Washington Items.
The Freedmen's Bureau to be under military direction.
General Grant having stated in his late report that the
Freedmen's Bureau was "independent of the military establishment,"
General Howard has issued an order destroying that independence, and directing that all the operations of the
Bureau be carried on under and through the agency of the army officers.
No Asiatic cholera at Southampton.
The State Department has received a communication from
Mr. John Britton, our Consul at
Southampton, England, dated December 1, 1865, stating that, having seen in New York papers an account of the existence of holora at that place, he desired to say that, though there had been a few cases of
England cholera, resulting from the too free use of bad fruit and vegetables, there had not been a single case of Asiatic cholera in the town.
Important decision.
The following decision from the
Paymaster-General's Office is important to those presenting claims for back pay. The decision of the Second Comptroller, recently made, giving pay to a brigadier-general from date of commission, on the ground that serving and fighting in that grade from such date was virtual acceptance, does not apply to regimental or company officers.
These latter are entitled only from actual muster-in by a competent officer — they being regarded as commissioned, taking rank and having pay only from muster-in.
Agricultural Bureau.
Hon. Isaac Newton,
Commissioner of Agriculture, is supplying all the
Southern members of Congress with seeds; and also furnishing his report for distribution throughout the
Southern States.
A caucus of Southern members.
A caucus of all the
Southern members now in the city was held evening before last, at which they resolved to go home and remain until after the 4th day of March, 1866.
Privateers fitting out.
It is reported that information has been received here of the fitting out of one, and probably two, Chilian privateers at New York.
John M. Botts, of
Virginia, visited the
capitol this morning, and looked as hale and as hearty as when, more than twenty years ago, he slept in the same bed with
John Tyler.
He contends not only for the constitutionality, but for the necessity of the test oath which excludes the
Southern members.
[So says
Mr. Forney.
We should be pleased to learn that he has mistaken
Mr. Bott's position.]
The Department of State has completed the instructions which it desires the
Minister to
Mexico to follow, and he will be dispatched at once to the headquarters of the
Juarist Government, and remain with the
President of the
Republic, and follow him wherever he may go; thus making an active demonstration to
Maximilian of the policy which the
Government intends to persist in. It is this that has given offence to the
French Minister.
A Rumor about Mexico.
The
Republican this evening created some little sensation by issuing a flaming extra on
Mexican affairs.
Its information purports to come from
London, and it declares that a secret understanding between
Napoleon and
Maximilian allows the former to withdraw the
French troops from
Mexico whenever Max's payments should become two months in arrear.
The Chilian war.
The State Department is in receipt of dispatches from our Minister to
Chili.
The war between
Spain and
Chili is still progressing.
All the principal ports are blockaded.
The commander of the squadron is only waiting instructions from the
Spanish Government to commence more active operations.
The admiral who is commanding the squadron off
Valparaiso has grossly insulted our Minister,
Thomas H. Nelson.
The American and English merchants and residents are very indignant at his conduct, and have laid the matter before their respective governments.
Committee business.
A quorum of the Committees on Ways and Means and Appropriations will remain in session during the recess to facilitate legislation.
Internal Revenue.
Receipts of internal revenue to-day are thirteen hundred thousand dollars.
A Bold robbery.
A paymaster of the United States army went into a bank in this city to-day with $15,000, which he laid on the counter and turned around for the purpose of writing a check.
His clerk entered at the time, and likewise placed on the counter a package of $10,000, and then engaged in conversation with a friend.
Whilst the paymaster and his clerk were thus engaged, some party in the crowd stole the $15,000 package, with which he made his escape unnoticed.
The cholera.
The Department of State has received information that the statement in circulation to the effect that the Aslatic cholora had made its appearance at
Southampton is without foundation, and that the health of that city is excellent.
Circular to National Banks.
The Comptroller has just published a circular to national banking companies.
It is designed to secure greater uniformity in the books and papers of such institutions.
Tax on building stone.
By a decision of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, all stones used in the outward structure of buildings, bridges, aqueducts, reservoirs, wharfs, piers, monuments, fences, &c., if thawn or dressed, are subject to a duty of three and three-fifths per cent., as building stone.
This decision was made in accordance with the amended act of March 3, 1865. It does not apply to or include rough walls or walls built of roughly-dressed stones.
A Suggestion.
Secretary McCulloch yesterday received a letter, signed by several prominent colored men, in which they suggest that the land and other property of colored people be subjected to an additional tax, the revenue from which to be appropriated to the benefit of colored persons in destitute circumstances.
The
Postmaster-General last evening issued the following orders for mail service in
Virginia, to commence the 1st of January next: of "Pittsylvania Courthouse to
Lynchburg twice a week; Pittsylvania Courthouse to
Danville three times a week; Pittsylvania Courthouse to Glade Hill once a week;
Old Point Comfort to
Hampton six times a week;
Fredericksburg, by
Chancellorsville,
Wilderness,
Locust Grove,
Verdiersville and
Unionville to Orange Courthouse twice a week;
Farmville to Buckingham Courthouse twice a week;
Mattoax to Winterpock twice a week; Genilo to Cumberland Courthouse twice a week;
Lawrenceville to
Lawrenceville once a week;
Farmville to
Pemberton twice a week;
Jerusalem to
Petersburg twice a week; York-town to Mathews Courthouse once a week;
Red House to
Red House once a week; Pamplin's Depot to
Rolling Hill once a week;
Fredericksburg to
Falmouth daily."
Insult to an American Minister.
The State Department has advices from our Minister at
Chili that the war between
Spain and
Chili is still kept up. The commander of the Spanish fleet had offered a gross insult to
Mr. Nelson, our Minister, for which an apology will be demanded.
Lewis D. Campbell accepts the mission to
Mexico.
Instructions for him are being prepared at the State Department.
General Grant to-day received, from some citizens of New York, a substantial present in the shape of a three-thousand-dollars horse.
Internal Revenue decision.
The law in reference to stamping receipts for warehouse goods has been heretofore construed so as to require these receipts to bear stamps according to the value of goods involved, thus; the greater the value of the goods borne on the receipt, the higher would be the denomination of the stamp to be used.
The
Commissioner has just decided that no receipt for warehouse goods requires a stamp of a higher denomination than twenty-five cents.
Pardons.
The issuing of pardons has almost entirely ceased.
About a dozen requisitions were made out to-day for
North Carolina cases, all of the 20,000 class.
Secretary Stanton returned to the city last evening from his visit to
Ohio.
