The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-06-16
Washington News.
pl.ps,eA TO the New yors Times.

sxrsssivR covsrsRrErsIHa or rosr STAMPS.
| spscisi pisps,eh 10 the New yosh Times
wAssisoroS. Wednesday, June z.
The official report Of the ordinance officer
OF the Paraguay Expedition dlscloss tho
astounding fact that our squadron asceuded
tho River Asuncion with only elk hours'
ammunition on board Had Lopez resisted,
the whole fleet would have been at his
| mercy.
The Administration has not yet deter
mined on its course Of action pending the
war 10 Europe, but has under consideration
the declaration or statement OF the principles
by which the United States, IN neutral,
will BE- governed. II will clearly Get forth
the just rights Of American citisens engaged
IN peaceful pursuits OF commerce, which, O.
far ~ possible, the Administration designs
to protect. The precise positions which win
be assumed cannot now DO ascertAincd, but
will approximate to the principles heretofore
declared. namely, that FREQ ships make iree
goods. contraband Of war not excepted, and
that the goods OF friend. captured on
board tho vessels 0f an enemy, with the like
exceptions, shall not be subject TO confisca.
ton. and that the rights oi war ought not,
In the nature of things, extend further than
TO exact from neutrsls the interruption Of oil
trada with blocksdcd port, and 10 subject
articles contrabsnd oi war 10 capture and
conAscation, The official exposition will
involve the discussion Of important questions,
including that Of blockade and a 10 how fur
this bcllgerent right should 10 exercised.
ccsrespssasaes ofths Nsx York Herald.
WARRINGTON, June 7, l650.--Isecent In.
veatigstions 10 the affairs OF the Post Office
lead 10 the belief that that department of
the government loses one million 0i dollars
o year by the usa oi coantericit and rewash.
ed postage stamps. II Ia believed that there
are two classes Of persons engaged 10 this
nelarious business ono which manufac
lures, either from engraved or photographed
plates, and sells new postage stamps and
another that gathers those which hsve been
usd from waste paper collections, and By
means OF an acid washes on the Post olIice
stamp that was put GU them when they
passed through the Office.
Under the present postal system there ID
no means Of guarding against the first named
evil, Tor the manufacture oi tho postage
stamp 100 simple that one man can make
bis plate and produce thousands OF sheets
without the aid OF single person. To Dis
pose OF them he has only 10 come Into col.
lusion with some Of the postmasters OF their
clerks, Of which there arc more than iiity
thousand In oil throughout the country, and
the constant losses Of money in passing
through the mails docs not give bigh stan.
dard Of honesty among them. Al Of them
are entrusted with the sale Of stamps, and
no check can be kept upon them. t6r these
Ia no possibility Of ascertaining how many
stamps are In the hands OF the people.
When letters are posted the clerks have no
time TO scrutinize the stamp on them, and
they arc rapidly deiaced with black stamp.
A. the letters with the deisced stamps on
them pass again into the hands OF the people
the department can form no positive ides 10
what extent the fraudulent stamps are used.
Tbe sane diliculty Of detection attends
the rewashed stamps, but they arc supposed
To be used 10 less extent than The coun-
terfeits. 90 account Of the greater Abilities
for selling the latter. Efforts have been
made, both in this country and 10 Europe,
where the same difficulty e encountered, TO
obtain 90 indclIible Ink for tbs purpose Of
defacing the used stamps but without sue
css and the ineiIlciepcy Of our polios sys-
ten for preventing the operations OF coun.
terieiters leaves the manufacturer Of susrep.
titious postage stamps TO labor with impu.
nifty.
special Dssps'sb e the y. r. rsibsps.
WAsBfSGros, June 3, l84o.
No circular has been or will be issued 20
our Ministers. concerning neutral rights.
Each will be treated upou its individual
merits ~ presented. The Csbipst yesterday
considered the questions likely 70 arise, with
9 view 70 precautionary preparation. That
question most apprebended Is relieved. In.
der Louis XVI, France adopted regula-
ton, which followed the We sel sold BY the
beligere0t into the possession Of the neu-
tral, and treated il ss belonging 10 the ios.
mer. This practice has sipcc bsen main
taiDed, though conflicting with the psinci-
pies Of public Law.
IL will DOW be abandoned by Francs, 20
that vessels or the like purchased by Ameri
cans Of Austria will be protected BY our
flag, ~ II built here.
Mr. Flynn, late Postmaster st Detroit,
has refused the drafts of the dcpaomeut ios
the baisoce In his hsads amounting 10
yearly 5000.