New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-20
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
4 SAVING IN STONE CONTRACTS.


1t will be remembered that in accordance with
an oplnion OF the Attorney General few months ago
the Secretary OF War abrcgated the contracts mad win
Albert Ordway Of the Redmond Granite Quarries, and
with the BdwcN Granite Company ot RocAiand Me-
for stone for TIE north wing of the building TO ne used
for the State, War, and Navy Departments These CON
tracts we're made The 4t OF August and the ION OF
November 1871, by Mr.. \. b. Mullct They contained
clause under which the United states had TO pay to the
contractors per upon the total cost OF cutting the
stun, boxing 1t. &c. These known as the 10 per
cent contracts abr0gatcd the United States
had the night to do so and to INFO contracts
Col. T. j.. Casey OF the Engineer Corps u 81 Az III his
rcpor e. the Secretary Of War the subject, says:
By tie rate Of prices established by the modified Ord
waT contract there viii be saving to the Uaitcd States
on the cutting of IKE stone for the north wing over te
rst al Inc rttiuc Of liz stone for the south wing al
ro,t W c,"tcd ~ I59GsI 81 ana at the rate OF
prices established 10y the modified Bldwc COMPANY con
,,.,rf t;rrc will be Saving To the Unued States the
cutting the north wing over the cost OF the
eating the south wiag on S233 l3s Il making To-
tat Swing N tie H"rh Wing alone OF f672,sl9 IS.
Sec0Hd: Tie puc.s agreed upon are basiu uIoh II
rttr wagcs 81 Stun cutters or ~ per day pea az
re-, c1tIaetor of from 70 TO 30 PER cent. Neither
tar st.culcrs the contractors can haVe any cause
OF CONF alnt. 80, -,
hir5 The contracts are in accordance with law,
aud do not exceed the amounts appropriated by CON
Fourth: The United states relieved from many Of
tic r5as and formerly taken III Transportation
rum The contracts are purgcd OF the pcrnieious 10
uer cent clauses, AID tine relations between the Govern
ucl and the contractors restored to healthy Dusl
hess standard.
A PUBLIC SALE OF VALUABLE LANDS
The President to-day issued proclamation
declaring taat "a public sale of valuable Government
lands will he hed at the Land Oice at HARRISON Ark
OF Monday Oct 1877 in pursuance of the act OF Coz
gcs approved July t. 1876 reopeninS % public sale TIE
Government lands in Arkansas, Louisiana, liissisiipp
Alabama and Florida, which have previously been sub
i.c only to homestead settlement The lands referred to
In the present proclamation consist OF several hundred
t;.oud acres N Arkansas. No bid less than the Gov
rr:,ulent minimum" OF 81 % per acre VIII he ehtc:
fnut and any lands disposed Of at tins public SAFE
will thereafter he subject To private entry ~ - = ~
acre. similar PROCLAMATION VIII bc Issued lOr Tic ~"
o Ian : in the other three states named ~ soon rs IN
necessary lists be prepared ny the General lA.u
Office 80 public Lands have Ueen offered IL TINS WAy or
many ) cars
AMERICAN OFFICERS TO WATCH THE WAR
Secretary Evarts's study of the English dup
louatc service system appears 10 have borne early rt
Lieut. T. v Greene Of tie Engineer Corps has been de-
tailed 10 report the AueI.cGn Minister nc ST. Peters
burg and Lieut. Col Alex Chambers, 2lst Infantry to
r,,r,ori TO the American Minister at Constannope.
These officers VIII ac military attaches to tho Aeti-
ron locations and VAL undoubtedly TO the front ana
otrfyc le operations Of the hostile armies on tue Dtu-
MIC The custom attaching military officers 10 Iesa-
mons is almost univ, In European countries, Out mas
moi been generally placticed IN tais