C|t |)ms. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1864. FORNEY’S WAR DRESS, FOR THE WEES ENDING SATUEDAY, FEBRUARY SO, 166*. This wtelt*o Wax Press is lea'Jy, and Is a spteu ■did number. It con^a^nsj I. EEGBAYIKG—“Wieci of tbe Suspension Brldeo over the Eiagara, at Lewietown. A superb and truthful eDgravli?K. , 11. ORIGINAL NOVBLITTE—“Jes«e and Mand * By His. Surma F*frle*on. 111. POEMS—’* Two Travellers. ” by Alice Cary * ** Good Sight and Good Morning. ” * Tte Swans <>. Wil ton,” “The&a»p>erdlwd ” at •• IV. ALL *TH3 LETFESS OF *'OCCASIONAL. ' V. BBITORIALS—Gfnerai Or»nt Advaatos Propho tic Gecßrarbl—Postal Improvement-Jefferson Davis to U> Soldiers—The Umpire, of Mexco-Pennsjlvanw. JonrnaHim-In Con«rc»—The Abolition of Slavery- The Frefdnieu— Are t»*b Afraid of Onr Creed ? —The Pan libmiDt of Treaffcu—Pareian Substitutes—Ti« Navy Yard—Tie War Fn blcjn—'The Sanitary Pair. V 7. THE CASTING OF THS TWENTY-INCH BOB MAN GUN. specially reported for Thb Press. * VII. MlSCtLLANSA—Beheliana—American Mineral Lards “-The Free- State Movement. VIII. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE—The Late Infi del. Joseph Barker IX. CITY INTYLLrOFNCE—Visit of the Naval Com mittee to League Ihlacd—Barsnm’s Lecture ou the Art 4>f Money Makir g—Washington’s Birthday—The County Piifsor —The Philadelphia Markets X. VARIETIES AND FACETLB. XI. CONGRESSIONAL SUIfAIABY. 45- Specimens of the * * War Press'” "Will be forwarded when requested. The subscription rate for single copies Is 42 per ye=*x. AVedncnon from these terms wilL be al lowed when duV? '-re fotmei. Single copies* pnt up in wrappers, res dy for mailing, may be obtained at the counter. Price fir© c;-©ts. Our Members of Congress and X«eague Island. It is one of the misfbrtunes of Philadel phia, as it has frequently been the misfor tune of the State of Pennsylvania itself, that -whenever a great enterprise is suggested toy -which the whole community is to be bene fited, rival interests,, and too often personal •corruptions, intervene to defeat the’ object ■which, ought to receive the support of all concerned. The dissensions in regard to the line of steamships, which promised a few weeks ago to he so successfully completed, that -we might have direct and rapid means of. communication with Liverpool, may at last . defeat—as it has undoubtedly jeopardized— that most praiseworthy project. And if the new navy yard should he denied to Phila delphia, and located at some insufficient and insignificant port in Hew England, the re sult may be fairly attributed to the spirit— which we will hot designate as the spirit of cupidity and envy—which has set up a com petition in the neighborhood of Chester, and which has probably been encouraged by merely mercenary motives among a few even in this city. It was a favorite saying of the lamented Judge Kane, whenever he came to talk of Philadelphia and of Penn sylvania, that our people were a good deal like the boys who saw one of their number mounted behind a wagoD, and who, out of sheer envy at his success, could not refrain naming forward to tell the driver to “ cut behind,” It is only by a tenacious unity of sentiment and action that any people can ever hope to obtain the lead ; precisely as it is with an individual, who must un doubtedly fall behind his competitors unless he is self-reliant and vigilant. Now, that League Island is the proper and prin ■ cipal site for the great national navy yard requires no argument to establish. Thf unprejudiced testimonials in support of this site, coming as well from residents of other States S 3 from the highest official authori ties, aTe sustained by every hour’s expe rience, and by the result ot every impartial examination. It is fortunate, in the face of the efforts to which we have referred to deprive Philadelphia of that to which she is clearly entitled, our Congressional delega tion—Mr. Randall of the First, Mr. O’Neill ot the Second, Mr. Kbllev of the Third, Mr. Myeks of the Fourth, and Mr. Thayer of the Fifth districts—has done and is doing its uttermost to secure Con gressional sanction to the recommendations of the Secretary of the Navy in favor of League Island. They have sunk all party and personal feeling in order to consummate this object. We speak by the book when we say that they have left no honorable means untried to impress upon their fellow members not only Jhe importance of this -extensive improvement to the navy and the •country, but the fact that the site, freely offered by the city to the General Govern ment,* is, after all, the' most available, the most accessible, and the cheapest, among all those which have been recommended by their respective friends. The energetic harmony among the five Representatives in Congress, from the city of Philadelphia, is a double evidence of the feasibility and the justice of the claim ia j favor of League Island, and of the strong and j irresistible feeling of our people in favor of i that claim. Because, if there had been any | serious argument against it, we feel that, in- j stead of this harmony among our public j servants in Washington, there would be an j honest and a manly divergence and dif- j ference. Mr. Randall among his political j friends, and his four colleagues among j their immediate party associates, aTe daily j doing everything to realize the expectations j of their constituents. Judge Kelley, in | his speech at lie banquet to the Navy Com- i mittee of the House, at the Continental ! Hotel, on Saturday evening last, acquitted j •himself with more than his usual eloquence 1 and tact, and on the floor of Congress his j exertions and his appeals show how earnest and sincere he is in pushing forward this great enterprise. We deem this reference to these gentlemen necessary—not that they require defence against any assaults, but that our people may know exactly what those to whom they have delegated their power aTe doing in Congress. If we shall lose that to which we believe our selves to be justly entitled, as well because of the intrinsic merits of the site itself, as because of the liberal proposition of the city to the General Government—and last, not least, because of the unchallenged and unequalled loyalty of the second city of the American Union—it will not be through the neglect of any of those who represent this community in the popular branch of Con gress. The American Revolution. Five years ago the Abolitionist believed that in fifty years men -with backbones would be sent from the free States to Con gress—men who would look not at the Southern cross, but at the Northern star. This was a dreary prophecy. Fifty years was a long time to endnre that slave-whip which was never laid more cruelly on the back of a negro slave than it was upon the people of the North. Fifty years be fore the moral whipping-post and the gag should be swept from the halls of Congress! Mr. Phii.ijps made a prudent calculation. The revolution came as a storm comes in the tropics—suddenly out ef a clear sky. The day of wrath, pro phecied at Fanenil Hall, was nearer than the prophets thought. No fugitive slave is sent back from Pennsylvania now, and men escaped from bondage, walk boldly in our streets to-day, and openly proclaim them selves fugitives, and name their