New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27

and left tonight for New-York. lie will be buried
in Massachusetts tomorrow. 1t is well known tia,
Mr. Melsh died very poor man. leaving ~; LAWS was
without the means of support. His CONDITION ma'
made known in the House to-day, IN dniet n,,
ner, and subscription was started .a lli;1fns
the members merely as means ga tbe Oh deceased
Judge Hoar of Mass. started the proposition anu ~
was soon arranged that each member snouiu o me-
led the list followed by the Massachusetts deiega
ton and the members from New.Englilhu' 90,
giving the sum required No objections VIZ vii
from any quarter and the whole 300 meinpeis WI
contribute to the fund, which Will proDaDly loa'h
$1,000.
TIE PROSPECTS FOR THE MOIETlE5 BILL
Some of the leading New-York merchants. includ-
ing VIM. +. Dodge and Others argued before INC
Senate Finance Committee to-day in favor OF tho
immediate passage of the Moiety bill 1t IS Dehe'eu
that the Committee will during the day lto-morro"I
complete their consideration Of this SUBJECT anu
make q report embracing the main features Oh ,ho
Fenton and Roberts bills. The Finance ComInittee
is enabled to act thus promptly on this important
subject by the thorough consideration it has
given to the whole subject during former
sessions and the familiarity Of Its members with the
entire subject The obstacle if there is to be any,
to an immediate reform of the crying abuses preva
lent IN the custom houses will be found in the SEN
ate. There every subterfuge will be employed by
Senators who desire to defeat the bill, but who Will
not dare to fight it openly. II these bills should
pass the custom-houses at the important ports Oh
the country would be ruined so far as furnismns
funds for campaign purposes is concefheu'
and the Custom-houso Ring of NewYork would DO
shorn of half of its power To prevent the olils
from becoming a law, objections will probably DC
interposed to the immediate consideration OF the
subject Appropriation bills or other business VIII
be antagonzed against it, or captions amendments
will be offered and debated. The exact course OF Ie
| known,
representatives from New-York now In town seem
feel very confident that the moieties VIII mot DC
disturbed during this session OF Congress
PREVENTION OF sTRAw-BIDDING FOR MAIL
CONTRACTS
The House Committee on Post-OfIlces and Post
Roads have agreed upon an important BILL the object
of which is to cut off the pernicous practice OF
STRAW bids" for carrying mails. Ii provides that
each accepted bidder for contract TO transport tho
United States mails will be required to give BOND
and suretics to the full amount of one years pay OF
his contract which bond shall be inspected aud APP
proved by postmaster appointed by the President
and confirmed by the Senate. 1t is made the duty
of such postmaster to examine the solvency of such
sureties and to withhold his approval if they are
insufficient The suretes are required to make oath
that they own real estate worth double the amount
of the bond, over all debts and exemptions. POST
masters who knowingly approve insufficient bonds
are made IlaDlo 1Or all loss W tho NoNoih'
ment and disqualified from holding Office
In case of the failure Of any accepted bidder to
comply with the conditions of his contract, the
ATTORNEY General is to bring sut against the bidder
and his sureties for all damages the Government
may have sustained by reason of his failure. Inc
bill authorizes the POStmasterGenera IN case OF the
failure Of bidder to contract with the next lowest
bidder but it leaves tho whole subject within the
discretion of that officer 1t IL believed that tins
bill will prevent such frauds have been SO easily
perpetrated in the mail service the frontier during
the last dozen years.
SEMI OFFICIAL STATEMENT AS TO SECRETARY
RICHARDSON'S RETIREMENT.
There is no doubt that Secretary Richardson will
soon retire from Office but of his friends say he
will not do SO until definite action shall have been
taken ON the subject of the Sanborn contracts. The
President leaves to Mr. Richardson the fixing of
time of resignation and will nominate him
to I'LL the vacancy on the bench of the Court
of CLAIMS which no is now prepared
TO accept. In view of his intended resignation az
Secretary, the Committee of Ways and Means viii
not according to the present understanding, lntro-
duce their resolution of censure of the Secretary,
Assistant Secretary and the Solicitor of the Treas
ury. An impression prevails in Senatorial and Of
fetal circles that Secretary DelanO will be appointed
as Richardson's successor although there is no posi-
tive authority for the statement.