The New York Herald Newspaper, April 8, 1862, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS, Volume XXVII AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. NIBLO’S GARDEN, Broadway.—Tixa Works Wompgas— Pisanay. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Srart, cWAMLACK’S THEATRE, No. 844 Broadway.—Love ask. LAURA KEENE’S THEATRE, Broadway.—Tuz Ma- CagTar; O8, TH Pexr oF el Keay NEW BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Doxi 1x THK Mist—Nuw Foorman—Keo nov EK. MARY PROVOST'S THEATRE, No. 485 Broadway.— ‘Guusr To THe MiLL—Simrson « Co. BARNUM'’S AMERICAN MUSEUM, Broadway.—Com. Nurt—Living Waa.s, 4c. ot all hours.—Hor o' My ‘Tuva, afternoon aud evening. BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanics' Hall, 472 Broad- Way.—Wno Simvca Lier PatrRnson, MELODEON CONCERT HALL, 539 Broadway.—Son Danons, Buasasquus, 0. NTRABAMD CONVENTION, CANTERBURY MUSIC HALL, 58 Broadway.—Soxes Danong, Basasgos, Ag--itsm home, GAIRTIES CONCERT ROOM, 616 Broadway.—Darawixe Boou Enrsetainaxnts, Baciets, Pantouiuns, Faucns, ae. AMERICAN MUSIC HALL, 444 Broadway. Dazauy—Rairaoap—Coliisiox—Jouy cg CRYSTAL PALACE CONCERT HALL, No. 45 Bowery — a, Soca, Daxous, &6.—Uear 25 4 ros PARISIAN CABINET OF WONDERS, 563 Broadway. Open daily trom WAM. SE ii NOVELTY MUSIC 06 = Pig reo oagey HALL, 616 Broadway.—Buncxsquss New York, Tuesday, April 5, 1862, THE SITUATION. Important news reached the War Department from Fortress Monroe and Yorktown up to a late hour last night. The substance of the news is this :—General McClellan made a careful examina- tion of the rebel works at Yorktown on Sunday, and found them to be very strong and the ap- proaches difficult. The water batteries at York- town and Gloucester were considerably increased. ‘It was evident that siege trains and mortars would Ihave to be employed before assaulting the place, and that although its capture was certain, a siege Of two or three days might be necessary. All the ‘important works before Yorktown were already taken by our troops, and the greatest enthusiasm Prevails among them. Supplies were being rapid- ly received from Shipping Point, which was taken Possession of by our army on Sunday. A new Tebel battery was discovered at the Rip Raps, and was shelled out by our men. A despatch from General Wool states that the rebel Gencral Ma @ruder has 30,000 men at Yorktown. | Weare in possession of some very interesting facts concerning the Merrimac. The Navy De- partment has received the information that when he ran for Norfolk on the 9th of March, after her conflict with the Monitor, she had seven feet of ‘water in her hold. One shot from the Cumberland riddled her, and one shot from the Monitor went ‘through a porthole and dismounted two guns. @ur correspondent at Fortress Monroe states further that she received one shot clean through both sides of her roof, and was very considerably damaged below the water line, so that the pumps had to be kept constantly going to save her from Ginking. The report that her iron prow broke off in her attack on the Cumberland, and went down with that ship, is confirmed; two of her guns were destroyed, and thirteen men killed and seven ‘wounded. She has not made her second appear- @ ice yet, although it is undoubtedly true that she fhas received a supply of coal, and some additional guns, within a few days past? ( The brigade of General Sickles, which crossed {nto Virginia » few days since, has been doing some service on the Lower Potomac. Ina skir mish with the rebels at Stafford Court House his command captured six prisoners, forty cavalry horses and a number of small arms. These trophies were sent to Washington by the steamer Freoborn. While taking them on board the Free- born was fired upon from a neighboring thicket; but, on returning the fire with shrapnel, the enemy vanished. | The news from Winchester is interesting, al- though nothing very exciting has ovcurred there since yesterday. The bridge over Stony creek ‘was completed on Sunday, and while our troops were crossing yesterday they were met with a pretty heavy fire from the rebel battery of Colonel Ashley. Our guns, however, soon silenced the enemy, and the rebel chief retired, obstructing the progress of our troops as far as he could in his retreat. The rebels opened a battery of three guns yesterday upon our pickets at Edinburg, and were scattered by the excellent fire of Captain Huntingdon’s battery, which poured its shells rap- idly into their midst. From Western Virginia we learn bp a despatch received in Wheeling yesterday, that the rebels are retreating before our forces under General Milroy, who has advanced from Cheat Mountain, and now holds Camp Alleghany, lately evacuated by the rebels. The rebels have also fallen back from Monterey and Huntersville, and seemed to be moving towards Staunton, where they will have a chance of escape by railroad. We have cheering intelligence from New Madrid as to the progress of the war on the Mississippi river. Despatches received at the War Depart. ment yesterday state that General Pope had just landed on the Tennessee shore, and that his entire movement had been