New-York tribune., 1877-07-26
THE SITCAT7ON Ar WASHINGTON.
CARINIT PLANS.
VIGOROUS MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED To OPEN THE
HIGHWAYS OF COMMLRc E-TROOPs ORDERED VI
FROM THE SOUTH

VIGOROUS MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED TO OPEN THE
HIGHWAYS OF CoMMLRt E-rROOPs ORDERED VI
FROM THE SOUTH.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE.l
WAsufNGTON July ga special meeting of the
Cabinet was held at noon to-day, and the disturbed
condition of the country due to the aboreIs' war
was almost The only topic of discusssion Several Of
the Secretaries had received dispatches from officers
of their Departments, describing the condition of
affairs in the disturbed districts, and some OF these
were read in the Cabinet meeting The gen
eral tenor of them was of course not dihefeht
from that of the press reports from the same
points They represented that while there was TINS
morning apparently less danger of violence resulting
in destruction Of life and property, than few DAYS
ago the blockade of the internal commerce oil the
country and of the mails Is daily growing worse
The duty of the Administration under the Consltu-
ton and the laws in such an emergency this was
informally discussed, and various expedIents were
suggested " hich might be resorted TO in case the
railroads of the country not Immediately opened
TO the unnepded transportation of freight aud tie
mails.
The President has been unable to adopt asvgorous
course i'm regard to the condition OF affairs III Penn
sylyapia which Is now considered by the Cabinet To
be the chief state of the dfculty-as he might
have done had Gov. HartTaht been al
home when the strike occurred-under the Con
stituton and laws OF Pennsylvania the Lieutenant
Governor has no authority TO act Governor OF the
State in the absence of his superior The only con-
ditons Oh which he becomes acting Governor are III
| case of the death, impeachment, or disability ot
| the actual Executive of the State. lhe aD-
sence Of the Governor is not. interpreted
| as disability under Pennsylvania laws. The visit
| of Gov. HartTanft to the West in the first place
| caused a delay in the issuing of tine Presidents
| inu nd eNe nj fer
been published it prevented the adoption of such
| prompt and vigorous measures as might otherwise
| have been Tesor;ed TO. Gov. IartTauft was
| at Pittsburg yesterday and arrived at
| Harrisburg this afternoon. Consultations between
the officers of the General Government aud of the
State of Pennsylvania, VIII probably take place to-
night OF tomorrow, and some policy looking to
speedy removal of distractions and reopening OF the
| roads to their customary tralc, will undoubtedly
| be agreed upon.
The plan suggested in the Cabinet meeting to-day,
| and which seemed to meet with the general approval
of the President and his advisers, was to place Cen
| Hancock, now in command in Pennsylvania i'll fall
charge of all measures for the suppression of the
difficulties, aud to furnish him with such United
States troops as be spared, the Federal forces to
| be supplemented either by the Militia of the
] State or by Volunteers called out by proc
| lamation of the President. In other words,
this plan is to place at Gen. Hancooks
disposal "A force Of men sufficient to accomplish the
work entrusted To him, and then TO order him to
open the railroads of Pennsylvania To their ordinary
| commercial traffic at all hazards. An arrangement
like this II was believed would not only he more
| economical than divided authority, but would be
| much more promptly effected.
| No conclusion oil this or any similar question was
reached to-day, and the Cabinet adjourned with the
| understanding that another special meeting should
be held AT noon Tomorrow for the further consderal
| ton of the same subjects.
| Orders have been issued for the immediate move
| ment of all the United States troops in the South
| except those IN the department OF Texas to points
| i'm the North where they will be available should
their services be needed The two prin-
! cipal points Of rendezvous IL understood