The Portland daily press., 1864-01-28
FROM WASHINGTON.

Report Of the Superintendent of Government
cunningham of the Sctss Coasat-Th
proposed Trial of Treasury Notes
Destroyed-Destractien of a Blockade Ram
5aer.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.
The report of John d. Dupas, Superintend-
ent of the Public Printing, shows the following
results: Money expended in printing paper
and binding from Oct lst 1862, to Sept. Both,
1868, amounts TO Sl40,500; the year proceed
Ing 1t cost $4,000, the excess being princi-
pally for blanks for the various departments.
The amount of printing and binding executed
the last year If paid for at the prices establish
ed by law of 1862, would have cost S37S,5O
more than has been expended for that purpose
by the Government. The Government print
ing office was established in March, 1861, since
which time, up to Sept. Both, 1868, the printing
and binding have cost 1854 900 less than it
would have cost at old prices. The report
concludes as follows: The character Of the
printing and binding, in material and work
manship, is superior to that furnished under
any system which has preceded the present,
and the experiment of Government doing its
own work, both as regards its quality and the
economy OF its cost, may be regarded as COM
pletely successful.
John Hitz, senior Consul General of Swift
zerand, died here to-day. He was 81 years
old, and native Of Switzerland. He has re-
sided in Washington thirty-two years, during
eleven years of which he has discharged the
duties of that Office.
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy to-day
addressed the following letter to Messrs
ELEPHANT x Co., New York:
Nary Department. Jan. 27H.-Dear Sir
Alter conversation on Monday, j met Mr..
Baird, your engineer at the Astor House, as
agreed upon, and he handed me your note of
the 25th, naming $4,000 and $500 per day
after two weeks detention as the price which
the owners OF the Kin Kiang require to cover
expenses OF all kinds before permitting that
vessel to run against the Eutaw. handed
your note to Capt Comstock for Mr.. Blunt,
with the previous understanding that these
gentlemen were to make the attempt to OBJ
tain by subscription the sum necessary to pay
the expenses of the Kin Kiang. l am in
formed that the amount is excessive, and that
considerable difficulty will be found in OBJ
tanning it. l understood, however, the cir
cumstances under which you are placed. and
that the trial is not Of your seeking, and the
loyal people will appreciate the remark of
Mr. ELEPHANT, that in a national point of view
his sympathy must be on the side OF the Eu-
taw. The kiu Kiang islalmost the exact tom
mage OF the Eutaw, and has run sixteen knots
per hour. and agree with Mr. Baird, that no
vessel built to run outside of New York ever
excelled that rate. This extraordinary speed
makes me more anxious to have the trial, and
trust parties will come forward and remove
the pecuniary difficulty. With this hope /
will take the liberty of handing this letter to
the press. Very respectfully,
tSigned1 g. V. Fox.
After a recent fire in Iowa, about 5000 in
treasury notes, which had been deposited in
safe, were found almost in completely
charred state. They have just been received
here.
Dispatches received at the Navy Department
state that on the night of JAM I'd the United
States steamer Huron captured in Doboy
Sound, Ga, the sch. Sylvanus, from Nassau.
She was fired into and sunk near the shore.
Her cargo was salt and whiskey. 1t was
thought the latter might be saved. The papers
and crew were sent to Rear Admiral Dabgren
for disposal