The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-02-12
Washington Affairs.
TIE GENEVA AWARD.

| LIE bENl-N y AN AMI.
Both sides have submitted their final ar
| gument TO the judiciary committee OF tho
House on the distribution Of the Geneva
award The contest has been mainly be
\ tween the owners of vessels destroyed by
| rebel privateers, and insurance companies
| The latter have been represented by able
counsel like William NJ Evarts, while the
former have chiefly stated their own case
\ l.. W Metcalf, Esq, making an argument
for the latter which attracted much at
tcntion. The committee will now begin
an examination OF the arguments and evi-
dcnce before them. General Butler think,
the most equitable plan is to throw the
whole affair into the United States Courts
and thus give each claimant an opportrln-
| itV to prove his case 1t is understood that
neither the insurance companies nor the
| owners of vessels destroyed favor it The
| formation Of special commission. com
posed Of eminent lawyers well vcrsed il
maritime and international law. meets
with more appreciation. II is not known
how the committee will start on this rues
| ton, but indications point to a bill in favor
of Il special commission. 1t is feared that
| if it is thrown into the courts, the insul-
| Iltt tbil I'tlllts, MO tIttiii 70 pt' lltiN y
losers, viii be ignored
TAXATION EY TIE RING
W. ". Corc0ran has column card in
| the Baltimore Sun addressed to the citi-
zcns of the District of Columbia. lie de
| tends himself from the charge of not
| having paid his taxes. He say he ha,
paid all his general amd regular taxes
up To June 80, 1874. amounting to 50
3OlOe lie says: The payment wa.
made " th my check, payable on the IN
etanl in current funds, and With the allow
ance of the then legal rate Of six pen
| cent. and that, too, after | had been APP
preached by an editor and proprietor OF
one of the daily papers of this district
and prominent in the late assault upon
me, with the request that he be allowed
them to me receiptcd asking for that
| generous and patriotic service the amount
oi the account less siNtSen per cent
| when tax payers were then allowed by
| LAW only per cent discounts and | ten
der myself ready. when properly called
| upon. to name other eases in which gen
| cltl taxes tor the current yea, have been
| paid subject TO this excessive discount
| have no comment 70 make on this new
way Of paving taxes can only say that
mine were paid in full in currency, and
ask no credit for doing what was simply
my duty" lie doubts whether there is
such IN oppressive and high handed local
government anywhere in the world eN-
cept under IN absolute monarchy. The
letter has caused great sensation,
THE LOUISIANA BILL
Mr. Carpenters bill to restore the light-
of Louisiana commences with long pre-
ambe declaring there is no Governor,
Lieutenant Governor. Secretary of State,
| Attorney General, Auditor OF Public Ac-
| counts, Superintendent of Education, OF
| Legislature elected by legal voters of the
| State according to the constitution and
| laws thereof; that there is no provision in
! said constitution and laws for election Of
| said State officers before the next regular
election il November, 1876, that said Off
GERS are now filled defacto by persons
claiming to hold them under pretended
fraudulent and void canvasses OF votes
given at last general election; that the
pretended legislature was organized in
pursuance of illegal orders issued by a
Judge of the United States Circuit Court,
that the Presidents proclamation reco@-
nizing said persons as legal officers of
said State was issued upon representations
of said persons who it now appears are
not legal officers that the people of
Louisiana are in danger of being oppressed
and involved in a veNatiouS litigation and
that the public peace Of Louisiana is now
preserved and can onlNibe preserved during
the existing state of things At the expense
Of the United States and by retaining part
of the army in said State
Therefore, the bill provides for holding
an election in Louisiana on the 18th Tuesday
Of next May. for the above named State
officers. and such members of legislature
rs ought to have been chosen Nov. 4th
49, The President Of the ni1ed States
is required to appoint some person OF dc--
ignate some officer OF the army not below
the rank of Major General 10 act rs Super
intcndcnt Of said election This Supeln-
tendent in to appoint two citizens ofLou7-
lama OF opposite political partes To he
REGISTRARS, The registration is to be com
menced within twenty days after the en-
acnent of this bin and to bc completed
ten days prior to the date of the election.
These registrars are required to appoint
wv II I'FI l0'lN VI l9li lti'l vi Ol'l'V7llt
political parties in each parish except JEFF
terson and New Orleans, for the former OF
which there are TO be four superv iSorS and
tor the latter two in each ward The bill
proceeds at great length To prescribe the
details of registration and election, these
provisions being substantially the same rs
those contained in Mr. Carpenters bill
last wear. In case the President appoint
a civilian a superintendent OF election, the
latter is to receive $1,000 for his services.
and if any army officer shall be appointed
superintendent, and shall Wiltully fail To
perform the duties prescribed by this bill,
he shall be punished by a fine not exceed
ING $1,000 OF imprisonment at hard labor
| not exceeding one year The bill also pro
yidcs that it shall be lawful for the Pres
ldpnt of the United States to employ such
part Of the land and naval forces of The
United States As shall be necessary 10 aid
| in the execution of q judicial process tC
carry out and en- force its provisions and to
| maintain the public peace and to sustain
the officers appointed under this act in tho
discharge of their duties, and any act done
| by any person claiming to be an officer O
| Louisiana OF any process issued by any
| State court officer to enioin or interior,
| with the execution OF this act is to h,
treated n absolutely void
The Tax Commissioner Report.