Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-16

From Washington.
WASHINGTON, January l4.-A special to the
Tunes says:
The bank Presidents this morning abandoned
the question of finance 10 loft committee of
the Boards of Trade Of Boston and Philadelphia.
who spent two hours this morning With the Com
mittee of Ways and Means Of the House.
The formation of practical scheme advances
rapidly, and may now be considered settled.
The President to dav dominated Thomas F.
Meagher and Jas Shields to be Brigadier Gen.
erals.
The Judiciary Committee ofthe House resoly Cd
unanimously TO-DAY 70 report bill repeating the
law that exempts man from criminal prosecu-
ton for offenses i'm regard To- which he may have
been examined before Congressional committee
1t was under this law that FLOYD escaped punish
ment
The Tribunes special saws:
The Senate will probably pass. the House biz
for the abolition Of the frankng privilege With
The House Judiciary Committee stood. in the
absence Of Dir. Hickman. Chairman. 4 TO on
the bill for the conhsc,tion of the property of re
bells and the emancipation of their slaves.
The bill will not stand thus long.
Neither the President nor Secretary of War up
to to-day have received aay intelligence respect
ing the resignation OF Gen. Sigel.
The Worlds dispatches say:
The city is filled with rumors of the probable
retirement of at least two other members OF the
Cabinet. Hon. g. b. Smith, Secretary of the
Interior, and Hon NJ Blair, Postmaster General
the gentlemen indicated by the gossip of the
hotels.
Mr.. Smith, who enjoys i'm high degree the
confidence ofMr. Lincoln, will, il is said. assume
one of the vacant seats in the Supreme Court
while Mr.. Blair will decline any other appoint
ment at the hands Of the President
People who profess to know say unguardeC
letter to General Fremont, in which Gen. Scot
and other high officials are criticized, is at tn,
bottom of this matter.
Mr. Holt may fill Mr.. Smiths place, and Mr.
Colfax. of Ind, Mr.. Blar's; but nobody knows
anything about it,
The President has every confidence in Mr.
Welles and he is not to be disturbed
Ii is said that the appoin .ment of Mr.. Stanton
has MIR. Hot's hearty approval He was urgen
that his friend should be confirmed in the office
The Herald's dispatch says: 3
Notwithstanding the absence of any cause fo
serious apprehenslons of foreign war, it is the
desire OF the Government and the Commandin!
General that the militia of all the LOYAL State
shall be fully and efficiently organized and il
this connection General Mcclellan strongly urge
the organization and practical preparation of ar
tillery corps in all the seaport and lake towns
with IA view To have in readiness for any emer
gency an effective body of well drilled artlerist
for the defense OF our seaports and coasts
1t is designed that these corps shall be provides
by the Government with guns and equipments
and to be paid by the United States wheneve
called into active service.
Among the rumors in circulation it ha
been whispered that the Secretary of the Treasu
~ intends TO Withdraw, to resume a seat in III
United States Senate This is all conjecture.
The rebel batteries on tie Lower Potomac con
tinue TO exhaust large quantities of powder with
our efecting anything.
The Reliance was shot at thirty FIVE times OF
Monday night, while running down the river I
Cockpit Point and the batteries lower down. bu
she was not touched.
The batteries at Shipping Point and Cock
pit Point kept up "A continual fire of shells to
wards the Maryland shore this afternoon whic
all burst high in the air and did no damage t
any one.
Col. JAS. A. Kearney. Typographical Eng
neers, u 5. A, recently placed on the retired list
died on Friday last, aged seventy eight years.
The Committee appointed TO inquire into tn
matter of fortyfying the Western lakes and riy
ers, have got to work at last.
So far they have decided on recommending
fortifcatOn at the Straits of Mackinaw, leavin
it to a Commissioner to select the precise loca
ity.
The United States Tressurers last week.
statement shows that the total amount on de
post was 81 700, 900, on which drafts had bee
drawn to the amount of S600,000. The bullio
fund is 81 100 900 The available balance in I'll
States under insurrectionary control is stated ;
at 81 100000