New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-18
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL

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CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
CANDIDATES FOR THE SUPREME BENCH DIS
CLOSING TUEMsEL vEs-TUE NAVAL INVES-
TIGATION-THE ARMS SALES NOT LEGALLY
ACCOUNTED FOR--THE UTAH NJ dole.
IBY TRLEGRAPH TO THE TRiBuSBl
WAsHrNGros Wednesday, April II, 1871
The opposition made by Senators COnkllng ana
Edmunds to the bill before the Senate, giving the
President the right to retire full salaries United
States Judges, who from ago OF any other cause
have become unable to perform the duties OF Their
Office, and it's consequent defeat. was the most inter
esting feature Of tOdays proceedings IN the senate
Mr. Carpenter referring to tins 0ppOsitioh I'D ocu
lar way that 1t strange to- see the two
men upon whom Of all Others the Judicial ermih me
opposing this bill But he seemed not to understand
the secret of it, 1t has long been believed Dy many
that Chief Justice Chase would retire from the bcnch
very soon, should this or similar bill, pass Ooh-
gress and It IL oss ' nr the seat that would
thus be made vacant. But. unfortunately for them,
the salaries of the Judges of the Supreme Court nave
been increased during the present term OF Once Oh
each of these Senator's and law OF Congress
fOrbids the appointment of any OF ITS own members
during their term of Office, to position the salary OF
which has been increased during that same term.
IT, therefore a vacancy should occur now or before
the 4th of next March, neither Conkng nor Howe
could take the place, while Edmundss disabilities
will not be removed until 1873 lhey are theh, all
opposed to passing any law which VIII make an
early vacancy on the Supreme Bench probable, and
So after amending the bill to make it necessary that
Judge should 10 years before rctiTlhg, de-
feated it.
At the Robson investigation, this evening. Mr. Cor
lss given the opportunity 10 state that all the ale
cations the charges far as they related I'd the IT.
moya of the engines the SacO were made ont OF
whole cloth" The engines were experimental, guarah-
teed by the Coriss Engine Company as to Their
performance and, being partly failures were removed
from the ship by the builders, and not al tbe
no NAVY
Corliss paid back all the money advanced upon thei.
and join other contractors in claims for extra
tera caused by delays and action OF the Government,
erecting shops Of Corlss Engine Company IN RELATION
for S Suildnc Fleetwood engines, Corss was noti
fed that no more money , would nd sa Ss er
sore asked from them proposal to deliver the engines
at the Charesown Yard, in their then unfinished
he paid by the Navy for tie delivery and cancelatonof
the contract The proposal was made ana me ~, pT,ce
reau of steam Engineering. King. to give Corss GER
tincate of settlement, naming an amount FOUND 10 DC
p~e e by p"c Congress Not cent has
agreed 'S Spon and the engines are IN
Navy Yard 1t Is said that evidence will be presented
' nsr Ccn on gun contract
TO firm of which his wife's brother was member, on
V IN NJ e 1868 ' and the fact was found in
number of THE TRIBUNE containing the evidence OF
Ordnance. In 1862
Knowledge derived from figures statistics printed
the Department reports Is OF such an uncertain ma
ture and SO apt lead the student Of those reports
into error that 1t unsafe to give opinion what
on it's face appeared to be most important discovery
by the French Arms Committee to-day. The one point
which Hamn has at all times, by his questions, at
tempted TO make most prominent has been that the
arms and stores sold at high prices and
that the United States is ten million dollars
richer by tho transactions. An examination OF
~ tha fha frroaa,
five. shows the expenditures for the War Department
during the year ending June 80, 1871 to have been
$685. s9l 81 The following explanatory note is ap-
pended to this item:
This is the amount after deductns ss28oc 93 10,
the Treasury proceeds OF sales of ordnance
DC. The true expenditures were Si,OoO,0si 95
this it would appear the figures found any
where else than in department report, that the $780,
600 received the sale OF stores was
covered" into the Treasury but only deposited there,
and then drawn out and spent 10 current expenses
II this shall turn out to be true serious violation
dered that shall not be lawful for any Department. Of
aS % made
for that fiscal year or to involve the Government In any
such appropriations The eight and quarter millions
received for arms was surely never appropriated and
during the year. contrary TO the law quoted above.
DistrctAttorney Bates Of Utah sent instructions to-
day his deputy, James L. High Of Salt Lake City, TO
apply forthwith to Associate Justice Hawey for
der dschargng all defendants now In custody OF the
United States Marshal for violation Of Territorial
laws. The Supreme Court, having decided that
the Grand Jllries that presented the indictments
were in violation OF the Territorial statutes by the
u 8. Marshal, who had authority to any pro-
except In cases where the United States were par
ties, these indictments he adds therefore null
Imprisonment false, and their further detention would
subject the Marshal to penalties BY these instruc
tOns prisoners from custody and must
be prosecuted at all by the Attorney General Of
reported that will be impossible hereafter punish
the Mormons for poygamy IL is proper to say that 1t s
the opinion OF the best lawyers OF Congress- understood
to be concurrod in by the General that al
who have taken second wives within five may be
prosecuted under the law OF Congress of 1861 orbddng
poygamy 1t win only be necessary for the District
Attorney to mpaneI Grand Jury in the United
States Court, indict or more persons for this
crime the proof being always at hand, and have them
Utah that single attempt has been made TO
punish the crime Of poygamy In 2 I Legal and proper
is reported to have remarked In the Senate Judiciary
Committee the other day. after he had heard the state
saw no In enacting laws. amending old Ones
until attempt made to enforce the old ones.
The Hon. II. Watson eXAssisant Secretary Of War,
was examined to-day before the House subcommittee
OF Commerce. which Is still engaged IN the inquiry into
the South Improvements Company and the oil interest
Of Pennsylvania. He said the contracts between the
Improvement Company and the railroads was never con-
summarized ana that he held them IN trust and they we're
execute q contract also. lie testined that the
combination was not only with the railroads but with the
% Sna S and M wh s
that the producers OF than half OF all the Oil had
expressed themselves as satisfied with the proposed
arrangement. Subsequently this interest stated by
Mr. Watson, became unjusty incensed and treated the
South Improvement Company with scorn and opposition
Therefore, II was given and witness was not aware
that any scheme " revive the matter now In progress
Winchester the principal Of tho Winchester Arms Com
pany is in the city, and has issued pamphlet contain
ing facts bearing upon the manufacture Of ar by the