old masters without feaT of courts and commission ers. There have always been Philadel phia merchants, of the fighting Qua ker blood very often, who refused to -sacrifice their free principles to Southern "trade ; who, even at the risk of the ruin of their houses helped fugitives to escape, and •dared to say slaveholding was a sin. Now there is not one who dares to say it is not a sin. There is no eye now so preternaturally far-seeing that it can, by the ascension of -the Southern cross, measure the path of -the nation. The North Star, for so long visible only in Massachusetts, and often •clouded even there, shines now even upon •Arkansas and Louisiana, and begins to twinkle for Tennessee.' It seems to have grown larger and brighter, and drawn •nearer. In Congress backbone is no longer a curiosity. There is a pro-slavery party yet, hut what is it worth, and what can it do ? Like Pope and Pagan, the giants seen by Bunyan’s Pilgrim , old and feeble at the mouths of their caves, and scowling im potently at the paßsers-by, the slave party in ■the North can. only scold. There is no ■longer, a Websteb at its head. The sad spectacle of a grand and glorious soul, de voted to the Union, and deceived by slavery, is withdrawn forever. The man who was f*resident of the United States from 18r.7 to 1861 is more obscure now than the wounded negro soldier, who, after the repulse at Fort Wagner crawled back under rebel fire to hxs comrades in the hospital, and holding up the flag, cried out, “ Boys, I never let it touch the ground.” This was a boast de nied that President who himself helped to drag the stars in the dust shaken from the boots of Tenegade slaveholding Senators. It is true that decent colored women cannot yet ride in the public cars, though they may walk in the public streets, but then a drunken white man can, so that, really, gentlemen, we are very ac commodating after all. The revolution is one of principles. It is enough that in the last three years we have made more progress than in the half century before. The grand victory we have won is not yet over the South, but over the North. Here , the great battle has been fought. Talk of desertions from the rebel armies ! why, every day thou sands of men desert from thepro-slavery party in the Northern States. We speak of starvation in the rebel armies, but how poorly fed with hope and power is the party which has its grand Lama in Canada and its worshippers in Richmond! We exult over defeats of our enemies in Tennessee and Yirginia; but what a victory was that of last autumn in twenty free States—a victory which made the great lakes impassable stormy oceans to Vallandigham, and Pennsylvania a foreign land to Mr. Reed and Mr. Justice Woodward. Even in Baltimore, where Massachu setts soldiers were shot down by the citizens, as they marched, in 1801, to the defence of Washington, we find the uncon ditional Union ticket- for delegates to select representatives to the State Convention headed with the rallying cries, “ Immediate Emancipation! Ho Stale Compensation ' No Negro Apprenticeship!" And when we look to Congress again, what do we see of freedom ? Bather, let us ask, what do we not see of freedom ? Negro soldiers made an honorable part of the army; the spirit of the emancipation 4 proclamation ennobling legislation; the pro- J petty of traitors who laugh at threats and | sneer at pardon confiscated forever; the Constitution about to be amended so as to I prohibit slavery on every inch of ground j where the sun throws the shadow of the stars and stripes. This is what we see in the Congress of 1864, and for the first time for generations me not ashamed to send copies of the Daily Globe to Europe. We see Sumner exposing the barbarism of sla veiy without danger of tempting South Ca rolina to prove Ms argument, by answering it with a ~club ; we find freedom in such a majority that the minority is hardly to be discovered without the aid of a microscope. In the House Colfax is Speaker; Stevens, Kelley, Dawes, Lovfjoy, Washburns, but a few of the men who are making American history worth reading. And who arc they who want to give the future histo. rian work which he would do with loath ing, and wMch succeeding generations would read with astonishment and indig nation? Fernando Wood, Cox, the edi tor of the New York Daily News, are among the leaders of a disorganized and defeated pro-slavery opposition, which, with hypocritical pretence of peace, makes deadly war on the Government, and, elected from the North, gives all its service to the South. With absolute justice, even the Herald —always impressive when it con descends to tell the truth—declares that “the i would-be leaders of tMs opposition party, in pushing their blind hostility to the Ad ministration to the extremity of apolo gists and adherents of the rebellion, have become objects of public derision.” It is not only in Congress that this party is “weak and contemptible.” Out of it it is yet more feeble and insignificant; for while the representatives have remained the same, the constituencies have changed. Since the Messieurs Wood, Cox, and Brooks planted themselves in Congress as defenders of the vacant seats of Stephens, Barksdale, Pryor, Brett, and Orr, and the right of those chief rebels who survive the war to return, the people have been moving on. The next election will show liow weak is this opposition, which belongs chiefly to the past, is repudiated by the present, and will be wholly disowned by the future. When we recall the olden pride and pomp of the slave party of the North, its imperious and imperial attitude of command, its mighty j rulers, its great victories and triumphal | quadrennial processions to the Capitol, and ] then think of what it is to-day, w#might I almost pity so terrible a fall. With obsolete j politicians and unsuccessful generals for its j leaders, it is marching on in fear to a more absolute defeat in November than the political history of the cen tury can match. It will be defeated by what party ? By the despised, insignificant knot of outlawed Abolitionists, who sudden ly, hy the miracle of national destiny, are multiplied into millions, devoted wholly to the Union, loving it more than it was ever’ loved before, because now the Union is wholly for Freedom. Our Revolution can no longer be said to have begun in *1775 the struggle then begun was for indepen dence. The true American revolution began in 1860, in the conversion of the North to freedom, and it Will, be ended before 1870 in the rescue of the South from slavery. Bankruptcy Law. Nearly every commercial country has had, or has, a general bankruptcy law. There usually has been a distinction made between Insolvency and Bankruptcy—the insolvent being a non-trader who cannot or will not pay his debts, while the trader who does not or will not pay is held as a bankrupt. In- Scotland this distinction has not obtained. In England it was almost entirely abolished by the Bankruptcy Act of the present Lord Chancellor ‘Westbuky, passed in 1801. The present law is identical in England and Ireland, Two experiments were made in the United States to establish a national bankruptcy law. The first, passed by Congress in 1800, was repealed in less than three years. The