New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-08

81 TELEGRAPH
WASHINGTON. Nov 7, 1867.
II has been announced that the President is en-
gagged upon a message to Congress, to be presented
upon an early day Of tho session that convenes on
the Dist inst This announcement does not appear
to have any valid foundation. There Is, IN fact
GOOD reason for saving that Mr.. Johnson has not
commenced the preparation OF such a message, ana
that il il not well settled that lac will communicate
to Congress information OF the state OF the Unon at
all events until somo time during the regular or
December session. 1t should be borne in mind that
the November session can last but eleven days, IN
GLIDING Sundays, and that there will be but nine
working DAYS before the regular constitutional De-
cember session must commence. The Constitution
provides that Congress shall assemble vt least once in
every year, and such meeting shall be on the first
Monday December unless they shall by law appoint
different day Congress has not appointed diiler-
ent day. but has enacted Z" that in addition to the
present regular times of meeting there shall be
meetingr etc The coming November session must
therefore, adjourn by noon of Monday Dec. ?, and
commence n regular session at that ,iyui, II the
President shall have any measures that he deems
necessary and eXpedent to recommend to Congress
for their consideration they will be communicated
at about the usual period, probably. in December
Under the existing provisions OF the laws there
several difficulties presented If Congress shall pass
an act even as early the 2ls day of November the
President cannot hold the bill the Constitutional
term Of ten days during the November session,
because, after excluding Sundays, there can be bat
nine days left SO, likewise in the Tenure of Office
law, which provides that the President shall report
the suspensions Of officers aud appointments of their
SUCCESSORS within twenty days after the first day of
the next meeting of the Senate. BY the time that
half of these twenty days shall have expired, the
November session must cease by limitation OF law
Such are some of the legal inconsistencies which 1t
is argued. have resulted from recent Congressional
legislation, and which, it Is understood, are To Nc
considered in Cabinet tomorrow, with the view of
del ermnng. if possible. what course the Executive
shall adopt to best meet the requirements Of the
Constitution and the purposes of the late acts oil
Congress.
The Presidents organ here will contain tomorrow
an editorial article calling Grant to define his po-
siton and state If he be Radical ora Conservative.
This article, it is understood, is prompted by Mr..
johnson. who is taking lively interest III the ques-
tion of the next Presidency. and who openly an
nounces himself as very decidedly against Grant.
The Democracy hero contemplate holding on next
Monday grand jublatiOn meeting in honor OF their
recent victories in New-York and elsewhere. The
Conservative Army aud Navy Union" the johnson
Departmental Club" the Andrew Johnson Union
Encampmentsr and the National Democratic Asso
oiation are all advertised to take part in the cele
bration At the same time a.serenade Will be tend
cred the President and he will he prevailed upon TO
foreshadOw his intentions the assembling OF Con-
gress.
The President to-day has been run down with Wis
TORS mostly politicians and ofcc-seekcrs, who called
to congratulate him on the of the Democracy
in the recent elections. Revordy johnson, Dan
Voorhees, and Jerry Black were among the number.
The President has received several hundred congrat-
ulatory kilograms from enthusiastic friends. Among
tho first received on election night WAS one from
Felix McClnskcy. Felix's dispatch gave the glad
idngs to his EXcellency, and asked God to bless and
III, serve Andrew johnson until the 18th of March,
1869. Being marked, Collect on delivery" it was
preserved a. a voucher for the contingent fund Of
the White House.
statement has recently appeared in some of the
newspapers that testimony has been given before
the Joint Committee on Ordnance that Capt Fox.
lato Assistant Secretary of the Navy, gave 10 his
brother contracts for fuse stocks at higher prices
than were offered by another party, and that they
proyed to be of worthless quality. The testimony
above alluded to is incorrect. The contract for the
fuse stocks was given BY the Chief OF the Ordnance
Bureau Capt. Wise, to George III. Fox a Co. OF Bos-
ton without his knowing at tho time that Mr.. Fox
WAS the brother of the Assistant Secretary The fuse
stocks were received and paid for only after thor
ouph inspcction and were used throughout the late
war. Some Of them are still on lhand. The price
paid for these was it is represented about the same
rs for those made in the Government workshops.
The Committee Ordnance VIII be informed OF
these facts they matter of record on file in the
Ordnance Bureau of the Navy Department and as
a.. l..tH. hoo rptfta agH
to appear before the Committee.
The report of Gen. Grant in answer TO the inquiry
of the President as to what number of troops are
stationed within the department of Washington,
shows that the whole force amounts TO but little
1900 men. all told. in the States of Maryland and
Delaware, the District of Columbia and two coun-
ties in Virginia.
The Report of Gen. Grant il in cOurse Of prcpara-
ton Ii will contain the reports of the several Dis
trict and Department Commanders, and full details
of the operations of the former under the Reconstruo-
ton laws establishing the Military Districts.
Gen Rawlings. Chief OF the Army Staff yesterday
presented the Hon. f.. b. Washburn with a cane cut
from a tree under which Gen. Pemberton surrendered
at yicksburg TO Gen. Grant The engraving on the
mounting represents the assault on Vicksburg
First Lieut. VIM f. DE knight of the Twentieth
Veteran Reserve Corps and Second Lieut. George r.
MeDougal of the Sixteenth Veteran Reserve Corps
have been mustered out and honorably discharged.
The sale of the 500 shares of stocks in the Dismal
Swamp Canal, belonging to the Government, will
take place some time in December. From the re-
port recently made to the Secretary of the Treasury
by Col. Parker, extensive repairs will have to be
made to render it in salable condition, which is
the cause of the delay in the time for disposing of
the Government interest in the work.
The Assistant Secretary of the Interior has decided
relative to the provision of the Act of June 8, 1866
which gives a pension to the dependent fathers of
n1lLnrn nL onilnrn ,rhn hnua died Of disnaSns In.