The Portland daily press., 1863-01-07
The Porter and Mcdowell Court
Martials.
Decision of the Commissioner Of Internal
Revenue.
WASHINGTON Ian G

NAshlN0loN, Jan. O
The Secretary of the Treasury has replied
to the resolution of the House calling for in
formation relative to the payment of the loan
of 1872. From the response 1t appears the
names OF 236 persons are registered as owners
of the bonds. The Department possesses no
other information as to actual ownership of
the loan. The Secretary says: my Judgment
was determined in favor of the payment in
coin, not more by the weighty obligation
growing out of the influences on the public
credit, but by the circumstances that / found
myself able to obtain the needed specie at
cost so small that payment in coin was in fact
n less Inconvenience to the treasury, and less
interference with the payments to and ior the
army and navy than payment in notes would
have been. The whole amount of coin re-
quired was advanced by monied institutions,
most of which it is believed had no interest in
the loan, nor any interest in the transaction,
except what rose from the general support of
the public credit, and the advance was made
without premium at an interest oi per cent,
and is not to be called for until il can be re-
imbursed from receipts from customs, dedicat-
ed by act Of Congress TO the payment of the
interest and principal OF the public debit
The report of the Secretary OF the Treasury
on the banks, states that the returns are in
complete, owing 10 the non-recepton of re-
turns from the seeded States, and from Mary
land, Delaware and Illinois, in which States
no laws existed compelling the publication Of
such returns. The aggregate bank circulation
OF the loyal States was in January, 1862, near
ly S24 100000 less than in January, 1861 while
the specie reserved was increased in the sum
Of Sl4, 100000, and the deposits in the banks
had increased s39,O00,0O0, mainly in New
York, Boston and Philadelphia. The number
of banks in 1852 was 1896, of which 5ll were
in New England, SOP in the Middle States, in
cluding Maryland, LAT in the five Southwest
ern States, and 144 in the Western States. In
1861 there were 1901, and in 1860, 1862 banks,
the preceding years being less than the returns
for 1862. The combined capital as reported is
S419,76l, ,sl2; circulation SlS3.939 600; de-
posits s297 ,l27 600; loan SCAT $50, 900; stocks
S99,000,000: specie 102, ,207 900. The amount
of specie is greater than in any preceding year
within ten years, excepting in 1859, when it
was $l04, ,53S,000
In the Porter Court Martial to-day, Gen.
Mcdowell was examined chiefly concerning
the effect of Gen. Porter's message on Gen.
Pope last August, in the presence of Gen.
King and himself
Gen. Pope testified to his belief of the un-
friendly feeling of the army of the Potomac
towards him, and that in view of this precon-
eeived opinion, he had expressed desire not
to assume the command OF the army of Vir-
ginia, but 10 be sent again to the West He
was also questioned about the object of the
conversation he had with Gen. Mcdowell on
the afternoon of the 10Th of August, whether
1t had reference or not to the movement of
the atters corps. He said it had not, his or
ders TO Gen. Mcdowell being always trans
mitted through his Aides.
In the Mcdowell Court of Inquiry to-day,
Capt w. Gadslaus Leskie, of Gen. Mellow
ells stan, was examined with reference to the
nature and defensblity of Thoroughiare Gap,
the number and quality of the enemy de-
bauching through the Gap, and the causes of
the retreat Of Gen. Ricketts, therefrom to-
wards Haymarket. He said the GAP could
have been best defended by force placed at
the mouth rather than in the middle of the de-
file.
An elaborate paper was sent to the Court
to-day by Gen. Sigel, purporting to embrace
further information to sustain his views of
Gen. McDowell's conduct, and naming wit
nesses TO sustain it. The court cleared the
room to enable them to consider the question
whether that paper could properly be receiv
ed and acted upon. The court decided to
receive il.
The Commissioner Of Internal Revenue has
made the following decisions:
Official instruments, documents and papers,
issued or used by the officers of any State
Government, are exempt from State duty.
Whenever an instrument is executed by sever
al parties as acting Jointly, one stamp only is
required, which may be affixed and cancelled
by either of the parties.
Commander Case has been ordered to the
command OF steam sloop-ofwar Iroquois.
Commander Henry Rolands has been de-
tached from the Iroquois and ordered TO the
command of the Seminole.
Acting Paymaster Frank Mcintyre has been
ordered to the steamer De Soto.