The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-12

/ report OF the Commissioner oil Indian Anairs has
| not yet been submitted, and investigation in this
| direction is entirely suspended. prominent mem.
| Der Of the Committee on Appropriations remarked
that the Commissioner on Indian Anairs instead
| OF writing his report away in Minnesota,
| answering charges Of corruption In ONCE. and he
| thought 1t did not speak well for him to be even
under suspicion or open to such charges. The
| pensions, though q delicate subject for poll
tlcians, II Is admitted, have become an enormous
burden to the government by constantly admit
ting new claimants and extending the range OF
! the law. There will be no reduction here, how
| ever The committee have already made reduce
ton OF ten millions in the Army Navy and Fortih-
cations bills and they express their determination
| to cut down at least twenty-five millions. The
| committee, however, fear the formation OF rings
In the House which would thwart the best devised
| plans OF economy. 1t will therefore require dis
cretlon in the selection OF items of appropriation,
| for public buildings, tor instance, SUFFICIENT at
least to hold majority in the House, and thus
make themselves masters OF the situation.
1t is also under consideration in the committee
| to recommend that another hour be added to the
days work in the executive departments, which
would enable the heads Of departments to get rid
OF large number OF ornamental clerks and effect
handsome saving in the appropriations for sal
ares. At present the departments open at nine
O'Clock and close at three.
Former Supporters OF the Administra-
tion Opposing Cushing with Bitter
Earnestness-Will the History of Andy
johnson BE Repeateds
The nomination OF Mr.. Cushing for Chief
Justice was. the leading subject of conversation
in every quarter yesterday and to-day. The
public record Of Mr.. Cushing is being over.
hauled, and every book in the Congressional
Library containing the name of this
important individual has been taken out for
reference The disappointed aspirants for the
office are lending the influence of their knowledge
TO those engaged in viniyng Mr.. Cushing's politi-
cal record. The action Of the Judiciary CON-
mittee Is strangely in contrast with these
|.effOrts. No one knows Mr.. Cushng's his
tory better than Senator Edmunds CHAIR
man OF the committee; none could be more
partisan than the chairman and his republican
associates, Senator'S Frelinghuysen, Carpenter,
/ C0nkling and Wright. When q prominent repuDli.
can Senator remarked to one of these gentlemen,
GLOW could you favorably report the name OF q
man whose whole life has been in an
tagonism to republican principles ?" the
question was asked in return, "What do
you mean by republican principles If
you mean the political dogmas OF the party the
answer is plain. The Judiciary Committee is not
called upon to discuss the politics OF the nominees
for judicial Offices. That the President determines.
and only duty ended when we were
satisfied Of the ability, character and fitness
of Mr.. Cushing for the office" No doubt
bitter speeches will be made In executive
session against his confirmation; but the most
CALLING OF all is the free expression of denunciatons
heaped upon President Grant by Senators who are
supposed to be exceedingly loyal to the admins
tratiOn. These remarks sure to be repeated
to the President by some OF hts friends in
the Senate. and 1t Is no longer doubted that
between Grant and portion OF the republican
Senators, there will no longer be friendly feeling.
One OF the number said to your correspondent
tonight, 'Whose funeral shall this be- Grants or
the republican party'sf Would it not be better TO
incur the i'll will Of Grant and reject Cush-
Ing than the i'll will OF the party by con-
frming him ?" The editors OF administrator
journals in distant parts OF the country, fearing
their denunciation Of Mr.. Cushing's nomination
might not reach here in time, have tele-
graphed to Senators to beware Of putting
Cushing in the Supreme Court. The query
has been made, SIS Grant crazy, Have
we another Andy Johnson In the White
House ?" Not since the time when the rupture
between Johnson and Congress took place has
there been much excitement In political circles
as prevails In Washington at present, and the
strangest part is that Mr.. Sumner, VINO first shook
his defiant nst at the White House when Andy
Johnson disguised him and transferred his hatred
to the Senate Chamber, is now the defender and
friend of the nominee, through whom che Presiden
is receiving the severest denunclation. In con-
versation tonight Mr. Sumner claimed that Mr..
Cushing's record during the war q good one
AMI that he was perfectly satisfied that his future
decisions, should he be confirmed, would In all
cases sustain the results obtained by the war. Mr..
Gushing, Mr.. Sumner claimed, was one OF the
earliest Of the repentant democrats, and not only
was the trusted adviser of Mr.. Lincoln, but sus.
tanned the reconstruction policy OF Congress
against Andrew Johnson. While 1t is believed
Mr.. Cushing will ultimately be confirmed, the dam
ger is in the delay debate may cause. Should ne
be rejected, the President has declared he will
make haste slowly, very slowly, and not bother
the Senate with another nomination for some
time
NIr. VILLA ms Fails to Cover His Contin-
gent Expenses from Public View.
Attorney General Williams thought the First
Comptroller Of the Treasury some of his clerks
had done wrong in allowing the vouchers of the
contingent expenses Of the Department OF Justice
to be copied or seen without authority from him
and complained to the Comptroller about it, That
officer replied that these vouchers were public
property and must be open to inspection at the
request of any member of Congress, as was the
case in this instance. One Of his predecessors had
decided that the expenditures by any OF the
departments which passed through his office were
accessible to any proper inquiry either from men,
bers OF the press or other persons, and that there.
fore neither his clerks nor himself had committed
any Official improperly in the matter.
The Proposed Freight Line, Under Gov
ernmcnt Management, Between New
York and Council Bluffs.
Representative Hurlbut, OF Illinois, member OF
the Committee on Railways and Canals, will prob.
ably tomorrow introduce q bill-the features of
which he foreshadowed at the meeting OF the
friends OF cheap transportation last night-for the
construction OF q double track freight railway from
New York to Council Bluffs with branches to Chi
cago and st. Louis, the railway to be constructed
and operated by q corporation under the auspices
of the general government and controlled by q