Year: 1877

sion for the relmportatlon of French
works of art owned in This country to be
exhibited at the French Exposition.
This application was made by the State
Department to the Treasury at the in
stance of the French Minister. The
Acting Secretary of the Treasury replies
that it would be contrary to law to grant
this request but. that the subject would
be laid before Congress Immediately
upon its convening.


! GAs-BILLS.


! A controversy has arisen between the
gas companies of Cincinnati and Rich
mond, Va, and the Treasury Depart
ment, which may result in the lighting
| of the CustOm-Houses in those cities by
other means. By rule Of the Depart
ment the monthly bills for gas, having
| been receipted, are sent to the Treasury,
return mail, without waiting for the
accounts to be passed by the Auditor
The gas companies in the two cities
have refused to receipt their bills until
they receive the money, and this neces-
states the regular passage of the ac-
counts by the treasury officers before
they can be paid. The time ordinarily
required for this is from ten days to a
month, but by rule of the companies,
a fine of five per cent. is imposed on all
bills not settled within the first five days
of the month, and this fine they under
take to collect from the government. 1t
is believed at the treasury department
that the refusal to receipt the bills in
advance, thus making prompt payment
is for the purpose of collecting the extra
five per cent, a petty imposition to
which the government will not submit
The acting secretary addressed letter
to the collectors of customs at Cincin-
natl and Richmond yesterday directing
them to submit estimates for lighting
the custom houses by other means than
by gas after September 1, and if the
companies do not conclude to allow
their bills to be settled in accordance
with the custom of the department no
gas will be used after that date.


TOO MUCH KEsSINCER.


The collector of internal revenue,
Joseph G. Kessinger, of the fifteenth
Ohio district, stationed at Athena, will
probably be removed from Office to-mor
row, and his successor will be appointed
at once. Ar examination of his office
recently made by Revenue-Officer Clark
disclosed a deficiency in funds of $130.
%, while So, 800 of the amount actually
on hand was represented by uncertifed
checks. Clark also reports that Kes
singer was in such state of intoxica-
ton at the time the examination was
made that he was unable to attend to
l.
mends that some person be appointed
to take possession of Kessinger's office
at once.


GENERAL LEW WALLACE AND INDIAN WAR


FARE.


General Lew Wallace, the Indiana
soldier and novelist, has made a prOpo-
sition to the war department to allow
him to enlist a regiment or battalion of
frontiersmen for permanent SER
vice in the United States
army. He contends that the
regular army is a failure as far as Indian
fighting is concerned; that the Custer
massacre was but a repetition of Brad
docks defeat at Pittsburg hundred
years before, and worse as far as the loss
of life was concerned. He accounts for
the inefficiency of the army in Indian
warfare by pointing out the necessity of
loading them down with supplies, while
the Indians Gravel SO light" He wants
to raise a regiment of men to be mount
ed on Indian ponies, who can ride, and
shoot, and subsist as the Indians do. He
wants every man in the regiment to be
familiar with the Indian mode of war
fare, so they can cope with them on
even terms. The secretary of war
thinks, and so replied to Gen. Wallace,
that such a regiment as he describes
would be very serviceable, but he does
not consider himself possessed of the
authority to order its enlistment. More
over, he thinks that the regular army,
as far as its numbers go; is as efficient
as any force can be. 1t is true they
could travel over the mountains faster
if they went each on his own account,
without regard to discipline, as the In
dams do, and supply trains are always
a drawback. General Crooks cam
paign in 1875 and 1876 with pack mules
was as successful as any could have
been because he was numerically strong
enough to follow up his advantages as
fast as he gained them, while General
Howard has only handful of men,
mostly infantry, and has had to stop
several times for reinforcements and
supplies. The secretary of war would
be satisfied with the United States army
if congress would allow him to fill it to
its proper numerical standard, and ap-
propriate money for It's pay. He doubts
if any army under the sun would do
better without pay than our army has.


FRAUDULENT CLAIMS.


Telegrams of August 25th from
Washington state that Solicitor Robin
sin, of the treasury department, to-day
gave an opinion of importance to the
effect that the secretary of the treasury
is justified in setting aside fraudulent
claim against the government, although
tie claim has been allowed by the South
ern claim commission, and money for
its payment appropriated by congress.
The opinion was written In reference to
the claim of Caleb Tomkins of Georgia,
for damages growing out of the war.
The southern commission allowed it,
and reported 1t to congress according to
law, and money was appropriated for
its payment, but evidence has recently
come to the treasury department to
show that it was fraudulent. Although
there is no law authorizing the
secretary to refuse to pay
claims of this character, still in the
light of the evidence before him, which
was discovered subsequent to the deci-
sions of the southern claims commits
sion, Solicitor Robinson is of the opin-
ion that the secretary can legally post
pone its payment until he can have re-
ported the matter to congress, and let
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