The New York herald., 1872-11-30
First Grand Reception Of the Social
Season in the Capital.
Reports hOm the Heads Of the Several De.
partmtnts Of the Army.
Currency Circulation and
Distribution.
American Shipping Interests Congress and
Internal Revenue Amendments.


HORACE PORTER IN A NEW ROLE.
General Babcock To Be Private
Secretary to the President.
WASHINGTON, Nov. g. 1872.
Cabinet Meeting-Reading the Presi.
dents Message.
All the members OF the Cabinet were present to-
day. The principal business was the reading Of
the Presidents Message.
Teaching tho Young Papoosc Idea How
to shoot.
There is considerable advance shown In the
educational field among the Indians the number
OF schools, teachers and pupils having largely in
creased during the last year. There are at
present seventy-four agencies, reports from
which show 255 schools in operation. The
teachers number nearly four hundred in all, and
there are about one hundred missionaries locat ed
among the several tribes. The New York Indians,
those OF Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas and the
lnOian Territory proper are the most favoraDly
situated in this respect The Indians in Utah, Ne
vada, Arizona and California are the worst or in
Ahong the Pueblos, of New Mexico. 1t is note.
worthy fact that the Mormons have never at
tempted to do sught towards educating the
Otcs and other Indians in Utah. In 1870
the number of schools was 173 Of pupils
B,904 OF teachers 1914. The expenditures were
$2S9,027, OF which all but about $33 900 was from
che general government. The figures for 1871
were re:-Schools, 2sl; teachers, 291; pupils, 7,497
The returns as to scholars are not yet completed
for the current year, but they are not less than
10000, and probably more.
increase OF Trade I'm the Chinese Treaty
Ports-Interesttng Statistics.
: According to the latest data furnished by the
Bureau Of Statistics the foreign trade at the
Chinese treaty ports is steadily increasing, the
United States being still second in the list OF
countries, with commerce in value, as to exports,
OF one-ffth Of that OF Great Britain The total i'm
ports from all countries in 1871 was
about sos, 900, ,00O while the exports were about
so, 500 600. There Is increased total OF about
$20.000,000 over the preceding year, that Of the
Union States being about one-nfth. The increase
OF American tonnage in this trade is as follows:-
1sse-vessels les; tonnage. 274e 5l5; 1s7l-vessels
4,647; tonnage a4oo 74s In 1s71-vessels 4eOO ton
mage 3,s70,64 The British ships In 1871 mum.
bered 7,160, with Q tonnage OF 1880, $751; showing
that our vessels were OF the largest carrying
capacity according to numbers. The German ton
mage was 42s, TAT, in ,4s0 ships
The First Grand Reception OF the Season
came OF tonight at Secretary Fish's mansion.
About five hundred persons, comprising many
noted representatives OF rank. fashion and beauty,
thronged the spacious parlors. Among the invited
were all the members OF the Cabinet the foreign
Ministers, with q legion OF secretaries and
attaches OF legation. The guests arrived in great
number about ten O'Clock, and were greeted by
the "voluptuous swell OF music" Mrs. Fish did
the honors In her accustomed graceful manner,
and the guests retired well pleased with the
suspicious opening Of the snason.
Quartermaster General Meiga' Report.
The report OF Quartermaster General Meigs
states that the expenditures for the service or the
Quartermaster's Department during the year end
Ing June 80, 1872 were $l2,517,e21. The examina-
zion ana settlement OF the accounts OF
fhe war, work OF vast labor have at
length been completed, and this business
brought up to date. All the accounts for money
and property prior to 1871 have been examined
and transmitted to the Treasury for final settemen
An improved and simplihed system OF making and
settling money and property accounts was intro
duced during the year and greatly aided in this
result. Much OF the clothing and equipage LETT on
hand at the close OF the war has been
Osed, and large quantity OF 1t having
suffered from the erects OF time and decay,
and is In the course OF manufacture. Hereafter
che expenses OF clothing the army will be in
creased The expenditures on this account during
The year were $667,53O. and the Qnartermaster's
Department has deposited In the Treasury, from
the sales OF clothing and equpage during the year,
81, 1881, which sum, however, Is not avail
able for current use. The shoes and boots.
blankets aud knapsacks OF the army have
all been improved by the adoption OF
q betterst andard OF samples. Transportation by
railroad has cost 81, 300 OO0 or this $780, s57
for transportation over the Pacific railroads. The
iota cost OF transportation was &4,OOO0O0 Ninety
nve new buildings have been erected at military
posts, at cost OF $2io,s53. The sum OF $S7O.ooo
has beer collected from indebted railroads, leaving
S4,364,OO0 still due.
Under the law or July T. 1864, for the
relief OF loyal citizens in certain loyal dis
tricts, the Quartermaster General has ex.
Amined and allowed 685 claims for quartermastsr rs
stores, taken during the war amounting, as
allowed TO $3s7,lo3, and pa claims have been
rejected, amounting to sss6. lO1. The amount OF
euch claims allowed as proved and just is, on the
average about one-half OF that at first claimed
There TO- 35i claims under this law stul on f,le
stated at So S51 00e but large proportion OF these
are probably unjust.
The eeyenty-ionr national cemeteries nOw con-
tain the remains OF 81, 1862 persons. All but six
teen Of the cemeteries have been or are now being
permanently enclosed
Report OF the Chief OF Ordna nee.
From the report OF the Chief OF Ordnance II
appears that tue operations at the arsenals have
;cen coqned to such ordinary duties OF the depart
Inent asbe limited appropriations of the year would
permit. few thousand arms have been completed
ut the Springfield arEory to meet the requirements
OF the army. and the militia work is now
ceasing at that post as the appropriation
Tor the current year for the manufacture OF
arms - limited in Its application such system OF
breeeh-oading arms az may be selected by a board
OF officers now In session. The reports from the