second, passed in 1841, was in force only two years, A third measure of the sort is now before Congress, and, we believe, purposes to treat the debtor as. simply unfortunate—unless where there is primii facie evidence of dis honesty. This is on the correct principle that, where he cannot pay and surrenders the wreck of his estate, the debtor, whether insolvent or bankrupt, should obtain relief from the law, and have a chance of again obtaining subsistence, if not property, by honest industry and enterprise, without being weighed down by a millstone of debt upon his back. The difficulty in framing and penning a general bankruptcy law arises out of the fact that each State already has an insolvency law, to the working of which its business men are accustomed. A pamphlet recently published in New York, which has been favorably received by commercial and professional men there, is entitled “ Suggestions for an Act to es tablish a Uniform System of Bankruptcy Law throughout the United States,” and is from the pen of Mr. Edwin James, who as sisted, as a then member of the House of Commons, in framing and passing the Act of 18G1. As a lawyer, as well as a legisla tor, Mr. James has had ample opportunity of mastering the subject. The genius of American is so similar to that of English law,. that the adaptation of what is good in one country cannot be difficult or impracticable in the other. To relieve the honest debtor from the result of misfortune, and to furnish some security to the creditor, may be ac complished here, Mr. James suggests, by adapting and simplifying the new English bankruptcy law. His “ suggestions ” -in favor of such a system are entitled to fair consideration. Many of them, it is plain, may he adopted here with Advantage to the public. “ Errors Excepted.” Newspaper articles ought to he read, like annual balance-sheets, with the reservation of “errors excepted.” Many a writer has been made ridiculous, or deemed ignorant, because of a certain error of custom on the part: of the compositor who puts him into type. In an article in this paper, on Monday, we were made to speak of “ the present Anno Domini,” but can take our’davy that we wrote “Annus Domini,” putting the first noun, properly, in the nominative case. whereas the compositor, not knowing Latin, and accustomed to the word in the ablative case, fancied that the editorial pen had made a slip, and considerately pro. ceeded to rectify it, as he thought, by sub stituting the familiar and stereotyped ex pression. Reporters sometimes err, for even Edi tors do not invariably know every thing. It is an ordinary phrase, in police reports, When suspected persons had been looked for without success, to say “they were non ett" —forgetting that here they put a plural nomi native to a verb in the singular. The other day. twelve young gentlemen in this city, preparing to get up a fancy-ball fit came off in the Academy of Music, on the 4th. and will be repeated next year, on a splendid scale J, desired to give it a catching title. As Managers of the entertainment, they had resolved to be uniformly attired in hand some white cashmere dresses, and this, no doubt, influenced their determination. “The White party” would have expressed this in English, but not neatly, so they put it into French. Instead of using a noun aud an adjective (coterie blanche), they joined a noun feminine to a noun masculine, and called their organization “La Coterie Blanc.” They were ignorant, no doubt, of the foreign language they used, but their meaning was palpable, and, after all, as Mr. 8 quec-is said, when Nicholas Nickleby gave a curious smile at a barn-like Yorkshire school being designated “ DotheboysHall,” “ there is no act of Parliament to prevent a man’s calling his house an island, if he pleases!” Our young friends were as happy, and made others as happy, at their pleasant ball, as if they had so completely mastered French as to lose the power of writing their mother-tongue grammatically. “La Coterie Blanc," incorrect though the phrase be, represents a very agreeable com bination. " An amusing article might be made, out of almost every/editor’s own experience, upon errors of the press, the responsibility of wMch rests, perhaps, more on writers than comx>ositors. Sir Robert Peel used to relate, with great gusto, how the Hom ing Post, once upon a time, represented him as having gone into the country, in the game season, “to shoot peasants.” One of the best, a blunder of the paragraph writer, was an erratum in a Dublin paper. It ran as follows: “In our Freeman's Journal of yesterday, for ‘Her Grace the Duke of Dorset, of a daughter,’ read ‘His Graee the Duchess, of a son.’ ” So obvious a theme for merriment did not escape Thomas Moore, the poet. In one of'his latest productions, “The Fudges in England,” he introduces young Fahkt Fudge as a contributor to the “ Poet's Cor ner” of a country newspaper, and makes her pour out the following complaint to a correspondent of her own sex and age : “But ’tis dreadful to think what provoking all- takes The vile country Pices in one's prosody makes. For you know, dear—l may, without vanity, hint— Though an angel should write, still ’tis devils must print'; find you can’t think what havoc these demons sometimes Choote to make of one's sense, and, what’s worse, of one’s rhymes. But» week or two sinoe, in my Ode upon Spring, Which 1 mccnt to have made a most beautiful thing. Where I talked ot the 1 dewdrops from freshly, blown roses!’ The nasty things made it ’.from freshly-blown noses!' Aud once, when, to please my cross aunt, X had tried To commemorate come saint of her clique who had dledf Having said he ’had taken up lu heaven his po sition,’ They made it, he’d ‘ taken up to heaven his phy sician ■’ ” If any capable person wants to write a very amusing magazine article, let him take up the subject, “ Errors of the Press,” and he may thereby “put money in his purse.” LETTER FROM “ OCCASIONAL.” Washington, Feb. 17, 1864. Unless the signs are deceptive, we are soon to witness some decided anti-slavery demonstrations from that side of the popular branch of Congress which still calls itself Democratic. There is an clement of the old and radical Democracy, that which nerved the arms and inspired the intellects of “the party’k when it : followed the fierce and exacting lead of Andrew Jack son, made up of men who saw the right path, and began to walk in it ten years ago. Their old chiefs and their old principles were, in fact, their best teachers, because, however the genuine Democrats of other days may have adhered to the South up to the period when the South proceeded from, threats to blows, and from blows to bloodsheding, it was at that hour that thousands saw that hostility to human slavery was the very gospel of a real De mocracy. These men, like Henderson, of Missouri, and Conness, of California, now occupy the high vantage ground on the developing issues of the war, and espe cially on that of slavery. It is however not of these I would speak. Their re cord is made, and their responsibility as sumed. There is another class ia Con'gress and this country who are manifestly prepa ring to supplement their past offences and their recent assaults upon the Government, by an emphatic avowal