The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-04-17
FROM WASHINGTON.
Lake Casualties Reports OF COmmi
tess, etc.

Lake Casualties Reports OF Commit
| tess, etc.
The committee on war claims have
agreed to report and allow the Patten
claims. They amount to between six
and seven hundred thousand dollars.
The house has set the 21st of April
for the previous question on the various
propositions relating to improving the
mouth of the Mississippi river. One OF
these is Capt. Fades jetty plan; the
other, a canal from Fort st. Phillip to
Breton Isle, which is recommended by
the engineer bureau.
The treasury department has prepared
as complete list as possible of casual
ties on the great lakes of this country
within the last ten years, from which it
appears that in that period the number
of vessels lost was 4, 527, the loss of life
amounted to 7,341 persons, and the loss
of property aggregated S57, ,370,062
The case of South Carolina was con-
sidered by the judiciary committee of
the house, who appointed a sub-com-
mittee, consisting of Tremaine, Ell
bridge, and White, to hear both sides.
The point now aimed at is to induce the
judiciary committee to recommend an
investigating committee, so that con-
gress may become officially cognizant of
the condition of South Carolina. This
is considered an indispensable prelimi-
nary to congressional action.
Mr.. Ramsey, from the committee on
postoffices and post-roads, has reported
a bill to provide for the transmission of
correspondence by telegraph. Placed
on the calendar. The bill is the Hub
bard postal telegraph bill, unchanged,
except in matters of detail. II pro-
poses to incorporate Gardner @. Hub
bard and his associates as a postal tele-
graph company on condition that 1t
shall contract with the postmastPT-gen-
eral for the transmission of correspond
ence by telegraph at rates and in &C.
cordance with provisions elaborately
prescribed in the bill heretofore pub
lished in all its essential features.
Among the reports presented in the
house, last week, was one very impor-
tant one from the committee on war
claims-the case of Jno. T. MCLEAN, of
Jackson, Miss.-a claim of near one
million dollars, for the value of cotton
and mills destroyed during the war of
the rebellion by order of Gen. Grant,
and for cotton bonds and confederate
money taken from the Dank In jackson.
Mr.. Lawrence, chairman of the COM
mittee, reported adversely on the ground
that the property was destroyed as be
ing an element of strength to the rebel
lion, and that consequently the govern
ment is not bound to compensate the
owners. The bill was laid on the table.
The senate committee on public
lands have heard delegation of three
Mennonites from Pennsylvania and two
from Russia who asked that Legislative
arrangements be made for the settle
ment in this county of some 40, 900 Men,
nonites now living in Russia, who are
obliged to emigrate from that country
prior to the year 1871, or else perform
service which the tenets of
their religion forbid. The committee
Senator Window to prepare
and report to the senate bill author
izipg the secretary of the interior to |
from public sales such large |
tracts of land as they desire to occupy !
within the next two years by homestead |
or pre-emption entry.