The Daily Dispatch: December 28, 1865., [Electronic resource]

By Johnson's Independent Agency.
from Washington-- preparing for Congressional action--General Grant's trips to the Rio Grande — Secretary Appointees who refuse to take the oath, &c.

A paragraph from Washington, published in a paper of yesterday morning, states that General Grant will sail immediately after the holidays, in the flagship of the Gulf squadron, for the Rio Grande, and that Commodore Winslow has sailed in the Champion, vies New Orleans, leaving his flagship behind for the General.

This is one of a class of a paragraphs sent from here from time to time, which, taken together, are intended to create an impression that the Lieutenant-General intends to go at once to the Rio Grande, with special reference to Mexican difficulties, and an ulterior purpose of driving Maximilian from Mexico.

We have the best authority for saying that General Grant does not expect to leave here until he has progressed further in his work of re-organizing the army and decreasing it to a peace basis.

Secretary Stanton, in his reply to a resolution of the Senate requesting him to report whether any person was employed by the War Department who has not taken the oath prescribed by act of Congress, says: ‘"None have been employed except those who were appointed Provisional Governors of States recently, who have received compensation for services to the United States Government, out of the contingent fund of the war debt, at the same rate allowed to A. Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee, under appointment March 23d, 1862, viz: at the rate of three thousand dollars per annum, to wit: W. W. Holden, Provisional Governor of North Carolina, one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. B. F. Perry, Provisional Governor of South Carolina, seven hundred and fifty dollars. Lewis E. Parsons, Provisional Governor of Alabama, one thousand dollars. James Johnson, Provisional Governor of Georgia, one thousand dollars."’ And in reply to inquiry, whether any person was filling office not authorized by law, says that, in August last, an office was organized in the Adjutant-General's Bureau for the collection, safe-keeping and preservation of Confederate archives, and Dr. Francis Lieber was appointed chief of that Bureau. The reason of this appointment was the necessity of having archives collected by a publicist of known character and reputation, in order that they might be available to good, without delay. He has received the sum of two hundred and forty-one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four dollars, out of provost funds in charge of Adjutant-General. It was his expectation that if this appointment should be considered one not authorized by any existing law, its obvious necessity would be sanctioned by Congress. No other appointment has been made not authorized by existing law, and this is believed to be within the scope of authority for appointments in the War Department.