The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-10


General certain questions in regard TO the au'
thorty of the Executive which arose upon this
report, and those which had from time to time
been presented by the Commissioners appoint
ed 10 inspect each successive section OF the
work. After carefully considering the law of
the case, he confirmed the right of the Execu-
tive to order, if necessary, a thorough revision
of the road; Commissioners were thereupon
appointed to examine this and other lines aud
have recently submitted statement of their
Investigation OF which the report OF the Secre-
tary of the Interior furnishes specific Informal
ton.
THE ARMY.
The report of the Secretary of War contains
information respecting the several bureaus u
that DEPARTING and Of operations OF tue ar,
my Inc strength of our IL tary lo,eS On 'u it
9th of September last was $4,000 men, ana u
is computed that by the 1st OF January next
this number viii be decreased to 43O0O 1t l.
the opuion of the Secretary OF war tnat
within the next year a CONSIDERABLE oim'nu-
tion of the infantry force mag be made with
ont detriment TO the interests OF the country.
and in view of the great expense attending the
military peace establishment and the absolute
necessity Of retrencbment whenever it eau he
applied, it is hoped that Con.ress will sane.
tim the reduction which his report recon-
mends. While in 1860, 10000 men cost the ma
ton SIG 4720O0, the sum of So, 6S2 600 is IS
timated rs necessary for the support of the ar
my during the ii scai y-ar ending June 30, 1870.
The estimate OF the War Department for the
last two fiscal years average for 1867,
S3383l, 4d and tor 1868, SIS. 3O5 &C.,
the animal expenditures during the sam. pc
Rod were respectively $19j, 2A, AIS and $123,-
24664. The estimate submitted in Drcember
last for the fl cal year ending June so 1869
was 81, 1914 7U7; the expenditures for the fcs
quarter ending the 30 Of Sep ember last Were
S27 ,l17 and the Secretary OF the Treasury
gives SGO,000,000 as the amount which will
probably be required during the remaining
three quarters ii there should be no reduction
oil the amount, making its aggregate cost tol
the year considerably in excess of 1913 OO0,O0o
The difference between the estimates and
the expenditures, for the f'cal years which
have been named is thus shown to be Sl75,-
945 343 Tor this single branch of the service.
THE NAVY.
The report OF the Secretary of the Navy ex.
hibits the operations of that department anu
of the Navy during the year. A considerable
| reduction of The force has been effected,
There are AZ vessels. carrying All guns in the
six squaGrOns which are stationed ia different
parts of tho world; three of these ssrls are
returning 10 the United States, and four art
use. as store ships, lraviug the cIual cruising
force 81 vessels, carrying 357 guns. The total
n0mber of vessels in the navy is 206, mount
ing 1748 guns. 80 vessels of every description
are in use, armed with COG guns The number
of enlisted men III the service has been re-
duced to $500. An increase of navy yard
facilities is recommended as measure which
will in the event of war be- promOtlve of econ
oiny and safety. A more thorough and sys-
tematic survey of the North Pacific ocean is
advised in view of the recent acquisitions 10
our extending commerce and the increasing
intercourse between the Pacific States and
Asia. The naval pension fund, which consists
of a molly OF the avals of prizes captured dur
ing the war amounts to $14000000 Excep-
ton is taken to the act of the 23d of July last
which reduces the interest on the fund oaned
| to the government by the Secretary rs trustee
TO three per cent. of the six per cent. which
was originally stipulated when the investment
was made. An amendment of the pension
laws is suggested to remedy The omissions and
defects in the existing enactments. The ex-
penditures of the departments during the laSI
fl cal year were $21 ,203 $40 and the estimate
for the coming year amount to $50, ,414.
THE POST OFFICE.
The Postmaster Generals report furnishes q
full and clear exhibit of the operations aud
condition of the postal service. The ordinary
postal revenue FIR the fiscal year ending June
3Oth 1865, was SIG 262,6 900 aid the total expen
ditures embrac ng all service for which special
appropriations have been made by Congress
amounted to So, 730, 592, showing n excess
expenditures OF $643Z91O, deducting the
sum OF 1886, 800, IL g amount OF appropriations
for ocean steamships and other SIP 'cia service.