a grand success. Another wunboat, in addition to the Carondelet, had run the rebel gauntlet, and was at the disposal of General Pope. We have no later intelligence of the movements of the two grand armies near Corinth, Mississippi. The rebel forces continued at last accounts to Increase in numbers, and it was stated that Beau- regard was exchanging the raw recruits for the disciplined soldiers on the seaboard. Ten thou- sand of his troops were reported to be without arms. There had been some sickness among the Union soldiers, owing to a change of climate and bad water, but their general health was fast being restored. i A telegraphic despatch wag received in Wash- ington on Sunday announcing that Gen. Mitchell, with the forces under his command, had reached Bhelhyville, Tenn., and had been received with Great enthusiasm by the inhabitants of that place. By tue Columbia, from Uayaua, we have news A NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1862—TRIPLE SHEET. from Mexico, dated the city of Mexico the 5th, | fore open, and the Connecticut river is also free for Orizaba the 19th, Cordova the 20th, and Vera Craz the 23d of March. There is likely to be some fighting, owing to a forced loan imposed by the Mexican government on some Spanish commercial houses of the capital. A correspondent of the Diario, of Havana, writing from Orizaba, says food had risen forty per cent, and the correspondent of the Prenza gives a sad account of the situation there. The Spaniards expelled from Tampico have re- turned to their homes, furnished with passports from Juarez. The Mexican government has given orders for all those declared traitors, &c., who may present themselves in Vera Cruz or any other point of the republic, to be arrested and imprison- ed. This refers principally te Almonte, Miranda, Haro and others of the Miramon party. The Hibernian. at Portland, brings news from Europe to the 28th of March, five days later. Our telegraphic synopsis of the advices, pub. lished to-day, does not contain a line with refe- rence to the effect produced in England by the newe of the great naval conflict between the Mer rimac and Monitor in Hampton Roads, altheugh it announces the arrival out of the Arabia on the 24th of March, that vessel having left New York on the 12th ultimo with the accounts of the battle of the 8th and 9th of that month. If this has not occurred from some omission of the re- porter, it must be regarded as a singular fact that the British press should remain silent for four days ona subject involving not only the loas of a great number of lives, with the destruc- tion of two American ships-of-war, but also an- nouncing the initiation of a’complete revolution in the system of naval warfare. The British government had ordered a war ship to be stationed off Matamoros, Mexico, for the protection of English interests in American wa ters in consequence of the capture of the steam™ ship Labuan by a United States vessel. General McClellan’s advance from the Potomac was commented on by the London journals. in price His tactics, so far as understood, seem- ed to find favor at the hands of the writers. The London Times says that the defence of the rebels is now to be found in the “vastness and desolation of their country,’’ and advises them to immediately burn all their cotton and tobacco;*for, if they give them up to the in- vaders they (the English) ‘will consider that they intend to succumb.” Advice which must be very uncomfortable, coming, as it does, from quasi friends. “Bull Ran” Russell was—as shown by his latest production—delighted at the appearance of the Union army as it passed over the Chain Bridge lately; but his admiration and enthusiasm were lessened and damped by the fact that he could not find out, or attempt to prophecy, where or when General McClellan would fight his great battle. The Spanish government had ordered General Prim not to treat with the Mexicans till the allied troops were in Mexico City. CONGRESS. In the Senate yesterday, the Chairman of the Military Committee made a report authorizing the transfer of the appropriation for fortifications to the building of iron clad gunboate. The bill pro- viding for the confiscation of the property of re- bels was taken up, and Mr. Trumbull, of Miinois, made a long speech inits favor. Mr. Harris, of New York, gave notice that he should offer a sub- stitute for the bill to-day, and made some remarks thereon. In the House of Representatives, Mr. White, of Indiana, offered a resolution, providing for the ap- pointment of a committee of nine members to in- quire, and report as early as practicable, whether any plan can be proposed and recommended for the gradual emancipation of all the African slaves and the extinction of slavery in Maryland, Dela- ware, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri by the people or local authorities thereof, and whether such an object is expedient and desirable ; and that they further inquire and report whether the colonization of such eman- cipated slaves on this continent or else- where is necessarily a concomitant of their free- dom, and how and what provision should be made therefor; also, that they inquire how far, and in what way, the government can and ought eqnita bly to facilitate this object; and that they furthe, be*authorized, if in their judgment expedient, to extend their inquiries as to the other slaveholding States, and report thereon. The resolution was adoted by a vote of sixty-seven to fifty-nine. A resolution instructing the Ways and Means Com" mittee to report a new Tariff bill, was, on motion of Mr. Stevens, laid on the table by a vote of eighty-eight to thirty-five. A bill establishing a uniform Bankrupt law was reported by the Judi- ciary Committee. The internal Tax bill was then taken up, and seventy-three sections passed upon by the House. