New-York tribune., 1874-03-09
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.


CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
PROPOSED INQUIRY INTO THE CONDITION OF THE
NAVY.
WASHINGTON March g. 1873
The Grst effort Of tho present Congress to provide
for Summer excursions by members Of Congress and
Others at the Government expense was made by the
adoption to-day by the House Committee on Naval
Affairs of JOINT resolution introduced by Mr. Hale
of Maine providing for an inquiry into the condition
of the United States Navy The resolution provides
that a commission, to be composed of three Repre-
sentatives and two Senators, and also two naval
officers Of the line Of the rank of commodore to be
associated with them. with captain Of the navy as
secretary, shall inquire into the condition OF the
navy, its adaptabiity to the necessities Of the
country the method of enisting for the navy, and
the systems pursued at the navy-yards, and report
what changes, improvements and suggestions arc
necessary to bring it to its highest state Of eclenc
and the report of said committee shall be presented
TO Congress at the opening OF the second session.
OF course this Commission will have to visit every
yard III the country, from Washington to Cal
ifornia, and from Maine to Florida, with perhaps
pleasure trips during the Summer to the European,
Mediterranean, West India and other squadrons, at
the public expense. This expense viii by no means
be light and will embrace travelling expenses, Iai-
road and steamboat fares hotel bills and al te eX-
travagant ncidentals usually so conspicuous IN me
bills of Government officials. Ii might be found TO
be agreeable to have the Governments pleasure cut
ter the TallapOosa placed at the disposal or the eN
cursion party in the Two Houses pass the JOINT
resolution
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST Mr.. sEARIGHT, sur
vEYoR-GENERAL OF COLORADO.
The Sundcy Gazette publishes to-day number of
adidayits affecting the character of i. b. Searght
who was lately appointed and confirmed Surveyor
&c rhe
one from the fact that it is alleged that Searight
was the only Democrat on the Legislative Commit
tee who voted for the white-washing report when
Simon Cameron was accused of buying a seat IN tho
Senate. The first affidavit is that OF J. H.
Smith Of Fayette County, Penn. who swears thai
Searight told him that he fSearight) furnished
fraudulent naturalization papers III the campaign OF
1868. Alex. J. Hill and c. +. Swearingen, depose
that Learight, after the ASSASSINATION OF Lincoln,
said to them that it was all right that he ought to
have been killed long ago that jeff Davis was
better man than Lincoln, and that the murder was a
good tragedy performed by tragedian, and i'd
well done These facts were brought to The atten-
tion of the President the Secretary Of the Interior
ami the Senate Committee On Territories by dele
cation of respectable Repubiicsns OF Fayetie
County, Penn. before Learight was confirmed
THE CHARGES AGAINST COMMISSIONER BAKER.
The charges made against Gen. Baker Commis-
sloner of Pensions, by Mrs. Fl. NJ. Barnard, which
were laid before tue House recently by the Speaker
and referred to the Committee Pensions about
a dozen in number, and are accompanied by refer
enees to substantiate them, alleged to be on h!e IN
the Pension Bureau and the Office III the Treasury
where the accounts of the Bureau audited !
Among these charges are injustice in the treatment
of pensioners and in decisions in the of app-
cants appropriation Of public property private nse
drawing mileage while travelling on private business |
and while making political speeches in the West and
authorizing the payment of mileage to others sent
on journeys to attend to his their private affairs
Ii s alleged, as an instance Of unfairness in the |
dealings of the Commissioner with pensioners, that
on the application of captain who applied for an
dorsement TO this effect " This man is stumping
for Greedy and his pension should not be raised"
This application with the endorsement, is said 10 be
on file in the bureau.
THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
The Centennial advocates appear to have abau- |
doned all hopes of making an international exhb- |
ition and to have fallen back on the plan of Ma
tional show. Arguments will be made before the |
Senate Appropriations Committee tomorrow in
favor Of Government aid for such Exhibition. |
The project in its new form will not encounter so
many objections az were brought against it before,
appropriation for it, Ii will be urged that Pbilade-
phia is able to hold such Exhibition without aid
from the National Treasury, and that the holding of
Industrial fairs is not proper function OF the Gen
or3l Government
WASHINGTON NOTES.
WASHINGTON, March g. 1874
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