National Republican., 1873-11-12
GOVERNMENT NEWS,
GLEANINGs AMONG THE DEPARTMENTS.

Report ofthe Com missioner ofAs,icultnrs
Recovery or stolen Bpnds-Rcport Of
the Pnymns,cr General -Dcpnty Ma
shai A-,us.inntcd In Texus-Army aud
Navy News.
the annual report OF Hon. Frederick watT,
commissioner of Agriculture, Ia received, and
SHOWS the distribution by the Department OF
over one million packages OF seeds during the
past year Of over i've hundred varieties. OF
these, members OF Congress had 200, $50; agri-
CULTURAL societies, 44s statistical correspon-
dents, leo0lai meteorological observers, 11,T6o,
and miscellaneous applicants, $50, ,i0t. The De-
partmcnt u constantly In receipt Of the most
natterlDg accounts Of the favorable results Of
this distribution Of seeds. 1t In very certain that
In wheat and oats alone the Increased produc-
tlon from this source amounts to many million
bushels.
The Commissioner has taken much pains to
encourage the cultivation OF jute In the Southern
States with considerable success. He deplores
the persistency with which Southern planters
adhere TO the mistaken policy OF cultivatlng
large tracts OF land imperfectiy, instead Of tlling
small tracts more thoroughly. They also lack
diversity o. crops, 80 essential to successful
farming, The agriculture Of the country Is
steadily Improving, and much satisfaction Is de-
rived from the fact that the department has
been Instrumental to this end. The expendi-
lures OF the department have been ti9S,046.T9 ~.
The appropriations for the current year are $751;
40, OF which s5i, 900 have been already expended
and 500. .GSv IL still on hand.
STOLEN BONDS RECOVERED.
Four bonds, amounting in the aggregate
10 the sum OF f269,06 which were stolen from
the ONCE OF the collector OF internal revenue ct
New Odeans, about I'VE years since, and while
Gen. sledinan was collector, have been received
N Fha
case, as learned from the Department, are as fol-
lows: These bonds were received by the col
lector for the transportation Of whisky to Texas,
but tho whisky not being received by the COL
lector OF the district In Texas, where It WAS sup
posed TO have been shipped, the Commissioner
soon discovered the fraud, and returned tho
whisky alleged to have been shipped to Texas
was thrown upon the market In New Orleans.
In the meantime the Cancelled bonds were done
away with In q manner that attracted grave sus.
piclon towards the collectors oilice; and several
houses In New York and elsewhere Interested In
the whisky business commenced suit for the re-
pearance OF the bonds, the suit was tenn
porarily abandoned. Now that the bonds have
been recovered suit will be renewed. A former
deputy OF Gen. stedman Il the party from
whom the bonds were recently obtained.
THE PAYMAsTER GENERALS REPORT.
The report Of the Paymaster General shows
that the total receipts and disbursements for the
ythi 1850, trt N1u, tsS,tft,bv. u
contains several recomme ndations, among which
may be mentioned the imperative necessity OF
more paymnsters. Sixteen vacancies exist at
the present time, two of the rank OF lieutenant
colonel and fourteen Of the rank OF major. The
Paymaster General recommends that the num-
Der Of paymasters be established at nfty.two In
steaa o. sixty as provided by the act Of July IS,
1900, aud that the interllct upon future appoint
ments and promotions be repealed; that a
greater period than thirty days DO allowed to an
oileer on leave Of absence without reduction Of
". n MAJ ma all a. F.tA ~.
increased. The namber Of deseftions in the
army during the past year was i've hundred less
than In 1879, and one thousand lees than In 1871.
ARMY NEWS.
The leave Of absence granted First Lieutenant
T. II. Fisher, s9i Infantry, has been extended
four months. Assistant AdJutant General L. II.
late headquarters Department OF the Lakes, has
been ordered TO report for duty at the headquar-
ters OF the army in this city. Captain y. II.
Parker has been ordered from the Washington
arsenal to duty at the arsenal at Fort Monroe.
first Iicutenan' q. W. Mckee has been ordered
from the ". U e .raenal to the National ar
Young, ordnance storekeeper. has been ordered
from the New York arsenal to duty at the arsenal
AZ 81. Louis. Upon the Recommendation OF the
Commlssafy General OF Subsistence, the follow
ing changes In the stations OF con,iuissaries OF
subsistence are announced: Captain John p.
Hawkins, relieved from duty In the military d.
81 ns mS ana ST1sted ~ chief and
William Nash has been ordered TO duty at Louis
vile, Ky, as depot and purchsslng commsssry.
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
Commodores Andrew Bryson and J. W. A.
Nicholson have been ordered as members OF the
examining aud retiring board ut Washington,
D z, on the l'th Instant. Lieutenant Charles
II. Judd TO the receiving ship Vermont, at New
York, Lieutenant George II. Durand has been
detached from the receiving ship Ohio, ut Bos-
ton. Midshipnan L. L. Reauer, from the
At4uI lam md mr. .r.I 30. 49,
Passed Assistant Paymaster George II. Grifflng
has reported his return home from the Narra-
gansett, South Atlantic station, from which he
was detached on the 30th Of September last, and
has been ordered to settle hts accounts. First
Assistant Engineer WIN. s. Smith has reported
MS return home. having been detached from the
Monocacy, Aslatic station, on the 9Th Of October,
and has been placed on waiting orders.
Commander Belknap, of the fuscarora, reports
the arrival OF that vessel at San Francisco on the
9th Inst, direct ffon Puget sound, having made
o successful survey Of the ocean bed between
those two points. The survey will be extended,
the season permitting, as far south as Cape San
Lucas. Commander Belknap Will make formal
report to the Secretary of tho Navy, which will
be printed Tor the Information Of scientists.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary Of State has Just made the fol-
lowing promotions In the diplomatic service:
Mr.. Gerrlsh. consul at Nantes, promoted TO be
consul NJ bordeaux, vice Cunch, resigned; Mr,
Alcott. consular clerk at Nantes, promoted TO be
consul at Nantes, vice Gerrish, promoted.
ASSASSINATION OF A DEPUTY MARSHAL.
Attorney General Williams has received a re-
port from the United States district marshal for
the Western district OF Texas, conveying In.
formation OF the assassination OF Deputy Mar.
shal John 7. Fries at Drockettsville, Texas, on
the 25th Of October. This Is the iifth deputy
marshal assassinated In that district during The
past year or so.
FINANCIAL EXHIBIT.
The following were the balances In the Treas
ury at the close Of business yesterday: Cur.
rency, special deposit OF legal tend
ers 1or redemption OF certificates Of deposit $il
1000; coin, SO o0s 29G2 20; including coin cert1
cates, ", ,s9i ,oso; outstanding legal tenders,
The receipts from internal revenue sources
yesterday were si9i ,sos.iI.