, 1873-08-12

service received.
DHoKEN MAIL CONTRACT.
A difficulty has nriaon between the Post Office
Department and tho MoA1innyillo Lancaster
Railroad, in Tennessee, Which hos resulted in
tho throwing OF Of tho mails by that road.
This road Is ono Of tho many Southern
roads which tho Government put in operation
subsequent to tho war, and supplied with rolling
stock. When tho corporation resumed control
Of tho road, q few yoara aince, they contracted
with the Government to pay for tho rolling
stock with mail pay as 1t should become duo,
aud agreed TINT tho Government should retain
this mail pay and apply it On tho debt. This
has boon done suco., Recently tho railroad has Ia
stock, having tho idea that they can ropudiato
tho charter contract entered into by tho former
prop1iotors, notified the Government re-
contly that, unloss tho, mail pay was
psid over to them directly & Instead .,'a ol
crodit Of tho Quartermaster-9 General, on account
Of tho rolling -Btook tho road would decline to
carry tho mails. Tho Post-Ofnce Department
has refused to entertain this proposition, md
consequently, few dhys since, the railroad 1oat1
Obliged to find Bome different mode OF transpor-
tation, and, while tho railroad haB not paid for
its rolling stock, It refuses to carry the mails.
It ia not unlikely that this caso will come before
tho 6en0te 6alock CoHl11lttee VI 4fal4sPol I"tloa
Routes to tho Soaboard rs an clement to bo con-
sidered in the solution Of tho problem Of tho re-
lation Of tho railroads to tho Government.
LEGAL sTATts OF THE INDIANS.
SO many questions relating to tue conflict Of
Jurisdiction between tho Federal and tho State
authoritios upon tho subject Of tho Indians haVo
boon raised IN connection with the Modocs and
the other tribes, that tho Indian Bureau is Of
the opinion that the noxt Congress- will bo
called upon to givo more exact definition to tho
legal status Of tho Indians, that their disposition
In caBos Of criminal and other offonses may not
henceforth be in doubt.
TIE oBAaE IANDB.
Tho question having recently boenn rafsed
slider tho decision by which it took 100000 acres
Of improved lands in Southern Kansas from tho
bonn tido aettlers, aud gayo them to q railroad
company, the Secretary states that the decis-
Ed sh. that Il shs his ..r5ad ads'"'ass q tss tss
land is beyond dispute. Representations maae
by the settlers which have reached hero, indi-
cato that this decision Ia tho forerunuor OF a
general scheme which. in the form Of bill for
tue establishment Of tho 0kolahama Territory,
is designed to seize al the lands Of tho peaceful
Indians in tho Indian Territory to open thom up
to settlement. Tho tribes whose lands arc en-
braced in the scheme arc the Ohorokees, Greeks.
| known TINT the supporters Of the 0kolahana
bill and other similar bills for the opening Of the
| Indian Territory and tho violation of the treaty
| rights have organized combination to effect
| this purpose. Harlau's Chronicle, IN this city
has already begun very active agitation Tor the
proposition.
| THE HIGH TARIFF MEN TnEalBLE.
A recent lotter from q prominent Pcnnsyl-
| vania protoctioniRt, received here, shows thRt
the tariff mon are expecting aevore contest
| noxt winter, and doubt their ability to mantai1
their ground. The recent expectation of noE
from this country to England and Canada, mucl
| Of which has been remported from Chicago, Is
phenomenon which cauaeB them annoyance, ant
numerous inquiries are raiacd az to tho explana
ton Of these expectations.
| PORTO nIoAN EMANCIPATION.
The passage Of the bill which was rccontl,
enacted by tho Spanish Cortos, in reference tt
slayory in Porto Rico, is known to havo beel
effected largely through tho fundamentally, !
not tho threats, Of our Minister at Madrid. I
is oyon understood that 1t was plainly intimate'
in tho Oortes that, unless Spain now, in thu
hour Of her extremity, should keep hcr faitl
with the United States, 1t might be considered
that the day OF FREQ Cuba had arrived.
| FnEEpMEN6 BUREAU ACCOUNTS.
The Freedmen's Bureau investigation ID dc
yeloping tho fact that tho regular accounts arc
In some cases, in as much doubt aB the l1roEula
oneH.
(Tb the Assoctated Fress.t
REINFORCEMENT FOR our EUROPEAN SQUADRON
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-Ihe steamer Monon
gahela will sail about the 25th instant, to rein
force the American fleet In Spanish wators.