New-York tribune., 1874-04-25

in has there been any increase OF postage on
| the packages. The members whose orat0rical el-
forts did not strike Mr. Knox AZ worth sending are
the only ones who find any fault In what he has dohe
BILL RESTRICTING THE ISSUE OF LAND
| PATENTS TO THE KANSAS PACIFIC ROAD.
| 1t is asserted by Judge Pendery of Kansas, who
abored with the Treasury Department for more than
year to obtain contract under the Act Oh May O.
1872, having been the first to apply under that law
| that the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company has thus
far received patents for only 100000 acres OF land
and that under the grant of Congress that railroad
has yet due it 5,500000 acres As the Treasury De-
partment would not recognize any application made
in accordance with laws for the collection OF taxes
due the Government, it has been thought necessary
to urge some action the part of Congress. MI.
Foster, from the Ways and Means Committee, has
| introduced bill providing for the collection OF
money, and the recovery of bonds wrongfully with
held by that railroad from the United States The
| bill is as follows:
BE enacted etc, THAT the President of the United
further paent or patents for land the Kansas Pacific
Railroad Company OF Kansas-successor to the UNION
| Pacific Railway Company Eastern Divison-for lana
granted under the provisions OF the act OF Congress ap
proved July l. 1862 entitled An act TO and In the con
strucon OF a raOad aud telegraph line from the MIS-
souri, River TO the Pacific Ocean, and to secure 10 tne
Government the use OF the same for postal military,
tanned and determined the satis action OF the Attor-
neyenora OF the United states that mres TPb
! the requirements OF the sixth section OF said
| of the United States is hereby authorized aud
directed institute legal proceedings against said rail-
road company for the collection OF any amount OF money
charged against the United States or withheld from
the United States IN violation of the provisions OF the
said sixth Of said act approved July j. 1862 or
for the enforcement OF any penalty incurred by the vio
lation OF the provisions thereof; and he Is hereby
authorized employ upon such terms AZ he may deem
reasonable and just, SUCH legal assistance as ne may
PROCEEDINGS aud furnish evidence In
the premises; PrOrtded, that compensation shall not
be made for such employment except ont OF the money
property that may be recovered by such proceedings
THE PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE MODE OF
ELECTING PRESIDENT AND YICE-PREsIDENT
The Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
will soon make unanimous report in favor of a
Constitutional amendment changing the method OF
electing President and VicePresdent of the United
States. The plan recommended will be substan-
tally that proposed by Senator Morton, with which
newspaper readers already familiar. 1t proposes
to divide each State into districts corresponding to-
OF of a similar character with the present Congress
sonal Districts Each one Of these districts is to
have vote for President, the result OF which
shall be certified to the Secretary of State by the
proper election officers. In addition to this each
State is to be allowed two votes, which shall be
counted either for the candidate having majority
of the votes cast in the State or for him who carries
majority of the districts. Another feature of the
adjudicate all questions arising out of election
for the Office of President aud VcePresident There
is present indication Of long discussion on this
proposed amendment. The Committee, as has
already been stated unanimous in It's favor and
if there is any division in the Senate when the
question comes up it will he upon the manner OF ac-
complishing the object sought, and not upon tue
necessity of the reform proposed.
THE sANBoRN INVESTIGATION.
The Ways and Means Committee did not resume
at f1o enlia ~ tha San
born cor:re"ts to-day, the witnossss sGLi
moned yesterday not having arrived Some
of them teegraphed that they conid not
come until Monday. There are those who be-
eye that by the time they arrive here there will be
q complete understanding Jas to the line of their
testimony with reference to the Sanborn business
and Gen. Buffers connection with it, 1t is probable
that before the testimony closed again Of the
officers of the Adams Express Company will be sum-
moned to show just what Mr. Sanborns relations
with that corporation were Sanborn himself testi-
fed that he was in the employ of the Company for
about eighteen years. at very large salary, while
on the contrary it is claimed that the officers declare
that his relations with the Company were Of short
duration and that his employment was made neces-
sary owing to his peculiar relations with Gen.
Butler 1t is difficult to in what way Mr.. San
born's relations with the Adams Express Company
can have reference to the subject under inquiry;
but it is thought that few questions regarding III
NAV be asked in order to test the accuracy OF Mr
Sanborn's testimony.
THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE OBSERVATION OF
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
The parties which have been organizing here for
the national expedition to observe the transit OF
Venus have nearly perfected their preparations The
Instruments which are mainly of new design,
few Photographic methods excepted, were con-
structed under the superintendent of Prof William
Harkness of the Observatory, and have been found
to work admirably. They have been in use con-
stantly of late in field observations. Those en-
gagged in the work are confident that with the new
instruments thus placed at their disposal the results
obtained by the United States will prove among the
most valuable reached by any Of the great nations
moving in this same matter. The Photographic ex-
perments in order to insure the success OF
that important department are now IN progress
under Dr. Henry Draper OF New-York, and prom
ise excellent results The new steamer Swatara
is being rapidly fitted out at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard for the of the expedition.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA AGAINST ANDERSON
AND OTHERS.
The original suit against Anderson and others by
the State Of Florida TO set aside certain DEGREES OF
the Circuit Court directing the sale of the roads
formerly known the Tallahassee Railroad and the
Pensacola and Georgia Railroad on the ground that
they were rendered at the suit OF the bond
holders. when the trustees of the State In
ternal Improvement Fund were alone en-
titled to recover the money was again before
the Supreme Court today on the motion OF the
defendants to dissolve the injunction heretofore
ordered The State ressts the motion, alleging that
il has provided an ample fund wherewith to pay the
interest these bonds known as the Internal I'M
movement bonds, and the prin cipa when due, IN
1891 which the defendants must resort TO. Ihe
defendants urge that the State has no night TO raise
the question that II should be done py the runs
Commissioners; and that as between themselves
and the Commissioners the question OF night has
been settled by the Circuit Court and cannot be