New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-20

The Senate Select Committee on Transportation
at their meeting last night agreed to the report
prepared by the Chairman, Senator Window OF mln-
nesota. The report is elaborate, embracing large
mass Of statistical matter not before coliated anu
contains a discussion of the alleged defects anu
abuses of the existing systems of transportation ana
also tho proposed remedies in detail The remedies
discussed included under four general supui-
Visions namely: First, unregulated competi''oi,
between railroads. second. direct Congressional
regulation of rates and fares third the ownership
and control of one more freight railways py 'he
General Government; and, fourth, the improvement
and creation of water routes. Each of these subjects
is fully discussed and the conclusion generaily - s
favor of improved water routes several sp }bId
by the Committee until the report shall be made on
| Wednesday OF Thursday next. The COMMITTEE ar, are
not unanimous on the measures OF legislation Iney
propose with reference 10 railroads, but are on tne
recommendation as to water courses Inc conS Wi
tional questions are fully discussed Senator WIN
dom Will, after making the report, 1uily epi.oi@0
| and explain Its contents.
THE CALENDAR OF THE SENATE.
The calendar Of the Senate contains l6i bills. VI
these ~ are House bills, and SO bills OF private
nature for the relief of various persons. There are
81 pension bills, and 20 to organize national banks
without circulation Among the bills are the FOL
lowing An act granting general amnesty ana pre-
scribng oath Of Office; joint resolution proposing
an amendment to the Constitution, providing that
| the United States shall never make anything but
gold and silver legal tender in payment OF deots'
bill to restore the rights of the State of louisiana
bill providing for the resumption of specie pay
| ments and for free banking, reported from the
Finance Committee adversely by Mr.. Morrill, OF
Vermont. This is the bill introduced by Mt. MOT
rill. Three members of the Committee were III
favor of it, three against it, and one whose position
was not defined. There was consequently an al
verse report but the bill was placed on the calendar
at his request. In addition 10 the above, there is
the Supplementary Civil Rights bill, reported from
the Judiciary Committee Tuesday last, and
which Will come up for consideration next week.
RAPHAEL sEMMEs AN APPLICANT FOR
AMNESTY.
Raphael Semmes the famous Rebel Admiral, is the
latest applicant for share of the piecemeal am
nesty which the Senate insists shall be peddled out
to few Southerners remaining under disability,
by its refusal to pass the General Amnesty bill sent
over by the House early in the session. Mr. Brom-
berg tried to get unanimous consent for the passage
of bill removing Semmess disabilities, on Saturday,
but objection was made on the ground that there
was no petition accompanying the bill. The only
condition imposed by the practice of the House
upon applicants for special amnesty bills IS that
they shall send petition asking for this act OF grace
There is still here and there in the South, man VINO
fances the war is not yet over, and who Is TOO
proud and stubborn TO ask the favor OF pardon from
Congress, and the Republicans in the House appear
determined that these men shall not have amnesty
forced upon them at the instance OF theH lIlenuS
MIR. FOSTERS REPORT REGARDING THE sANBoRN
CONTRACTS.
Mr.. Foster Of Ohio Will present draft of his re-
port in regard to the Sanborn contracts to the Com
mittee on Ways and Means tomorrow. The report
will favor the unconditional repeal Of the law under
which the contracts made. 1t will review tho
history of the law and question the authority OF the
Department to execute it in the manner disclosed by
the evidence taken and the documents submitted
1t will maintain that the effect of the law as ex-
ecuted was to take away from the Internal Revenue
Office a large share of the duties lntrnsted 10 II
exclusively By law 1t will show that the Coninls-
soner Of Internal Revenue was not IN any way re-
spopsible for the irregularities which have been de-
Welcomed The report viii make little distinction in
It's censure of all those in the Department III any
way connected with the execution of these con-
tracts but will reflect severely upon them all.
A PATENT CASE DECISION CRITICISED.
The decision of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia in the case of Conklin IL Stafford ex
cites considerable interest among patent lawyers
and patentees. The case was an appeal from the
Commissioner the applicants claiming that they
were entitled to reissue of an existing patent with
broader claims. The Court decides, IN effect that
AN inventor who fails to claim all he has described
in his specification abandons the unclaimed portion
to the public unless the omission comes within the
wording of the law as TO inadvertence accident or
mistake which accident or mistake must DC pointed
out This Teverses the former practice of the Patent
Office. The Commissioner intends 10 DO governed
by the decision, although its terms are not very
clear and il is thought by many good lawyers to be
a strained construction of the statute. Its effect
will be to diminish the value OF many existing
patents.
RELIEF FOR THE LOUISIANA SUFFERERS.
Tie House passed bill on Saturday, giving the
President authority to issue rations and army cloth
ing of the disused pattern to the sufferers by the
recent flood in Louisiana. As reported the bill pro-
yided for the supply Of food only, and clothing was
inserted at the instance of Mr.. Morey. Mr. Wood
urged the passage of the bill the ground that the
neople of Louisiana had suffered enough from Fed
eral usrpaton TO entitle them to relief at the
hands of Congress He no doubt forgot to express
the hope that in the distribution OF rainent, some
safeguard would he adopted to prevent the helo o
oIcials from supplying all the idle negroes IN the
state with new suits, In order to have an additional
claim upon their votes.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE FINANCE BILL
There is as vet no official indication concerning
tho pree;dents action on the Finance BILL but the
General impression is that he will approve 1t.
Friends of the measure are confident in this belief,
and some of them give as reason Tor IL the expires
sion of the hope in the Presdents last annuai mes
sage that "the best measure may be arrived at 10
such an elasticity of the currency an VIII Keep
employed oil the industries of the country ana pre-
vent sncb an imitation as will put of indefinitely the
resumption of specie payments; ana the iuIthei
remark of the President that the decision Oh
Congress on this subject VIII nave INC nearly sup
port of the Executive"
RuMORED REsIGNATroNIoF SECRETARY FISH.
Reports were circulated at the hotels tonight and
also brought TO some OF the news olces that oecre
tarv Fish had placed his resignation III the hands OF
the President On inquiry of Mr.. Fish he pro-
nounced the reports untrue.