that slavery must die, and that the Constitution must be so amend ed as to give it immediate and perpetual burial in the present organization of the “Democrats,” and many old-line” Whigs. Indeed, in Philadelphia the leaders of that party are men who gave their very best years to hostility to the Democracy, and to championship of Clay and Webster. However revolting the sight to see such politicians joining a party at the time it was becoming a mere sepulchre of its own virtues, and a mere conclave of disap pointed aspirants and schismatics,’ we must not forget that their early education and their protracted practice was hatred of sla very. This they were taught by Clay and Webster, by John Sergeant, by Horace Binney, Samuel Breck, and other venerated apostles of the old conservative school, when to be conservative was to be for gradual emancipation. And I believe, as they remember how truly they believed what these apostles taught, they may well be startled at their present unnatural alli ance with, the Southern persecutors of the great WMg exemplars of 1834, 1841, 1844, and 1850. Among the adhering Democrats the diversion of the old-line Whigs in the- Democratic ranks will have a great effect. Let us watch, wait, and read these signifi cant sigrfe of the times. Occasional. Catholicism axd StAvißßr.— The Uniueise, the C&tholio organ of Philadelphia, now powerfuUy edited Ijy Mr. .T. M. Spellissy, Is not disposed to be silent upon facts wbieh no one can deny. From its editorial columns we quote the following very sensi ble and frank admission: " In a recent edition of the Univerie the facts b; wbioh slavery is at present surrounded were exa mined ; and those facts were fairly shown to lUuatrate that the institution of slavery is virtually destroyed by the war; that its overthrow is a just punishment on the South for the crime of rebellion; and thst the future peace of the empire demands its subversion. But we now see tbat the Boston Post— which is the most respectable Democratic journal inphe country, the New York World, which has been a most formida ble enemy to the Administration, and the New York Herald , which has upheld slavery with the most sig nal ability and pertinaciousness for twenty years, now view things in precisely the same light. We Irish Democrats may not like this complexion of things, and we may abuse tUI we burst the Abo litionists as principal instigators of the Southern revolt: butfaots, whether just orunjust, are against us. The AhoUtionlstg have actually carried the day, and it is utterly out of our power to drive them back to-night again. Abolitionism of the most perpetual and sweeping kind is seizing the en tire nation. And we may as well not attempt to reeiat the national ourrent. The tide is rising; let us not permit it to leave us in the soUtary sand. As there Is Christian philanthropy In emancipating the blacks, let us have that philanthropy; as it is justice to the nation to destroy slavery, let us be just to the nation: and as the future peace of the country demands the ruin of slavery, let us secure the future peace of the country. Away with par tisanship ! Away with mere prejudice. Away the nonsense of resisting the national current. Bet ua at all events aocept with graoe what we cannot undo.” The Great Orktral faib von the Sanitary Commission. —The Great Central Fair for the Sanl tary Commission, which embraces the district of Pennsylvania, West New Jersey, mud Delaware, it has been decided, will be holden in this city In the early part of June. The almost invariable excite ment which attends a Presidential campaign was deemea a mffioleot reason for not holding the fair In the fall. All should bear in mind that this is not merely a olty or local matter, and that the whole State of Pennsylvania, with our sister States of New Jersey and Delaware, are also dtreotly con cerned in and responsible for tbe measure of its suc cors. Of couise, considerable contributions are ex pected from other quarters, as Pennsylvania eontrl. buted liberally to the Great Western Fair at Chica go, and again to that of Cincinnati. But this li sips* dally tbe fair of tbe three States named. The splendid results aehleved by the fairs at Chicago, Cincinnati, and Boston, and the aotivlty at present displayed in the preparation for the Metropolitan THE PRESSPHILADELPHIA THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 18,1864.’ B'alt at New York, should stimulate the oeutral dis trict to enrrgetlo effort. Tbe ladies here are already at wozk, >d4 Mr. jotua tveleb, the chairman of the (xecutive committee, U putting forward his at raDgtmente vigorously. Already sixty ehairmen of sub-comm it tees are appointed. Co-operation from all quarters Is desired, and especially from every county in this State, and Delaware, and West New Jersey. Let every county organize at onoe, and com municate with the chairman here. The cause needs no recommendation, and our self respect should not allow us to he laggard in a race wherein our aider States have already won such deserved laurels. The National Committee appointed by the Chi cago Convention, will meet at Willard’s Hotel, in this city, on Monday, the SKd inst„ under oall of ex-Govemor (now Senator) Morgan, to fix the time and place of the meeting ol the National Union Convention. Five vacancies will be filled by loyal member* of Congress. A Great Union Paper in Louisville. A great Union paper is to be established at Louis ville, Ity., early in March, to sustain thB Adminls. tration, oppose slavery, anil sustain G-rebn Olay Smith, Brutus J. Olay, Randall, and Andbi> son, Unconditional Unionists from Kentucky in the preient House. The New Hampshire Campaign, Governor Andekw Johnson will probably start for New Hampshire on Friday to speak for the Union ticket. It is expeoted one million of dollars will be raised in (be free States for the relief or the loyal people or Fast Tennessee. Goods are to be sent free by the Government, which Is taking a great Interest in the matter. Great efforts are being made to put Gen. Shi el in com rnand of the Department of West Virginia. A number of Senators and Representatives have been invited to speak at the Philadelphia Union League on Monday evening next, to discuss topics of profound Interest. Chief Justice Taney. This is . the coldest day known in Washington in twenty years. The army suffers much. Tbe California Legislature, after an able debate, have by an immense vote declared in favor of Mr. Lincoln for the next Presidency, and against sla very as the parent of rebellion. The full proceed ings have just arrived, and prove the growing popu larity of the Administration among the people of that State. There is a strong feeling in Congress to confer a leading command upon General George Cadwal j.adbr. The President to-day sent to Congress a menage, accompanied by the papers in the case of the ship La Manche, captured in August last by the Ino, as a blockade runner, with a recommendation from Secretary Seward for an appropriation in payment of the award of 141,000 francs, made bp the arbitra tor to La Roux, Fobkres, & Co., tbe owners, Tlie Congressional Committee ou Whisky. The committee of conference, of the House, on the disagreeing votes of the’two branches of Con