Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-18

demptiOu of the temporary loan TO be issued
only when necessary Tor that purpose Under
the act of March 81, '63, another issue of $780,
000,0O0 was authorized, making the whole
amount authorized S450,O0OO00 and contem-
plating permanent circulation until
The resumption Of payment in coin of
100000, 600. At the December term 60
of the supreme court, the same view was again
expressed by the chief justice in the case of the
Veil bank vs.. FcnnO Is vol, Wallace. 537.)
This opinion is in accordance with the uniform
opinion Of the treasury department, and with
the practice Oi the department well since the
act of the 4th Of February, 1868, as previous
thereto The cancellation and destruction Of
notes that have been is;u9d by the treasury de-
partmeut has no legal effect upon the power OF
the department to reissue notes in their stead
as is apparent from the language employed in
the act OF 1868 already referred 10. In that act
it is provided that, in lieu of any Of said notes
or any other United States notes returned
TO the treasury and Cancelled or de-
Stroyed, there may be issued equal
amounts OF limited States notes such as
are authorized by this act. Previous to the 4th
OF mMCh, SO, large sums of United States notes
were held in the Office of the treasurer at Wash
iugtOn as surplus fund in excess Of 1855 00O,
600 reported in circulation, tor the purpose Of
meeting any sudden demand upon the treasury
and that practice has ever since been continued.
Notes are not printed for any special issue. On
the Isl of March, &c. there were outstanding
more than So 900 of three per cent certif-
Gates, payable in legal tender notes on demand,
and the surplus in reserve were only means at
command of the government for meeting any
call on account OF this liability. From this the
surplus issue of October last was made, and all
new notes put in circulation are drawn from the
same source. Very respectfully
tSigued) GEO. s. boutwell,, Secretary.
The house committee on post offices and post
roads have agreed TO recommend the establish
ment of the letter carrier system in all cities of
10000 population.
The house committee on commerce to-day
heard an argument on the question of the At
lantc and Grat Western canal to unite the
Mississippi with the Atlantic. The room was
Tiled at an early hour by members of congress
from Alabama, Georgia and Virginia.
Col. b. w. Irobel, a commissioner appointed
by the governor of Georgia 10 meet commission
ers from other states, OF whom twenty-one are
already appointed, expressed his views in favor
of the project, showing the great need of this
interior line Of commerce to the southwest.
Col. Price also made remarks, arguing that this
outlet would have Il beneficial effect in regulat-
Ing the money market of the country Col
Whitley and Gems. DuboSe and Young of Geor-
gia took part in the PROCEEDINGS. The commit
tee will report the bill at an early day to carry
the project into effect.
The cabinet session day was attended by all
the members excepting Robson and Deano.
The session lasted two hours, but nothing of
| unusual interest was considered
Inc house committee on post offices and post
roads to-day agreed to report Il bill declaring
| the true intent and meaning of sections $780, 15l
and l52 of the post office act passed last session,
| are that where one full rate Of postage has been
| paid on mail matter il shall be forwarded to its
| destination, charged with the unpaid rate, to be
| collected on delivery; and that no double rate
| of postage shall he collected where such partial
| prepayment has been made.
The house committee on appropriations, hav-
| inc set apart this evening for consideration OF
| the subject of postal telegraph. they had before
them by invitation the postmaster, VIM. Orion,
| president Western Union telegraph company,
| and Prescott, its electrician; ThurstOn, prCsi-
| dent of the Pacific and Atlantic telegraph com
| pany; Sweet, superintendent Atlantic and Pa
| cutie telegraph company; Brown, president OF
| the Franklin telegraph company; Gen. Myer,
Ghiel OF the signal service bureau, and Hon.
| VIM. Whiting, counsel for the government in
| telegraph matters, together with Others
Mr.. Orion addressed the committee for about
| two hours against the postal telegraph, CRITICS.
| iug the report of the postmaster general on the
| subject, and showing that his statistics were
| erroneous and his conclusions not reliable. In
| tins elaborate argument, he examined the post
| master generals statements in detail; contend
| ing, among other things, that the estimates as
| to the cost of telegraph lines had no proper
foundation. The report of the postmaster gen
| eIa was written by a gentleman named Lines
WIZ WAS iSuOfdlt VI liit SUBJECT, ana presented
mass OF erroneous statistics. After Orion
concluded his remarks, other representatives Of
telegraph companies corrobOrated his state
meuts.
The postmaster general made a brief reply
| saying he employed Lines to assist him in the
preparation of his report, and as he himself had
no personal acquaintance with telegraph mat.
tiers, he had necessarily to rely on the knowledge
OF others His intention was to present a fair
| report Ii such was not done, it was altogether
| unntentional on his part Lines made some re-
| marks in defence of the report, when, at eleven
| O'Clock, the committee closed tlc conference
Arrangements have been made between the
| post office aud war departments by which one
or more Of the daily weather reports issued by
the signal office will be furnished daily to all
post Offices that can be reached from the several
| points OF distribution daily by mail. As these
| reports are designed for the benefit of the a@ri.
| cultural as well as the commercial interests OF
! the country, the postmaster general nStructs all
| postmaSterS receiving them to post them imme-
diately in frames supplied for the purpose by
the signal officer.
The house committee on territories to-day
unanimously agreed TO report the bill admitting
| Colorado as a state
| The British and American mixed commission
have sustained the demurrer Of the United States
to the claim of Barron, Forbes & Co., an Eng
lisll commercial firm for S23 600 900 for quick
| silver mines i'll Mexico seized by the United
States government in 1916, and the claims there
| fore disallowed The commission adjourned
| until January 8,