The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-05
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.


WAsHMGroN, August A, 1853
| perceive that Lieutenant w. ID. Porter is out
with card denying that he obtained ssa furloueh
tor two years, )" and has sheen placed in com
mand Of a squadron fitting out" for the Amazon,
&c So far as | have referred to the gallant off,
Ger, believe did not state that he had been, but
that it was believed he probably scould be, placed
in command of private flibustering expedition.
! own up to the ''farlough," having ascertained
that no such document has been granted. re-
ceyed the statement, however, from a source /
could not doubt; and | am inclined to believe
Lieutenant Porter has himself to thank for the
announcement he has been put to the trouble of
contradicting. The Lieutenant is a gallant Off
cer-brave, energetic, whoe-souled--bu given to
Careless reckless of speaking when
among friends relative to his own projects He
viii not deny that a private expedition to the
Amazon is on FOOT that he is familiar with the
parties interested in it, and all their plans; and
has been exceedingly ambitious of the opportunity
to take command of such expedition, if he
could do properly, and without sacrificing his
commission in the navy. l am assured that
he did say he had two years furlough,
and was going up the Amazon, despite the
Brazans; but, bearing in mind the peculi-
arity of habit noticed above, together with his
card, have doubt he used in Jest an express
sion which was understood in earnest Some of
his friends, however, arc satisfied that he used
the foregoing expression in earnest, that they still
insist he is to have the fnrlough, and will take
command of the proposed fleet ! dom believe
it. Although at one time deeply interested in
the proposed expedition, have good reason TO be-
levc that as soon he became satisfied of its lle-
gality, he gave up all idea of attaching himself to
it in any way.
This subject involves more than the public are
aware. Prominent merchants of New York are
DESTROYS of opening trade with the countries wa
tered by the tributaries of the Amazon They
argue that Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela,
owning these tributaries, have a right to use the
great highway of the Amazon to get out to the
sea; and, upon the invitation of those countries,
they propose to vindcate that right by forcibly
passing the Brazilian jurisdiction. Armed with
this argument and an armful of Vattel, showing
the rights of Peru, &c., to navigate the Amazon,
Lieutenant Porter-the New York merchants ut
| the head of the movement--and other parties in
terested held consultation in this city not long
since, and presented the project to the Govern
ment, asking its sanction to thoir proceedings,
Lieutenant Porter declaring his readiness to fight
against any odds if his country would but say it
was right so to do
The subject was fully considered in Cabinet
session, and the answer to the expeditionists was,
| that however perfect the right of Peru, and the
other countries named, it was by no means clear
that they could transfer that right to another pow
er, and that before the proposed expedition could
be legal, those engaged in it would have to dena-
tionalize themselves, become subjects of Peru or
Ecuador or Bolivia, when, of course, they would
lose their right to protection by the United States
At this point, j believe, Lieutenant Porter broke
offhis active connection with tho project.
Brazil is not asleep in this matter. She under
stands full well the movements of these Amazon
filibusters; and these operations only delay
and make more difficult negotiations for the open
| ing of the Amazon to foreign commerce. The Bra
zihan minister quite recently addressed an official
letter to the Secretary OF State, inquring whether
! an expedition of the kind had been or was being
fitted out with the sanction of our Government
The answer of course was in the negative; but the
nterrogatory shows that Brazil is not to be caught
mapping in matter of so much Importance
learn that the governments of Sweden and
Norway have promptly adopted the suggestions
of Lieutenant Maury, proposing simultaneous
meteorological observations by the navies of diff
ferent nations, with view to the more perfect
development of Lieutenant Ms system of wind
and current charts. The respective governments
express their readiness to issue orders to their
navies, and invitations to their merchant vessels,
at such-tme as Lieutenant M. shall direct, for the
commencement of the observations Lieutenant
G. A. Pattson, on the part of the Swedish navy
and Lieutenant Ihlen, on the part of the Norwe-
gan, have been detailed to meet Lieutenant Maury
| at the Brussels scientific conference.
| Colonel Ward B. Burnett, of the New York
regiment of Mexican volunteers, has been ap-
pointed engineer of construction at the Brooklyn
navy yard.
Proposals for the cut-stone and brck-work of
the new Louisville custom-house building were
opened in the Office of the Secretary of the Trea-
sury day or two since, but the bids were so
''wild" to excite suspicion that some of the
bidders if not all of them, were not really aware
what they were bidding for. The Secretary will
decide in few days what course to pursue with
reference to the matter.
Governor Cobb, of Georgia, is in town to-day,
and looks exceedingly we'll ZEKE.
Recommendations FOR THE PREslDENT.-The
Sam New York of this morning, after considering