Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial to the New York News.l
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1866

The extraordinary decision of Judge Underwood,
referred 10 in NV despatch of last night has
stoned considerable excitement in Official circles
The decision is based upon a willful perversion Of
the Presidents peace proclamation Ihere Is NO
ambiguity about that instrument
The President intends by il to restore the hGbeGS
corpus in all the States mentioned IN the proclama
ton and that intention is plainly expressed. The
President is understood to be greatly dispeased at
nderwoods action in the matter and it is said that
he will soon take such action in relation to the status
of the citizens of the Southern States will no
longer leave the matter in doubt. In conversation
to-day the President expressed surprise that any
could take such mistaken view OF the prOelama-
ton as Judge Underwood had done, and declared
not only that martial law abolished all over the
South and that the hGbeaS corpus act restored but
also that heneefoTth, under the late decision of the
Supreme Court there are no offences whatever that
can be tried before military tribunals. -.
1t is quite probable that Judge Underwood will
have to revise his own decision. In regard to the
case of jefferson Davis | would not excite false
homes in the minds of his friends, but | am salts
fed from what | have learned to-day, that the
President will very soon order his release parole
or even perhaps, his unconditional release. He will
not be brought to trial.
doubtedly soon be issued. The President has de-
cided that all the public departments be closed to-
morrow, and general suspension OF public business
to take place in cOmmemoraton oil the death oil
President Lincoln.
The negroes are to celebrate on Monday with
great pomp. Mr. Stanton has ordered all the negro
regiments here to parade.
Especial Despatch to the Public LEDGER
THE TRIAL OF DAVIS.
WASHINGTON April lat can be positively
stated that the Attorney General is busy engaged
in arranging for the speedy trial of Jefferson Davis.
He will be arraigned before one of the Circuit Courts
of the United States upon the charge OF high urea
son. The Attoney-General holds that there Is no
such thing as constructive presence in the crime oil
treason and on this account the trial will probably
be either in Tennessee or Virginia. William NJ.
Eyarts is the only gentleman whose name has yet
transpred who is to assist the Acknowledgement IN
the prosecution, though several other eminent
LAWYERS have been retained by the Government
Charles O'Conner and James 7. Brady, of New York,
William B. Reed, of Pennsylvania, and lawyer
from Mississippi, are to conduct the defence. The
intention of the authorities is to secure speedy
trial. not only for Davis but for several other noted
rebels.
THE IRISH REBELLION"
There is to be no proclamation with reference to
the Irish scare Just at present, as it is not believed
the necessity for it exists. Mr.. Seward still laughs
at the whole proceeding, and declares that 1t will
end in smoke. So far as the Government is ad-
yised there has been nothing done as yet to call for
any interference or remonstrance on It's part.
GENERAL GRANT AND AMNESTY.
General Grant and the President are represented
as of one mind upon the subject of general am
nesty, and to this party Secretary Seward may be
added. The matter is now under Amusement.
From the Evening Star of Saturday.
MUSTER OUT OF GENERAL OFFICERS.
The War Department yesterday issued an order
honorably mastering out of the service on account
of their services being no longer required, the fol-
lowing named general officers; Major .Generals
Samuel r. Curtis, Francis Fessenden, Benjamin ii.
Grierson; Brigadier Generals Lewis ID. Watkins,
Lewis B. Parsons, Frederick I. Dent \. NJ. Harris,
Joseph A. Haskn John b. Mclntosh William f.
Bartlett, Emory Upton, John w. Turner, John NJ.
Corse, Walter g. Gresham, Adelbert Ames Patrick
E. Conner Henry H. Sibley, George j. Stannard,
John E. Smith, Romeyn b. Ayres John 5. Mason,
Frank Wheaton, Thomas G. Pitcher Alfred Sully,
Henry J. Hunt, George 5. Greene, Henry Prince
John c. Robinson, James II. Carleton, William S.
Ketchum James B. Ricketts, and Thomas W. Sher
man. The muster out is to date on the 3Oth of
April and all officers belonging to the regular army
are directed to report for duty with their regiments
or to their chief of corps or departments, within
three months from date of muster out All staff Of
cers of the above general officers are ordered to re-
turn to their appropriate duties if of the regular
army or volunteers yet in service. All Others will
be honoraby discharged
THE WAY IT WORKS.
Notwithstanding the fact that there is great need
of labor throughout the country, North rs well as
South. and that extra inducements are held out to
sWarms of contrabands now at the seat OF Govern
ment to employ themselves at good wages yet 1t Is
with great difficulty that they can be prevailed upon
to accent the offers made for their services. They
prefer to loaf about Washington, trusting to the
chance of being supported by Uncle Sam; but main
w. as late evidence has shown, with the idea that
Congress will speedily give them the right of suf-
frage in this District, whereby they expect to derive
some great advantages and be placed above the ne
cessy of earning their bread by the sweat oil their
brow,
ExHUMING THE UNION DEAD.
Captain J. r. Hynes, who is working under the
direction of Colonel M. NJ. |. Ludington, Quarter
MASTER Department of Washington, has been en-
gagged for the last three months in removing the re-
mains of the Union soldiers from the different parts
of Virginia to the National Cemetery at Arlington,
and has identified and removed to Arlington about
LOGO bodies.
RECORDS DESTROYED.
DR.. W. A. Spence, who was surgeon of the post
hOspital at Richmond, Va, during the rebellion,
states in reply to the inquiry made by the Govern
ment authorities whether he could furnish any lnf0r
nation concerning the Union dead buried near
Richmond that he had induced the undertaken to
keep record of all the Federal soldiers that were
buried and to mark their graves but the object
sought was frustrated by the destruction OF the re-
cords in the great fire that occurred on the evacua-
ton of the city.
THE REWARDS FOR THE CAPTURE OF BOOTH AND
HAROLD.
No little astonishment is expressed at the refusal
of Secretary Stanton to make known to the House
the awards for the arrest of Booth and Harold. n
large number of persons are here awaiting the pub:
licity of the decision of the commission who heard
the claims and made the awards. These parties
openly charge Stanton and Baker with attempting
to prevent proper distribution of the fund
THE FISHERY QUESTION.
The President yesterday sent message to the
House of Representatives covering letter from Sec
rotary Seward in which the latter lin response to
resolution of enquiry says that the Secretary of the
Navy has by the Presidents direction, taken pre-
paratory measures for sending naval force to the
American fishing grounds, adjacent to the British
fishing grounds which force it is believed will be
adequate to protect the rights and interests of Amer
lean citizens against any unlawful violence. The
Secretary adds that the Department has reason to
believe that there are at present no good grounds
for apprehending any collision or any necessity for
empoyment of force.