, 1873-08-07
another Ollcial Explanation Regarding tho
Fort Smelling Salo.
A Sharp Claim Agent Preparing for a
Raid on the Treasury.
Tho Syndicate and Its Alleged
Pcrquisitcs.
Special Dispatch to Tho Chicago Tribune.


tho opinion Of the thon Attorney-G General, J. s.
Dlaok, NJ against tho report Of tho committees Of
CongroBs regarding tho validity Of tho salo. 1n-
tlocd, tho Board Of Army Officers aont by Con.
Dolkuap to investigate tho matter now stato
TINT they lid not consider iu the scope Of their
inquiry tho mattors relative to tho validity Of
tho saio, as reported by tho commit
incidontally rcforred to tho reports Of
thoBo committees Us minor part Of tho history
Of tho transaction. y will not be forgotten
Congress- aud tho Administration were at log
gerlioads, md that Jorry Black belonged to tic
Administration. 1t was ofton limited at that
tinao that opinions from the Attorney Gencrnl's
therefore. that to great extent tho relinnco Of
tho Var Department upon this opinion OF tho
Attorney us to tho validity Of tho sale is
10 far NJ the morita OF tho caso SO, Of tho most
toclstticai character.
EXPENSE or THE Mopoo WAR.
Much intorest Inns recently boon manifested
By Treasury ofcia!s to discuss tho actual cost Of
the Modoo. war.. 1t is known that d worry largo
allowance Is to bo mndo for tho exponsoa OF tho
campaign, but tho War Department. has hitherto
as to tho amount.
sHAHr C1,A1s-AGENT.
Thore Is considerable oxoitoment at tue Post
Office Department. Oh account of a movement on
Tho salaries Of tho postmasters in
tho small Western towing, WHO hitherto
havo received tho nominal sum Of $12
por year: Under tho new Postal not tho salaries
Of oil oilicers who do not receive specified COM
renBation may be adjusted according to tho
actunl amount Of business trauBactol, as deter
mined by tho amount Of stamps cancelled. In
many Of tho Western towns, whore this increaao
Of compensation iH mainly duo postrnastora hayo
small sum Of sia or s25 annually os considering Ga @
that the compensation md tho other local ad-
vantages which tho post-oficcs might bring
was sufficient compensation. Meanwhile these
an towns ~ haye ast,n grown .,ol in population to
stances known to the Department. Of poatinas-
ters i'll towns having Q population Of 5000 who
only receive salary Of Sl2 n,cr year; a ahrowd
terB. From tho records Of tho Department md
other sources ho Inns bcon nble to obtain tho ad-
DRESSES, md 10 hns sent these postmastera
propositions d, to naa(iust a(i theiE salaries undor
appeared willing. to undortuko Tie ADJUST
mont itaolf, md settled some casos, but
tho amount became 80 largo aa to throathcn
materially 70 reduce tho appropriation Of the
Post Office Department for salarios for this yoar
Tho postmastor-G General has accordingly re-
fused to adjust my mora cRaos. This lawyer
has, therefore, filed his petition in tho Court Of
Claims. and is still proceeding with tho work.
MnllJ VI the IpatllaStefa sLALb tht they arc Till
willing to make claim against the Government,
for foar TINT it might loao them their place. The
aggregate slim which ia estimated by tho oth-
cials Of tho Department. to DO due to officers for
the rcadjussmont OF these salaries is $4,000.
THE SYNDICATE.
Notwithstanding tho ropeated insertions to
the contrary in tho Now York press, tho Treas
ury oticals still perslstontly deny that tho Syn
dicate had the FREQ uHe Of $50, GOO Of bonds,
or their equivalent in gold, from tho 1st Of June
1JNfi1 tim Hf1tH Nf .Iu1V Tt ia pfntn3 h0t m
Syndicate paid in advance ut the time of the do
livery either in coiu or GEO bonds for every
bond Of tho new por cents which
tss sey f'sSse y o e en 0xPaussn Bawsxs9 S
the grcat length Of time-a period OF two
monthB-wlioh elapsed before these bonds up
peared III tho debt statemont, is tho declaration
That that longth of timo was necessary to tho
OF those bonds. Tho process of Treasury book
keeping is 80 complicated that eaoh bond must
pass through tho hands Of humorous Off cers,
and be onterod at lenst upon three differo
boohs Of tho Treasury. Il is beloved
here that the attncks upon the Treasury
e1tont. traceablo to the cliqno in Now York,
which is ia onaoavorlnE to bull gold. It is known
SIT. 900 900 Of gold, upon which they hive nl-
ready lost nearly per cent. These private par
ties have boon known to Bhip large quantities Of
gold within the last four weeks, which has Ind
tho elfcct materially to reduce tho price Of OK
chango. Ono element in tho plan Of the clique
has been to show that tho alleged balances Of
gold in tho Troasury wore not so groat as
reported, and that the gold product Of tho coun-
try was INADEQUATE to the business demands OF
the country. Thus far they soom to have been
puccoAhful.
TKEAsunY srATEMENT.
As regards tho Treasury, Secretary Richard
son asserts that tho regular Of
fynfH +l,a rn6 * rf
not constructisoly, in tho Treasury, and is bona
flle exhibit Of the Treasury az repregonted by
tho banks at the time whom tho several Htatc-
ments were made He IL also certain that he
business interests Of tho Country
agrinst the operations Of any cliquos
in gold Which may be preparing to control the
marriott ut tho time Of tho fall importations1
gold product is much greater than haa been sup
posed, aud that heucoforth tile gold coinage
monthly will 10 nearly equal to tho export do.
n,and. Tho importntions as reported to the
Treasury are considerably loss than thoy layo
been at any corresponding period IN previous
yoara. Tho Treasury officials say tho Htagnation
OF business is not 30 much tho callao for this
reduced importation na o general plan on the
part Of Importers, wloroby they import in much
smaller ,lusntitios End conduct business III
There is roason to believe that the Treasury
Department will reserve ita currency balances
during tho summon months 20 far as possible, in
order to meet the nocoaaites of tho crops
and Of tho fall trade. Tho pro-
grammo for tho ealoa Of gold
Tor this month, md the assertion OF tho Treasu-
ry officials, warrant this statement. Tho 6ooro-
tary Of the Treasury has stated that no bull
clique In gold should bo permitted iu any way to
cripple tho businoBH Of the Treasury, and, al
though it ia unlikely that ho will rasoryo tho
currency RESOURCES to such an extent aa to post
poue Payment OF current liabilities, it seems
oortain TINT all proper measures will be uaod to
prevent dear currency market during tho fall
months.
90LDIEH COLONIZATION.
Another aaHooiation llas been formed In BAL
timoro to Hottle d colony in the West, composed
OF persons who woro Union soldiers md sailors
III tho lato war. There nro at at present about
saycnty-fiye members In the association, COM
posed chiefly Of mechanics. They propose to
ayail themselves Of tho aot Of Congress- Of Juno
g. 1879, giving 1G0 acros Of public lands to SOL
diors and sailors who hayo aoryod ninety daya
or flyo years, or who, by aet1ul settlement. have
annuufl linn HcrYnI To c0ulnY with tha nroYfsinnR