the excess Of Expenditure vas 81 51 ,466. By
using cur unexpended balance IN the Trea-
sury Of So 800 900, the actual sum Tor which
special appropr ton is required to meet the
deficiency IS $741 ,466. The causes which pro-
duced this la sc excess oil expenditure over
the revenue were restoration OF peace in the
IN the late insurgent States, aud the putting
into operation OF new service established by
the acts of Congress which within the last two
years aud half amounted to about 1890
mics, equal to more than one third of the
whole amount of service al the close of the wal
New postal conventions with Great Britain,
North germany, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Switzerland aud Italy rpSDactiVpiV have bnnn
carried INFO effect. Under,their provisions i,b
poriant Improvements have resulted in reduc-
ed rate Of international postage and enlarged
mail facilities with several countries. The
cost of the United States trans Atlantic ocean
mail service since January 1853 has been
largely lessened under the operation of these
new conventions, reduction Of over one
halt having been effected under the new ar
rangement for ocean mail service which went
into effect on that date The attention of
Congress is invited to the practical suggestions
and recommendations made in his report by
the Postmas er-General.
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
No important interruption has occurred
during the last wear in our accustomed cordial
and friendly intercourse with Costa R'ee,
| Guatemala, Honduras San Salvador, France,
| Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, the Neither
land, Denma k, Sweden, Norway, Rome,
Greece, Turkey, Persia, Egypt Liberia, Nor
and Madagascar Cordial relations have also
been maintained with the Argentine and ORR
entail Republic. The expressed will of Con
gross that our nation good Offices might be
rendered 10 thos. re ,ubiics and also to Brazil
and Paraguay for bringing to an end the ca
lalnitous war which has So .ong been ragin.
in the valley of the La Plata has been assId.
uousy complied with and kindly acknowl-
edged by all the belligerents. Tnat important
gotiaLlun has thus far been without result
| Charles A. Washburne, late U. S. Minister 10
Paraguay, having resigned and being DESTROYS
to return the United States, the rear Ad-
miral commanding the South Atlantic squad
ron WAS early directed to send u ship of war
to Asunclon, the capira] of Paraguay, to re-
lieve Mr.. Washburn aud his family and remove
them from situation which was repre-. ented
to be endangered by faction and foreign war;
The Brazilian commander OF the allied ingad-
ing 70, ces refused permission TO the Wasp to
pass through the blOckading forces and that
vessel re urred TO its accustomed anchorage.
Remonstrances having been made against the
refusal, II was promptly overruled and he
Wasp therefore resumed her GRAND, received
Nj. Washburn and his family and conveyed
them TO a safe and convenient Sc port. In tn
mean time an excited controversy had began
between the President Of Paraguay and .ue
late U. S. Minister which, it is understood,
grew out Of his proceeding in giving an asy-
lum in the United States legation 10
The question OF the right to give asylum IS one
always .fficuit and often productive OF great
embari .sments. In States well organized
and established foreign powers refuse either to
concede or accept asylum except as to persons
actually belonging to the diplomatic service;
on the other hand, all such powers insist upon
exercising the right of asylum where the law
ofnations Is not fully acknowledged, respected
andstully observed. The President of Paraguay
is understood to have opposed to Mr. Wash
burns proceedings the injurious and very
improbable charge of personal completely in
the instruction and treason. The correspon-
dence, however, has not yet reached the Uni
ted States. Mr.. Washburne in reference to
the controversy represents that tive United
State citizens attached TO the legation were
arbitrarily seized at his side when leaving the
capital of Paraguay and committed to prison.
and there submitted to torture for the purpose
of procuring confessions of their own crimI-
naty and testim my to support the Presidents
allegations against the nited States minister
Mr.. Mcmahon, the newly appointed minister
to Paraguay, having reached the La Plata.
has been instructed without delay to 90 to
Asuncion, there to investigate the whole suh-
ject. The rear admiral commanding the Unit
ed States South Atlantic squadron has been
directed to attend the new Minister with
proper naval force to sustain such Just de nands
as the occasion may require and to vindicate
the rights OF the United States citizens refer
red to and of any Others who may / exposed
to danger at the theatre o Iva. With these Z
ceptions friendly relations have Leen enter
talned between the United States and Brazil
Our relations during the past year with Bo-
Ivia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile have become
especially friendly and cordial. Span and the
Republic OF Bolivia and Ecuador have ex-
pressed Their willlngne TO accept the media 4
ton of the United Stat for te minaiing IN.
war upon the South Pacifcco st Chile ba, not
finally decided upon the question. In the
meantime the conflict has practically exhaust.