The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-01

w ASHINGT0N, july 81.
Previous to March, 1868, all letters were re-
quired to be prepaid, and the people had be-
come so accust )med to the law that not more
than $4,000 unpaid letters were annually re-
turned to the dead letter office. But at that
time Congress passed a law permitting all I'M
paid letters to pass through the mails, the re-
ceiyers of them paying double rates. This ar
rangement resulted disastrously to the postal
revenues, and so at the late Congress the law
absolutely requiring prepayment was restored.
The people generally, however, are not aware
of this fact, for the number of unpaid letters
returned to the dead letter Office averages A.
600 per day. asna ssts 1
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs the
Commissioner of the General Land Office, the
Superintendent of the Southern Indian Agen-
cy and Col. Baker, of Lieut.. Gen. Grants staff.
have been appointed Commissioners to meet
Sept. LIST at or near Fort Gibson twenty or
thirty Indian tribes, including Cherokees and
Ossages, Greeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, Chickal
saws, Kansaws and other affiliated tribes
Nearly all the Indians who will attend the
Grand Council have forfeited their annuities
and their benefits by entering into treaties
with the rebels through Albert Pike, who held
plenary power on the subject. The Indian
Bureau has printed copy of all these treaties.
1t is understood that the object of the council
is to restore the friendly relations heretofore
existing between the Indians and the United
States, and secure peace On the Plains.
1t is stated that the Consulship of Gabon, in
Western Africa, having been rendered to j. G..
Babcock of New York, that gentleman respect
fully declined it, expressing the desire to be
appointed bearer of dispatches this summer to
the White Mountains, provided the latter Of
nee would not prejudice his application for
more favorable appointments.
The receipts of internal revenue for the
month of July approximate to $22,000O00.
Now that the income tax is beginning to be
paid, it is estimated that the receipts viii at
least be million of dollars per day for the
next two or three months. a3 lu.ai 4aloE
The Richmond mail came through to Wash
ington direct this evening for the first time for
more than four years. 5s. 81 4
1t appears from the Richmond Times to-day
that Gov. Pierpont promised to do all in his
power to represent the municipal election case
to tie authorities at Washington, requesting
them to remove the order prohibiting the ex-
ercise of the functions required by the offices
to which obnoxious gentlemen have been
elected. ,f
A farther stated meeting of prominent citi-
zens, held on Saturday, to concert measures
for proposing new ticket for the municipal
offices of Richmond. 9 ID aoifsHnaE $50
There remains in the custody of the Gov
eminent only one prisoner, Capt. I'll. Writ,
who is confined in the Old Capitol Prison
awaiting his trial, which will not take place
for two weeks to come, on charges for cruelty
to our prisoners at Andersonville.
This afternoon Gen McLaughlin's brigade
list division, 9th corps, composed of the Doth
and 18th Massachusetts regiments, passed
down the Avenue on their way home
The following assignments of general officers
have been made by the President: General G.
M. Dodge, General commanding all the United
States forces serving in Kansas, Colorado, Ne
braska, Montana, and that portion of Dakotah
lying west, and South Missouri, with headquar
tiers in the field. Major General Alfred Pleas
anton to command the dirtrict of Wisconsin
with headquarters at Milwaukee. Major Gen.
S. G. III. Smith to command district of Mis-
souri,. with headquarters at st. Louis. .Briga-
dier General j. A. Williams for duty on the
plains under commanding General G. M.
Dodge ilA - eltlt#
Chang and Eng, the Siamese twins. who
have been engaged in farming some years in
North Carolina, are to appear on exhibition
again in Northern cities.
The Post Office Department sent letter BY
this mornings mail, notifying Mr.. Washburn
of his reappointment as Postmaster at Phiia-
delphia.
A number of Federal appointees in the
Southern States have been unable to execute
their bonds and to take the required oath that
they have never voluntarily borne arms or
gwen aid and council or encouragement to
persons engaged in armed hostility against the
United States, and have not yielded volun-
tary support to the late rebel government, &c.
The President and party, having made an
excursion as Tar as Cape Henry aud Norfolk,
returned to washington this morning. nos sas