New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-19
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
PORTRAITs ON GOVERNMENT ISSUES.
WASHINGTON. Thursday, Feb. IS, 1875


The resolution Of Gen. Butler, directing the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to report the House whether
or not the law of Congress prohibiting the printing
of tie likenessos of living persons on bonds,
notes. securities, &C., of the Government
had been violated. has not yet been
answered It is understood that the resolution was
directed against the Commissioner of Internal Rev
epue who it is said, has had likenesSes OF himself,
of Messrs Dawes and Beck of the Ways and Means
Committee, and Of Gen. Garfield of the Appropn-
ations Committee engraved for use on certain In
ternal Revenue stamps. The question as to whether
this action of the Commissioner was in violation Of
the law was referred to the Attorney General. and
in his reply to the Secretary, after citing the various
acts bearing on the subject, he uses the following
language under date Of Feb. Is:
"Whie am of the opinion that the exclusion Of the
portraits Of living persons from revenue stamps Is con-
sonant to and in furthcrance OF said section 1915 can
hold that said section requires such exclusion or
makes Illegal stamps with the portraits OK living per-
sons upon them"
Secretary Bristow upon the receipt Of the opinion.
addressed the Commissioner letter advising him
that he would henceforth be expected to obey both
the letter and the spirit Of the law, and avoid
evasion 1t is therefore to be expected that the
likenesses of the Commission and of tho gentlemen
named will DO conspicuously absent from revenue
stamps in the future they have been In the past,
and thus the Secretary Will report W INC uouSc.
MISSISSIPPI JErrIEs PASS THE HOUSE.
The two hours of to-days session in the House
which Mr. Stanard, By suspension OF the rules on
Monday, caused to be set aside for the consideration
of the bill for the Improvement of the Mississippi
River, gave ample time for tho passage Of that
measure Seldom has any bill Of equal importance
met with such universal favor as this. The objec-
tions that have been urged to all other proposed
plans of internal improvement had no force when
this was brought mp. The Mississippi River is the
great natural highway of the nation, and it required
no argument to prove that its outlet should be nn-
sealed at any reasonable cost. Last year. when the
weight of engineering authority was In
favor of constructing the Fl st. Philip Canal.
bill to provide for the beginning OF
that work was passed by the House.
Since that time the investigation OF the Special
Commission Of eminent engineers has reported In
favor OF the plan proposed By Capt lads aDd to-day
members who year ago supported tho CONSTRUCTION
of a canal voted cheerfully for the Jetty system.
The opposition to the bill was so weak that on It's
passage not even division was called. The speedy
passage Of this bin by tho Senate J, n0st cor,ala.
The Senate Committee has already agreed 10 the
bill with some notifications 80 that there ~ lktly
10 be little delay in getting the matter before the
Senate for action, aud IL already bas uFOD the 0OT
Of that body host Of friends