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. The Hibernian, from Liverpool on the 27th and | Londonderry the 28th of March, reached Portland yesterday afternoon. Her news is five days later | than that brought by the Niagara. Consols rated in London on the 28th ultimo at 98% for money. The Liverpool cotton market closed dull, but firm, at an‘ advance of one- eighth of a penny on the quotations of the week. The stock in port footed up 144,000 bales, and the “total stock’? on hand is reported at 400,000 bales. Breadstuffs were very dull, at nominal prices. ions were quiet and steady. The Hibernian reports the d of Count Nes- selrode, of Russia, and Prince Windischgraetz, of Austria. The King of the Belgians was seriously ill. Lord Palmerston was laid up with an attack of gout. Reports of Cabinet changes in Fra: were contradicted by the Paris papers. George Peabody had placed the sum of $750,000 at the disposal of # board of trustees as a fond for the amelioration of the condition of the poor of London. An Italian government circular maintains the right of the new kingdom to full recogni- tion, and claims Rome as the executive centre. Garibaldi was entertained at a grand banquet in Milan, where all the speeches indicated the near approach of important movements. ‘The British brig Mary Harris arrived at this port yesterday from Nassau, New Providence, bringing as a portion of her cargo three hundred and eighteen barrels of naval stores and seventeen bales of cotton. If we may jnodge from the de- scription and character of cargoes brought from that island, the climate, soil and productions have materially changed since the breaking out of the rebellion. The news from Porto Rico is dated on the 19th nitimo. A very destructive fire broke out on the 10th ultimo in Mayaguez, the capital of the island, destroying property to the amount of mpre than $209,000, Captain General Echague had returned Mr. to Spain. The Francis Skiddy left this city on Friday even ing at six o'clock and arrived at Albany qn Saturday morning, making the trip without findgng any ob pirugtions ia the river. The Mudsgn river is there. navigation. The Hartford boats have resumed their regular trips. Several subjects of local ana general importance were brought before the Legislature yesterday, but we have no space for an extended reference to them. Our readers are referred to the despatches and reports in another column for details, Messrs. Edwards Pierrepont, E. Webster and General Dix, Commissioners to investigate into the circumstances attending the incarceration of the State prisoners at Fort Lafayette, will leave New York this morning to make an investigation. The Board of Aldermen did not organize last evening for want of a quorum. The Board of Councilmen were in session last evening, when a number of petitions and resolu- tions were disposed of. A resolution was adopted directing the national colors to be raised on the City Hall next Saturday, in honor of the birthday of Henry Clay. A resolution was adopted re- questing the Colonel of the Fifty-first regiment New York Volunteers to deposit in the city ar- chives their American colors, which was the first American flag planted on the fortifications at Roa- noke and Newbern, it having been completely rid- died by the enemy; and that the Committee on Na- tional Affairs be empowered to furnish the regi. ment another suitable flag. On motion, a commit- tee of three—consisting of Messrs. Gross, Orton and Jones—was appointed to memorialize the Le- gislature forthwith for the passage of an act authorizing the Common Council to make such ap- propriation as may be necessary for the relief and support of the wives and families of the soldiers now enlisted for the war, and to issue bonds for the raising of the money necessary for that pur- pose, the half million of dollars appropriated for that object being nearly exhausted. The Comp- troller reported that during the month of March he disbursed the sum of $109,502 50 for the aid of the families of volunteers. He also sent in a com- munication relative to the condition of the public treasury, from which it appears that the sum of $1,793,004 70 was in the treasury on the 5th instant. A lengthy debate was had upon the power of the Committee on National Affairs to incur expendi- tures on an emergency, pending which a motion to adjourn was carried. The Court of Oyer and Terminer was opened yesterday before Judge Barnard. The