Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-19
From washington,

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.-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. Gen3. Strong and Busted have b9en re-
lieved from duty in New York, and ordered TO
report for duty, the former TO Gen. Grant in the
department of Tennessee, and the latter to Gen.
Dix at fort Monroe.
Lieutenant commander Milton Haxton has been
ordered to the command of the Kneo, in the
western gulf blockading squadron. Lieutenant
commander Hopkins to the command of the
steamer Saginaw, at San Francisco. Lieutenant
commander Burnham has been detached from
the Bienvile and ordered to the steam sloop
Sacramento; master Ii. G. Kean of the Fredonia,
has been promoted to acting volunteer leuten-
ant; acting assistant surgeon John Flynn has
been ordered to the Hendrick HUI lson acting
assistant Frank Clark has been ordered TO the
Currituck,
The bill TO facilitate proof for the allowance of
pensions was submitted to-day by senator Lane
of Indiana. 1t empowers the secretary Of the
interior to designate officers authorized by local
laws to administer oaths, who may take and GER
tlty all applications for pensions, administer all
the necessary oaths, and render unnecessary any
further establishment of the right to pensions in
court Of record. Such officer is made subject
TO line of from $500 to $4,000 and imprison-
ment from one to five years, for conniving at
fraud in these applications.
The Dill of representative Aldrich, TO indenn-
fly the state of Maine for expenses incurred in
connection with the recent Indian disturbances,
approprates 100000 for that purpose.
The postal appropriation for the coming year
amounts to $l2 100000. This does not include
the appropriation for the California central route
for which special grant of ST. 600. 900 was made
last year.
Representative Binghams bill introduced TO-
day, to remit certain penalties for non-compli-
ance with the terms of contracts with the navy
department, is to relieve from disabilities in con
sequence of the proclamation of blockade, the
increase OF imports and laying of revenue duties,
etc.
In the Porter court martial to-day, Lieut.. Col
Fred. Myers and Maj. S. f. Barstow were the
only witnesses. Their testimony was brief, and
had reference merely to the character of The
night of the 9th Of Aug.
In the Mcdowell court of inquiry, the testimo-
ny of Col Myers, chief quarIermaster on Nc
DOweis staff, related 10 the seizure of the prop.
erty of both loyal and disloyal owners, in order
TO satisfy the immediate wants of the troops
which could not have otherwise been supplied
AS TO whether certificates of compensation had
been properly furnished for such seizures he
could not certainly say. The book containing
that information having been lost in the attack
at Catlettr station, though he knew of one in
stance 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 to him or required He had
no personal acquaintance with Clarke nor did
he desire any. After a few moments of secret
session, the court received a series of letters from
Mcdowell referring TO his conduct in the cam
palgn Of the Shenandoah, many of which were
read.