The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-12-17
Letter from the National Capital.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. Is, 1866
Correspondence of the Press
ADJOURNMENr FOR TBE HoIJn.vs

ADJOURNMENT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
nn amusing and rather warm contest occu,-
eu TINS morning in the House, relative to the
saar mondays which the House finally sat
M .u in It's own favor by agreeing to adionrr ON
urSday next, the Goth, to the Srd of .Jannarv
'n'''een days. Last session the t;,oo 49,
was nine days. There :. sor,o -
tw ,yoi Auu responsibility both, now that it i,
wen A'0uieu 'nas the 4Oth Congress is to meet
on the adjournment of this.
1t IS hardly probable that the sona.o .,r
agree with this heightened holiday tn w.
the time down last year and will probable d.
so this. "'J uo
THE WORK OF INVESTIGATION
rms goes on steadily, and there can he no
doubt that facts vii be developed establishing
the corrupt character of the present Admins
ramon and therein warranting impeachment
ON other than political reasons
4 A resolution passed this morn;no caIl;no o.,
sno resident for all information relating to
'ne release of the murderers of those Maine
sVieiers VINO were killed last summer in South
Da'oiiha' 1t will be remembered that Mr.
IKE got committee appointed to INVESTIGATE
'nis act. The resolution passed this ,norn;,,c,
calis ior all papers relative to the cotton .oiT'
ures which resulted in the murders. al 81.
ing to the trials, the subsequent reprievaI. 10
movai to the Dry Tcrtugas; their release in
Deiaware and subsequent pardon, with the
names OF all persons acting for and endors;no,
tne murderers' application. 1t is very avidont
that Congress will press the matter to a com.
plete exposure.
Inc special Committee on the New Orleans
MOI VIII leave here on Saturday. A resolu-
'ion was adopted calling for all papers in the
possession OF the War Department or of Con
Grant bearing upon this subject
resolutions were offered this mornino call
ing on the General Land Office and the Freed
mems Bureau for all information in tbeir nos-
session, relating to operations under tba
amended Homestead law of last session
winch was introduced by Mr.. Rice Of Mo;no
mat measure it will be remembered nlaoas al,
the Public Lands in the States of Flordo Az
aoama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
uhuer tne operations of the Homestead Law
restricted, however to so acres each nerson
and also until January 1st 1867, to those ner-
sons who can in addition to the oath of LOYALTY
take the test oath.
When the bill was under discussion. in n
communication to the Committee ON Pub,io
hahus' ten. Howard urged the passage of the
pii'' as 1t would enable the freedmen to oceu-
Ply these lands within the period named
Ihere Is not the least doubt that with ord;norv
opposition the Bureau would have accom- nl;sh-
ed its promise.
IL appears that an organized effort has been
made IN some, if not all, of the States to pre-
vent the freedmen from reaping the benefit IF
the act. In Florida this opposition has 10 a
large degree been futile, some twelve thonsond
acres having been occupied, giving homes 70
about two hundred families In AIobsp,o
there has not been as much progress as this
Inc land offices in that State were all con-
eentrated in one at Montgomery, and great
complaint is made about its MANAGEMENT Tho
freedmen, after the bills passage. organized
associations to avail themselves of its benet;ts
"A correspondent of the Mobile Advertiser and
negiSter (John Forsyth's organ) boasts that
"ue seoe'teen freedmen have availed themselves
VI 'he law. Ihe Mobile Nationalist, edited by
ALBERT Griffin, chairman of the Southern Low
anst Committee appointed at Springfield. IN
oeciares that the land officers at Montgomery
10 everything in their power to hinder the
search for land and the examination of t,ats
ETC., by either white or black loyaljsts. Tn an
ONCE, the chief officer of which, Commiss;on-
er Joseph Wilson, forbids his clerks in Soutb-
ern correspondence to use the terms alate re- .
bellion" or rebels" it is not at all un,;kelv
that the charges made by the Nationalist
should prove true.
11ere ahOnt FORTY
IN tne states named. The loyal men of the
south, now here, ask Congress to extend the
time prohibiting ex-rebels from the occupation
OF these lands. There are all sorts of CLONES
here engaged in attempts to revive forfeited
land grants in those States. Another set from
Louisiana are here asking for grant of pub-
lie land in that State, to aid in rebuilding the
Mississippi levees. The Levee Commissioners
who are represented in this endeavor, are all
pro-rebel in character and sympathies.
PAYING FOR sURRATT's PARDON
A sharp encounter of wit occurxed this
morning in the House. Being in Committee
of the Whole, Mr.. Stevens had under consider
tion an appropriation bill, in which was an
Item for $4,000 for the use Of the State De-
partment. Mr.. Schofield of Pennsylvania OBJ
jected to this, urging as he did so, that he un
stood that it was to defray the expense of
bringing John III. Surratt home that he might
be pardoned, This palpable hit was greeted
with hearty laughter, which was not lessened
when Mr. Stevens rose to reply. The solemn
manner of the "Great Commoner' was taken
as sure precursor of some biting sarcasm He
announced that he would explain the charac
acter OF the expenditures, and in so doing
crafty the laudable curiosity of some of his
friends as to reported interviews with certain
public functionary. He then stated that Mr..
Seward called on him at his (Mr. Stevens) re-
quest, Seward being the younger man, as Mr.,
Stevens faeetiously remarked. He would as
sure his friends that no other subject was talk
ed of but this appropriation The object was
to pay the expenses Of suits now being tried in
England and France for the recovery from
parties there of property formerly belonging
to the rebel government. These claims amount
ed in all to about twenty million dollars, and
most of this il was expected to recover. An
other item was of course the amount incurred
in the arrest and pursuit of Surratt, which Mr..
Stevens said was expensive, having for a year
been carried on, mainly by telegraph, over the
continent and in the East. He thought. how
ever, it was money well expended. Another
item was for the payment Of vessels of war en-
ployed by the State Department. 1t was the
custom of the Secretary Of the, Navy to charge
the cost when ship of war was used by other
departments of the government and collect the
same.
Mr.. Schofeld said he would withdraw his
motion to strike out if Mr.. Stevens would as
sure him that in the unexplained items there
was not one paying for swinging around the
circle" Stevens said in reply that he believed
there were some unpaid bills out, but they were
not included in this appropriation. The affair
was quite amusing and sharp. 1t is peril
nent illustration OF the contempt entertained
for the author of my Policy" Another point
is the want of all friendly and social relations
between the White House and the Capitol