Grand Juv ry. of which Mr. William A. Seaver is Foreman, was sworn in. The Judge will charge them this morning at ten o'clock, to which time the Court adjourned. In the case of William Brown against Francis Collier, mate of the ship Dennis Hill, for an assault and battery on the high seas (already reported), Judge Hearne gave a verdict of $100 damages. In the case of the Mahomedan, Abdoalo, against the captain of the same vessel for assault, the Court rendered a verdict of six cents. The April term of the General Sessions com- menced yesterday, Recorder Hoffman presiding. The Grand Jury were discharged for two weeks, in consequence of a Grand Jury having been em- pannelled inthe Court of Oyer and Terminer. A few unimportant cases were disposed of; and on motion of the Assistant District Attorney a nolle prosequi was entered in the cases of William Mas- ten and August Van Ness, who were indicted for an alleged malfeasance in office as harbor masters of this port. Wall street appears to be becoming more active. There was more business yesterday on the Stock Ex- change than for some time past, and prices of all descrip- tions improved. Governments advanced % por cent, and Milwaukee and Prairie duChien 3, Money continued easy at 6a7 percent. Gold advanced to 102%, exchange on London to112%{. The banks showed an increase of $922,580 in specie, and a decrcase of $544,146 in loans. ‘The cotton market yesterday was less active, as deal- ers were waiting for the government sale of the prize cargo of the Maguolia (1,000 bales), to como off to-day. Of the whole lot only about 200 bales have been classod as strict middling, and the remainder has been mostly sampled as inferior (part damaged) to low mid- dling uplands. The transactions to-day embraced about 250 bales, closing without animation on the basis of 27%c. m 282. for middling uplands. ‘The flour market was heavy for common grades and steady for the better class of brands, while sales were moderate. Whoat was inactive. Prime to choice lots were still scarce, and common and medium qualities mo, derately dealt in. Pork was steady, with moderate sales at $13 a $13 12}¢ for new mess, and at $10 25 a $10 50 for new prime. Sugars were quite steady and prices sustained, while gales embraced 500 bhds. and 1,200 boxes. Coffee was unchanged. A sale of 2,100 mats Java was made at 26c. Freights were heavy, with a downward tendency in rates. Wheat to Liverpool was engaged in ships’ bags at 5d., flour at 1s. 1d., and lard, pacon and tallow at 15s., and lard to London at 203, The Campaign in Virginia—Great Events Close at Hand. We are upon the threshold of the greatest events of the war. Within a few days, per- haps within the present week, we may receive the glad tidings of his occupation of the rebel capital; of the capture or expulsion of its rebel army and its rebel government from Virginia; of the restoration of the “old flag” over the city of Norfolk, and, in short, of the liberation of the “Old Dominion” from the fangs of the rebellion, and her restoration to the irresistible power and the inevitable au- thority of the supreme government of the United States. ‘This is the news which we expect, before the lapse of many days, will become interwoven among the great historical events of the mo- mentous month of April, 1862. Cotempora- | neously even greater successes than these against the armed forces of the rebellion may be achieved in the Southwest; but, first, let us consider the probable effects of the expulsion | of the rebel army and the rebel government from the “sacred soil” of Virginia. Jeff. Davis and his ruling confederates appreciate the necessity of holding on to Richmond to the last extremity. Hence the late circular from the Chief of his Ordnance Bureau, making Richmond a place of deposit for all church and other bells which may be contributed in Vir- ginia to the “Confederate States” government to be converted into light artillery; and hence the notice, in the same circular, that the facts of all such contributions from all the other “Confederate States’ must be sent to Rich mond to be placed on file there among the ar- chives of the War Office. The idea is here thrown out that Richmond is secure against “the Yan- kees,”’ and that the rebel government will sui ly remain there, whatever may be its disasters in other quarters. What, then, will be the conse- quences when the fact is made known through- out the South that Jeff. Davis and his Cabinet and Congress have been compelled suddenly to abandon Richmond, and to fly, with sueh private and public baggage as they could carry off, to the interior of Alabama or Georgia for a tem- porary place of refuge? Such unexpected intelligence as this will in- deed create a panic from North Carolina to Texas, and a wide spread popular conviction that further resistance on the part of the cotton States to the arms of the Union is vain and ut- terly hopeless. Under this impression, the to- bacco, cotton. rice and sugar planters of the South will be very apt to comprehend their true course of safety upon the question of sub- mission to the Union, in order to save something from the wrecks