Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-10

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 9.-The Com
mittee on Military Affairs has agreed to re-
port resolution authorising the Secretary
of War to detail an officer to command
second expedition of the Palestine Explor-
ing Society, soon to take the field on the
east side of the Jordan.
To Abolish Moieties.
Mr.. Roberts from the Committee on
Ways and Means reported a bill to repeal
all moieties. He stated the bill referred to
only one lr1Ech of the subject which the
committee was still considering, and which
would in due time be reported on.
Mr.WOod saidthe bill had not receivedthe
vote of the committee, and in his opinion
did not 90 far enough. The bill was pr
dered printed and recOmmitted. The text
of the bill is as follows:
Be il enacted, etc, That all provisions of
law under which mOieties of any fines,
penalties or forfeitures, or any share therein,
are paid to infOrmers or officers OF the
United States are hereby repealed, and
from and aftei the date of the passage of
this act, the proceeds of all fines, penalties
and forfeitures shall be paid into the
Treasury of the United States.
2. That it shall hereafter be the duty Of
the Secretary of the Treasury, out of any
money specifically appropriated by Cou-
gress, to make suitable compensation to in
formers and persons aiding in the detention
of smuggling and other offenses against the
custom and revenue law, or aiding in con-
victions of the same; and he shall annually
report to Congress in detail all payments
by him for such purposes. Whenever any
officer Of customs or other person shall de-
tect and seize goods, wares or merchandise
in the act of being smuggled or which have
been smuggled, he shall be entitled to such
compensation therefor as the Secretary of
the Treasury shall award, not exceeding
| one-half of the proceeds, if any, resulting
from such seizure, after deducting all costs
! and charges connected therewith; and
whenever any person, not an officer OF the
United States, shall furnish to a district
attorney or TO any chief 9tiicer of customs,
original information concerning any fraud
upOn the customs revenue perpetrated or
contemplated, which shall lead TO the re-
coyery of any duties withheld, or fine, pen
atty or forfeiture incurred, such compensa-
tion may on such recovery be paid to the
informer as shall be just and reasonable,
not exceeding in any case the sum of SlO,-
600, which compensation shall be paid un-
der the direction of the Secretary Of the
Treasury, out of any monies appropriated
for that purpose.
3. That no payment shall be made to
any person claiming as informer in any
case wherein judicial proceedings shall
have been instituted, unless his right as
such informer shall have been established
/ 10 the satisfaction of the court or judge
having cognizance of such proceedings and
the value of his services duly certified by
said court or judge for the information Of
I the Secretary of the Treasury; and when
any fine, penalty or forfeiture shall be col
lected without judicial proceeding Ithe Sec
retary of the Treasury, shall, before direct
ing payment to any person claiming as in
former, require satisfactory proof that such
| person is justly entitled thereto.
4. That whenever any district attorney