The New York herald., 1878-02-21

recent Metropolis disaster which, besides illustrating
the dctriment the patrol service wrought BY The
excessive distances apart OF The stations this coast
also shows that thoy nurousy Affect the chances OF
wreck being reached with The necessary appliances
by the lie saving crows in time TO accomplish a
rescue when tho disaster takes place. this did, at
a point nearly midway between tho stations.
The Secretary suggests . means OF increasing or
improving lhs efficiency 'of the service upon the
coat referred TO- the number Of the stations in
the Sixth Lie Saving distrcs DO increased sufficiently
10 bring them within average distance Of tour
1--we miles of each other. He IL OF opinion that this
would bring the in this locality 10 The
degree Of efficiency presented upon the coasts,
where the stations sufficiently contiguous to allow
the patrols 10 ssasonaby discover wrecks and the
hfs-saving crews to promptly succor them; and In
addition increasing by intermediate stations the
number Of those existing the coast he believes
there should be at least three added between tho
southernmost station and HasterAs Inlet aud also
station at each Of the prominent headlands below
Cape Lookout aud Cape Fear. which localities are
liable 10 frequent marine disasters.
Tho bill reported from the Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs to-day, with recommendation Tor pas.
sage organize n lie saving and coast guard ser.
vice. is measure Introduced by Senator Sargent yes
terday, which requires tho drs place tnst Tho Sec
rotary Treasury shall transfer tho Secretary
Of the Navy by tho day OF next July the present
establishment Of Life Saving Service, embracing all
its properly and records
The bill further requires the President to assign
navy officers for the performance OF duties. as iol-
lows-
One not below the rank of commander nor above
that OF captain DO Superintendent of the Lie Saw
ing and Coast Guard Service having charge Of 1t
under immediate direction of the Secretary OF tho
Navy; for each district to servo AZ inspector
thereof hess officers TO be selected from grades below
commandersl, and one OF tho pay corps OF the navy
to disbursing oacsr Of the All officers
thus assigned Tor such the pay
and emolumcnts that they would be entitled 10 while
shore duty, and other except actual travelling
expense& Other sections Of the bill provide that
eniistments Tor this special service shall be made
under the general laws and regulations for enlisting
IN the navy. the preference being given to hon
orably discharged scamcn petty officers who have
three years In the navy; that stations shall be
kept manned throughout the your. except those
which, the judgment OF tho Secretary OF tho Navy,
not required all the yoAr, such stations during
periods Of closing 10 receive bali pay and that the
Secretary shall have authority accept the services
Of volunteer crews any lifeboat station, and CON-
pensate such volunteers instrumental IN saving
human lie The pay Of seamcn 10 to be given 10 reg
ular employees enlisted experienced surfmen, and
coxwains shall have the special rating OF Keeper at
an allowance of &3I 60 per month together with the
present navy ration.
AID TO THE TEXAS PACIFIC RArLRoAD-BILL
REPORTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
The sub.committee OF seven members Of the House
Committee on Pacific Railroads, charged with tho pre-
hminary consideration Of the various measured re.
spcctiug Southern .ranscontineutal railroad COM
municaton, to-day reported TO the full committee q
substitute Tor all the pending bills This sub
stitute embodics all the main features Of
the bill introduced by Representative stephens,
Of Georgia, In aid Of the Texas Pacific Railroad
Company. II provides that the eastern terminus
shall be on tho bank of the Mississippi River.
not further north Memphis below Vicksburs,
the precise point OF crossing the river to be deter.
mined by commission or engineers. No provision
s made tor any branches, and the aid proposed for
the main line IRON Fort Worth to San Diego Is as
follows
per cont interest on bonds TO DO issued 10 amount
exceeding $40 900 per miie for l,l50 miles, and
miles of road traversiag a mountainous country The
subcommittee propose, as new feature, provision
oa. ns oooTco acres sr.o,or isna ,,n,od IN Arlo
the company shall revert to the United States, to DO
soid by the government onehalf OF the proceeds OF
the sales, together with all the net earnings Of the
road and tho cunts Tor govern trans.
porato of AL descriptions To be retained in tho
United States Treasury for the payment Of the inter
est and the creation OF sinking iund. The full COM
mttee Will probably act upon this report next friday
RESIGNATION OF CASHIER GUTHRIE OF THE
UNITED STATES TREASURY.
Soutbwick Guthrie. cashier Of tho United States
Treasury, has resigned, to take effect on the Slst
OF March. Mr. Guthrie has been connected with tho
Treasury various responsible capacities Tor the
past fifteen years Jamos w. Whelpley, assistant cash.
icr Is performing tho duties OF cashier temporarily
though u Is believed that Mr. E. o. Graves, superin-
tsndent oil tho redemption agency. may receive the
appointment OF cashier In placo OF Mr.. Guthrie.
Leading treasury officials assert that though 1t 10
understood that Mr. Gulhrie's resignation was de-
| sirsi. yet no charges have been preferred by
any one aga,ns. mis- Official private integrity during
| hts long years Of service.
Ex-CoNFEpERArKs IN THE ARMY
In reply to SENATE resolution, dated January 20
last, directing the Committcc on Military Affairs
inquire and report whether any person has bcen a-
pointed TO any position in the army since July 2S
1906 contrary to tho provisions OF the twenty
section OF the act OF that date relating to tho
army, the Secretary OF War has sent a COM
munication 10 tho committee stating that tho
Official records show that since July 2s, 1866
three persons have boen appointed TO tho army who
had been the military service OF tho so-callcd Con-
federato States-namely, j. Do b. W. Gardiner
and William b. DAVIS, appointed assistant sur
geons by Tho last administration, and Theo-
doro Mosher, Jr.. appointed second lieutenant
Twenty second infantry by President Hayes. The
Secretary states that tho department was not, at
the time the appointments OF Messrs. Gardiner
and Davis made IN possession Of any informa.
ton showing that either OF them served In the Con-
iederaie army and that Lieutenant Mosher was ap-
pointed under authority conferred by tho ap-
proved March 81, 1877. The committee submitted
the communication TO the Sen&e Tor such acton as
might bs deemed cxpedent.
CONTESTED sEATs-AcTIoN OF THE HOUSE COM
MITrEE ON ELECTIONS.
The House Committee on Elections to-day roierred
the contested election OF Frost against Mctcao
IRON the Third Missouri district, to sub committee
consisting OF Messrs Cobb, Chandler and hiscock.