of this rebellion, or the de- struction of all their gathered crops of the last yoar, of cotton, tohaceg, tive, evgar and every~ thing else, as the last desperate expedient of resistance to our advancing armies. Upon such an issue, with Jeff. Davis, his Cabinet and Congress in full flight, and with our armies in full pursuit, the Southern planter, turning to the interests of his family, will surely decide against the fearful alternative of self-destruc- tion and in favor of the supreme law of self- preservation. Already the original confidence of the mass of our Southern secessionists in the success of their bold enterprise has been ter- ribly shaken by our late important victories. But the “Confederate government,” apparently calm and confident, is still at Richmond, and so its deluded followers are still inclined to wor- ship it. But let it be ignominiously expelled and the veil will be lifted from their eyes, and Davis and his ruling confederates will be met in their flight by an indignant uprising of the people they have so ruthlessly plundered and betrayed; and this will be the end of their Southern confederacy. The tricks and impostures by which the Southern people have been induced so long to Tun behind the chariot wheels of Jeff. Davis are nearly exhausted. In abandoning the lino of Manassas, his followers in Virginia were told that it was only to fall back temporarily upon amore advantageous defensive line, for the purpose of enticing ‘the Yankees” to their certain destruction. That miserable trick will be exploded with McClellan’s occupation of Richmond; and then the Virginia people, re- volting against despotic extortions and a mili- tary conscription the most relentless of mo- dern times, will set an example of rebellion against this rebellion which will spread like a fierce contagion throughout the South. Let Jeff. Davis and his ruling associates be cap. tured or expelled from Richmond, and in the Virginia contingent alone fifty thousand men will speedily be lost to the service of the rebel government. The early occupation of Richmond by Mc- Clellan’s army is as sure as the continued rising and setting of the sun; the only doubt upon the subject is whether the rebels will make an effort against him to hold their chosen capital or will abandon it without a fight. In any event, those crushing blows are close at hand which are destined to put to flight the rebel government, to scatter its armies to the winds, and to stir up an astonishing Union reaction among the Southern people, from Richmond to Galveston. “The work goes bravely on;” and completely assured, as we are, of these grand results, we await in patience their fulfilment. The Shoddy Politicians. If Diogenes were still pursuing his famous search for an honest man, we would advise him not to waste his time among our poli- ticians. In the army he might find honesty enough, and among our educated, experienced army officers there are men who hold power without peculation, and control affairs without being corrupt; but he would seek such men in vain among the contract jobbing politicians. In the serried ranks of place hunters and place sellers that advance against the Union as steadily as our soldiers move to defend it there are instances of every kind of public vice, but none of publie virtue. Buchanan’s celebrated reign of robbery is outrivalled by this epoch of the war. The records of the times comprise only war bulletins and reports of investigating committees. So long as we read of our sol- diers we may be proud of our country and hopeful about its future; but the moment we wade off from the military news we are mired in sueh knaveries, jobberies and corruptions that it becomes a question whether the rebels are not barmless compared to the politicians, or whether it is worth while fighting for a coun- try which we permit to be eankered and rotted while we are defending it. Simultaneously with the news of a general advance of our armies comes the latest appendix to our political Rogues’ Calendar, in the form of the report of the Shoddy Investigation Com- mittee of the New York Legislature. It tells the same old familiar story of shrewd advan- tages taken of the publie need; of public moneys heedlessly squandered or audaciously stolen; of politicians selling their patriotism and filling their pockets; of officials conniving at fraud or blind to gross cheating and open swindling. We have all heard of the same sort of transactions hundreds of times since this war broke out. It is the same plot as that played in Missouri, or as that in which Cum- mings, of the World, figured. The dates, the location and the names of the characters only are altered. The people are so tired of reading such stuff that we doubt if even a well known name here and there would allure them to the perusal of this last report. Even its moral grows musty, and we become weary of invoking upon contract criminals the punish- ment that never comes or the disgrace which takes the pleasant form of a new command. Perhaps when heavy taxes weigh the people down the mention of shoddy will cause a wry face rather than a laugh; but just at present