Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-09-05
WASHINGTON.
THE FRENCH EXPOSITION.

the Treasury department Tor perlnlS-
Ion for the roimportation Of French
,sorks of art owned in lhis country to be
Inhibited at the French Exposition.
This application was made by the State
Denartment to the Treasury ut the in
lance Of the French Minister. The
Acting Secretary of the Treasury replies
hat it wouldbe contrary to law to grant
his request. but that the subject would
No laid before Congress immediately
mon It's converting.
GAS-BILLS.
(, controversy has arisen between the
gqs companies of Cincinnati and Rich
mond. Va, and the Treasury Depart
ment. which may result il the lighting
,fthc Custom-Houses in those cities by
ether means. BY a rule of the Depart
ncnt the monthly bills for gas, having
been reccipted, are sent to the Treasury,
and Il draft for their payment sent by
return mail, without waiting for the
accounts to be passed by the Auditor.
The Gas companies in the two cities
have refused to recent their bills until
they receive the money, and this ntces-
states the regular passage Of the ac-
counts by the treasury officers before
they can be paid. The time ordinarily
r%eouired for this is from ten days to a
month, but by a rule Of the companies,
fine of five per cent. is imposed on all
bills not settled within the first five DAYS
ofthe month, and this fine they under
take to collect from the government. 1t
is believed at the treasury department
that the refusal to receipt the bills in
advance, thus making prompt payment
i for the purpose Of collecting the extra
five per cent, Il petty imposition to
which the government will not submit.
The acting secretary addressed a letter
to the collectors of customs at Cincin-
natl and Richmond yesterday directing
them to submit estimates for lighting
the custom houses by other means than
by gas after September |, and if the
companies do not conclude To allow
their bills to b. settled in accordance
with the custom Of the department. no
gas will be used after that date.
TOO MUCH KESsINCER.
The collector of internal revenue,
Joseph G. kessinger, of the fifteenth
Ohio district, stationed at Athena, will
probably be removed from Office to-mor-
row, andhis successor will be appointed
mt once. An examination Of his office
recently made by Revenue-Oflicer Clark
disclosed a deficiency i'll funds of $l30.
., while $500 Of the amount actually
on hand was represented by uncertified
checks. Clark also reports that kes-
singer was in such a state of intoXica-
ION at the time the examination was
made that he was unable to attend to
business. Commissioner haum recon-
mends that some person be appointed
to take possession of kessinger's office
ut once.
GENERAL LEW WALLACE AND INDIAN WAR
General Lew Wallace, the Indiana
soldier and novelist, has made a promo
'ltlon to the war department to allow
am to enlist a regiment or battalion of
iEonlIcrsmcn for permanent ser
wee in the United States
army. He contends that the
regular army is a failure as far as Indian
Ightng is concerned; that the Custer
massacre was but u repetition of Brad
docks defeat at Pittsburg a hundred
Years before, and worse as far as the loss
ot life was concerned. lie accounts for
the metliciency Of the army in Indian
warfare by pointing out the necessity of
.,,ading them down with supplies, while
The Indians travel SO light" He wants
10 RAISE Il regiment of men to be mount
nI on Indian ponies, who can ride, and
'loot, and subsist as the Indians do. He
wants every man in the regiment to be
.lmIlar with the Indian mode of war
ARE, so they car cope with them on
.'en terms. The. secretary Of war
links, and 50 replied to Gen. Wallace,
mat such Il regiment as he describes
would bc very scryiceable, but he does
not consider himself possessed of the
authority to order its enlistment. More
over, he thinks that the regular army,
'' lar as ITS numbers go, is as efficient
'' any force can be. 1t is true they
..ouId travel over the mountains faster
I they went each on his W account,
without regard to discipline, as the In
''anS do, and supply trains are always
II drawback. General Crooks cam
ttsn IN 1873 and 1876 with pack mules
vas as successful as any could have
'een because he was numerically strong
enough to follow up his advantages as
1ISt as he gained them, while General
howard has only a handful of men,
."oStIy infantry, and has had to stop
,''erai times for reinforcements and
supplies. The secretary of war would
!e satisfied with the United States army
! congress would allow him to fill it to
Us proper numerical standard, and APP
t.oprlate money for its pay. He doubts
any army under the sun would do
''''f without pay than Il army has.