The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-28
NEWS VIA WASHINGTON.

From the " ashington Star of yesterday even
inc we clip the following facts and rumors:
Massrs. Jonathan Brock and Frederick G. Grew
lev Of Baltimore have effected an engagement
with the General Government to furnish one thou
sand horses.
MRS BERRETr At THE CITY HALL.
Mrs Berrett wife of the ex-Nayor of Washing
ton, was in the MAYORS office, at the City Hall
Yesterday evening about the time the Councils met
and stated to acquaintances that the search
her husbands house for papers had been 20
through with and she was now expecting them e
search the office, and she wished to reclaim from
the officers any of her husbands private paper
which might BE- found,
THE OATH or ALLEGIANCE,
The oath Of allegiance and,to support the Con
stitution and the Government of the United States
was administered to the Attorney General of tn!
United States. and to the clerks and messengers il
his Office on Friday last, by Mr.. Justice Callan.
AN ENGLISH BARoNET IN THE UNITED STATES SERVICE
Sir John Murray, of England, has been appoint
ed an Assistant Adutant General of volunteers il
the army of the United States. lie is young
gentleman of great military experience for his age
and of great wealth, we hear.
ARRIVAL OF sEAMEN AT THE NAVY YARD-DEPARTURi
OF THE YANKEE.
This morning, the steamer Ben DetOrd, Captain
Halet, arrived at the Navy Yard from Boston
with $40 seamen. The steamer Immediately dis
charged her load, and expected to leave for Balti
more this evening. She reports all quiet along
the river ana at OlQ IOlnt. Two or three OF TOT
large United States steamers left Fortress Monroe,
going in a southerly direction, ss the Ben Def0FC
passed.
The Live Yankee is about ready for service, and
will join the hotla this evening, when she will
again become flag ship of the Potomac fleet. She
carries two 32-pounders, one "a pound boat howit-
ger, and one riisd cannon. She taking on her
coal and water this morning, having been dis
charged from the ways. Her chief engineer Mr..
Sanderson, has been removed, but it is alleged tina
his removal the result of msrepr esentator,
and that he will soon be reinstated. Several mas
ter's mates have beer ordered to the ankee. and
60 down with her to day. Plank sbeathing, filled
with sand to be put around the pilot house for
the protection of the pilot, whose position is very
much exposed, especially to musket shots from the
river shores
The schooner A. Middleton, of Providence, r. l.,
Captain Supple, arrived last night with 25l tons of
ice for the End Rhode Island regiment and the hos
pitals. She also brought number of packages
for the regiment.
The huge eleven-inch Dahlgren (pivot) gun
brought from New York was being hoisted on
board the Pensacola this morning.
From Correspondence Of the Star.
MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY.
LEWENsvTLLE, Va, August 27.-The enemy has
occupied Baileys Cross Roads in considerable force
and are entrenching. Farmers are not allowed to
come through to Washington now, and the board
ers at Mr.. Baiey's have been scattered in cOnse-
quence OF this occupation by the secession force.
Colonel Sherman is in command Of the enemy at
Bailey's Cross Roads.
Secessonists hereabouts profess to expect lively
times soon in this neghborhoed.
sKIRMIsH OVER THE RIVER.
CHAIN BRIDGE, August 27.-Five of our men,
While out scouting about three miles above here,
yesterday, were in a cOrntied, and to their dsmay
discovered that ab2ut thirty Confederate cavalry
were circulating around the edges of said field.
Thinking the case was desperate, they fred into
the largest group and killed one, who was seen to
tall, and seem to have wounded two others. They
dld not stop to investigate, however, but scamper
ed oil In one direction, while the cavalry, just as
much frightened, dashed off in the other.
AFFAIRS OVER THE RIVER.
Fort ALBANY, Aug. Give hear that our most
advanced ntrenchment in the direction of Bailey's
Cross Roads was taken possession of BY ''Secesh'
night before last The work was intended for q
two gun battery, and was unfinished. The Federal
regiment stationed there drawn in day or two
ago, for some reason the work was left and the
secessionists aware of the fact, no doubt, drove in
our pckets and took possession.
THE OATH AND THE CORPORATION ATTORNEY.
The opinion of MIR. J. NJ Carlisle, the Corporation
Attorney, on which ex.Mayor Berret based his re-
tusal to take any oath er-oficjo member of
the Board of Police Commissioners, pronouncos
that
First. The Mavor of Washington is connected
with the Police Board not in respect to his person
or individuality, but in respect of the office which
he holds 1t is, by the express terms of the statute
cc-oticio that be is entitled to vote in the Board.
IL Is only because ne Is Mayor that he has such
title, and it is only by ceasing to be Mayor that he
can lose it.
OF the Mayor the charter says (sec. 2d): ole
shall, erofici0, have and exercise all the powers
authority and jurisdiction OF Justice of the peace
for the county Of Washington within said county,"
The same provision is found in the charter of 1872
But it has never occurred to any one that before
the Mayor could exercise the powers of jus iCe of
the peace he was required to qualify himself as such
by oath or otherwise. This being true, it follows
that no oath whatever ought to be taken bv the
Mayor in addition to his official oath as Mavor.
SecoRdty- The oath of allegiance prescribed by
the act of August 9th, 1861, has no application
to the members of this Board of Police
and certainly nat to the Mayor of WASHINGTON as
an er-c6tcto entitled to be member of it.
rae opinion gives at length the reasonS - III
"t' Ia certain persons in the civil service
ot the United States" surely have no anpii-
cation to the Mayor of Washington; and in that
concludes that the Mayor is not in any
'ense an executive officer or employe of either of
he Departments, Cor person connected there
with" IN the sense of the statute in question.
The summing up of the whole case is that for the
Mayor to take any oath whatever would be de-
oaTture from the true intent and meaning of the
act ut Congress creating the board.
-, THE APPROPRIATIONS OF CONGRESS.
, miscellaneous document No. "a of the House of
representatives has Just been printed. In states
IN detail the appropriations made during the first
session OF the Fhrtyseventh Congress, the offices
created ana the saeries thereof, and the offices the
'aiafles OF which have been increased within the
same period, and the amount OF such increase. Ii
IS an ofhcla! statement Prepared under the direc-
ion OF the Secretary of the senate end Clerk of the
house OF representatives. "ecapituaton of the
totals show that there was appropriated for civil
md miscellaneous purposes, Sl,37l S73 90 for the
army, arms and fOrtfcati0ns S207, s1I 397 so; for
the naval service, $50 3S5 ,08629