no one seems to care for exposures. Perhaps when every cent of which the people have been robbed and swindled has to be made up from the hard earnings of the people themselves, knavish contractors will not be considered smart nor thievish politicans pass unrebuked; but just at present no rogue is compelled to disgorge his gains, and investigating commit- tees write out their reports only to have them go upon the record for future reference. So with this shoddy exposition of the select committee of the Assembly. It demonstrates conclusively that the State was swindled in all the clothing and accoutrements furnished to its soldiers; but the public were aware of this be- fore. It shows that Treasurer Dorsheimer knew 80 little of the purchases he superintended that he was cheated right and left, and was only able to secure a silk dress or two for his own share of the spoils. Members of the Military Board gave only twenty-four hours public advertisement to immense con- tracts, but notified their favorites privately be- forehand, so that certain jobs, of which they shared the profits, could be nicely arranged. Governor Morgan is shown to be so careless and heedless that he leaves important tele- grams unnoticed, and unthinkingly consents to the substitution of shoddy for army cloth in soldiers’ uniforms. Dorsheimer, who confesses that he knew no more of cloths than of Her- mann’s tricks, was entrusted with the sole charge of the clothing contracts, and signed them in utter ignorance of their contents and provisions. That celebrated personage, Gusta- vus Adolphus Scroggs, makes a bargain with a clothing firm to get them a contract and share the profits; fulfils his part of the bargain and is not paid, but undauntedly offers to secure an ovher job if his old account is settled. Thur- low Weed appears in the character of trea, surer for a set of contract jobbers, receiving half the profits upon contracts given out and paying the respective shares of those politicians who worked up the swindle. No wonder he was called to Europe so suddenly when the cry against shoddy began. By the machina- tions of its own officers the State is made to pay more dearly for its uniforms than the average bids put in by the contractors. A State Inspector is loaded down with presents from the contractors, and passes goods which are afterwards rejected. Through the influence of @ brother-in-law of the Com" missary General @ builder obtained contracts for military accoutrements, and the State paid over seventy thousand dollars above the mar- ket value for the goods. In some of these af- fairs Mayor Opdyke figures largely; but we sup- pose that, as Walter Bowne reported of the Chevalier Webb’s fifty-two thousand dollars ob- tained from the United States Bank, his deal- ing with shoddy was only “a fair business transaction,” and we reserve its particular con- sideration until a rainy day gives us more lei- sure. The army around which these shoddy politi- cians gathered like vultures is moving to de- fend the Union, but it leaves the Union's worst enemies behind. We had hoped that such a war as this would breed patriotism; but it breeds only corruption, outside of our soldiery- Instead of cleansing our political atmos- phere, like a thunder storm, it appears only to make politics and lobbying more disgusting, as a muddy pool is worse fia- vored when it is stirred. The Union is in greater danger now from scurvy politicians and swindling lobbyists than from armed rebels; and let us hope that the army which subdues the latter may prove so prolific of honest, pa- triotic men as also to defeat the former, and thus doubly save the Union and the country. Fatiure oF THE Missionaries at Port RoyaL.— From our Port Royal correspondence, brought by the Atlantic and published yesterday, we have the following intelligence:-—“The missiona- ries are getting along rather unharmoniously in Beaufort. Several return to New York in the Atlantic. The balance might as well go.” This is the best comment that can be offered upon an editorial article which appeared the day before in an abolition journal of this city, in which the strictures we offered upon the Port Royal missionary humbug are made the pretext for a long yarn about Christianity, morality, philanthropy and religion. We should like to know what is the amount of the philanthropy of the abolitionists? It is to ruin white men, North and South, in order to advance the supposed interests of blacks. We think that true charity always begins at home, and seeks out objects of commiseration that are near, instead of ignoring their existence and launching into philanthropie expeditions in search of the un- fortunate and unhappy in foreign lands. For instance, the wretched free negro population in this city, Philadelphia and Boston are ina ten times worse condition, body and soul, than any black slaves in South Carolina. Let some- thing be done for our own negroes before we undertake the care of the negroes of the South. But there is a class of individwals, and they of our own race, who have a higher claim than any negroes on the face of the earth, and they are the destitute wives and