The New York herald., 1875-11-08
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.

Monday stating the position Of this government toward
Spain on the subject Of Cuba as expressed in for
mer instructions to Minister Cushing, numerous in
quiries have been made in official and other quarters
for further information tho subject Some of tho
inquirers apprehensive that measures of hos
tile character were meditated; but for this there
no foundation as the matter is merely one OF dplo-
macy.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECOND AUDITOR
THE FRAUDS IN THE FREEDMENs BUREAU
BUSINESS OF THE OFFICE.
The annual report Of Second Auditor Of the Treas
ury E. B. French for the year ending June 80, 1875
gives circumstantia statement of all the transactions
of that Office The Auditor says
In my last annual report the increase of requr
ing attention by the division for investigation was
counted for by the fact that since the transfer of the
Freedmens Bureau TO the War Department frauds and
malpractice had been discovered in the payment of
claims by the subagens of the late commissioner of
the bureau and it was then presumed that the num-
Der would continue to increase until some
definite action should be taken by superior au-
thorty to determine the civil liability Of the
bonded agents OF the bureau Many then in
the hands of the law officers of the government are
vet In stdu quo regards action the bonds; and
II Is perhaps advisable that they should remain
until the allegations respecting non payment, false
vouchers, &C. shall have been fully inquired into by
the different United States attorneys and some definite
conclusions arrived at as TO the facts and the liability
! of the sureties The cooperation of the Solicitor
of the Treasury and OF the officers of the War Depart
! ment having control of freedmens affairs has been
gether with the continued watchfulness this Office
anticipate still more beneficial results to the depart
| ment
Fiftythrce thousand four hundred and ninety. nine
dollars and ysix cents have been redeemed by suit
otherwise Abstracts Of facts have been prepared
26o cases. los have been arranged for the Department
of Justice and s. SIS letters have been written
The number Of cases hand June 80 1874 was s. 423
The number received during the year 109s
Total. e,621
The number of cases disposed of .......... $50
Leaving on hand June 80, 1875 5,662
| These involve alleged fraud perjury, unlawful
Withholding of moneys by attorneys,
| ments, over payments, &c The consolidated state
Of the business transacted in the office during
the fiscal year shows the accounts on hand June 80
1874 81 2oT received during the year, % 420; dis
posed OF during year, 80, o74 hand from Juno
80 1874 25 49, amount involved in accounts audited
and settlements made during the year. 81, 500 257;
number of letters written, ss $780, In addition to the
number of letters above reported A. 33l written
in the bookkeepers, archives and other divisions of
the office, making the total 13l, ,321
FRANCE AND THE GENERAL POSTAL UNION
EXTRA RATES CHARGED BY THAT REPUBLIC.
The Post oaice Department is in receipt Of notice
that on and after the first day of January next at
which date France joins the Postal Union, there will
| general union rates of postage
For prepaid letters, 80 ccntimes per Is grammes.
For unpaid letters, 90 centimes per Is grammes.
| For postal cards. Is centimes per $50 grammes
For printed matter and samples, centimes per so
| grammes.
But in addition to these general rates the French
government will impose special charge on mail mat
ter destined for the United States namely sea post
age'' of centmes per fifteen grammes for letters
five centimes per fifteen grammes for postal cards and
three confines per lfty grammes for other matter;
thus making the single OF postage on prepaid
letters from the United forty centmes
or eight cents while the charge in this country
tors France and all other parts of Europe will be
| five cents only.
This charge of postage is made under the pro-
visions of paragraph in the Berne treaty, authorizing
the levying OF additional charge for all conveyance
by sea of more than 800 nautical miles, which was in.
serted because Of the delegates feared that
transportation could not be obtained at the low general
rate twenty hve centmes) fixed by tho treaty This
| apprehension has proved groundless, all the ocean
steamship lines having accepted the general
union rates, which range between minimum of
twenty-five centlmes and a maximum of thirty-two
| centmes for single letter postage, and no other
country besides France has taken advantage OF this
| precautionary clause. That the French government
| should do is especially noticeable, in view OF the
fact that Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and other
European Powers have adopted their respective for
egn postage charges the precise equivalent OF twenty
Ave centimes a variation from which general union
raten was provided for the Berne treaty only 'as
measure of conversion suit tho monetary or other
| requirements Of the various contracting Powers
This action Of the French postal authorities is there
FORE much regretted by the department here, as it
introduces exceptional charge on ancoAmerican
correspondence and will great deal Of complaint
the part OF residents Of France II should also be
noted by persons who write letters to France that
under these newly established rates. unpaid lettor
from the United States will be charged in France with
postage of seventy confines about fourteen cents
CANAL BOATS NOT REQUIRED TO BE DocU-
MENTED AS VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES
OPINION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
The following correspondence regarding the docu-
mentng canal boats vessels or the United States has
recently passed.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, Oct 27, 1875
In order TO remove all doubt as to the proper con-
structon OF section 4371 Of the Revised Statutes and
OF the act ot April Is 1874 amending the Coastng
February IS, l793 the opinion Of the Attorney General
as TO the liability Of canal boats Hereunder has been
at all the ports Of the United States al which such boats
arrive the opinion question is hereby published for
the information and guidance Of officers Of customs
y IL bRISToW, Secretary.
DEPARTMENT JUSTICE |
WASHINGTON. Oct 90, 1875
SIR have considered the following question sub.
mitted TO me by Hon @ r. Burnam, Acting Secretary
OF the Treasury the 23d OF August last In letter of
that date, namely Whether, under section 4S7l,
Revised Statutes, and the act Of April 49, 1874 amend
ing the Coastng Of February 49, 1893 vessels usu
ally called canal boats OF more than FIVE tons burden
arc required, like other vessels be documentod al
vessels OF the United States IL found trading from
place place In district or between different dis
tricts, navigabe waters Of the United Statesn
The meaning and affect Of ths act Of Anrl la 1874