gress on the whisky amendments, consists of Messrs. Wabbburnb, of Illinois; Stevens, of Pennsylvania; and Fernando Wood, of New York. * The House of Representatives several weeks since passed a resolution calling on the Secretary of the Navy for information relative to. the modeol ob taining supplies, &o. The Secretary has responded, communicating the draft of a proposed law to create the offices of disbursing and pnrehasieg agent, a naval storekeeper, inspector, and receiver. It ap. pears, from the documents, that in the Bureau of Equipment and Engineering nearly forty per cent, of purchases, amounting to $2,014,000, were obtained in open market by navy agents on requisition, and the remainder by contract. In tbe bureau of navigation it is deemed unsafb ard impracticable to procure nautical instruments' and ohsrts by oontract. Since the war commenced, most of Instruments, formerly purchased in Europe, are obtained at home of improved quality. Ships’ iihraiies have been supplied by oontract to tbe amount of $6,300. The ordnance bureau makes no contracts. It is by law exempt from such re quirement, and with the public exigencies of the pre sent time it is held oould not be met by the contract system, as the number of manufacturers la so limited that they might easily combine. It is recommended that contracts, when practl. cable, shall be made with known manufacturers, and purchases in the Bureau of Construction are made by contract as far as practicable. The Chief states that contractors sometimes com bine high and low prices to complicate the award and deter others from bidding, and thinks that a law excluding middlemen, who sometinfes underbid manufacturers from contracts, might lead to a com bination of manufacturers.. He recommends that guarantees be required that bidders fulfil their con tracts, that contracts he only for specific quantities, am) that classes embrace only articles of one genera] character. . Of file piiTCbiuiES in Ilie Bureau of Tara*'ana Dock?] lorty-lLue per cent, have been made in open market, mainly through navy agents. The chief acknowledges a disposition on the part of sortie navy agents to fasten Government patronage on certain favored parties. He recommends a mate rial modification of the larv respecting naval fuppllesr The bureau of engineering in which the eontraet system Is maiDly adhered to, suggests that purcha sing agents should have no discretionary power whatever, hut their modification should be prescrib ed by law. The bureau of provisions and clothing is compelled to purchase in the market extensively certain perishable supplies for the b’ockatUbg ves sels. Further legislation Is proposed to exoiude ir responsible and designing parties from bidding for contracts. It is asserted that men without capital or credit propose to supply hair a million dollars worth o( goods, and their bids must be accepted un der the present law if they make the lowest offers. There is no doubt that Congress will pasß a law reforming the manner of procuring supplies for the Navy Department. A New 'lnvention. A travelling clilcc wagon for the Adjutant Gene ral's department of the Department of the Cumber land, has just been completed at the Government shops here. It is a new invention. It accommo dates seven clerks and a driver, is drawn by four horses, and oan be taken apart and put together in five minutes. A similar one will shortly be com pleted for Gen. Fleasonton’s command in the Army of the Potomac. General itenham Restored to his Rank. General Bskhas having on August 7, 1863, been reduced from bis rank of brigadier senerai of volun teers, through a conception that he had broken po sitive orders at James Island, in attacking the rebel works at Secessioiiville, but no charges having been preferred agsinat him, the President ordered his case to he investigated by Judge Advocate Holt, who decided that he bad not broken any orders, hut had, instead, obeyed them to the best oi his ability- He was, therefore, restored to his rank, and placed in command of the engineer brigade of the Army of the Fotomae. Injustice to General Bexham the President has recently ordered Judge Holt's opl nien to he published, in order to correct the impres sion that General Bkkham had not been restored to his petition. Attempted Escape of Rebel Prisoners. The King Philip, Acting Master Frank, arrived at the navy yard yesterday afternoon, from the lower Potomac. A few days ago the officers at the esmpof the rebel prisoners or war, at Point Look out, diseoverea that some of the prisoners were evi dently making arrangements to escape from their quarters. It appears that by some means the prison ers in one of the quarters had procured some lumber, with which they had built two boats, in which it was supposed they were to embark for the Virginia shore. They were detected in their operations berore they had caulked the boats. It appears also that they had collected some seventy old muskets and a lot of atones, (a scarce article in that locality, and which must have been brought some distance,; which they probably designed using as weapons against any persons who should resist them. It is thought, however, that but few of the prisoners were ioxt tempt the escape, unless more boats were to be built, as the two boats discovered would not be able to carry more than fifty persons. An TJ. S. Officer Sent to the Penitentiary. Yesterday Captain ff*. Wicks, of the 169th New York Volunteers, was taken from the Old Capitol prison, where he has been condned for some time past, and forwarded to the Albany penitentiary, to serve a term sentenced by court-martial. Confirmations by the Senate. The Senate, in executive session, to-day, confirmed 'the nomination of Edwakd h. Dukc-.sll, to be judge of the District Court for the Eastern district ol Lou isiana ; Thomas Seely, of lowa, to be register of tbe land office at Dcs Moines; Ossamcs Irish, of Nebraska, to be superintendent of In'dlan affairs for the Territory of Utah; Johw H. Me Mon ag hah, of Colorado, to be hospital chaplain. Gen- Sloiigli’s Administration of Affairs at Alexandria, Va. The friends of Gen. Slough oomplain that great injustice hss been done to him by a recent publica tion relative to his administration of affairs at Alexandria. They say that the report of the Com mittee on the Conduct of the War will show Gen. Slough to be innocent of any retention of fines, and not to bare been oppressive on tbe contrabands under his authority. Surprise by Guerillas. A scouting party of some fifty men were ambushed by guerillas when crossing the bridge over Cedar run, about two miles east ofßrentsvfile, last Snnday, and Major James. H. Labriher, AsHng Inspector Ge neral of General Cbawfobd’s staff, was killed. Two cavalrymen were also killed and four wounded. Our men were driven back, but reinforcements arri ving, the guerillas ffed in' the filreotlon of Frede ricksburg, after having robbed the dead. Three re bels were left dead and several were wounded. - Arrival of Deserters.' Forty-one rebel deserters, from North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia regiments, were sent in from the front yesterday, and last night were quartered in the Soldiers' Rest, at Alexandria- This morning all appeared before Colonel Welle, the Provost Marshal Generel, and voluntarily took the oath of allegiance. The Weather. The weather ia bitter oold, with a strong north west wind. The Interest on the Seven-thirty I.oan. New- York, Feb. 17.