children of the brave sol. diers who have gone to fight the battles of the Union and are pouring out their blood like water in order to crush the rebellion. As this is not an object with which the abolitionjournals haveany sympathy, we cannot expect them to take an interest in the poor families of the defenders of the Union. There is no room in their hearts for any sympathy but that which is exclusively lavished on blacks. What is the morality of the abolitionists? It is to rob their fellow citizens of the Southern States of the property guaranteed to them by the constitution, and to plunder their own go. vernment by swindling contracts and in every conceivable way. What is the religion and the Christianity of the abolitionists? It is to excite the most deadly hatred between citizens of the same country, to kindle the flames of civil war, while they touch not its burthens with one of their fingers, much less share its perils in the field. It is still worse—it is to foment servile insurrection and bloody massacres of the white race at the hands of negroes whom they are laboring to turn into devils incarnate. They all practically abrogate Christianity, while many of them openly avow their blasphemous infidelity and denounce the Bible and its Divine author. Their only religion is the worship of the nigger. fi But we are glad to see that the mischievous mission to Port Royal has proved a failure, that the hypocrites have quarrelled among themselves, and several of them have already returned. No doubt the arrival of General Hunter had something to do with their departure. We hope he will not allow his operations to be embarrassed by the noxious presence of any of these fools, fanatics and pious rogues; but that he will cause every man and woman of them now lurking about the island to make a speedy exit, while he puts the blacks to work on the aban- doned plantations. All they require to make them good and to keep them so is plenty of work, Tue Por Cauunc THe Kerrie Buack.—The London Times continues to persevere in a course of wanton and malicious attacks upon this country. It has at length reached the climax of malignity and absurdity in an in. sidions attempt to sneer at the United States financial affairs. It has adopted for this pur- pose a vulgar word, invented on this side the Atlantic, and has the effrontery to call our currency by the name of shinplasters. Well may we exclaim at this impotent stab, “Ht tu Brutet” What, England, the mother of shin- plasters, who, for more than a quarter of a cen- tury, saw nothing but shinplasters circulating in Great Britain—who issued more of such paper during the war with Napoleon than had ever before been heard of—whose issues at the present day exceed all the issues of the United States—whose whole circulation is composed of shinplastere—is it from England that such a reproach can come with any grace or justice? The words to which we refer are as follow: But with an expenditure of two million dollars a day, and with nothing but ‘‘shinplasters” for money, the plan of attaching wavering siave owners by compensa- tion must follow the fate of so many other attempts at compromise. We would remind the Times that the United States at the present moment is richer in all kinds of resources than England was when she undertook to pay the Jamaica planters for their slaves, and that if we have shinplasters, we do not issue them with the reckless extra- vagance with which they were issued in Eng- land shortly after Mr, Pitt’s bank suspension measure. ‘The Tax Bill, as Amended by the House. We publish this morning a carefully pre- Pared compilation of the Tax bill, as it has been amended in Committee of the Whole and Presented to the House of Representatives. The names of the articles taxed, with the rates of taxation as they now stand, will be found in their proper alphabetical order. This arrange- ment will be found highly useful and conve- nient by all, as the article in which each per- son is interested can be found at a glance. Since the bill was first presented to the House of Representatives by the Committee of Ways and Means each section has been con- sidered seriatim, and: nearly every section has been amended in some particular. The mode of collection remains the same as at first pro- posed; each State and Territory, and the Dis- trict of Columbia, are to be divided into dis- tricts; over each district the President is to appoint a Collector and Assessor, each of whom is authorized to appoint the necessary number of assistants. The regulations for the govern- ment of these officers in the discharge of their duties have not been materially altered. The principle on which the bill hasbeen framed ig that of taxation on manufactures, articles in a crude state or condition being originally taxed in only one or two instances. The Committee of Ways and Means adopted this system, believing that by taxing articles in accordance with it the revenue which itis de- sired to raise will be derived ina more equita” ble manner than by any other plan, inasmuch a3 every person is compelled to use manufac- tured articles both for clothing and for food. About