New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-29

of the old ones, and they do not appear to
have been startlingly cheap at the price.
A CASE FOR GENEROUS PROMPTNFSS.
CAPTAIN Eads has succeeded. The Board of
Engineers report that he has opened and main
tanned n clean, uninterrupted channel 70 feet
deep over the bar of the Mississippi at the South
Pass. The Secretary of War has drawn his
warrant on the Secretary of the Treasury for
the payment, and the Captain is eager to get 1t.
He is blocked by an unexpected obstacle Inc
clause providing for the payment reads as
follows:
herein assumed by United states either in money or
bonds IA expressly reserved aLd tine secretary Of the
Treasury Is hereby directed to issue the bonds OF the
United States, bearing five per centum inter
eat OF the character and description set out In the
act entitled An act to authorize the reundng OF the
public debt" approved July II. 1870 to said Esis or
his legal payment at par OF the af0re
said warrants the Secretary of War; unless the Con
cress of the United States shall previously provided
for the payment OF the same by the apropra
tons OF money.
Congress has made no appropriation.
Capt. Eads therefore asks for the bonds.
The Secretary replies that 1t Is not
TO the interest of the United States
to increase its bonded Indebtedness. and re-
quests Congress to make instead an appr0prla-
ton In money Capt. Eads rejoins that he
Onght not to be asked to wait; that he has
exhausted his means, has done the work, and
is entitled to the payments that Congress having
made no appropriation, he has Il right to the
bonds; that this is especially to his adyan-
tage, since the bonds are at premium; that
the bonds cost the United States no more than
the money would, while they are worth SO
much more to him. that the law awards
them, and that the Secretary of the Treasury
ought to issue them, instead of sending HIM
to dance attendance on Congress-.
We have great confidence in the Secretary OF
the Treasury, whose purposes me OF the best,
and whose Judgment is rarely at fault; but we
think no is doing Capt. Eads less than justice
The word "previOusly," i'll the section above
quoted, evidently refers to period OF time
when the option to pay III money
ceases, and this is certainly the time when Mr.
Eads presents his warrant from the Secretary
of War. Therefore, unless Congress shall
" have previously" provided for the payment
of the same by the necessary appro-
priations of money when the warrant
is presented, the Secretary has evidently
| no choice but to issue the bonds The
Secretary proposes to reverse the meaning OF
| INC "Viu Pi,,.o,...J,. r.. i
the bonds only after seeing if Congress shall
not subsequently make the necessary apprOpria-
| ton OF money.
Mr. Eads undertook to deepen a great sea
bar over two miles in extent at the mouth of
| the Mississippi. and to make a permanent
channel 200 feet wide by 20 feet deep
| clear through it where depth of but
! eight feet formerly existed. This great work
| he agreed to do without dollar of risk to the
| Government, and with no money to be paid by
| it, unless he succeeded in creating such
channel; and this, too, in the face Of
the most violent opposition, and the confident
predictions of failure uttered by large
number of eminent United States engineers
and Others The fact that he has succeeded
in spite of all obstacles, and before
the grant is two years old, constitutes
ore of the most remarkable incidents in the
history of engineering, and the boldness, en-
ergy, and skill he has displayed have enlisted
the admiration and sympathy of the people of
the 10 States whose commerce has been vir
tually unlocked by the gateway thus thrown
open to the ships Of the world.
Suppose the bonds which the law speci-
fees were II per cent below instead of
~ per cent above par. Does anybody doubt
that the Treasury would compel Capt. Eads
to receive them and pocket the loss
Why should he be compelled now. after
having earned his money, to wait for
it because the bonds are above parY
Fair play is a jewel, and the Government
cannot afford sharp practice with any citizen,
and especially with one who has performed
his obligations so handsomely and with
such benefit TO the country. Nor is it right
that precedent should now be set which
would compel Capt. Eads TO wait for each
of his subsequent payments until Congress
should be in session and have time to make
IN appropriation. He offered an unusually
fair bargain to the Government, has per-
formed his side of 1t at greater cost than he
expected, and ought to be fairly and squarcly
met. We think Congress should now instruct
the Secretary to issue the bonds, aud
should make such appropriations as to
prevent Capt. Eads's suffering from delay in
the future He has already 40 far strained
his resources that lie has now been compelled
To suspend work at the South Pass. This is
not treating PUBLIC spirited citizen aud
faithful contractor as handsomely as he has
treated us.
SPRiNG PROPHECIES