Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-21
PEACE COMMISSIONS.
u,s,pPREHENsIoN AS To THEIR
FUNCTIONS.
The THIRD REGIMENT INQUIRY.
Hoard Of Investigation Not i'm Any
sense n Court-Martial-Inte
Letter Written by General Robert
Il Lee.


raD-There is a great mistake abroad
s..a a high official in the War Depart.
ment to-day. IN regard to the functions
~ tho so-called peace commissions" APP
pointed for cuba and Porto Rico. Many
believe that these commissions will
Govern the islands. and that they are in
tended 10 formulate orders and edicts for
tre guidance OF the military and other
officials. They will do nothing Of the kind.
The commissions. under the peace proto-
col were required to be appointed ten
DAYS after the signing OF that instrument
p, ,he representatives Of Spain and the
United States. by both governments, and
81 was also provided that they were to
meet in Habana and Porto Rico thirty
DAYS afterwards This has been usual
mon the conclusion OF hostiities in al
mos, an wars between two countries.
The commissions. as is clearly specified
ir The protocol. will merely arrange the
details Of evacuation by the Spanish
troops. the occupation Of the islands by
t- Jnlted States forces; the turning
over OF such properties as may be
,f-.cd upon. &c. They will have absolute
IS nothing TO do with the government Of
the Islands.
PLAN AS TO LEE
General Fitzhugh Lee was rendered one
o. the cuban cOmmissionerships, but ne
very properly declined. though it was
r..er believed that he would accept It,
,.- was be az all pressed 10 do so. There
las been no change from the original
MAN. announced in this correspondence
months ago. that General Lee and his
corps will be the army OF occupation IN
ta. ..ty and Province OF Habana. He will
virtually be the Military Governor Of Ha-
I.ul and the territory over which his
CORDS will be distributed. There will pro-
ta1y be q Military Governor for each
province. and the islands will be under
military supervision and government for,
perhaps. years 10 come, or certainly until
IT, people are found TO be capable of gov
sru ing themselves.
THIRD REGIMENT INQUIRY.
Regardlug the functions Of the court
OF inquiry which has Just closed its ses-
s.rs al Camp Alger, the same official
SAID. 1t was not court; that is mis-
take. as q court tries and makes decis-
ions. The three officers appointed by
General Graham. al Camp Alger, were
rather q board than a court. 1t Is usual,
under the same circumstances, for such
a board 10 be appointed by the division
commander, but General Butler being
mixed Up in X, the corls commander
convened the board or se-called court.
lie did this because il was reported to
him that there had been a breach Of dis
c.pIne. or alleged INSTRUMENTATION, and
the only duty Of the board was to ascer-
tain il such was the case. and report the
facts 20 him. This board cannot make
any findings, neither can IT make recon-
merdations. Ii can only state that such
and such was the testimony given. Gene
raj Graham can do what he pleases
with this report-pigeon-hole it, order a
or make recommendations
TO the Secretary Of War de is at liberty
20 make public what he does with the
report, but 1t is not the custom of mill
iary officers TO do So"
NORTH CAROLINA HERO
The President to-day advanced Lieu
tenant Edwin a. Anderson five numbers
on the list OF Neutenants in the navy for
heroism. Lieutenant An
5erson was appointed cadet midshipman
from North Carolina, June Is. 1873; naval
cadet August 8, 1882; ensign. July l, 1884.
I
30. 1884 The promotion to-day gives him
first place in the list Of lieutenants, junior
grade.
PERSONAL.
First-Lieutenant w. A Bond, Of the
Petersburg Grays, and Quartermaster-
Sergeant Hooper. of Company c, Third
Virginia Regiment passed through here
to-day on a furlough of a few days 10 be
spent al their homes in Petersburg and
Farmvlle. respectively.
Mr. David L. Hardaway, Of the Bureau
1f Engraving and Printing, left to-day
for a visit TO his old home at Blackstone
va.
vs.. H. Ramseur and ]. L. Falls. OF
charlotte. n. c.; Miss Nettie Fttzhugh, of
fredericksburg. and j. w. Womack of
Farmvlue, Va, are at the Metropolitan.
POSTAL.
II ~ proposed by the Post-Office De-
lartment 20 send to the Island Of Porto
Rico within the next ten days commits
ion 10 formulate a system Of mail service
0r our newly-acquired possession.
There are four assistant postmaster
GENERALS. and an expert from the Office OF
ZACH assistant will be detailed for this
work
Fourth-class postmasters have been ap-
,onted to-day as follows:
North Carolina-Merry Hill, BERTHE
county Isaiah Maben. vice y. w. Hatha-
way. removed; Old Dock, Columbus
county. G. +. Coleman, vice NJ. c. Mar
ow resigned; Providence, Chatham
ounty. J. G. Phillips, vice T. w. An
rews, resigned; Sharon, Cleveland !
ounty. l.. l.. Smith. vice ID. c. Dood, re-
moved: Warren Plains. Warren county, |
. W Shearin. vice j. b. Davis, removed; |
fr.tlrfrr N~onoa county Y y Kittroll |
ice w. A. Parkham. JT. removed.
Nirginia-Ingle. Pulaski county. j. II. |
,ltizer. vice NJ l.. Stone. resigned; Green |
pring Depot. Louisa county, c.. Med. |
Blake. vice A. O. Dickinson, removed; ]
efress Mecklenburg county, j. T.. Wes-
on. vice G. w. Hardy, removed; Overton,
lbemarle county, A j. Rhodes, vice j.
T. MOoman. removed: Sharpe Wharf, |
,ichmond county, II. +. Wright, vice |
frederick Downing, removed.
New offices have been established as
lu0ws: Dace. Granville county. n. c.,
amuel L. Wilson. postmaster; Dory
1Ithampton county, Va, Richard r.
lines. postmaster
Free-delvery service will be establish
d 40 Winchester. Va, october lst In
tead Of September LIST. with three car
ers and twenty collection-boxes.
ARMY ORDERS.
Private Corwin NJ. Ferguson. Company
Fourth Virginia Volunteer Infantry
ow a. Jacksonville, Fla, having enlisted
1der false pretences, will be discharged
iihout honor from the service of the
n.ted States. on receipt OF this order
, the commanding officer OF his station.
Private Charles S. Mitchell, Company ID,
bird Virginia Volunteer Infantry, now at