the only exception made in the bill, as it stood at first, to this general rule of taxation was in the case of unmanufactured tobacco, which was taxed. This tax has now, however’ been stricken off. The rates of taxation are both specific an@ ad valorem, it being deemed advisable to im_ pose the one tax on some articles in preference to the other. Since the bill has been under con- sideration in Committee of the Whole many of the specific have been changed into ad valorem rates. Thus it will be seen, by reference to the compilation, that hats, caps and bonnets, hoop skirts, &c., are required to pay an ad valorem duty of three per cent, instead of pay- ing by the dozen. As ageneral thing the taxes have been diminished. An important amend. ment hasbeen made in therate of taxation on coal gas. Instead of a uniform tax of twenty-five cents per thousand cubic feet, the tax is gradua- ted according to the amount manufactured. The effect of this change will be to render the tax imposed less oppressive on residents of towns and cities in which a small quantity is con- sumed than on those residing in the larger cities, as the tax increases with the amount of gas manufactured. New York, therefore, be- cause she is # large city, is to be taxed for her size. The section of the bill relating to manufac- tures has been amended, so that when manu- factured articles are removed and sold at any other place than the place of manufacture the freight charges, commission and expenses of sale, actually paid, are to be deducted from the gross amount of sales, and the duty assessed on the net amount after the deduction. Notice has been taken of the fact that the wording of the act in reference to manufactures was not sufficiently explicit, and it has been provided that many articles which have been partially manufactured, and which are intended for use in the manufacture of some other article, shall not be taxed as manufactures. Thus, pig iron» cloth which is sold for the purposes of dyeing, printing or bleaching, or to be finished in any other manner, and thread or yarn, manufac- tured and sold for knitted fabrics or for weav- ing, when the spinning and weaving are carried on separately, are not to be taxed as manufac- tures. In estimating the income tax the net only of gains, profits or incomes is to be considered; personal or family expenses, however, are not to be deducted in aacertaining the net income. The stamp duties imposed on manifests, bille of lading and passage tickets are not meant to apply to vessels engaged in plying between ports of our own country and those of British North America. The schedule of articles usually called “pa- tent medicines” has been stricken from the bill and a more comprehensive clause inserted in its place. Persons interested in these arti- cles will, in most cases, find the articles, the duty on which they desire to know, inserted in their proper places in the compilation. The tax on these medicines, &c., has been much re- duced. Fremont aNp THE Westerns War Crams Commisston.—The public has been treated to another report about Fremont. It is as little to his credit as that of Gen. Thomas, stolen by the Tribune. In it poor Fremont figures among a crowd of thieving Californians, and luxu- riates in a palatial headquarters costing six thousand dollars a year. His expressions seem tohave been as reckless as his expenditures, He tells an army officer that the people were in the field and he was at their head, and that he intended doing just as he liked, uncontrolied by the “red tape people” at Washington. This is very characteristic of Fremont, who seems to suppose that he represents the people be- cause he was once a candidate for the Presi- dency. Some kind friend should remind him that he was a defeated candidate, and advise him to lose a little of his self-importance to remember that he is now a subordinate officer of the army, and to stay at the head of his com- mand and let the head of the people alone, Fremont is a pretty fair specimen of our politi- cal generals. Contrast his conduct with that of McClellan or Halleck, and observe the diffe- rence between an educated, experienced offi- cer, who knows and does his duty, and a politi- cian like Fremont, who tries to make political capital out of every military mancuvre, and never asks himself whether he can gaip, a vic- tory, but whether he can gain a vote. Both in the Union and rebel armies these political gene- rals, with but very few exceptions, have proven themselves humbugs and nuisances, while edu- cated men have done all the realwork. It may be too late now to get rid of Fremont alto- gether, but we trast in future to have other and better reports of him than those made by investigating committees. Secessionists, ABoLirionists AND Mrs, Lin- coun.—The rebel journals seem to be greatly delighted with the abolition scandals about Mrs. Lincoln, and reprint and endorse them exultantly. This is as we expected, and doubt- leas the attacks upon the wife of the President were written by the Tribune and Liberator editors for the sake of their effect down South: Both secessionists ond abolitioniats arg of ono |