Ellsworth American., 1874-06-18

Letter from Warrington
WASHINGTON. d. c., June Is.

W ASulNplbN a. u, Juuc Id. :
ADAY OF BRIsTOw. R
The new Secretary Of the Treasury, co0.
mencsd buslnesa: ouss, In way that showed
him to Be msn Of dsonits heas, and some
comprehension q tn, ssgaulntioa OF the De-
partnsnt. andths nse.rs u his swn dsties.
The hws governing the Department, divide
duties and responsibilities among specified
Bureaus, one officer being a check upon an-
other. This plan DID - ssis BssaweM, and
he established bureaus ofhis own, small side
shows. where everything went and was decid-
ed so far as wac possible. without the action Of
the legal bureau Officers. thus arrogatinx sl
the power TO the Seeretary's own Office. The
Boutwell, bureaus were run by clerks, who
Were paid the same salaries as the heads Of the
regular bureaus, who are appointed By the
President. ard confirmed by the Senate. and
these clerks were Boutwelrs fee-faw- -falns, and
fuglemen.
On the first day, BristOw remanded such cases
as came 10 him from the fee-faws, that belong
ed 10 the regular officers, to their appropriate
places for consideration, to the great conste rns-
/ tion Of the side show-men, who were thus
painfully reminded Of . departed occupation.
Olhello. which Is u corruption Of "old-iellow,"
probably, and should have been rendered.
"oli-fellows," occupation is gone. II Bristow
sticks to this course, he will avoid the numer-
Gus snAgs which Richardson ran his crsft up
on, and will be saved from q host Of rcsponsi-
biities and anxieties that do not iegitimstely
belong TO him.
THE PRESIDENT DOWN To HARD PAN.
The manifesto Of the President on the mon.
ey question. coming - 1t did right upon the &C.
cession Of new Secretary OF the Treasury. is
interpreted - IA inspiration Of Mr.. Bristow.
and as meaning an immediate intention to
eheckmste the inHstiou!sts. As the indstion-
lists are a majority in Congress, and are led by
bold men, such As Morton in the Senate. and
Batter in the Houss, the prospect Of an aui-
IN sted conflict Is decidedly imminent, and the
character Of the combatan,s on each side udi-
Gates q contest Of formidable proportions. and
We are safe in saying. the hull in politics is
about over, probably. for the present.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE WEATHER.
The weather has been very hot for some
days, and this has had the effect Of making
Cougrcssmen impatient TO get away. This Is
Gentlemen who stood up calamity in Febru-
AIRY and contended for cheap jack-knives, and
a reduction Of the allowance for ice water To
the clerks OF the Departments, stand aside,
and bills invol, ing hundreds Of thousands. go
through unc.aIenged and without remark,
much less remorse.
On Monday. Butler tried 10 get up the civil
rights bill by suspe nsion Of the rules, but did
not succeed. Mr.. Lamar, OF Mississippi,
made eloquent arsum Mt s-aias; the right
OF Pinchbeck TO a seat in Congress, In which
be discussed the general questions concerning
the right. OF the South since the war. snd
| their future prospects and sentiments. Ii was
speech Of striking points and unusual ability,
and added much 10 the reputation made by
Mr. Lamar in his generous remark. upon the
death OF sumner. At the close Of the speech
the orator received general congra,ulaiion, up
on his successful effort.
The question, that have been discussed Ia
/ Congress for several day., have been regard
eI As important. and much ability has been
displayed. and yet they have not been very in
tercsiing questions 10 the general reader, nor
will their decision produced any marked in
cuencc upon the country. One of these que.-
ton. is the "moiety system" and the city jour
mails Of New York and Boston. magnify II into
great affair. Reduced to simple terms, aud
all there is in 1t. is whether the government
will pay for infomstion. which will show that
/ . reputable merchant 10 esading the revenue
/ law. aud cheating tn. customs. or not. Under
the moicty system. noihisg Is paid unless
s..ff n. 6p.s iv,ru tka
cheaier. The great house Of Williams 4 CO..
cheated 10 the tune Of 81 800 900. They got
on By paying 500 600, which eft them s,il a
fair profit on their ingenuity and fraud. One
half the sum. 9 80 600 went TO informers. and
| it is now proposed 10 keep these moieties out
Of the hands OF the informers by allowing the
Sweet WiliAns's TO havekhe whole 600 900.
The Phelps-Dodse case is used To show the
hardships Of the Moieiies. They paid Sa1l,-
ooo 10 compromise for being technically ="
lame in their statements. for abou, four times
| that sum. The case was in Court, AMI after
hearing the story Of Mr.. Dodge, Boutwell, ad-
siscd them not TO compromise; but they fear
ed to trust their good intentions TO = jury, and
paid the money in preference to submitting
their innocence TO the test Of legal exanina-
ton. II was n good deal OF money to fork
over by men conscious of innoce nee, bu, grant :
ing that the government was wrong. the fault
Is not on account Of the moiety system, but In
the details Of the lag concerning the proof Of
| intent 10 do wrong. But whether the cheats
are m ide TO pay or not, the public st large
| will never re ilize any difference Whatever.
The Geneva award made quite stir, and
i.Ai u..rft, L~ft 81.
money belongs TO the government, some that
IL belong. 10 the owners OF vessels and car
goes which were destroyed by the Alabams
and some that the insurance companies must
come in for > share. Tremaine argued for the
insurance companies, Eidridge for the govern
ment, and Hale, Frye, and Butler, for the
ship owners. Uncle sam prosecuted the
claim. and got the money, and Eldridse
| thought il was on his own account. The ship
owners say they paid the Insurance companies
such premu ms that il was ruin and the COM
panie- lost every thing but the premiums, all
ofwhich is very hard. and has nothing to do
with the TSeed case. yet TremAine taunted
Butler with having sympzihixed with Tweed,
TO which the latter rejoine that be did, but IL
was because Tremaine was his persecator-
and in this jolly way was ths debate enlivened
without proceeding TO the extreme Of having
any one make mouths At any other ones sis
ter. We don't understand the law Of the case.
The days Of the Board Of Public works are
numbsJsd. They have been the real COVER
nors ofthe city, for tws or three years, and
now II Is proposed to have = Commission q
two senators. and two Representative to rua
the machine. This is q sort Of political four
in-hAnd We suppose. and ne~ scheme In the
way Of government. II shows how the fash
ion iends in respect to horses and-she other
animals. Gen. Grant drives . splendid four
horss team, and Why shouldn't ths people Of
the District have theirs!
On THURSDAY, Butler, Cox, aud Beck, got in
some sharp cuts at the Civil Service humbug,
- they called IL, which were not relished much