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act of February last, whereby a considerable saving may be made in the current expenditures without in any measure affecting the permanent interests of the work.

In the 2d section of said act it is enacted that "the Register and Receiver shall each receive for their services an annual salary of one thousand dollars, and the acting commissioner, an annual salary or twelve hundred dollars; provided that the whole compensation to be received by either the Register or Receiver in salary commissions or otherwise shall not exceed the sum of fifteen hundred dollars in any one year." Now we believe it will be conceded that for the services rendered during the present year, these salaries are extravagantly high. There has been but one sale of lands requiring the official attention-of the Register and Receiver, which together with the examination and registry of improved claims would consume a few hours only per day during about two months of their time. In addition to this they are required to report to the Governor quarterly and annually the condition of the affairs of the canal as connected with their departments, making four reports per annum which ordinarily may require two or three days time each, but which during the present year would probably not require that length of time. In relation to the acting commissioners duties, they are for the present year merely nominal, and so must be until a loan shall be obtained on the part of the Territory and applied to the construction of the canal. The appropriate duties of the acting commissioner for the present year have not probably occupied a week of time in the whole, and yet by law-he is authorized to receive $1200 for less than one weeks actual service. From these facts it is apparent that the compensation is greatly disproportionate to the services required, and we have understood from one of the commissioners that he so conceives it to be himself.