The New York herald., 1876-01-24
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, Dec %, 1876
THE PROSPECTS OF THE CENTENNIAL ApPRoPRI-
ATIoN-BEN HILL TO SPEAK IN ITS FAVOR.
Tomorrow being what is known field day there Is
little chance that the House will take up Cen
tennal appropriation; but It quite likely
will be settled one way or the other before Tuesday
night The prospects CT the bill have not been I'M
proved by the long debate and It's passage Is regarded
tonight as doubtful Ben Hill of Georgia is going to
strong speech in It's favor and will take advan-
tage of the opportunity repair the injury he did the
party in his speech for amnesty In fact II suspected
that he going to speak this occasion for the pur
pose rather OF undoing the mischief Of his anti Blaine
speech than OF helping the Centennial appropriation.
Whatever his object fail aid the bill greatly
and his voice may determine the votes OF many who
are now waverng to which side thoy will take
Otherwise the bill looks to night 1t will pass II 1t
does pass, only by small majority.
THE FRAUDS IN THE POST OFFICE DEPART
MRNT-sEvRN HUNDRED CONTRACTS FRAUDU-
LENrLY ExEcUrED-MANNER OF OPERATION
BY THE RING.
The fraudulent contracts In the Post O11ce Depart
ment likely 10 mako more OF a sensation than
first conjectured. The enemies OF Postmaster 6enera
jewell who is supposed for some reason TO sympathze
with General Brstow In the alleged Cabinet schsm
the Babcock matter said TO be pressing the subject
with view Of creating much odium for Mr.. Jewell
the whskey scandal has caused parties at the Whto
House. This report is given for what It is worth But
there il evidently intrigue OF kind in the
vva OF the subject these Post ONCE frauds and their
ventilation at this late day The fact Of fraudulent
tracts known nearly year ago, at the time
the February lettings were gvon out, but their ex
tent was not made manifest until q few days ago
whom overhauIng Of the pigeonholes at the Post once
Department showed that every contract, without
cepton for the three States OF Texas Louisiana and
Arkansas 100 in number, had been fraudulentiy
executed and WILL in obedience 10 the law on the sub
ject have TO be revoked and the mail put up
again for advertisement and competition.
1t seems thai the and their confederaes
in the Post Otlce Department became alarmed lest a
discrepancy should be discovered between the seal or
stamp affixed their bids and the stamp on those for
routes upon which they did not wish to compete and
that to uniformity all the bids they subst
tuted their fraudulent die for that OF the Post once
Department, soon they had made use
OF Il themselves. The consequence was that all
contracts-thoso awarded TO the ring as well
as those awarded 10 innocent bdders-have
been vitiatcd by the spurious stamp and that not
single mail route In Texas Louisiana or Arkansas is
now operated lawfully The money for six months
work under these contracts has been paid OF the
Treasury and probably another quarter will have been
earned before the Post Ofce Department readver
tse and receive bids afresh and relet the routes
IL consolng to know that tho government has not
lost any money by these transactions Tho ring we're
in pursuit only Of the "far' paying routes and en-
ployed counterfeit stamp contracts upon
these lines. To effect their design they had one or
more confedcratcs very high In the confidence OF tho
department. officials who had n not the keep
I eafd ~
about the streets OF Washington at tho
time the bids being died last winter,
and that for consideration, ranging from
$500 up to s2 5oo the contractors allowed take
It to their the hotels and boarding houses
and stamp their bids with IT, thereby evadng the
tngency Of rejection OF their bids whom they
be passed upon Az hrst black ink used In stamp
ing the impression, but the man who peddled the
stamp having oversod It's use changed the color to
blue and so compelled those Of the ring TO withdraw
their bids who had stamped them with black ink II
was doubtless the confusion which arose from this
double dealing within the ring that compelled the sub
sttution OF the counterfeit stamp for all contracts and
the uniform use Of blue ink
The subject will como up In the House TO morrow by
resolution and meantime Mr. Jewell courts an lnvest
CATION IL is probable that Mr. French the chief clerk
OF the department will be Suspended as he was the
keeper OF the stamp, and have been negligent and
dereict TO have suffered the ring TO counterfeit Il
ana handle II as they did.
PROPOSED REDUCTION OF EXPENSES IN THE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF REDUCING THE
ARMY.
General Banning, Chairman Of the Military Com.
mitlee has been engaged for some time in nrenAring