The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-19
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.


GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.
WASHINGTON Jan. 10, 1870
REDEMPTION OF FIVE wENTY BONDS
The Secretary Of the Treasury this afternoon
issued the eightysecond call tor the redemption Of
fve-twenty bonds Of 1S6s-consols of 1867. The call
is for 500 900 OO0 Of which $4,000 600 are coupon
and So 600 registered bonds. The principal and
interest will be paid at the Treasury and after the
18th day of April and the interest will cease on
that day.
Following descriptions of bonds:-
Coupon bonds dated July 1. 1s67-namey:-
$50, No. 81, 00l to No. 46 900, both inclusive.
$780, No. 1901 to No. Ga. 900. both inclusive.
$500 No; 7.ool to No 10000 both inclusive.
$1,000. No. S0O1 to No 60, 900, both inclusive.
Total coupon. $10.00000O.
Registered bonds "redeemsble at the pleasure of
the United States after LIST day July 1871 as
follows:-
$50, No. 1851 to No. 1925. both inclusive.
500. No. II, 4O1 to No. Is. $50 both inclusive.
5000, No. G.251 to No. 1850. both inclusive.
$1,000, No. 3d. ISL to No. ~ $50, both inclusive.
5000 No 71ol to No $50 o. both ',t inclusive
Total registered, s1O,OOO,OOO. tgl1
Aggregate, $?O,OO0,OOO ,.,r
PERU AND THE POSTAL UNION. r,.f
According to announcement heretofore made to
the public through the press the Post Once Depart
ment has not withdrawn from the arrangement
which made in anticipation of the entrance of Peru
to the Postal Union the LIST of October last far
relates correspondence from the United States
addressed to Peru and forwarded via Panama. But
the full prepayment letter postage on such COR
respondence is equired.
THE JAPANESE INDEMNITY FUND.
The House Committee Foreign Affairs to-day
held informal conversation the bill heretofore
tod fla ipda
About fifteen years ago difficulties in Japan led to
damage to United States. French English and Dutch
vessels and for this So exacted by these
| treaty Powers The amount received by the United
States its share s7s5.Oo0. This invested
in our bonds. and the result is consider:
able accumulation, making special fund on hand
that has been covered into the Treasury which
amounted in June last to l.5oo.s2l adding AVG per
interest from the date of payment by Japan of
the various insalments to the LIST Of june the
| is S1O9O.441. should this amount be returned to
| Japan, proposed. there will remain a surplus of
$4lO. 3sO-suficient to the donation proposed
to the officers and crews of the Wyoming and Taxi
ang and balance of $685. be covered into
the Treasury. Representative Hamilton particularly
and the other members OF the committee were in nc.
cord in the that the United States cannot
consistently with the honor and character of our
nation retain possession of this amount of money
which the government has, the committee say never
| felt justified in covering into the Treasury. and
which we hold Mr.. Seward said, for ''no substan
tia equivalents; and especially should the money be
returned, the Japanese regard Americans their
sincere friends. and it is important foster COM
with that country and divert it from foreign
channels In view of the importance of the general
subject the committee has concluded to press the
passage Of the bill.
THE GENEVA AWARD BILL PASSED.
WASHINGTON Jan. Is. 1879.
The House resumed as the regular order Of bust
| ness the consideration of the Geneva Award bill.
Mr.. HALE. trep.) of Me- said the bill really involved
| a contest between the insurance companies of the
| great cities and the parties whom unrelicved
lcsscs had fallen by of the dcprcdations Of
| Confederate cruisers. The majority bill for the
benefit of the insurance companies and one else.
II those companies had any right the award IL was
| bare technical right. II they had had any perfect
| right why had they not gone into court instead Of
coming to Congress. Congress after Congress had
declared that the insurance companies had no claim
either in equity law. and yet they had again
and again with arguments and speeches. follow
ing members TO their seats, and would not be put
down. hoping to weary Congress and get their claim
through
Mr. McMAHos, (dem.) Of Ohio supported the mi.
in supposing that national claims had been excluded
| by the tribunal and nothing passed upon but
bundle of private claims. On the contrary, the
claims passed upon had been national claims When
private claims had been presented to the tribunal
they had been presented ~ witnesses to show the
extent the damages sustained by the govern nent.
The bill of the majority was not fair II did not
give equal chance to all persons Those who paid
large premiums suffered losses by cxculpatcd
cruisers would have only scintlla Of chance. The
only persons who would have any right before the
Court of Claims would be the insurance companies,
and they would only get that right by virtue Of the
language of the bill The Court would DE hampercd
by the bil and controlled not by principles of JUS
tice. equity international law, but by TECHNICAL
ties. On the other hand, the fundamental principle
OF the minority bill that no indemnity should DO
paid To any one who was not actual loser.
At the close of MIR. McMahon's speech the previous
question seconded and the main question
ordered the understanding being that Mr.. Butler, of
Massachusetts,, should be allowed fifteen minutes,
and that Mr.. Knott, of Kentucky, should have as
much time he desired before the vote should be-
| taken.
| Mr.. BUTLER. of Massachusetts, made u speech
against the claim OF the insurance companies and In
| favor of that of the premium men. He reviewed
| the history OF the Johnson Clarendon treaty and OF
the Treaty of Washington, and said that IL was
agreed that national claims only should be- sub
mitted. When the matter, he said. was IN fsrf be.
| fore the tribunal IL whispered around that
| one of the counsel of the United States was thc
retained counsel OF the insurance companies.
! Whether that rumor right or wrong 10 Is not
necessary to consider; but the effect of IL was to
bring from the state Department. percmptory order
to its counsel and agcn,s not to allow the Geneva
tribunal to make any disposition whatever in relation
| to- the classes of claims that should be paid. The
| tribunal awarded n sum in block which covered
| everything That money. In my Judgment said MIR.
Butler. belonged to the United states without any
trust any legal duty any claim any class of citi
whatever. There three propositions in regard