or detachments 60 on the
warpath.
General Cowan, the prospective new Commiss-
ioner, Is understood to favor the Grant policy In
It's entirety, which is, punishment where per-
suasl0n fails.
General sherman's vicarious Reports.
General Sherman will submit no extended report
on the army this year. but referring to his absence
from the country for nine months win lay before
the Secretary Of War the reports Of Generals Sher-
idan, Schoheld, Meade Terry and Emory as en-
bracing view Of military status for the past year.
During the year to come the General-in- Chief may
have an opportunity to apply some OF the ideas
picked up In observation OF foreign establishments
which win give interest to his next annual report
The Adjutant Generals RepOrt-LOose-
ness I'm tho Dcfunct Frcedmon,s Bu-
rcau.
The report Of the Adjutant General Of the Army
to the Secretary of War mentions the transfer to
him Of the business and records Of the Freedmen's
Bureau, finally discontinued under late act OF
Congress, and, incidentally, reflects unfavoraby
upon the management OF the Bureau AFFAIRS. The
report states that certain important essen
tia to proper understanding OF past business, have
not been transferred by the Bureau of1cials, also
that 5000 discharges of colored soldiers forwarded
for the purpose Of obtaining bounty or back pay,
and many months ACCOMPLISHING, were turned over
as unfinished business An instance IL given where
the accounts OF dlsbursng Offlcer were not ex-
amned till after his discharge, when 1t was found
he was delaulter for 60O0 but being out OF the
service the government was left without remedy.
A Railroad Relic OF the Rebel Govern.
mcnt.
The government has begun to recover the rail-
road from Danville, Va, to Greensborough, N. c.,
built wholly at the cost OF the confederacy during
the late war as a military necessity, and exclu-
slvely operated as military road, but unaccount-
ably taken as private property by the Richmond
and Danville Railroad Company in the general
breakup following the surrender or Lees army.
Repeated decisions here and abroad in favor OF the
right Of the United States in succession to the Con-
federate government are believed to insure the
recovery Of the road and compensation for Its use
and detention by the railroad company.
Preparations for the Press BANQUET to
Stanley.
At meeting yesterday Of the correspondence
committee for the dinner to Stanley, the Boston,
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, washington,
P1ttsburg, Cincinnati Louisville, st. Louis Chicago
and San Francisco press were individually repre-
sented, as wen as the Associated, American and
Southern Press Associations committee OF invita-
ton was appointed to wait upon Mr.. Stanley on his
arrival in New York, which s expected to be about
the 18th Of November. committee Of arrange
ments for the dinner was alse appointed. The in
dcations are that the Stanley dinner will be one Of
the most interesting aairs Of the kind ever given.
Chief Justice Chase On sble to Attend to
Business.
Since Chief Justice Chase has been here he has
found that ne cannot attend to his duties without
seriously jeopardizing his health 1t is understood
that unless his condition improves before Winter
he win take trip to the Pacific coast. There is
much complaint among the practitioners in the
Supreme Court as to the physical condition OF the
Chief Justice, and the action OF Justice Nelson who
is not able to come to Washington and is expected
to resign.
Two New Surveys for an Isthmus Canal
About to Start.
The two naval expeditions organized to continue
the surveys for ship canal between the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans through the Darien and Mica
rauga routes are preparing to start, Commander
Selfridge in charge Of the Darien, and Commander
Lull In charge Of the Nicaragua project The first
will begin his survey on the Pacific side OF the
Isthmus at the point from which the navigable
waters OF the Atrato River can be easiest reached.
The second viii start from Grey town, on the Allan
tic side.
The Navy Department expects to decide whether
there are practicable routes for canal within six
months, though Commander Selfrldge considers
the question already decided af1rmatively by his
last survey and goes out this time chiefly to find
cheaper route the estimated cost of canal over
the route already found being $s4,oOo,OO0.
The Post bag and the Equine Plague.
On account OF the horse disease the Post once
Department fears some arrangement In the mails
where horse power is used for conveyance on in
terror lines.
Defect I'm the soldiers' Headst0ne Law.
The question OF supplying headstones for national
cemeteries goes back to Congress under the opinion
Of the Attorney General. The present law is 80 de-
fective that II the Secretary Of war enters into
contract 1t must be with the lowest bidder, re-
gardless OF the suitability Of material, size shape
or finish OF sample, and cannot In face Of general
prohibitory law, make contract in excess OF the
existing appropriation OF 100000, which ia not
sufrcient for onc-ffth Of the work. There are be-
tween two and three hundred bids, covering most