Latest from Washington by mail.
Owing to some unknown cause, the
Baltimore papers of yesterday morning have not come to hand at the present writing.
We are consequently deprived of the floating items of news and interesting rumors with which the
Sun and
American usually furnish us. From the
Washington Chronicle and
National Intelligencer we clip the following:
Southern representation.
There are current reports of party understandings to the effect that the existing Congressional arrangements (in a joint committee) for the cases of persons returned as
Senators or Representatives from the late Confederate or rebel States, is to procrastinate such cases by the various expedients known to partisan chicane until representatives and people alike of the
South shall lose all heart and hope.
The
House adopted yesterday a resolution supplementary to what is known as the "caucus reconstruction resolution," which will insure the reference of all papers relative to the so-called
Confederate States to the joint committee of fifteen.
Mr. Raymond and a few other Union Representatives voted against the resolution.
Mr. Forney writes:
‘
"While there is a fixed determination not to admit any man in Congress whose hands were imbued with the blood of our fellow-countrymen, and who cannot take the oath that was taken by all the members of the last Congress, with one or two exceptions, and by all the new members and
Senators of the present Congress, tried and true men from the
South, who came here fairly elected, will not be compelled to wait long.
The temper of the
House is decidedly against the repeal of this same test oath, and it would seem that it will require a long time before certain of the
Southern communities can so mould their action to the inevitabilities as to render it safe to do so."
’
It is stated that
Lieutenant-General Grant contemplates making a tour to the
Rio Grande via New Orleans.
A Swindle.
It is stated that
General Baker, chief of the War Department detectives, has just discovered that a monstrous fraud has been perpetrated by two claim agents in this city upon soldiers who have been honorably mustered out of the United States volunteer service.
It appears that, some time since, a circular was prepared and promulgated extensively among our defenders, in which the agents certified that for a compensation of twenty-five dollars they would procure for each soldier a warrant entitling the holder to sixty acres of the public domain, along the route of the Pacific railroad.
In consequence of this proposal, many unsuspecting soldiers were defrauded out of their remittances.
Competent judges estimate that the unscrupulous agents received over twenty thousand dollars, and that the scheme for further speculation was frustrated through the agency of many who were duped.
Just as soon as
General Baker was informed of the transaction, his superior detective force was put on the alert, but not in time to arrest the perpetrators of this illegitimate business.
Captain Weest, United States Army, has been cashiered for that he did, at the Old Capitol prison, take from their rooms, in which they were severally confined,
Richard Winder and
Henry Wirz, prisoners of State, and did convey them, in violation of all rules of the said prison, to the room of
Brigadier-General Briscoe, United States volunteers, also a prisoner confined in said prison, and did permit them to remain in said room from nine P. M. until four A. M., on October 13, 1865.
Virginia Treasury Land warrants.
Inquiries are frequently made in regard to what are known as
Virginia Land Office Treasury Warrants.
It is understood that warrants of that class can only be satisfied by location upon vacant unappropriated lands
belonging to Virginia.
The only class of
Virginia warrants, the satisfaction of which is assumed by the
General Government (and with which such
Virginia treasury warrants are often confounded), are those granted for services rendered in the war of the Revolution.--
Intelligencer.
We would advise purchasers to "look well to titles" before they buy these
Virginia treasury land warrants.
They are very valuable — if you can find the land.
The State merely confers the right of locating these warrants upon any lands belonging to the
State not otherwise appropriated; which is about the same thing as giving the purchaser the privilege of filling his pockets with any money found "lying around loose."
Interesting to United States soldiers not Tired of War.
By a decision just made, soldiers re-enlisting in the regular army within thirty days after their discharge from the volunteer service will be entitled to the additional pay of two dollars per month (as provided by act of Congress approved August 4th, 1864,) when the term of their new enlistment in the regular army shall, in connection with the term they have continuously served in the volunteer immediately previous to enlistment in the regular army, amount in the aggregate to five years service.
No drinking Policemen Allowed in Washington.
At the regular meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners, held yesterday afternoon, the following order was unanimously adopted, viz:
‘
"
Ordered, That hereafter no person shall be appointed on the force who fails to produce satisfactory evidence to the Board of his having abstained totally from the use of ardent spirits as a beverage for at least three months prior to his application, and that indulgence in any intoxicating liquor as a beverage shall be considered just cause for removal.
"Further, That this order be one of the standing rules of the Board until altered or repealed."
’
Negro suffrage in the District.
A bill from the Board of Common Council, authorizing a special election to ascertain the opinions of the people of
Washington on the question of negro suffrage in the
District, was taken up by the other Board and unanimously passed.
There were no two opinions as to what the
Washington whites desired on the subject.
Members pronounced the statements of the negroes' petition to Congress, relative to their numbers, wealth, and the taxes they had paid, to be downright falsehoods.
