The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-12-19
BY TELEGRAPH.
TO THE
Portland Daily Press.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Changes, Appointments, &C., i'm
the Navy.
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
The Porter and Mcdowell Court Martials.
WASHINGTON. De.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.
The Naval Retiring Board, which has been
in session in New York, will hold its annual
meeting in Washington on and after Monday,
the 22d inst.
Brig. Gems. Strong and Busted have been
relieved from duty in New York and ordered
to report for duy, the former to Gen. Grant, in
the department of Tennessee, and the latter to
Gen. Dix, at Fortress Monroe.
Lieut.. Commander Wilton Haston has been
ordered to command in the Western Gulf
Blockading Squadron; Lieut. Commander
Hopkins to the command of the steamer Sag
NAV, at San Francisco; Lieut.. Commander
Burnham has been detachedfrom the Bienvlle
and ordered to the steam sloop Sacramento;-
Master Henry c. King of the Fredonia, pro-
NOTED to acting volunteer lieutenant; acting
assistant surgeon Thomas Meckley has been
ordered to the Ladona; acting assistant sur
geon Frank Clark has been ordered to the
Currituck.
The bill to facilitate proof for the allowance
of pensions submitted to-day by Senator Lane
of Indiana, empowers the Secretary of the In
terror to designate officers authorized by local
laws to administer oaths, who may take and
certify all applications for pensions, and ad-
minister all necessary oaths, and render I'M
necessary any further establishment of the
right to pension in court of record. Such
offices are made subject to a fine Of $500 to
5000 and Imprisonment for from one to five
years for conniying at fraud in these applca-
tons.
The bill of Representative Aldrich to in
demnify the State of Minnesota for expenses
incurred in connection with the recent Indian
disturbances, appropriates 100000 for that
purpose.
The Postal appropriation for the coming
year amounts to S12,090,000 This does not
include the appropriation for the California
Central route, for which a special grant of one
million was last year made, which it is presum-
ed will be required.
Representative Binghams bill introduced
to-day to remit certain penalties for non-com-
pliance with the terms of contracts with the
Navy Department, is to relieve from disabili-
ties in consequence of the proclamation of the
blockade, the increase of imports and laying
of revenue duties, &c.
In the Porter Court Martial to-day, Lieut.
Col Fred Myers and Major S. +. Barstow
were the only witnesses. Their testimony was
BRIEF and had reference merely to the charac-
ter of the night of the 9th of August.
In the Mcdowell Court of Inquiry, the tes-
timony of Col. Myers, Chief Quartermaster on
McDowell's staff related to the seizure of the
property of both loyal and dsloyal owners to
satisfy the immediate wants of the troops,
which could not have otherwise been supplied
As to whether certificates of compensation
had been properly or improperly furnished for
such seizures, he could not certainly say, the
book containing that information having been
lost in the attack at Catlett's station, though
he knew of an instance wherein loyal citizen
had been suitably Unidentified. He further
stated that quantity of goods marked c. S.
A. had been taken from the possession of
Peleg Clarke, but no certificate was either
given by him nor required. He had no per-
sonal acquaintance with Clarke nor did he
desire any. After few moments secret ses-
sion, the Court received series of letters from
Mcdowell, referring to his conduct in the
campaign of the Shenandoah, many of which
were read, and the remainder deferred to
another day.