The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-12-18
By TELEGRAPH.
ToTHE
Portland Daily Press.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Reports on Site fornew Navy Yard.
The Pension and Deficiency Bills.
Aid for the Construction of the Metropolitan
Railroad
Decision of Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue.
Request for the Appointment Of Hon. Eli
~
The Pension and Deficiency Bill
Aid for the Construction of the Metropolitan
Railroad.
Decision of Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue.
Request for the Appointment Of Hon. Eli
Thayer as Military Governor of Florida.
The Mcdowell Court of Enquiry.

site for navy yard and naval depot, signed
by Rear Admiral Stringham, Commander
Gardner, Commander Van Brunt and Engi.
neer Sanger, makes choice of New London in
preference TO League Island; Narragansett
Bay being Objectionable on account of fog
1t claims for New London superiority in the
ease, access and freedom from Instructions by
drift and moving ice, safe anchorage. adapta-
lion for the construction of dry docks, grading
or filling, site, range of tides, rapidity of cur
rents, and healthtulness of location. The re-
port makes League Island and New London
equal in facility for providing workmen
and supplies, of site, security against attack, n
depth OF water, and gives League Island SUI
periority in the facility OF obtaining coal, and
iron, and fresh water, as better for preserv-
ing the bottoms of vessels. The minority re-
port of Prof Bache and Lieut. Commander
Thomas Phelps. gives League Island the pref
erence in delensblity against exposure to
violent winds. area OF anchorage, preparation
of site, facility for procuring supplies, and in
ierior TO New London in only two points, viz !:
health and exposure to ice.
The invalid pension bill appropriated nearly
eight million dollars for the year ending with
June, 1864, Of which there are for invalid pen
sions under various acts S3,000,0O0: to revo-
lutionary widows S250,000: pensions to widows
and orphans under the acts OF 1886, 1S4S, 1853
and 1858, S3.so0.000; navy invalid pensions,
sl3500O; navy widows and orphans, 100000,
and privateer invalid pensions $1,000.
The City Cou.cis of Washington to-day
memorialized Congress to aid the construction
of the Metropolitan Railroad from this City to
Hagerstown, and from here to the deep waters
OF the Chesapeake, the latter twenty miles,
The memoraZers state that by road to
Point OF Rocks, fifty-one miles of transporta-
ton, and in effect three millions of dollars an
nually could be saved TO the government
The railroad Company furnish one-third or
one-iourth the capital, and ask the govern
ment to guarantee bonds for the remainder of
the sum necessary to its construction, the cost
per mile not to exceed fifty thousand dollars.
The point is made that all capitals have sever
al diverging railroads, and Richmond has five.
Also that the navigation of the Potomac is liza
BILE TO obstruction from natural or military
causes.
The deficiency bill for the year ending with
June, 1863, appropriates S10S. 100000 includ-
ing the following supplies For the Quarter
masters department, S6000,000; for the pur-
chase of horses, sll,000,000; for transporta-
ton and supplies, s25.S00000; for barracks
and hospitals, s1,730.000; for clothing and
equippage, S21 10000; for the support of the
fleet of steam rams, S450000; for arms and
ordnance, Sl3,l27,000; for gunpowder and
lead, 81 100000: for the medical department,
nearly s4,500,O00; for surveys for military de-
fences, $4,000; for subsistence, SIS, $4,000.
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has
made the following decision THAT morocco,
goat, kid or sheep skins are subject to single
duty of four per cent. ad valorem. payable
either when tanned, curried or finished. Tn
der the provisions of section IS of the excise
law, by which building stone is declared not
to be manufacture, is held that stone de-
signed for building, whether rough, hewn or
carved, is not subject to taxation, provided
that articles manufactured from stone, marble
or slate, such as fire-places and mantle-pieces,
even though designed for particular buildings,
but which are of such nature that they
might be introduced into the commerce OF the
country as articles of traffic, are subject to a
tax OF three per cent. ad valorem. Other
manufactures of stone, marble or slate, which
are recognized as articles of traffic, are sub
ject 10 a tax of three per centum ad valorem.
1t is the duty Of Assessors and Assistant As
SCISSORS to apply these rules to cases as they
arise
Exchange inland stamps, when all these in
struments, viz, mortgage, bond and note are
given to secure the same debt, the law re-
quires that such instrument shall have its
appropriate stamp.
Powers of attorney given to claimants, at
tornies, agents and others, 10 prosecute the
claims of relatives of deceased soldiers for
pensions, bounty and back pay, require the
dollar stamp provided by the excise law to be
affixed to the general power of attorney.
Whenever any person shall make commu-
ncation to the officer of internal revenue in
the nature of an appeal from the action of an
assessor or an assistant assessor, in the dis
charge of his official duties, or for the purpose
of obtaining an opinion as to the liability Oh
the writer to taxation, such communication
must first be submitted to the assessor of tho
district. and his written assent obtained to the
truth of the statements made in said commu-
nicatlon, or the writer must certify that he has
submitted copy thereof to the assessor o.
the district either by mail or otherwise. The
appeal will be considered and the answer for
warded to the writer through the assessor,
from whom the appeal is taken.
To-day highly influential delegation of
members of both houses of Congress with
Vice President Hamn at their head waited
on the President with asrequest numerously
signed by loyal men of Florida, asking for the
appointment of Hon. Eli Thayer as Military
Governor of that State, with authority tn raise
10000 loyal emigrants. They also presented
TO the President paper signed by l34 men,
bers of the Senate aud House. earnestly con
curing in the request Of the loyal men
Florida, and paper from Maj Gen. Hunter, in
command of the department of the South, u
the same effect. The committee were well
satisfied with the interview
In the Mcdowell Court of Inquiry to-day
Maj Gen. King was examined. He contra
dlcted portion of the testimony of Pele.
Clark, with reference to the alleged spy Little,
He stated that he was instructed by General
Mcdowell to preserve the growing crops fot
the use OF the army. He thought they wer
subsequently harvested for the use of tn,
army. He further proved that the orders Of
Gen. Mcdowell in this respect had fine effecl
upon the discipline of his troops, and that tn
subse9i1Spt change of this policy had ba.i
effect the discipline of the army. Brig
Gen. Wadsworth testified to Gen. Mcdowell
efficiency as a corps commander. He did no
believe Gen. Mcdowell was instrumental /
having the department of the Rappahannoc
formed, for he had expressed TO him his re
greet at having his command separated lroi
the army of the Potomac. The reason VIII
Mcdowell did not join the army of the Poto
mac at subsequent period, as the witnes
was informed, was that he did not think tn,
number of troops which would thus be left ft
the defence of Washington, would be sufs
cient. The court adjourned until to-morro',
morning