Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-01-23
From WASHINGTON AND VICINITY
WAsHrNoroN Ian. 1,

WAsHINoToN, Jan. ID.
The committee on Naval Affairs have, ac-
cording TO the resolution passed unanimous
ly on Monday, commenced an inquiry into the
| practicability of connecting all our naval and
military stations between Fortress Monroe
and New Orleans by submarine telegraphic
cable.
Cyrus w. Field, Esq, OF New York. now
here, has presented to the government an Of
Ter from the celebrated firm Of Messrs. Glass,
Eliot d Co. Of London, to manufacture and
submerge cables connecting all the points
between Washington and New Orleans
They are to be paid only on the successful
completion and delivery to the government Of
the lines in good working order. In other
words, they take the entire risk of manufac-
ture, shipping across the Atlantic, laying
down and working the lines, ETC.
The Importance Of such arrangements for
ielegraphing is admitted by all parties, both
as a matter Of economy and an actual military
necessity hence there seems to bo no doubt
that Congress will, without unnecessary de-
lay, make an Appropriation for that purpose.
The firm Of Glass Elliot & Co. last year laid
a cable for the English government one thou
sand five hundred and thirty-fve miles long,
which has been in perfect working order ever
since, while other lines laid by them have
been in uninterrupted operation from nine to
eleven years,
WASHINGTON, Jan. Is.
The bill authorizing the issuing Of one
hundred million dollars, in legal tender notes,
for the immediate payment to the army and
navy, is now a law.
No more passes will be granted to the
army of the Potomac at present.
Massachusetts men here intended to have
serenaded Senator Sumner tonight in honor
Of his reelection, but hearing of their inten-
| ton he declared that the compliment was not
in accordance with the present condition of
public affairs, and intimated that he prefer
red that the funds subscribed for music
should be donated to the Massachusetts La
dies Association here, which was done.
WASHINGTON. Jan. Is.
The current rumor that payments to the
army have been suspended requires correc-
! tion. Nearly nine million dollars have been
paid within the last ten days, and the pay
ments Of yesterday exceeded one million dol
lars. These payments were all made under
the law of the last session.
BALTIMORE, Jan. II.
The Washington National Inteligencer Of
this morning has been received here. The
lntelligencer publishes eight columns of in
tercepted rebel dispatches, being letters Of in
struction to Mason and Slidell and other reb-
Ell agents in Europe.
The first is a letter from Secretary Benia-
min, dated in September last, exaggerating all
the rebel victories and summing up the Fed
eral losses in all the battles up to that time
at 500, 900 men. The most important portion
OF the correspondence relates to a movement
on the part of the French Consuls at Calves
ton and Richmond, supposed to have original
ed in Paris. to induce Taxaa to seesde from
the Southern Confsderacy and establish an
independent government.
The result of this discovery was an order
to Magruder to send the Consul at Galveston
to Mexico as soon as possible, and the Rich
mond Consul to leave forthwith. The order
with regard to the latter, however, was re-
scinded
1t further appears that the reception award
ed by Earl Russell to Mr.. Commissioner Ma
son, at London, is not such as comports with
the latter's sense Of propriety. or with the
expectations of the Confederate authorities
at Richmond. Mr. Mason, however, is COM
plimented for his self abnegation in consent
ing to remain at his post, Notwithstanding
the annoyances TO which he conceiyes him
self subjected by the evident coolness of the
British Secretary of Foreign Affairs
The second portion of his correspondence
relates to European operations of the Con-
federate Treasury and Navy Departments.