New-York tribune., 1874-06-23

NEW-YO1
| future by the past, it will be long time
before we get again so capable and faithful a
Secretary of Legation at the Court OF st. James.
Mr.. Starkweather's proposition to lay tax
Of one-twcntieth of one per cent on all safes
of stocks, bonds, gold and silver bullion, CON-
and other securities was defeated IN the SEN
ate. Brokers and dealers in stocks Will be
clad to know that the House will probably
not insist on its action [; but the provision VIII
be stricken from the bill to which it was an
impertnent amendment.
The new District Government is not yet an
nounced. A rumOr was current yesterday III
the Capital that the President had agreed to
appoint Gov Shepherd, ex-Assistant Secretary
SAWYER, and Mr.. Tulloch on the Commis-
sion. Strangely enough it was for time be-
Eeyed. The President has received later ad-
vices, however as he did on the subject OF
his late absurd message, and 1t ls now be-
lieyed that the danger of that sort of a COM
mission is passed.
Among the Senate amendments to the Sun
dry Civil Service Appropriation bill non-con-
CURED in by the House were the increase OF
the salaries of the Assistant Secretary ana
Solicitor of the Treasury and the Commissioner
of Customs TO $4j0O, the appropriation OF
$4,000 for an equestrian statue TO Ueh'
Nathaniel Greene, and one of Sl5OoO for
works of art for the Capitol. The bill went
to Conference Committee on the non-con-
currence of the House in large number OF
Senate amendments other than those named
But would MT it be better not to have as cheap
lots hereafter as the late Solicitor and Assist
ant Secretary proved
Congress has at least not permitted the coun-
try to be disgraced by adjourning without
last attempt at some action looking to the dis
tributon of the Geneva award to the claim
ants to whom it properly and of right belongs
The Conference Committee agreed yesterday
upon the provisions of a bill which does not
! differ materially from the original Senate BILL
! All disputed questions are eliminated and only
the uninsured losses. resulting directly from
the depredations of the Alabama, Florida, and
Shenandoah, are to be considered. For the dls-
tributiOn of the award Court OF Commission
is to be organized to continue for one year.
| The bill of the Conference Committee passed
the House without even the test of Yea and
| Nay vote. OF its passage in the Senate there
| is said to be no reasonable doubt.
Mr. Carpenter, from the Committee on Con-
tingent Expenses, to whom was referred the
whole subject of supplying stationery to the
reporters, made a report some four or hve
columns long yesterday. in which the history
of Congressional appropriations was thor-
oughly overhauled to prove that by all the
precedents Senators were entitled not only 10
stationery, pen-knives, gold pens, @nu goid
ooth-picks, but to Madeira VINE, Coshac
brandy, almonds, rasins. and pound cake.
The amount expend1d for stationery for re-
porters averages ABOUT $50 per annum but
since the reporters have been so much exer-
cisea aoout the contingent expenses of the
! Senate. it is recommended that the distrlbu-
ton hereafter should be made with dlscrlm-
inaton. And this is the United States
Senate.
The outcome of the conference on news
| paper postage is a rather petty compromise.
| Newspapers are to pay two cents pound III
advance, magazines three cents pound, un-
bound public documents the same rates as
newspapers, bound ones ten cents each,
while The Congressional Record is to go
through the mails for a cent. The rate fixed
for newspaper postage will probably bring
| into the Department five times as much
| money as it has ever heretofore collected Tor
the same service. There would have been
| less objection to it if Congress had with COM
mon decency put its own publications on
precisely the same basis. What 1T has done
| in this regard may be accepted as cowardly
step towards tho revival of the Franking
Privilege on the part of men who had de-
sire, but not the courage, to 20 the whole
length.
The appointment of the Hon. Lyman X.
Bass, member of Congress from the Buffalo
district in this State, to be Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury in place OF Sawyer, re-
signed, was received with very general salts
faction in Washington, where Mr.. Bass has
made a reputation during his short term of
service as a thoroughly honest and very COM
petent and energetic man. His declinatiOn Of
the place occasions universal regret The con-
tinuance of Mr.. Sawyer in the office did not
serve to make it specially honorable, and it
will doubtless be difficult to find any one who
is competent and well qualified tor the duties
who will accept the succession. Still this Ell
| fort to secure a frst-class man for the place
is token of Secretary Bristow's earnestness
in reforming the management OF the Depart
ment, and encourages the hope that the day
of peddling politicians in that Department at
| least is over.
| The Anti-Moiety BILL which the President
signed last night, and which we print in full