New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-10

ing of the Supreme Court, March 2. Their,
are on the docket about 400 cases, $50 OF
which it is supposed will be acted on befor.
adjournment in the spring. The business i.
represented as being in an unprecedented
state of forwardness.
| Financial.
The Committee on Banking and Currency
were engaged to-day in hearing statements
on financial topics, which are much at va
rance.
Lieutenant A. E. Bateman, of the United
states revenue marine, has been ordered
from special duty at Washington to special
duty at Portland, Maine.
Bontwell's Currency Bill.
y Inc following is the full text of Mr..
| Boutwelfs bill amendatory of the national
currency act, introduced to day:
Be 1t enacted, and that it shall not be
lawful for any banking association, organ
| lzed under said act or under any act
amendatory. thereof, to pay interests or de-
poslts to banks, banking companies or bank
| ing associations, nor shall any such bank
ing association receive interest upon
money deposited with any bank, Der
son, party or corporation; and any bank
| ing association guilty of violation
OF the provisions OF this act shah
be liable to a penalty equal to four times
the amount of interest as paid or received,
to be recovered in any court of competent
jurisdiction: And it shall be the duty of
the Controller of Currency to cause proceed
ings to be initiated for the recovery of the
| penalties aforesaid and for the benefit of
the United States
oEC - That not more than One-fOurth of
the amount OF lawful money of the United
states that any such association may be re-
quired to have on hand, as is provided in
said ect, snail consist of balances due to
such association as available for the re-
deDption of its circulating notes from bank
ing associations approved by the Controller
OF the Currency.
The lsfhmus Canal.
AT the fourth meeting of the Isthmian
Canal commission, Captain Selfridge, the
surveyor OF the Napipe route was present
and gave to the commission four copies of
the report, maps and plans now passing
through the government press and detail
OF his survey. This completes the examina.
ton OF officers in charge of the detailed
surveys which will first receive the atten-
ton OF the commission. The route ex-
amlned and surveyed by Captain Sa-
feldt tTehuantepec) is laid aside by
the commission until they shall have
been able to satisfactorily inform them
selves regarding the surveys at Mica
ragua and Napipe. This is for the reason
III
little more than an examination of his
route; no estimates of the work required,
and doubtful recommendation of it's feasi-
bility, at anything below national resources.
Ihe surveys of Sull and Selfridge present
complete estimates and earnest recon-
mendations. The work of each of these
officers has been that of the surveyor.
thougn civil engineer has been engaged
with each party, whose report is an appen-
dix to their own.
The commissioners now pronose to senf
two officers of the army engineer corps, to
pass over each route, and examine the prin-
clpal engineering difficulties, ana the feas-
lblllty OF each; and their report to the
commission to make general comparison
OF the two routes. For this purpose, the
Secretary OF War has directed the detail OF
Major Walter Mcfarland, now on duty at
Chattanooga, Tennessee. This officer has
gwen great attention to the study of inland
canals, aud particularly that known as the
Atlantic and Great Western canal, in aid
OF which bill was presented to Congress-
today
This officer has expressed the pleasure
with which he will engage in this new work.
1t is expected that CaptainlW. H.Hener win
accompany him to the isthmus. In order
that the public may have such an examine
ton OF these projects as would be made by
men with limited means behind them, or
with little capital to apply to, and the estis
mates OF such men as capitalists would are
ply to before investing in such work, an
invitation has been extended to those
prominent American civil engineers to
accompany the party, Mr.. McAlpin, now
engaged with the State Capitol, at Albanys
replies with regret that he can not accom-
pany the army engineers, and very highl.s
commends the surveys made by the Cove
ernment. and suggests Mr.. Walton, OF
New Orleans, an engineer of high attain
ments in this field, to accompany the Off
GERS. A letter of invitation has been sent
to Mr.. Walton.
William B. Eads, of st. Louis, now IN
this city. has spent the afternoon in examin-
ing the surveys, charts, plans, etc, and ears
nestly advises that the work be further
pursued. He regrets that his engagements
will not admit of his going to the isthmus,
and on his suggestion an invitation has been
addressed to Miner Roberts, late engineer
of the Northern Pacific railroad, a very
fluent and descriptive writer and with an
experience OF forty years in engineering ans
canal works.
The third invitation was addressed to ME-
Shoudly, of the Hoosic tunnel No reply
has yet been received.
The commission convened by the Prese
dent does not accompany these engineer
officers The officers wiz be taken to Ae~
pnwall in d government steamer. and pass
from Panama in, probably, the Saranac to
Chri-Chri, the Pacific opening of the Ma
pipe route. Two weeks will be spent ex-
this route. Thence the party viii
sail north to Brito, the Pacific terminus of
the Nlcaraguan route, and cross to the At
lantic, returning to New York bv the
steamer which carried them to Aspinwaps
1t is expected that this entire examinatics
will be completed early in Aprii