—The interest on firt; mi', lions of the seven-thirties, for six months, falls due on Fiidsy, amounting to $1,826,000. WASHINGTON. [Special Despatches to Tlte Press. ] Washington, d. 0,, Feb. 17. The National Union Convention. Belief for East Tennessee. General Sigel. The Philadelphia Union League. Chief Justice Taney is in a most feeble condition. Cold. California Legislature. General Cadwallader. [DKSrATOHES TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ] Tbe La Manche Case. Naval Supplies. THE I SPATE FROM RICHMOND. lloxv the TJ»io» Soldiers Iseft tbe Libby Prison. FIFTY-ONE DAIS MAKING A TUNNEL, PURSUIT BY REBEL CAVALRY Baltimore, Feb. 17.—Tbe escaped Union officers reacted here this morning, and leave for Washing ton this afternoon* The account of their escape ft full of thrilling in* terest, but, tor prudential reasons, many of the par* Honiara are withheld from publication at present. They were fifty-one days engaged in making a tun nel. Having managed to find access to the cellar of their prison, they commenced to work, relieving one another as opportunity afforded. Their instruments were case knives, pocket knives,' chisels, and files. Twice they had to abandon their work and com mence anew, on aocount of obstructions whioh they oould not pass. They had hoped to have availed themselves of a culvert, but found It impracticable. After getting through the wall, they disposed of the excavated soil by drawing it out iu a spittoon, which they attached to a cord. This would be filled by the party at work in the tunnel, and pulled out into the cellar by their companion?, who disposed of it by spreading it in shallow layers over the floor, concealing it be neath the straw. The work was necessarily very Slow* So dose was tee atmosphere ia the tunael, that they could remain in it but a few moments at a time, and their candles would go out. At one time, they got so near the bed of the street, that a small hole about the size of a stove" pipe broke through; but, fortunately, this was not ob served by the guard, and was a great service, ad mitting air and enabling them to prosecute their work more rapidly. The tunnel, when completed, was about fifiy feet long, and opened into an old tobacco shed beyond the line of guards. As soon as they found the way dear, they emerged slowly la small iquads of two and three, and sauntered off until they got clear of the guards, making their way towaids the Williamsburg road by the shortest route. The darkness favored them, and that all the jrebel soldiers whom they met were habited in the army coats of Uncle Sam, which they had stolen ttom, the supplies sent to our prisoners by our Government, was of great help, to them. Although they were attired in our army coats, and many of them had their haversacks, they found the national uniform a better disguise4han if they had been provided with genuine rebel' uniforms. In order to elude their pursuers, Whom they knew would soon be on their track, they scattered as much as poislble* Many were their hardships and sufferings, and frequent their narrow escapes from the rebel cavalry, who next morning were bush whacking in every direction for them. The joy which they experienced when they first caught sight of our troops, sent out to help and protect them from their pursuers, cannot be expressed. Washington, Feb. 17.—Twenty-seven of the re< cently escaped Union officers from the Libby Prison have arrived here. They are nearly all from the West and Southwest* among them are Gapt, Nor ton Tower, 30 th Massachusetts *, Lieut. Col, Gh G. Davis, 4th Maine, and Gapt. McGollagher, 2d New Jersey* S. C. Brae, captain 4th Regiment Missouri Ca valry, T. Olailc, captain 79th Illinois Infantry, Al bert Wallter, Ist lieutenant 26th Wisconsin, James J. M* Wells, lieutenant Co. F, Bth Michigan. The names sent are in addition to those already pub lished, . CARD FKOM THE PRISONERS ESCAPED. Baltimobb, Feb. 17.— The following resolution was adopted by escaped officers today, at a meet ing held here: At a meeting of the undersigned officers, escaped prisoners of war, from Richmond, Ya., Col. U. P« Kendrick, 3d U. S. Teqn. Cavalry, was appointed President, and Col. West, of the 24th Wisconsin in* fantry, was chosen Secretary, The following card, having been unanimously adopted, it was ordered to be published: _ Card —Tbe undersigned, officers of the United States army, and recently prisoners of war, desire to exprf es their deep gratitude to Major General But* hr, Brigadier General Wister, Gol. West, of the Ist Ktgucem Pennsylvania artillery, and tne gallant officers and men of the llth Pennsylvania ca valry, and Ist New York mounted rifles, for their effectual atssfstanoe in completing our escape fiom the rebel Libby prison, at Richmond, and the lines, pickets, ana bloodhoundß of the rebel army, and also for many acts of kindness so gracefully tendered us in our present time of need* We desire also, in common with every loyal heart in The Union, to tender to Major General -Bat* Ur our high appreciation of his prompt and exten sive efforts to aid our comrades, who are yet in the rebel lints attempting to elude their vigilance, and make good their escape from that prison of refined ciueJiv and slow death. W. B. McUreery, colonel, 21st Michigan Infantry. George G. Davis, lieutenant colonel, 4th Maine. T. S. West, lieutenant colonel, 24th Wisconsin* H. C. Bobart, lieutenant colonel, 21st Wisconsin* Dated Baltimore, Feb. 16th, 1864. THE WAR IN THE SOUTHWEST. Reports from Cumberland Gap. DESERTERS FROM LONGSTREET'S ARMY. CtrsißßTttASD Gay, Feb. 17.—Captain J. B. Wat kins, provost marshal at this post, reports that the average number of deserters from the rebel army of Longatreet who report to him, is live per day. They all complain of being hertily sick of the war. Their accounts are corroborated by their;officers,(who ge nerally consider themselves whipped, but thinklthst the finances of the North arc giving out. Sometimes rebel officers going the rounds, relieving guard, find that whole lines of their pickete have deserted. The couniiy is full ot such, awaiting opportunities to give themselves up. On Friday last Longstreet’a headquarters were at Morristown, and his main force at Strawberry Plains, under marching orders. They believe that Longetreet did not attack our force because of want of confidence in bis men. IMPORTANT NEWS. Tlic r irate Alabama Hemmed ia at a Chinese Port. HER CAREER POSSIBLY AT AN END San Francisco, Feb. 17.—Previous to the depart ure of the -bark Rogers from Kanagawa, the brig Mary Capen arrived there from China, reporting that the TJ. S. sleamer Wyoming was, on the 2d o f January, off Amoy. Hea commander reported that the pirate Alabama wae in the port of Amoy, going into dock. The following letter has been received by a mer cantile firm in this city, extensively engaged in the China trade: “ Kanagawa, Jan. 7,1861, “ To Messrs. McCondray Sf Co , San Francisco: “Dear Sirs: We are enabled by the delay of the bark Rogers in the harbor, owing to calms, to give you good news. ''The privateer Alabama is in dock at Amoy, China, and the Wyoming, Captain McDougal, is standing sentry over' her. We may hope that her career is ended. The Jamestown is also there before this. “The sews comes by the brig Mary Capen five days from Shanghae, and is authentic. " WALSH, HALL, Sc CO.” JAPAN. BVBNIJiG OF THE PAIACE OF THE TYCOON. Tlie City of Yeddo Ravaged on New Year’s Day. Sak Pbancieoo, Feb. 17.