The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-02-20
FROM WASHINGTON.

ne mousse COmu luce Oh dpprOprla-
tions have had before them the chief of
the loan branch, Vanderbilt, and clerk
of the treasury department on the sub
ject of reducing the clerical force and
making other economical reforms.
The secretary of the interior has sub
mitted to the house of representatives
the proposed amendments to the Indian
intercourse act of 1885, designed to Sc
cure the Indians in any locality against
the liquor traffic. 1t provides heavy
penalties against any person, including
Indians, who shall sell, exchange, give,
blrter or dispose of any spirituons liquor
or wine to Indians under the charge of
the Indian superintendent or an Indian
| agent or any Indian not citizen of
the United States within such jurisdic
tion.
The war department has prepared a
statement in response to resolution of
| the house of representatives, showing
that from April II, 1851, to August 20,
| 1866, during the late war, the disburse-
ments by army paymasters were one
| Thousand and ninety-four and q half
| million dollars. The whole number
of paymasters was 541. The number
whose accounts are closed is 386, and
| open 165, with cash balances unpaid
amounting to SITS, 206. Many of these
| balances are in suit. Others are con-
sidered worthless, and few are to be
collected by note. Maj. Isaac N. Cook
is set down as owing $151, ,147, which he
lost gambling during the war.
The army bill now pendingin in the house
of representatives provideG in its fourth
section that all claims of citizens who
were loyal to the United States govern
ment during the war for stores and sup
plies taken or furnished to the United
States army, including those now pend
ing in the army department of the gov
ernment, shall be transferred to the
southern claims commission. This sec.
ton of the bill is regarded as virtually
repudiating this large class of claims,
and vigorous effort will be made by
southern representation tohaye it strink-
en- out. The committee will endeavor
to retain the section, but may be COM
PEELED to give up the provision in order
to save their bill. These claims as now
adjusted in the quartermaster's Office.
Gen. Harney, whose name was such
terror to hostile Indians years ago, was
before the house committee on military
affairs recently, and was asked to give
his views in reference to Indian matters.
He gave it as his opinion that if the In
dians were treated fairly there would
never be any difficulties with them. He
had known but two instances in which
they had ever violated the treaty stip-
ulations, and in these two instances the |
Indians were to be excused as the trea-
ties had grown old before they were
sought to be enforced by the govern |
ment, and the chiefs and head men who |
had made them were all dead. The !
troubles with Indians were principally |
caused by fraudulent agents and by |
whisky dealers. He had never known |
au agent who had not grown rich in Of |
fee except one. On being asked how |
whisky dealers could be suppressed he |
answered without hesitation, that they |
should be hanged or shot by the near
est military officer. He would have the |
officer take that responsibility. He was
decidedly of opinion that the manage |
ment of the Indians would be much |
more efficiently and honestly conducted |
by army officers than by civilians, un-
less army officers had changed very |
much since he knew them.
The bill to facilitate the execution of |
and to protect certain public works at |
the mouth of the Mississippi river has |
passed the senate. The bill directs the |
secretary of war to assume full control |
of the particular channel at the mouth |
of the Mississippi river, in course of ex.
cavation or improvement by the gov
ernment of the United States, so far as it
may be necessary to the carrying on and
protection of such excavations or i'm
provements, and until the same be com.
pleted and he may establish such reg
ulations as he shall deem needful TO
fully protect the channel and to facili-
tate the excavation, Improvement and
use thereof Such regulations shall be
promulgated by the publication thereof
for ten days consecutively in two daily
papers published in New Orleans, La,
and in the same manner be changed
from time to time, and any person inter
fering with and obstructing or attempt
ing to obstruct the said improvement,
and any person who shall willfully or
strand or sink any boat in
the channel, or shall willfully or negli-
gently obstruct said channel or cause
any impairment, injury, filing up or
therein, shall be guilty of mis-
demeanOr, and on conviction thereof
shall be punished by fine not exceed
irg five hundred dollars or imprison-
ment for not more than six months or
both, in tse discretion of the court.