New-York tribune., 1874-04-14
WASHINGTON.
Continued from First Paxs.


the dead weight Of the frankinR restoration project
ana II they were detached il feared that the un-
popular thing would sink and never be heard Of
again. 80 the would-be frankers." ranged them
selves under the appropriate leadership of Mr. Butler
to vote down Mr.. Packers motion, but when the
line was formed and the tellers began the count Mr.
Butler found that his usual bad luck in critical
emergencies attended him, and that moro than half
MS iorces mad deserted to tho enemy, fearing the
"r.n oi the country newspapers II they should vote
hRaiust tne Dill. There 30 Affirmative and %
negatve votes but coll of the Yeas and Nays the
iorme increased to Ia and the latter dwnded to 49,
a nhe1 ,he more imposing show of strength was made
ny 'ho ranking party Immediately afterwards on O
blii oeIed Dy Mr. Hays from the Agricultural Com
nlttee TO allow seeds plants and cuttings to be sent
IIee through the mails by the Commissioner OF Agri-
cnllufe For this l46 members voted, and "a against
thirds.
THE PACIFIC MAIL SUBSIDY.
John Roach of the Morgan Iron Works. New-York,
and the Delaware River Ship-building Works at
Chester. Penn., appeared before the House Commit
tee on Post-Oices and Post Routes to-day advo-
caoy OF the continuance of the mail contract to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company for steamers TO
China and japan. He stated that he was not stock
holder nor interested in the Company, but he ap-
peared solely in behalf of the ship-building
interests of the country and with refer
by him for the Company. With reference to the
failure Of the Pacific Mail Company to get their new
ships ready in the time required by the contract he
said 1t was found that ships Of the size and
class contracted for could not compete in
speed with ships being built in England
for the same Pacific trade, and the plans were there
fore changed, and larger faster, and more expensive
ships OF 5000 tons built, requiring more than the
contract time. the Company believing that the
United States would not take advantage OF the
temporary delay if the service should in the mean
time be performed in other vessels without
subsidy, and would give the increased subsidy
whenever the newer and better ships should be
ready to compete with foreign lines for the trade OF
the Pacific, and to carry the mails at lower price
than any other lines would charge for the same ser
vice. With reference to the charge that large sum
was paid out coTuptly by the Pacific Mail Company
to procure from Congress tho additional subsidy,
Mr. Roach stated that he knew nothing
of the payment that there was evidence that
any of the sum taken out of the Company norDin-
ally to prevent competition in budding Tor the con-
tract was corruptly used in Washington thst none
of the present managers had anything to do wlth
spent corruptly, and that IT never went
beyond the first hands and that the facts charged
or proved do not require that the contract should
be annulled and the trade of the Pacific surrendered
to foreign lines but that, in some form or on some
terms the enlarged subsidy should be continued 10
an American line
THE GENEVA AWARD QUESTION.
At the meeting Of the House Judiciary Committee
this morning, several of the most important points
connected with the proposed legislation for the dis
tribution of the Geneva award were determined.
BY o vote of to 4, it was decided
that the distribution should be made by
a court and not by commission. III
was then agreed, by a vote of to- that the busl-
ness should be done by single court instead OF any
Circuit Court before which claimant may appear,
as proposed in one of the pending bills BY to
The Committee next voted that the actual
Losses allowed by the Geneva tribunal
only should be paid. motion to inclnde
the actual losses presented but not allowed was lost
by a tie vote. 1t was decided by the same vote of
six to four to admit the war risks in such losses as
were allowed at Geneva and by like vote
Gen. Buffers section to allow insurance companies
In nartieinate in the award where they can
show that their losses war risks exceeded their
total receipts from war premiums, was adopted IL
was further agreed that interest on actual losses
shouId be mild at the rate of per cent from the date
of the losses. The Committee VIII nrst V0te on d
pending motion tomorrow to restore 70 tDe DiIi q
section admitting claimants Tor actual losses not
allowed at Geneva, and war risks III such losses anu
will next decide the question OF priority Oh classes ~
claims and finally perfect the details OF Tue DliI
Four members of the Committee are Ill favor vi
admitting the claims OF all insurance companies.
under the law of subrOgation, and three members
hold that all money awarded ought to be covered
into the Treasury. on the ground that IL was lhe
nation at large that suffered most by the uepreua
tions of the Anglo-R Rebel cruisers.
PRESIDENT GRANTS FINANCIAL VIEWS.
President Grant. in conversation with friends to-
day ON the subject of finance, said it was desirable
that the pledges of the Government to return as
soon as practicable to specie payments should not be
overlooked In his annual message he had suggested
measures of preparation for such resumption and
thought now as he did then, that the National
hanks should retain portion OF theH
reserve either the whole or part OF the
cold interest accruing upon the bonds pledged as
security for their issue; and the treasury no
added. should also similarly strengthen ltsei "th
a view to resumption. He had no hesitation III SAY
ing that he was opposed to imitation III the generai
acceptaton of the term-to ali increase Oh currency
hovond the actua business necessities of the coun-
trv-but at the same time he had gwen
no opinion concerning the measures before Con
eress nor had he indicated "hat n''
action would be relative to any bill that might DO
nassed The two Houses had not yet acted concur,
rrently. and therefore, no opportunity was anordea
TO conjecture to the nnai result pu., apt
from his own sef-respect 1t would pe linpIoPu,i -
not offensive for him to intimate to Congress WHAT
he would or would not do in the event OF hnaneiai
bill being presented to him for his signature
OPPOSITION TO INFRINGEMENT IN bo1LpiN"
EXPENDITURES.
II is evident that the House is not disposed to
tolerate the mildest measures Of retrenchment In
expenditures for public buildings To-day, Mr.
Platt's milk and water" BILL permitting the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to defer beginning the new
buildings authorized but not yet begun was
lost for want of two-thirds malorlty-
Yeas, 129; Nays, 95-although it provided that
the appropriations for these works should
not be covered into the Treasury. This wa was re re-
norted in place of Mr.. Garfieds trenchant Dli Ior