—The bsrk Rogers, ar rived at tfils port to-day, from Kanagawa, Japan, on the 7th ult. The palace of the Tycoon, at Yeddo, was burned on Christmas day. On the next day the Custom House was dosed, the officials declaring themselves so grieved at the Tycoon's misfortune that they were wholly unable to transact business. It was reported that the fire originated in a gun powder plot to blow up the palace for the purpose of killing the Tycoon. The city of Yeddo was again ravaged by fire on New Year’s day. The buildings on eleven large streets, in the wealthy business quarter, besides numerous adjoining baek streets and alleys, were destroyed. It is estimated that five hundred houses of the belter classes were burned. News had reached Kanagawa, that on the 31st of October all of Hokcdadi had been burned by In cendiary fires. Collision of United States Gunboats. Um Vock, Feb. 17.—A letter from Key West re ports that a collision took place between the United States gunboats Tioga and Metaoomet on the Ist inat., off Cape Hatteras, in which both vessels were considerably damaged. The Metaeomet was in pur suit of a prize at the time, but the latter escaped. For Europe, New York, Feb. 17.—Tbe steamer City of Cork, which sails to-morrow for Liverpool, will take out 8,000 sovereigns in specie. The steamer Olympus will also sail to-morrow. Connecticut Union Convention. Hartford, Feb. 17. —The Union Convention as sembled to-day, the Hon. James F. Pratt being el osen to preside. Gov. Buckingham and the whole of the present State officers were nominated for re election by acclamation. Gold for tbe Government. New York, Feb. 17.—A despatch from San Fran cisco says that the steamer Constitution, which left on the lfitb, for Panama, took $1,500,000 for the United State* Government. Fire m Maine. r Auovbta, Me., Feb. 17.—Lang’s woolen mill at Vaaaalboro’ was burned this morning, with all the machinery contained In it. A portion of the stock of wool was saved. The loss Is $60,000. - The fire ori ginated accidentally. Fire at Chicago. Chicago, Feb. 17.— The tannery of Gray, Mar shall, Sc Co,, was destroyed by fire last night. Tbe loss amounts to $35,000, on which there is a partial insurance. Snow Storm In Nova Scotia. Halifax, N. S., Feb. 17 A heavy mow storm occurred throughout this province last night. It has ooveied the ground to the depth of eighteen inches. Markets by Telegraph. Baltimore. Feb. 17. —Owing to the storm and wind yeeieiday but little Giain was received Good Corn has advanced 1 cent. Wheat firm. Fjonr dull and heavv. WM'kv fteady; Ohio fh@9Zc. Coffee firm and soarco; K:054@34J40. It Is beginning to be the fashion, now that the Empress Eugenie stows the traces of waning beauty, to speak of her Majesty as possessing an immense fund of wit and gieat cultivation. It has just been divulged that her favorite poets are Lopez de Vega, Shskspeare, Motor Hugo, and Alfred de Musset. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF. Another Blockade Uunner Captured. Nuw Yobs, Feb. IT. —' The 6(earner McQKUan, from the mouth of the Mississippi on the Bth, and Key West on the 11th instant, haa arrived. She left at Key West the steamer De Molay, with troops aboard, the gunboats Tioga, Meta, Cornet, and Huntsville; also the prize steamer Cumber* land, captured a few days previous by the De Soto. She had a cargo of ammunition, arms, etc., and was bound from Havana for Mobile when taken. 1; xhe McClellan spoke on the Sth, off the west Foss, the steamer Oahawba, for New Orleans KANSAS. Leavenworth, Feb. n.—Advices from Colonel Phillips l expedition in the Indian Territory state that he penetrated farther into the rebel territory than was ever before reached, and is marching on to Texas with Kansas troops and a loyal Indian bri gade. The rebel General Cooper has his headquaf ten at Wasbua. Oois. Standwaite and Adair are at Austin, Texas. Q,uantrell is at Bonham's, and there are two rebel regiments at Boggy D6p6t» loss of a Western Steamer. Cairo, Feb* 17.—The steamer Imperial, from St, Louis, has arrived, and reports passing tbe steamer Orient, sunk to her hurricane deck in Dog Tooth beDd, twenty miles above here. She struok a snag at half past seven this, morning, and wentMown in ten minutes. Twenty-five or thirty lives are sup posed to have been lost, including the wife of Gapt. Horton, the chambermaid, steward, barber, and the oustom-house officers of the boat* She was laden with Government stores, including eighty horses, all out three of which were lost. The Imperial brought down the surviving passengers. The steamer Continental, from New Otleans, ar rived here this morning with a large cargo of sugar and molasses, for St. Louis, and the Ist Indiana Ar tillery and 47th Indiana Infantry, numbering a thousand veteran volunteers, en route home. The mercury was ten degrees above zero at seven o'clock this morning. Departure of a Massachusetts Regiment* Boston, Feb. 17.— The 32d Massachusetts Regi ment left this afternoon, via Fall River, to rejoin the Army of the At roll-call to day not a single veteran was absent, and a large number of new recruits have strengthened the ranks. The weather to-day has been the moat inclement of tbe season, the thermometer ranging from seven to fourteen degrees above zero, with a piercing northwest wind. - - The gald continues this evening. Fire at Reading. [Special Despatch to The Press. 3 Reading, Feb. 17.—A fire broke out about nine o’clock this morning* The 'Washington House, oc cupied and owned by A. Davis, opposite the Penn* sylvan!a and Reading Railroad DdpOt, entirely de stroying the building with a greater portion of its contents, but by the desperate efforts of the fire de partment the flames were prevented from spreading to the. neighboring buildings, whioh were in great danger, tbe wind blowing very high. The damage will be about ten thousand dollars. NORTH CABOLINA. [Correspondence of the XT. Y. Tribune. 1 Morbhkao City, N. C., Feb. 9.