The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-11-19
WASHINGTON.
WAsH1NarnrI. Norami

preparatory ordera have been issued
by the Secretary of the Navy To Real
the Washington Navy Yard. to DOM,
mand European squadron. Franklin
viii return to the squadron with Real
Admiral Ra1ford. 5a5 si5 ~
BIeyet Major General Stonemar
commanding the Flrst Military Dis.
trict, has made his report TO the Gener.
j al-in-C Chief. The system inauRuratetl
and the policy pursued by General
J Schofield having, by long experience
been found complete and salts factory
i the one WAS adopted and the other fol-
lowed, with such notifications, in de.
tail as circumstances arising from time
to time demanded. The Fourteenth
Article OF the Constitution was thought
by some to vacate every ofice In the
State filed by persons who came with
in its provisions. He says his eprede-
cessor had made five hundred and
thirty-two appointments, very many
/ of them minor positions, and vacancies
caused by death, resignation, or re-
| moval, and in doing SO had very near
ly exhausted all the available material
at his disposal. But one vacancy on
the bench had occurred, and to fill this
1t had been found necessary to resort to
officers of the army In order to fiud a
person fit for this, important and re-
sponsible position This Sinsfance fs
of carrying on the governments of
the State upon the assumption that
the thousands OF officers in the district
embracing State officers, judges,
sherihs, commissioners, common
wealths attorneys, magistrates DO, not
to speak Of thelarge number of town
or municipal officers, such as mayors,
counciImen, alderman, constableB,
overseers Of the poor, and others,
should suddenly cease in the perfor-
nance of their functionsS with no
possibility of filling their places under
the provisions of the reconstruction
law. In some instances 1t has been
found impossible to find any person
upon whom an appointment could be
conferred. and the difficulty has been
overcome by devolving the performances
of the duties on persons who were not
opposed to reconstruction or disloyal TO
the Government of the United States.
General Stoneman recommends the
repeal of the 9th section OF the act OF
Congress OF July 19lk, 1867. While
seeking for some remedy for the
evils which it was feared, with reason,
might ensue, the question fnon action
substantially settled itself, and possibly
tune absence from the State, immedi-
ateIy subsequent to the adjournment of
Congress, and things moved on as be-,
fore, Under the provisions and require
ments of the reconstruction law, then
and now in full operation. Since Au-
gust the forces in that district have
been reduced by sending a squadron
of cavalry to the Plains; the battery of
artillery TO Washington, and the 2eth
infantry to Tennessee; and the compa-
nies which remain have been greatly
depleted by reason of number of men
being discharged on account of the ex-
piration of their term OF service. a
in,r,s iNaV. 10 6nFiner
the next three months, and consequent
" by the first of January next the
whole number In. the district will be
much below 1000 In the aggregate.
Among the more important questions
that have presented themselves is the
Methodist Church contest: After a
careful Investigation, and an able opin-
ion thereon by Judge Advocate Col.
b, 81, Burnham, il has been deemed ad-
Visable not as yet to make any order
thereon. Theinvestigation shows that
IL mbraces many delicate questions of
law. both statute aud ecclesiaatical, and
is one, Gen. Slocum says, that can only
be settled by the decision OF the highest
civil tribunal, or by legislative enact
meut.I The Especial cases as they
have arisen, have been4 settled on the
principle of recognizing the claims of
both contestants, and giving each the
| right of occupying on alternate weeks,
Arrangements have been made with
most of the railroad Companies Rdvan-
| taRes to them as we'll as to the Stale, by
| which 1t is hoped they viii be able TO
pay in Reasonable dues to the Heasus
~. This arrangement contemplates
that one-thir1 be paid in currency and
the balance in State bonds. The ap-
pOintment of officers and directors, for
state apportionment of taxes and ex-
tension OF the stay law are not yet de-
termined, and are questions for further
I .Es,gv4 =.
correspondence between Messrs. Robt.
Ould, Marmaduke johnson and Thos.
A. Evans. ets5f
A convention OF the State Central
| Conservative Committee has been ap-
pointed to confer with the General in
reference to holding an election for
| Presidential electors. Gen. Stoueman,
| in reply as to whether they can sit or
any law authorizing him as military
| commander to order or authorize such
| election, says il the district COM
| mand6ra cannot prohibit according
Esense OF the order or authorize
/ or give official sanction, without
| in any manner expressing any opin-
| ion on the propriety, right or duty oi
/ the people of Virginia, or any portion
| of them, at this tune to peaeeably meet
4 and ballot for any persons as electors
4 for President and Vice President. He
4 the Initiation OF any such course OF pro
i cadure was calculated to excite and dis
/ tufb the public mind, would be wise ol
4 prudent, my duties, he said, are pIair
\ and marked out by the law placing mt
here, and are confined to protecting al
i persons in their rights of person anC
II property, to suppress insurrectionj dis
i order and violence, punish or cause Il
be punished all disturbeES of the pub
lie peace and icriminalsi and obey thl
lRWInl orders of my properly conatitu
tad superiora. "A writ of hRheas corpul
has been applied for, and is understood
to be granted, to test the legality OF thl
action ofthe district commander in re
gard to the 14th article of the Constitu
4 tional amendment. What the result
y will be remains to be determined.
u The officers connected with thu
Bureau of refuge and freedom anC
Il abandoned lands in Virginia have beeE
\ managed with ability and discretion
= ref1ecting great credit on the able ant
upright Assistant Commissiner, Gen
Brown and bis nbordinates has as IA
as Gen. Stoneman is informed, pre-
formed their thankless duties to genera
satisfaction. And of those concernet
they soughtas far as in their power Z
see Justice done and the rights of tn,
negroes protected. In doing this the
had on the one hand ignorance and oI
the other pref udiee TO contend againa
and overcome; instances though rar
have been brought to his attenti0i
where violence has been used toward
I them, but these caseBiWere confined &
IIndIviduRlsa and not chargeable to com
munities. The abuses lpraetieeds towari
!, the negroes which have been re
! ported by the Bureau agents, fhay
been in all instances Investigated b,
Military COMMISSIONS and the civl
4. i a. ffffhrtftdnN hoUaH hpE1F1 rnrufrf.F1 I'd sea