The Portland daily press., 1867-07-17

WASHINGTON, July 16.
The bill introduced to-day by Mr.. Stevens,
of Pennsylvania, to enable the inhabitants of
the late re eel States, conquered by the United
States, to form State Government, declares
that all the Governments and pretended Gov
ernments in the Southern territory are null
and void and of no effect, other than that
which they shhll derive from the action of
Congress; Existing corporators and officers
existing defacto for local purposes to be con-
tinued until Congress, or those authorized by
Congress, shall determine their existence with
proper constitution until admitted into the
Union. Each district, as row existing, shall
be governed by three commissioners, civilians
chosen by the Joint action of Congress Inc
present registration is to be continued, with
view to the formation of State CONSTITUTION,
which must be submitted to the approva! OF
Congress- The bill declares that the ADMISSION
of new States into the Union ana tne rece n,
struction of old ones. is the sole duty and
work of Congress, and neither the President
nor any head of departments nor judiciary
nor military have any right to interfere in
such matters unless required by Congress-
The opinion of the Attorney General upon
any point connected with the admission of
new States or the reconstruction of destroyed
ones is authorized, and ought not to be OBJ
truded upon the Government
The Senate to-day confirmed several Post
of the United States District Court for the
southern district of New York. Several NOM
nations were rejected
The U. S. gunboat Peoria, six days from St
Thomas, West Indies, has arrived here. She
reports no fever there. Business is dull and
the Sd inst, the town of Dassetora, st. Kits,
was destroyed by fire. All the business por.
ton of the place and most of the dwellings
and churches were reduced to ashes The Pc
oria was lying at the time at the neighboring
Island of st. Martins. At the request of the
Governor of St. Kits, the U. s. Consul dis
patched sail boat to St. Martins for the Peo-
ria to come to their assistance. On her arri-
val she was unable to do any thing towards
saving the place, but Commander Badger sue
piled the destitute inhabitants with ship stores
and then proceeded to Antigua for further
supplies. The Governor of Antigua immedi-
ately dispatched provisioned vessel to St.
Kits. Five lives were lost during the fire.
Large quantities of provisions and sugar ready
for shipment were consumed. The Peoria re-
ports abundant rains in the Windward Islands
this year, and the cane crop is looking promis-
ing. The U. s. ship Monongahela and the
gunboat Saco arrived at Santa Cruz ON the
8th-all well.
the President by the Secretary of State, and
delivered his credentials as Envoy Extraordi-
nary and Minister PleniDotentiary OF His
Majesty, King of the Hawaiian Island.
Senator Wilson, in letter dated July 10Th,
and addressed to VIM T. Early of Charlottes-
vile, Va, in reply to note asking what ac-
ton is necessary on the part of the people to
avert from them confiscatiou, says the generous
action of Gen. Grant towards men in arms,
the magnanimity of the Nation and the fbe-
rality Of Congress should satisfy well disposed
people of the rebel States that nothing will DO
done for revenge, but everything for the endur-
ing peace of the country. He says nothing can
Lr;ng confiseation upon the people of the rebel
States but the persistent folly and madness of
the masses of the people, and he cannot be-
lieve that the body of the. people will, by their
future action, bring confcation upon them
selves, He suggests that sure way for the
Southern people TO avert from themselves con-
fscation and removed disabilities is to restore
law, order, peace, and individual and national
prosperity and happiness.