The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-11-22
Washington News and Rumors.

1he fTcsldent has appointed Hon. Chaun
eey NJ. Dcpcw, of New York, Minister tc
Japan. :
Hon. Freeman Clark, Comptroller ofthe
Currency, is in favor of moving the Cur.
roncy Bureau to New York city
South Carolina wants to pay her Internal
Revenue tax in State bonds, and not have
any United States Collectors there, but
authorizing such an operation.
Supplies OF tho fve-ccnt currency will
be sent South, where but little of it is il,
circulation; but no more will be transmit
ted at present to the North. the demand
there not being so great as in the other
sections Of the country.
Owing to the many counterfeits i'm circu-
latlon, banking and other parties fire.
quently send notes Of large denominations
to- the United States Trcasurer's Office.
asking whether they are genuine. That
office has not yet lost anything by counter
feits, its experts readily detecting spurious
issues.
! In letter to the NAVY Department.
Lieut.. Whiting states that two men on a
raft We're recently discovered off Cape Hat
teras: They were the only survivors of
tne fourteen men who escaped from the
steamer RePublic. They had been eight
days without food or water. Some of the
party were washed off, having no strength
TO hold on, and others. becoming insane.
jumped into the sea.
nathaniel II. Mclean, the former Assist
ant AdJutant-Gencral to Gen. Burnside,
who was ordered to the Pacific coast some
two Years ago, as he alleges, to prevent his
tcstltylnS against HURT, then about to be
court martlalcd at Cincinnati is preparing
20 BRING the case before Congress. and
promises to throw much additional light
upon tEat interesting transaction.
1t IS said the recent complaint to the
grand jury. against Gen. Baker, chief de-
tectlve of the War Department, originated
IN ms rad on certain alleged pardon
brokers, whom he accuses of fraudulent
practices. The merits of the question will.
however, be tested by the court.
reports just received at the Treasury
Department from the agents stationed
along the Canada frontier, show that
smuggling is still carried on to a very large
extent A large number OF arrests and
seizures arc being made constantly The
Inducements, however, are 50 great that
II one half gets through, the parties are
amply remunerated. An agent who ar
rived here to-day says that the smugglcrs
have been unusually active during the last
two or three months.
There are reports again in circulation of
Cabinet changes, but it is regarded as no.
wise probable that any will be made until
after the meeting of Congress. 4 well
known Pennsylvania politician is being
urged by his friends for Secretary of the
Navy. The rumors of changes doubtless
arose from this fact.
The Secretary of the Navy has decided
to send abroad considerable portion of
our surplus naval force, With orders to
cruise between the prime pal commercial
ports Of each station, and visit them all as
often as once every three or six months.
This watchfulness will bring increased re-
spcct for our rights abroad, and prevent
many vcXatious imrositions that have
hitherto been practised. Should Congress
withhold ~
apply those already made, this action of
the Department will of course be sus-
pended.
On Wednesday, the time for receiving
bids for contracts in the mail service Of
Virginia, West Virginia, North and South
Carolina and Florida transpired, and the
formal awarding of the respective con-
tracts to parties whose rates had been ac-
cepted is under way. The contracts about
to be consummated for service in the above
States will go into effect on the 1st of
January, 1866, and expire in June, 1867.
1t is reported that all the bids made for
this service have been largely in excess Of
the rates formerly in vogue for the same
routes.
WASHINGTON, November 16.-Thcre are
intimations that the French Minister, Mon
tholon, is in bad temper concerning our
management OF relations with Mexico, and
predicts serious consequences. 1t will be
recollectcu that MaXlmilian proclaimed the
forces Of Juarc;:, or of the licpublc 70 be
bandits or other outlaws, who arc to be
shot ON sight. The Government: Of such
forces we rccosjizc by sending Il minister
to it. The Bonap.ti'tcs are not apt to over
look things of that sort. I do not attri-
Dutc Importance to the story that Napo-
Icon III is about to withdraw the French
troops from Mexico. 1t is strange that he
.;,ioiiiid, refrain froaa sending African troops
there, and it is, perhaps, more than
strange that our abolition or republican,
statesmen should object to the color Of the
men that were to go.
There are those of little faith who think
that General Logan and Mr.. Browning will
not so to the Republic of Mexico at all, or
if they do so, it will be at so late a period
that there will exist nothing to be accrc-
clitcd to- Regarded III this light the French
Emperor, unless he is ''spoiling for a
tie,ht ;, may nncknt the insult rat thcr than