New-York tribune., 1877-01-04
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
Pixies PEAK RAILROAD.
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 1877


The old scheme to obtain lands and Govern
ment bonds for the Central Branch Of the Union racine
Railroad, generally known the Atchison ana Pikes
Peak Railroad west Of the 100 miles for which IL was
subsidized, came 10 the surface In the senate tooaS'
Years ago the company bese Congress every session or
legislation ndorsng their claim, but now the tables are
turned them and the Judiciary Committee OF the SEN
ate seeks to put through bill killing it finally, by pro-
hbitng any officer Of the Government from recognizing
It, The company claim that they In equity entitled
to continue their road to junction with the Union IA
cnc and TO receive for the prolongaon OF the inc
the subsidy they obtained for the loo
miles completed in 1868 1t IS said that TINS
would give them about Ss.0OO,OOo In bonds ana iaho'
The claim has had cncckered history. First two sec
retares of the Interior Messs Browning and Cox, de-
cided against it, Then the company tried
eral Akermanw who gave them no comfort Ater~arue9
appealed to Congress, and beaten two or three
times in the House, losing their bill by only u
single vote Their next to Attorney
Williams, who declined to take up the case. Mr.: Bfis-
So later favorable opinion was procured from Solicitor
General Phillips, and 1t is prevent the Interior part
Commttee's biii is brought forward Messrs Wright
and Ednunds supported the bill today and ingas oP
posed it, Apparently to gain time to organize an oppos
to the latter insisted the reading Of the
report which consumed nearly the wn9e % o. o. e "ei
noon, so that no action was taken upon the pi..
PACIFIC MAIL SUBSIDY EXPIRES.
The subsidy of 100000 year paid to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, under contract with
the Post-O Department. for carrying monthly mail
between San Francisco and China and JAPAN expired by
limitation Oh the first OF this month The last paymen
will be made the company on the arrival OF the TWO
steamers which sailed one on Nov and the othcr Oh
Dec l. Many inquiries have been made whether the
company will apply for renewal Of this subsidy or no'
In answer to these inquiries it may be said that no
steps have yet been taken in that direc-
ton and no proposition relating to the subject has YET
been made either to Congress or to the department
There has, however been somo talk in Washington In
regard the subject and II Is not impossible that the
company may ask Congress to authorize the Postmaster
General TO contract with for carrying the mails over
its several lines terms similar to those made with
other mail contractors. The Pacific lines OF this com
pany the China and japan line, plying between san
Francisco and Hong Kong, via Yokohama ana from 10
kohama shanghai the Australia and NewZealand ana
Sydney New southwalcs touching at Honolulu Randav,
one Of .he Fiji Islands, and Auckland New-Zealand;
the line to British Columbia and ali ports ON fuSct
Sound, and the line 10 Panama aud ports on the western
coast OF Mexico and Central America III sllch pfopJsl
ton as as been @ & II m e 5e ao % Gt @ lHr
aggregate about the now paid for carrying the mail
mon hly to Yokohama aud Hong Kong. Mails are now
carried all the Pacific Mail liles simply i0r the sea
postage, which brings the company, ~ ADDITION 10 @ o
subsidy less than $4,000 year for all the service per-
formed.
WORK OF THE COMPROMISE COMMITTEES.
Senator Morton again authorizes denial of
the reports repeated of late in certain quarters that he
has expressed the belief that the committee Oh counting
the electoral vote will not be able to agree whatever
may his private op nOn as to the prospects oi COM
promise, he has carefully abstaincd from expressing
i-a manifestly proper for all the members or
the committee 10 take in view OF the fact that they were
appointed for the purpose OF harnonzng the dangerous
disbursement between tho two houses II possible,
aud they ought not to start out by declaring the
work they are sent do imposs bic OF accomplishment
Great retence is observed by the members to the de-
Uberations OF the commit and all that can be ascer
tanned is that they have made progress up to night
The two branches OF the committee have not met
together vet The branch holds that the House
branch fist appointed PROPOSITION N JOINT meet
i'm should from them. The committee IL not,
il should be observed joint Ii is III TACT two com
nfters but instructed to confer together
No doubt IL will surely cOnduce harmonious action
in the IL of the bodies arrives hrst at It's own
conclusion and the two then get together and see the
differences can be adjusted the meetings should all
along he joint ones.
NJ CERNUCHI on THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS.
NJ. Henry Cernuchi, the eminent French
writer on bmetallic currency, who arrived in Wdshng-
ron during the holidays, on the hoor OF the House
this afternoon and was introduced to members OF the
Silver Commission and other Representatives who have
given the subject careful consideration. lie expresses
an intention of remaining in this country not only until
the Presidential question settled but until something
ia done in regard to the silver question His plan, which
is the calling an international conference to consider
the subject and to provide for simultaneous and hamo
NOUS action by the leading commercial nations Of the
globe to protect themselves against embarrassment and
loss consequent upon the violent fluctuations III the mar
price OF silver seems to be gaining III iaFOr among
tie more thoughtful class in Congress- IL Is not a all
unlikely that the American Silver Commission, which IL
10 report by 18th Of this month"; III addition TO rec
ommcnding the establishment OF dOnDle metallic
standard, will also favor the participation OF the United
states in such an international conference.
WASHINGTON NOTES