Washington Items

WASHINGTON, March 17. – Gen. Fremont has had an interview with the President and the Secretary of war.  He will press his affairs promptly starting to his department.  His staff will therefore be determined on at an early day.  His headquarters will be in the field.  Colonel Shanks, of the House of Representatives, will accompany him as soon as his duties will permit.

A large number of applications have been made by volunteer officers to be appointed to the regular army, but these have been unsuccessful, among other reasons the difficulty of discriminating as to the relative merits of the applicants.

The Senate was four hours in Executive Session to-day and confirmed the following nominations for Brigadier-Generals of volunteers:

Major Wm. F. Barry, Chief of Artillery and Aid to Gen. McClellan’s Staff; Willis A. Gorman, of Minnesota; Col. Schuyler Hamilton, Thomas L. Price, Member of Congress from Missouri Major Jas. N. Hamor, 5th Cavalry, Lieut. Col. Wm. H. Emory, 6th cavalry, Major Andrew J. Smith, 5th cavalry, Moritena L. Patrick, of New Jersey, Isaac F. Arndy, of New Jersey, Otis S. Fry, of Connecticut, Herman G. Berry, of Maine.

WASHINGTON, March 17. – The Clothing Inspection Board concluded its labors to-day and showed its report to the Quarter Master General.  Over two million dollars worth of clothing was condemned.  The testimony taken revealed gross frauds perpetrated against the Government.  These frauds are consequent upon collusion between contractors and manufacturers.

The Monitor is lying in wait for the Merrimac at Fort Monroe.

Com. Goldsboro had received intelligence from the Burnside Expedition.  It was still pursuing its plans, having accomplished everything which it set out to do.  It was just on the eve of making an attack on Newbern.

The Commission to inquire into the cases of political prisoners met at 12 o’clock to-day and the following matters were settled as to its course of action.  The examination will be secret and exparte statements will be received exclusively as to the prisoners held here.  The Commission will adjourn from place to place, examining the prisoners at the localities of their confinement.

WASHINGTON, March 18. – The President has made the following appointments of Cadets at West Point.

Edward W. Baker, Illinois; Steward S. Bayless, Kentucky; Wm. H. Uppenwas, Henry Winter, Jr., Edward Sharp, Mo.; Erastus Gaines, Ill.; Chas. Woodson, Baltimore, also Richard Taylor Churchill, District of Columbia.  The last mentioned is a son of the late Captain Churchill, U. S. A., who died in the service in Mexico.

The Supreme Court has decided after an elaborate argument two cases, namely, the United States against Lysander Babbitt and the United States against Robert Coles in favor of settling them in that the Registers and Receivers of public lands cannot return the fees on military bounty land warrants beyond the compensation of $3,000 per annum, to which they were limited by act of 1818.  This decision of a long contested question saves the Government nearly a million of dollars.  The argument on behalf of the Government was prepared and conducted by Assistant Adjutant General Coffin.

It is reported that there are numerous Railroad Representatives here preparing applications to Congress for pecuniary assistance to complete the present lines and open new routes, to an amount, exceeding in the aggregate of fifteen million dollars.  An effort will be made to induce congress to aid their plans either by the government endorsing their bonds, or in the shape of a donation upon the ground of national necessity.

Information received at the State Department indicates a very vigorous re-action against Gen. Mosquara.  Neither the Government of the U. States, or that of Great Britain have ever recognized that government.

Brig. Gen. Burnside was this p.m. confirmed by the Senate as Maj. General of Volunteers.

Diplomatic critics are seriously disturbed by the authentic news received from Cuba, announcing a serious misunderstanding between the allied powers in Mexico.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 22, 1862, p. 4