New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-10
CURRENT TOPICS.

.... CURRENT TOPICS
A REVIVAL OF TIKI PRANKISG PRIVILEGE PROBABLE
WAsHINGToN. Friday, Jan o. 1874.
The House Post Once Committee will spring their Dill
TO revive the Thanking privilege upon the House NJ tne
first opportunity and hope. it is reported, to push u
through without much debate. They call 1t bill 10
Facilitate the Distribution Of the Public Documents or
some such but 1t Is the old Thanking privilege
under O thin disguise Members Of Congress are 10
write their the Documents just before ana
the only difference will be- that after the books are thus
franked they to be taken to the Clerks once ana
stamped with machine. Three or four clerks, at from
& 10 5000 year. WILL doubt, be required TO run
this machine that the system will be more CON-
plcatcd and more expensive than the old one True
no ranking Of letters 10 authorized but after swallow
ing the camel Congress will not 10 likely 70 STRAIN ions
at the gnat and the letter business will soon follow No
a ads S ne n old ID Of Waea
expenditure that direction viii begin again as soon
as the bill passes.
A STATEMENT BY JUDGE BUSTED.
Judge Busteed OF the District Court OF the United
States for the State of Alabama has addresseda pam
phet printed pages to each member OF the House
Judiciary Committee, abiding to Mr. Hoars originai
resolution with reference to his alleged judicial mscon
duct introduced in 1873, and giving statement under
oath OF the times when and the places IN
Alabama where during 1870 to 1873, he has heid
courts and transacted other business pertaining to ms
judicial Office He concludes IN speaking OF Mr. II oars
resolution that "i 1t is fashioned after the model OF
the Of the Greeks am ready to meet any
accusation il contains when IT shall come from It's con-
cealment. ask only one favor from your hands, ana
/ ask this much in the interest OF justice
and fair dealing for myself. IL Ii that IN
any investigation you 1T to institute that DO al
lowed confront my accusers and crosse xalne the
before your Committee. This was granted me by both
Of the judiciary Committees Of the former Congress 1t
all asked then IL all OF mere grace Snail ever
ask from any committee OF inquiry"
A BILL TO PREVENT THE ILLEGAL CREATION OF
DEFICIENCIES.
Attention has been called, year after year. to the ie
gal practice Of the departments Of creating deficiencies
Contracts made during the first five or Blk months OF
the fiscal year, far Of the appropriations and
then Congress- when meets called upon to passIa
Deficiency bill, appropriatng millions. The Appropria-
tons Committee the House have been giving this
abuse some attention and 1t Is not unlikely that some
measure may be agreed uIon before the close OF the
session In this line is the FOL owing bill, introduced by
MI Loughrdge day OF two ngo:
Bet eraod d. That shall e ulssfn f9r any officer Of n.
pnkss b' .on a" ADD pursuance aud WITHIN
SIC Thai ,aa be unlawful my the United States
where .ppropI aiy, has bee. MADE a,s excess O. a
lon, miles, he e oy % Of this statute .b
be removed from Office
OPPOSITION TO The PROPOSED INCREASE OF TAXA
TON.
The attitude OF the Republican members Of the Ways
and Means Committee toward the Executive branch OF
the Government the subject of increased taxation
continues 10 be warklike, while the Democrats are
quietly awaiting developments. 1t Is generally known
here that both the President and Secretary OF the
Treasury are strongly favor OF increased taxation as
means of paying the running expenses OF the Govern
ment while the members Of both the Ways and Means
and the Appropriations Committees almost unan-
nous IN their opposition increased taxation. What
eommunicatons If any, have lately passed between MI
Dawess Committee and Mr.. Richardson are not known
to the Secretary financial Ideas, and are inclined to
show their opposition with much vgor az soon as an
occasion is presented
AN ERROR COMMITTED BY TIE NAVY DEPARTMENT
WITH ITS EYES OPEN.
Experienced naval officers that the construction
OF three steam soopso war OF iron Is an error
committed by the Department with its eyes open for
the purpose satisfying the demands Of the iron inter-
est OF Pennsylvania These officers alege that an iron
hull IL more expensive than q wooden one, and that
vessel with such hull much likely to he sunk in
action than woodenI one the thin iron sides
are against Shots and when penetrated the
holes made cannot be stopped by the ships carpenter
Ike those ia the tmbers OF a wooden vessel. The new
iron sloops are not ron-cads IL shouu oe UNDERSTOOD
but have huls built OF plates thicker than those Or
dnarily used in the construction OF merchant ships
SECRETARY RoBEsoN CALLED UPON FOR lNFORMA-
TON.
TIE House IL very skeptical body 1t Is not satisfied
with the regular yearly reports Of the heads OF depart
pens but chroncay suspicious that things are not
going hight in Tine that branch of the Government
service II wants to know where the money goes to,
and IF not easily put of with general statemens Just
before the recess the liberal sum of 100000 was voted
to Secretary of the Navy to meet the exgency OF
threatened war Now the House wants TO know what
he has done with the money To-day a resolution
passed calling on him for information as to how much
OF the regular annual appropriation twas spent prior TO
Jan l. how much OF the extra appropriation has been
dsbursed and what for; and how many men in excess
Of regular naval force authorized by law have been
enlisted.