Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1873-11-15

Secretary Richardson's order to Treasurer
spinner directing the payment of silver is as fol-
lows You will please on and after thereceipt
ofthis letter, and until otherwise ordered pay
public creditors, should they desire it, on ac-
count OF currency obligations, but not in ex-
change for currency, sum not to exceed five
doll'r7 in any one payment in silver coin.
The report Of the second auditor of the
treasury shows that the number Of accounts
examined by that bureau during the past fiscal
year was S4S 969, 32420; and for bounty, ar
rears OF pay, etc, aggregating over forty-nine
million dollars. 1t is expected that an effectu-
al stop will soon be given to the fraudulent
practices in the bounty claim business. The
number Of cases awaiting action is four thou
sand seven hundred ard forty-nine.
Estimates for the Legislative branch of the
government have all been prepared, and show
an Increase over those of any previous year.
This ID accounted for by the fact that the payof
members and senators now is more than here
tofore Estimates for saaries Of senators for
the fiscal year ending June 3O 1874 s55j, ,OOO
and for pay Of officers and employees Of the
senate, Sl44, ,OOO for contingent expenses
Sl99,OOO forsaaries of members OF the house
~, 100000, for salaries of officers and en-
ployes S2l8 900; contingent expenses s267,-
OOO Another cause of the increase is that
the number Of members of the house now ia
292 instead Of 242 as under the old apportion-
ment
Secretary Richardson hopes to keep up
payment of silver expressing the opinion that
he will be able to do 30 unless a run upon the
treasury be made, and silver taken out for the
purpose of being boarded. There is at pres
ent about s50OOO of silver in possession of
the government which, it is thought will last
some weeks The work of coming will be con.
tinued, though not more rapidly than hereto
fore. There is an abundance of silver bars
in the country, and the silver Of the mints is
sufficient for a coinage of about 5000, 600 in
silver, without Interference with other COIN
age With the exception Of that in California,
there is but little silver coin in the country
now, not owned by tho government
The secretary Of the treasury, relative to
the contemplated issue of silver coin to take
the place Of currency in making payments by
tile department, says he does not know exact
ly how much will be paid out, and expects it
will be convenient for him next week to issue
about $1,000 600 in the regular course of bust
ness, but it will depend on circumstances if
gold should go up silver would not be paid ont
nor will it if sold again to bankers for specu-
latiye purposes 1t is not to be expected that
the treasury will begin the 1st of November
to pay ont silver coin for every purpose and
thus exhaust Immediately the entire amount
held by the government. One Illustration of
the manner of making such payments was pre-
scented by the secretary to-day, who said that
if person should present check for $a5j 40 |
the chances were that he would receive five dol |
lars and forty cents of the amount in silver |
The determination Of the department is to is-
sue silver to whatever extent it can be conye-
nienty done and ss there is bullion sufficient |
to coin about 100000 within week, this will |
be used as beginning,
The following statement has been pre-
pared by Commissioner Drummond of the
general land office, for his Forthcoming report |
during the last fiscal year. of public land dis
posed of as follows the figures represent
ing acres in round numbers Cash |
paid SIG, 262 626 located with military war
rants 214 $40; taken for homesteads $685.
796 located with Agricultural College script |
6j3, 4i6 certified to railroads q 0S3, 356; certi
fed to wagon road 1856; approved to states
as swamps 23S, 54S certified for Agricultural
Colleges 10, 223 certified for universities 5l,- |
22s; certified for common schools 70, 90S cer-
titled for seminaries 800; approved to states
for internal improvements. 100, 79O; Indian
script location IA 223; total in round numbers,
10, ,O3O6 COG; disposal of previous year, II S64,-
975 increase Of disposal, 2l6S,69l Cash re-
ceipts under various heads amounted to 9, ,i0S,- |
Jl5 surveys during the same period show
total of 80, 48s, 939 acres surveyed during the !
previous year, 90, ,45O, 939; increase in number
Of acres surveyed, 1,O37 1874 total area of
land in states and territories, 1884 99S, 400
acres, and making the proper deduction, l.
2lS, ,443, sos acres are yet to be surveyed.