Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-03
From Washington!
a Bill for the Collection of Comm.
tatiOn of Deceased Soldiers .

A Bill fOr the Collection of Comm.
tatiOn of Deceased Soldiers ]
New York, January 2.-The Heralds
Washington dispatch says: s..s-fg
Among the first bills to be introduced in
Congress, upon the resumption of the SEES
sion, will be one providing that the heirs oil
deceased soldiers who have died in Southern
prisons during the war, may collect of the
government full Communication Of ~ratiOns, at
the rate of twenty-five cents a day for the
full time the deceased may have been in
confinement. According to the present rules
OF the War Department, the heirs of a
private soldier are allowed no claims of this
character, while those Of q commissioned
officer may collect every emOlument that
pertained to him up to the date OF hisdeath,
whether he died in hospital or captivity.
This is to refute the story frequently %reiter-
ated in the South, and which gained some
credence in the North, in reference to the
government making inadequate provisions
for the subsistence Of its prisoners.
The Bureau on Military Prisons gives
the following item in their late Report to
the War Department:
That during the four years in which the
depots for the reception of Southern prison
eFs were kept up ia many OF Northern
cities, there accumulated a fund of upwards
of So, coo, 900 from a sale Of the excess of ra-
lions issued andnot consuunedby the prison
ers, and more than half of this sum was
used while the war was progressing in the
purchase of wines and jellies for the benefit
Of the occupants Of the prison hospitals.
Presidents Reception.
WASHINGTON, January I.-Notwithstand-
ing the disagreeable condition of the wealth
er from the recent. storms, the first New
Years reception of President johnson was
largely attended. The doors Of the Execu-
tive Mansion were to-day opened to the for
eign ministers and attaches, who were in
full court dress, some of them displaying
their glittering badges of distinction. Sir
Frederick Bruce, the British Envoy, was the
first arrival Of the Diplomatic Corps which
was fully represented. The greeting APP
peared to be mutually happy, especially IN.
view of the fact that there is nothing in the
condition oflouF foreign relations TO threaten
the disturbance of the general peace! All.
the colored persons on the premises, not,
however, a large number, were admitted
and paid their respects to the President.
All the members of the Cabinet, excepting
Secretary Seward, who is absent from Wash
ington, Government officers and the Mayor
and many private citizens received their
friends. = F..
The members of the Cabinet, Justice of
the Supreme Court of the United States and
other prominent civil officers, together with
Senators and Representative also paid their
usual annual visit to exchange their custo-
mary salptations with the President. AT
half past eleven the officers of the army
and navy, and the marine corps were SIM
ilarly received. They were allin uniform,
Lieutenant General Grant and staff being
conspicuous among the imposing group,
which surrounded the President.
The reception of citizens Commenced at
noon and continued two hours, the marine
band playihg'inSthe meantime IN the 9esti-i
buIe. The visitors entered two abreast, and
passed into the Auditors. room. There, hav-
ing been severally Introduced by the United
States Marshal to the President and shaken
him by the hand, they passed into the East
Room from which they found an. outlet thro'
one o.. the front windows, a flight Of steps
nhaYing been placed on each side Of it for
egress. bdG Irri Slo clio E
~ The daughters of the President, Mrs. Pats
.terson and Mrs. StoyeF,r were near their
father and received the lady visitors. Every
body seemed tobbe cheerful IN the 1ex-
change ofthel ubaaI salutations bE5 i.nssz
j The public departments snd70ther places
Of business were closed.