Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-12-16

/
moiety of the avails of prizes captured
| during the war, amounts to Sli 900 600.
| Exception Is taken to the act Of 22d of
July last, which reduces the interest on
the fnnd loaned to the government by the
Secretary as trustee, to three per cent. in
stead of six per cent, which was originally
| stipulated when the investment was made
An amendment of the session law is sug>
| gested TO remedy omissions aud defects in
| existing enactments. The expenditures
of the Department during the last fiscal
year,were $40, 0l0 80, ard the estimates for
| the coming year amount to $2U993. 81.
THE POST OFFICE.
The Postmaster Generals report fur
| nishes a full and clear exhibit of the ops
erations and condition of the postal service
| The ordinary postal revenue for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1868, was SIC, 202,-
600, and the total expenditures, embracing
all the service for which special appropri-
| atoms have been made by Congress,
amounted to S22.730.592 Showing an
| excess of expenditures of Sc, 49,, 99i-
DeductIng from the expenditures the sum
/ of II $50. 025, the amount of appropria-
| tons for ocean steamship and other special
| service, the excess of expenditures was
81, 54l 400. BY using an urexpended bal
ance in the Treasury of IS, 800 900, the
actual sum for which a special appropriate
| ton is required to meet the deficiency is
Sal ,266 The causes which produce this
large excess of expenditure over the res
toration of service in the late insurgent
states, and the putting into operation of
| new service established by acts of Con-
| gress, which amounted in the last two
years and a half to about As, 100 miles,
equal to nearly one-third of the whole
amount of the service at the close of the
late war. New postal conventions with
/ Great Britain, North Germany, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Switzerland and italy,
respectively, have been carried into effect
Under their provisions important improve
ments have resulted in reduced rates of
| international postage and enlarged
mail facilities with European countries
The cost of the United States Trans At
! lantic Ocean Mail service since January
l, 1868, has been largely lessened Under
the operation of these new conventions. a
reduction of over one half has been effect,
| ed under the new arrangement for ocean
mail steamship service, which went into
effect on that date The attention of Cons
gress Is invited to the practical suggestions
and recommendations made in his report
by the Postmaster General
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
No important question has occurred
during the last year, in our accustomed
cordial and friendly intercourse with Cos
10 Ric,, Guatemala, Honduras, San Sal>
vador, France, Austria, Belgium Switzer-
land, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Rome Greece. Turkey.
Persia, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco, Trippoii,
Tunis, Muscat, Siam, Borneo, Madagascar.
Cordial relations have also been main
tanned with the Arge, 5ine and the Orien-
tai Republics. Thu expressed wish Of
Congress that our national gooa offices
might be rendered to those Republics and
also to Brazil and Paraguay for bringing
to on end the caiamitous war which has
so long been raging in the valley of the
La Platte, has been asSiduouslv complied
with, and kindly acknowledged by all the
belllgerentS That important negotiation
has thus far been without result
Charles \. Washburn, late United States
Minister To Paraguay, having resigned and
being DESTROYS TO return to the United
State, the Rear Admiral commanding the
South Atlantic squadron was early direct
ed to send a ship of war to the capital OF
Paraguay, to receive Mr. Washburn and
his family, and remove them from a stu
alton which was represented to be endan-
I
Brazilian commander OF the allied inva-
ding forces refused permission to the IVasu
to pass through the block lding forces and
that vessel returned to its accustomed an
chorage RemOnstrance having been
made against this refusal, it was promptly
overruled, and the Vasp thereupon resum~
ed her errand, received Mr. Washburn
and his family, and conveyed them to q
safe and convenient seaport In the mean
tine an excited controversy had arisen
between the President of Paraguay and
the late United States Minister, which. il
, Is understood, grew out of the proceedings
in giving an asylum in the United States
] legation to alleged enemies of the Repub
lie. The question of the right to give an
asylum Is one always difficult to determine
and often productive of great embarrass-
! ment In states we'll organized and es-
tablished, foreign powers refuse either t,
concede or exercise that right, except Il,
to persons actually belonging 10 the diplo,
matte service. On the other hand all such
powers insist upon exercising the light o
asylum In states where the law of nations
is not fully Acknowledged, respected ana
obeyed The President of Paraguay j.
understood to have opposed to Mr. Wash,
burns proceedings the injurious and very
Improbable charge Of personal completely
III instruction and treason The cores
pondence, however. has not vet reached
the United States Mr. Washburn. in con.
nection with this controversy, represent
that two nited States citizens attached
to the legation. were arbitrarily seized a
/ his side, when leaving the capital of Par
, aguay, committed 10 prison. and there sub
: jected to torture, fer the purpose of pro
curing confessions of their criminalitv
, and testimony 10 support the President
: allegations against the United State
? Minister.
Mr.. Mcmahon, the newly appoiute,
/ Minister 10 Paraguay having reached tn
2 la Plata, has been instructed to procee,
without delay TO Asuncion, there to inveS
{ tigate the whole subject The Rear Ad
T. mival commanding the United States Sout
+ Atlantic squadron has been directed [
attend the new Minister, with a prope
2 / naval force, 10 sustain such demands a
= the occasion may require, and to yindieat
e the rights of the United States citizen
= referred IN, and of any others who ma
{ be exposed To danger in the theatre of waT
3! With these exceptions friendly relation
e have been maintainen between the Unite
e States and Brazil and Paraguay. Our re
: lations during the past year with Bolivia
Ecuador. Peru and Chill, have becom
especially friendly and cordial. Spai
J and the republics Of Peru Bolivia Ecua