New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-14

lie completed win take tho party to Aspinwali
whence they Will sail home by mail steamer SaP.
Selfridge, who also commanded q surveying Party
the isthmus, has orders TO sail with She on.!eu
States steamer Saranac, and is expecceG 10 atnve
at Aspinwall 10 days sooner than the Oet'VsouIs
and cooperate with her in forwarding the objects OF
the expedition.
AN UNwARRANTABIE CONTRACT uNpRR THE SAN
BORN CONTRACT IAw-MR. FOsTERs RRsoLU-
TON ADOPTED.
Ii is reported that under the so-called Sanborn
contract law, contract was made win
certain persons not long ago, by the treasury
Department looking to the virtual conhscatloD OF
the line of railroad extending from Danvlle Va, to
Greensboro N. c.. on the pretenso that IT was buit
by the Confederate Government, and therefore,
became the property of tho United States after the
surrender of the CODfederacy. 1t is scarcely con-
ceivabe that proceedings of this character nave
been begun or are contemplated If the Government
has any claim upon the road II ought to nave pro-
secuted il Immediately after the war ended. To
take advantage of any technical legal right at this
late day would be an unwarrantable act of spolia-
ton. A gentleman who was connected with the
Confederate Government ut Richmond says that the
road was not built by the Rebel authorities, but
that a large subsidy granted 10 secure Its CON
structon, which afterwards repaid by the
transportation of troops aud supplies
MIR Foster again offered his resolution this morn
ing directing the Secretary of the Irea Mry to fur
nish full information III regard TO the San
born contracts. Mr.. Butler said he would
make no further objection TO ii, and would reserve
what he had to say upon the subject until bill
should be presented From this expression II would
appear that he expects the Ways and Means Com
uittee viii bring IN bill repeating the law
which expectation he is certainly IN accord with
most members of the House. AS no one else OBJ
jeoted the resolution was adopted
THE REFUNDING or CUSTOMS DUTIES.
The important bill of the Ways and Means Com
mittee in relation to the refunding of customs du
ties. will he reported by Mr. Kasson on Monday
next II provides that duties collected under an
Interpretation OF law made by the Secretary Of the
Treasury shall not be refunded reversal of such
decision, unless such reversal is sustained by the
courts in which case the amounts thus enormously
collected must be reported to Congress- and an up
preparation made for their repayment. Where du-
ties are collected under orders of customs officer,
and these orders are reversed by decision OF the
Secretary, the duties thus paid may be refunded rs
heretofore, but full report of snch cases must be
made annually to Congress. Under the almost I'M
limited power given the Secretary by the existing
law 10 refund duties held by him 10 have been erro
neously collected, serious abuses have occurred and
! hundreds of thousands of dollars have been taken
| from the Treasury by the mere stroke OF PEN MI
kassons bill is the FIRST in the direction of
| thorough reform in the Customs service. III IL ~
| 1OIloNed up ny the repeating ol tHo laws WHICH
make permanent appropriations for the expenses OF
| collecting the revenue, limiting the number and
salaries of officials engaged i'll the service and doing
away with the whole odiOus system of m0leties TO
officers and their Tetinue Of spies and lnformers, the
Committee will have done a work the Importance OF
! which can scarcely be estimated.
PROPOSED REOPENING OF SOUTHERN RAILWAY
ACCOUNTS.
The House Committee on the Judiciary reported
! an important bill to-day authorizing the accounts
of the Government with certain Southern railway
| companies to be reOpcned, and new settlement
made by the Secretary Of War; with the advice OF
| the Attorney General The Government has heavy
| claim upon these roads, for rolling stock furnished
| them at the close Of the war, which the companies
do not appear disposed to pay alleging that the de-
| ments were made the companies seem to have had
very little voice in the matter, and TO have been
| Obliged to take the property at Whatever valuation
| the Government officers put upon II.
! UNPRoFITABIE MAIL ROUTES IN THR TERRITORIES
Contracts for carrying the mails in the Territories
will be made on March for four years from July !,
1874 The amount of service advertised for is enor-
mons In view of the large and constantly increas-
| ing deficiency in the Post-Offce Department. and
| the financial distress which exists throughout the
whole country it has been suggested that it would
| be well for Congress to investigate as to the
necessity of 80 many mail routes through unsettled
sections which can furnish revenue to the Post
| Office Department, and where the population con-
siss almost entirely of Indians before contracts are
entered into involving the expenditure OF millions
| of dollars.