The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-12-14

siCthe SINE prosecution of further inves-
LEGATIONS. There is no doubt the Presi-
dent will urge upon Congress prompt
legislation in the premises.
TIE Washington, Star makes the fol-
lowing statements as to the manner in
which the President prepares his mes
/ sage. 1.-THE President, IN preparing
his annual message to Congress, usually
commences about ten days before the
opening of the session, and devotes two
hours each day, in the forenoon, to the
work. He writes rapidly, and with no
reference to notes, further than to re-
fresh his memory, as to subjects which
/ he proposes to write about. Devoting
two hours each day to it, he usually
completes it in about four days, or eight
hours work. He examines thoroughly
the various departmental reports, sta
tistics included, before he begins work,
and carefully stores his mind with the
contents. After he prepares the docu-
ment he reads it to the cabinet, and re-
/ quests the members to make such sug-
/ gestions as they desire concerning their
4 respective departments. If such sug-
gestions meet his approval they are in
4 corporated in the message, and the doc
ument is then handed to Messrs. Luckey
and Sniffen, who prepare two perfect
copies for the Senate and House, after
which they manifold six or eight copies
for the press
A bxrE Washington dispatch states
that considerable stir was caused In
Washington military circles, by the re-
turn. of Secretary Belknap and the ap-
pointrnept of Gen. Mcdowell, to the
Major-G eneralship made vacant recent
ly by the deatfe-.s--s islls55- nj Meade.
Gen. McDow,ee1arA s5 go g - Z netnAered,
headed b. - y ladders, and his
PROMOTE slsI fe, what would
natural = = Expected had it not
been supposed chat the special favor in
which certain other officers are held
would further their chances. Gen.
Mcdowell viii take command of the
Department of the South, and Gen.
Hancock, now the senior Major-General,
viii be assigned to the command of the
Military Division of the Atlantic lately
held by Gen. Meade. General Hancock
has been fsEfsTaral years in command
of the - W. ent of Dakota, with
headquas, st. Paul, MINI, and
this fact has Sometimes been mentioned
in connection with the charge that the
President kept him in the far West on
account of personal feeling against him.
Lately it has been reported that Gen.
Grant would cause the Department of the
Atlantic to be abolished rather than that
Gen. Hancock should go to Philadelphia
or New York. His assignment to that
command, of course, effeetually disposes
of that story. The only other change
viii be the transfer of Gen. Terry from
the Department of the South to the De
partment of Dakata. Gen. McDowell's, |
headquarters viii be at Louisville. The |
action of the President to-day has disap-
pointed the friends of several Generals /
who were understood to be candidates
for the vacant honor 1t was at one
time supposed that Gen
eral Meigs would be the lucky man, and
that Gen. Rufus Ingalls, would be
Meig's successor; but this would have
involved change in the Quartermas-
ter's Department for the purpose of
promoting the Presidents personal
friend, Gen. Ingalls,, which would have
caused dissatisfaction. 1t was also
thought by some that Gen. Howard
would be promoted and Immediately
.etired, and that Gen. Terry would then
De given the position; but the President
eemed to have disregarded both the
of others and his own per-
onal preferences, and allowed the pro-
notion to take its natural course.