Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-02
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Presidents Position wi h Regard
to COngrcss-Spirit OF the Message.

The Presidents Position wi h Regard
to Congress OF the Message.
Correspondence of the CinGnnati Commercial
WAsHINGToN, November 28.-The Presi
dent, in conversation with Western Con.
gresham, to-day, stated that he intended nc
quarrel with Congress, in what may b.
called personal light, such as declaring
it to be an illegal body, or incompetent tC
pass laws or to propose amendments to the
Constitution. To the Congressional plano
reconstruction, he said he had not yielded
one iota. He had done, he added, all il
his power to secure Southern representa-
ton in Congress.
The December statement of the public
debt will show a decrease of from fifteen tC
twenty millions.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The President decided, to-day, to have
copies Of the message sent in advance to
the pOstmasters Of the leading cities for de.
livery to journals for publication on the
day it is sent to Congress. Il viii be sent
in on the first day of the session.
AT THH WHITE House.
There was the usual attendance, to-day,
at the Executive Mansion, aotwithstand-
ing the pressure of official duties. The
President has seen rs manF persons who
sought interviews as he could possibly find
time. During the morning the Secretary
of War, the Secretary Of State and the
Secretary of the Treasury had oficial inter-
views with the President.
SENATOR REvERDY JOHNSON
Has no intention of resigning his seat in
the Senate, as intimated in to-day's Balti-
more kilograms.
STATIONERY CONTRACT AWARDED.
The immense stationery contract for sup
plying the Internal Revenue Department,
was to-day awarded to Dempsey & Ottvale,
Of this city, by Secretary McCulloch.
CoNGRESsNIEN IN TOWN.
There are thus far but twenty Senators
and Members in town, and no caucus has
been called for Saturday or Monday night,
as published. Thad. Stevens says there is
no necessity for any caucus.
INFRINGEMENT.
The Joint Committee on Retrenchment
have taken two or three volumes of evil
dence, and they find good opportunities for
recommending reform and economy in
every branch Of the public service.
NEW STATE MOVEMENT IN NEW ORLEANS.
A prominent New Orleans merchant tel
egraphs here that memorial, quite largely
signed by leading men, is on its way here,
asking Congress to inaugurate a new State
Government for Louisiana.
THE RADICAL WELCOME.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-In consequen!s
of the nOn-arriyai Of & number of the
members of Congress, the proposed mass
welcome has been postponed until Monday
next.
THE ARMS IN THE CAPITAL.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-The report that
twenty thousand stand of arms had been
placed at the Capitol is untrue The whole
humber was about one hundred and fifty
muskets. There are only about half
dozen revolvers in the Capitol.
ARMY APPOINTMENTS.
1t is understood that some of the impor-
tant appointments made by the President
in the regular army, will meet with oppo-
sition in the Senate.
THE POPE.
The Government has received information
from Italy to-day, stating that the Pope
has resolved not to leave Rome, but will
trust to the protection OF the King, Victor
Emanuel.
COTTON FRAUDS.
The congressional Committee on Retrench-
ment, which has been in session examin-
ing witnesses for several days past, adj
jOurned yesterday to meet again on Friday.
The sessions of the same committee and
their acts are secret; but it has transpired
that cotton to the value of somewhere in
the neighborhood of two hundred million
dollars has been seized by the Government,
and that probably not tenth of the
amount realized has accrued to the Gov
eminent. At New Orleans, in one
transaction of 10000 or $4,000 bales of
cotton seized, the Government only got
about 1900 bales. One Of the modes of
swindling the Government was TO present
forged certificates, or oaths of ownership
after cotton had been seized; and Treasury
agents would release the cotton thus
or turn over the proceeds from its
sale, under authority of the Treasury regu-
lations. A great majority of the swindles
were made in this manner.
The commission will doubtless insist that
having once taken possession of the cotton,
the Treasury Department had no authority
to relinquish, unless claims arising there
from we're regularly adjudicated by the
courts. The Government is not likely to
find cotton speculation paying business,
as the amount realized, after all claims
have subsidized, will be eaten up by the ex-
penses incurred in seizure retention, sale