New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-03

reduce the basis to % eco but not TO dscha'ge any
and to recruit only 5000 year WIN d ID one year
viii produce the required reduction nc "oes "oo
propose to interfere with the officers VI Tue inc vi
staff but il is probable that when DIS appropriation
hin comes before fbe House there will be strong
effort made to dispense with some OF inc oihcers
who are more costly than the soldiers. MI "heeler
thinks the army larger than 1t needs 10 DC In 'ne
of peace He says thai il the Government can send
1000 soldiers with a surveying party. along ue i'ne
| Of the Northern Pacific Railroad, there seems to be
little for the army to do. He says there are troops
on the frontier and elsewhere, in charge of forts
Notifications, &C. where only ordnance sergeant
with Gle OF men are needed to take care OF the
| property.
Mr. Wheeler is also Chairman Of the Commerce
Committee. and will take strong ground against
what he calls the extravaganza which has hereto
fore characterized the river and harbor approprla-
tions. The amount estimated for the next year Is
about S1jOcOGoO, but the Chairman says he shall
try TO reduce il to fourth or fifth of that sum.
As an instance Of the useless expenditure OF money,
Mr. Wheeler cites the harbor of Superior City, Wis.
which he visited last Summer. The last APP
preparation for that barbor was 100000, and yet
but one vessel arrived at Superior City during the
previous year. Mr.. Wheeler liz confident that the
expenses of the Government may be so reduced that
the additional revenue now demanded will be I'M
necessary He thinks the force of officers and clerks
in the departments may he largely reduced and
that the Indian service can be reformed lie favors
the transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War De-
partment, and SAYS that he is satisfied that the
service would be greatly improved and the Indians
we'd from the rascality ofsharDers.
THE SENATORIAL CANVASS IN VIRGINIA.
at LEAST TEN CANDIDATES IN THE FIEID-coL. r.
T. WRITER'S AND THE hon. Il. NJ. T. HUNTER
TIE PRINCIPAL CONTEsTANTs-THE STRENGTH
or TIE VARIOUS ASPIRANTs.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRmUNE.l
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2-The Senatorial contest in
Virginia has so far advanced to disclose the origi-
nal strength of the leading candidates. There are
13l Conservative members of the Legislature and
as all will go into caucus, 66 votes are necessary to
nomination. Col. Robert +. Withers, now Lenten-
ant-Governor leads in the with about % or 30
votes; the Hon. r. NJ. Il. Hunter has some "A or %
votes: the Hon. John Goode has abOnt 20 votes;
ex-Gov. Walker, II to Is; the Hon. James
Barbour nearly an equal number and the remainder
arc either divided up among I. S. Bocock Alex. IL.
II. Stuart, Judge Joseph Christian, MIR. Flournoy,
Judge Robt Ould, and other aspirants. or have not
vet declared their preferences. There appears to be
a marked tendency to concentration upon Messrs.
Wthers aud Hunter. as III addition to their original
strength they are the second choice of many men,
bers and il is believed that the race will lie
between these two. The result cannot yet be pre-
dicted.
Nh Hunter is well known by his long service in
the United States Senate, and by his address at
Tamnauy Hall in 1872 in favor of Mr.. Greeley, and
his leading friends say that if elected, this speech
for the Liberal cause will furnish the principles by
which his Senatorial course will be gnided He is
G4 years OF age, and the point is made by his OPP
| ponents that all the old politicians should be
dropped. Col WtherS made his first prominent ap
pearance in politics in 1853, the Democratic
didate for Governor in opposition to suffrage,
and in 1869 was opposed to the new move
ment" upon which Gov. Walker elected,
and also opposed in the Conservative
State Convention, held at Richmond, the
instructions to the Virginia delegation TO vote for
Horace Greeley, which offered by Cen. Kemper.
I'm the struggle for the nomination for Governor,
Col. Withers was defeated by Gen. Kemper and
subsequently, nominated for the office of Lieutenant
Governor Gen. VIM. Malone. who it was supposed
would take al active part in the contest has, so far
taken no special part, and his great influence is
divided among different candidates. The question
of locality enters largely into the contest and it is
generally conceded that the new Senator should
come from the east both the present Senators are
from the western part of the State.