Special Passports

For years thegrantingof special passports to persons going abroad has buen abused to such au extent, and so many people have procured thom, that the State departmeut has issued peremptory orders to refuse theni hereafter except upon the special order of tho secretary. It has been customary by the war departinent always to request special passports for any officer, 110 matter what his rank may be. when puing abroad. even for pleasure, and np to within a few mouths ago the requests were promptly grauted. When, bowever, a batch for a lot of lieutenants were requested during the suinmer the secretary crossed over to Secretary Lamout's office and protested vigorously against thisaction, so that orders have now been issueil di recting officers of the army to take the same passports for which other persons pay $1, which contaiu their accurate descriptiou. A few weeks ago Mr Whitelaw Reid applied for a special passport for himself and lamily, and it was only with the greateat difficulty it was secured Tliese passports are haudsomely engrossed affairs and engraved on. heavy parchment. and there are few instances where a man having ono with him has trouble in götting around countries of Europe, which are on the lookoutfor anarchists, nihilists and would be monarch killers.