Washington Items

WASHINGTON, March 30. – The Quartermaster’s Department will pay for no arms or supplies purchased by any one not an officer of the Department, but authorized to make such purchases in accordance with the regulations of the army.  The above is by order of the Secretary of War.

A passenger who arrived here from Winchester says there is no danger that Gen. Shields’ arm will have to be amputated, and that he is in the best possible condition.  He says that the rebels under Jackson were even yesterday still in flight beyond Strasburgh.

WASHINGTON, March 31. – The House in Committee of the Whole has acted upon seventy-seven sections of the one hundred and nine of the tax bill.  The former are on the general provisions of licenses for manufacturers articles and products, auction sales, carriages, watches, piano fortes, billiard tables, table plate slaughtered cattle, sheep and hogs.

The Senate confirmed the following nominations to-day:  Stephen S. Harding of Indiana, to be Governor of Utah, and Wm. Wade of Ohio, Consul at Nice; Delevan Boodgon Surgeon of the Navy, vice Chase who was placed in the retired list, besides a large number of Assistant Surgeons; also wm. C. Whesler, Francis C. Dodge, Wm. G. Stamm, Wm. J. Saunders, Mortimer Kellogg, A. J. Kiwrsed and John Grier to be chief engineers in the navy.  A number of promotions and appointments in the Marine Corps were confirmed, including Maj. Delany to be Colonel, Major Ward Marsten to be Lieutenant Colonel.  Abram T. Nye of Cal., Register of the Land office at Stockton.

WASHINGTON, April 1., - A gentleman just returned from the Rappahannock reports that Maj. Vanstrenhaus and Capt. Camp while out on service were surprised and taken prisoners by the Louisiana Tigers.

Lieut. Cloynch and Capt. Keoing, in encountering a rebel scouting force killed two of their enemy’s officers, whose horses were brought into camp.

Capt. Newstader was taken prisoner by the enemy.

Shots are frequently exchanged between pickets and scouting parties.

A reconnoissance was made yesterday and ten wagon loads of forage secured.

The following is an extract from a private letter from London to a gentleman, in which, describing the debate in Parliament on the American question, it says:  Mr. Mason, who was on the lower side of the house, did not at all like the way it went.  The members who were near him (Mason) say he cheered when Mr. Lindey in the course of his speech attacked Secretary Seward.  This puts him in an awkward fix, when I remember his tyrannical, insolent bearing in the U. S. Senate.  It was sweet revenge to see him solitary and alone during the debate.  Only one or two men went near him.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4