—On the 27th ult., Colonel Jourdan, commanding sub district of Beau fort, made another dash, into Jones and Onslow counties, N. 0., for the purpose of aurprisiog and capturing detachments of cavalry near Swansboro and Jacksonville. He returned on the 29$h, hwiag been entirely successful, the expedition being a com* plete surprise to the rebels. He captured about thirty prisoners (cavalry), including one lieutenant, a large number of horses, arm* and equipments,' and destroyed a large quantity of ammunition, property, &q. His command, consisting of detachments of the 168th New Yoik. 9fh Vermont, 12fch and Mix’s Ca valry, in all about three hundred men, marched about one hundred miles in about fifty hours. He met With no loss whatever. This has been one of the most successful raids that have occurred in this vicinity for some time past. Major General J. J. Peck, who has acquired an honored reputation in resisting sieges, has issued the following order: Gfnbbal Orders No. 16* —Army and District of North Carolina, Newbbbn, tFeb, il, 1864 - No officer will tak6 Me wife or any memberof his faznilv to any of the outposts in North Carolina. No officer or soldier will briag any member of his family into itbe field {without express permission from these headquarters. All officers and soldiers who are living away from their proper commands without special authority, will at onoe join suoh commands. All surplus baggage will be turned over |to the quartermaster's department, in com pliance with orders from army headquarters. The troops must hold themselves In readiness to act offensively or defensively at a moment's notice, by night or by day. The amount of ammunition, sub sistence, clothing, and transportation, as well as the number of spades, shovel*, picks, and axes, will be at once reported by the proper commanders. Commanders of sub-districts, brigades, regiments, and companies, will be held responsible, for the exe cution ol the foregoing. By command of Major General Peck. BENJAMIN B. FOSTER, Asst Adjt Gen. The French Rebel Fleet in China* [Correspondence of the XT. Y. Times ] - Paris, Tuesday, Jan. 26.1864. Tbe Monileur de VArmte. the official military paper of the French Government, contains a paragraph in its it sue of the 21st Inst., which, I am told, was in stiled by superior order, and which.concea.ls, under a simple form, an evil design against the Govern ment of the United States. The paragraph reads thus: u China.—Our private correspondence from Ghtua is to the 12th December. By it we learn that the officers of the English navy who had taken service in the Chinese navy had broken their engagement and left for Bombay, taking with them the war ves sels constructed in the ports of Great Britain on Chinese account. The Chinese Government, in this dilemma, ordered to be bought in America a certain number of gunboats, whioh are to arrive about the middle of I’etrn»ry st Petcbi-li, and whioh are to be used in the blockade of Nankin. It was decided that several other, vessels should be ordered from the private ship builders of Frauce. Among these vessels are tico cuirassedfrigaUs t which are to form the baste of the new Chinese fleet*” The work on the Confederate vessel* at Bordeaux and Nantes and this inoffensive*looking note of the Monileur de VArmSe , is said to he intended to prepare the way for the ,sortic of these vessels when finished. If The vessels, by any successful doi-ge, Bhould get into the hands oi the Confederate agents, the French Government can point to the offi cial arm; paper as having indicated that they were intended for China, and that the Confederates bought and turned them from their original destiaa* tfon* We know that the French Government often adopts this small method for securing its ends, and it may be that this paragraph of the Monileur de VArmie is piinted with the design I have indicated. It is at least worth pointing out and watching. Tlie Danish Army* [From the London Times.] The Monilcar de VArmie publishes a letter from Its correspondent at Copenhagen, dated the 16th inst, •which contains some interesting details relating to the defensive force prepared to resist an invasion of the duchy of Schleswig. The Danish troops con centrated in Schleswig form an effective force of 32,800 men and 6,300 horses. They are under the command of Lieutenant General de Meza, whose headquarters are established at Fiensburg, Softies* wig, according to a census taken by order of Frede rick VII., in 1862, contains a population of 378,000 inhabitants, of which 52,000 are Germans. Its super ficies is 2,250 square leagues. It possesses 13 towns, 14 boroughs, and 200paiishes. Fiensburg, situated on a gulf of the Baltic, is the most important place in tbe duchy. It contains 18,000 inhabitants. The other towns occupied by the Danish troops are Schleswig, Fredcricksoart, Fredericksstadt, Tonningen, Tondern, and Hueem. The Danish line of defence rests on the Eider." This river takes its source in a small lake at about ten miles from Kiel. It traverses several other lakes, and among them the Westen-Sea and Fiemhourde-See, directs its course to the west near Kluvenslok, washes Rendehurg, forms the northern boundary of the German duchies, and falls into the Northern Ocean near Tonniges, after a course of about 60 miles. The Eider being navigable from Kendsburg, as the Danish gunboats oan render great servioe ar* ter the frost disappears. Holstein having been evacuated, and Schleswig alone beirg at present menaced, the Danes have as sembled all their means of defence there. The coun try ia marshy, and contains numerous lakes and run ning streams* It is traversed by a continuous forti fication called the Danuewerk, raised in 1310. and reconstructed some years since. This fortification may be rendered of great service for the defenoeof the country. General de Meza was born on the 14th of January, 1792, and is the oldest general officer of the Danish He entered the service at 16 yean of age, and he has taken part in all the wars in which his country was engaged since that period. According to the last census, which docu ment served as the basis for the establishment of the number of deputies fixed by the Constitution of tbe 18th of November last (the cause of the present difference), the population of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands* amounts to 2.235,006 inhabitants. Its superficies 1b 36,000 square miles* The popula tion of Holstein amounts to 397,000, and the two duchies united, to 775,0C0. Should Denmark lose the two duchies her population would be reduced to less than 2,000,000. XXXVIIItb CONGRESS—Ist SESSION. Washington, Feb. 17, 1664. BBNAT2. Proposed Sole of Mineral Lands. Presents! petitions of citizens °l Eimrisn at! spraying for the sale of the mineral lands of the Rocky country; also, a bill to aid in tfts ccnstnctlonof the Northern aud Central Pacific Rail roads. Referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Abolition, iff- Missouri, offered a joint resolution to abolish slavery throughout the states and Territories. . 7 n P rov ld®? that, from and after the passage of this act, slavery shall not exist in any State or Terri tory, any law or usage, claim or custom, to the contrary notwiths'anaiug. It prohibits all iuvoluafcary set vitud-3, except for cr me. Referred to the select committee oa s.avery and freedmen. L>ands for Orphans of Soldiers. Mr. FOMBROY introduced a hill donating public lands to the several States, for the support and education of the orphan children of soldiers and sailors who may die in the military or naval service of the United States. ® Coinmlttee on Public Lands. This bill donahs the &ame amount of land that was given/or colleges—namely: 30, UOO acres for etch Repre sentative and Senator; one-fourth of the land scriplmay be applied for homesteads for such orphans as desire them. Acceptance within two years, receives the bene fit of the proposed act. Mr. LA NE, of Kansas, introduced a bill to amend an act for a grant ot land to aid In the construction of rail roads and telegzaplis, which was referred to the Com mittee on Fubiic Land?, Report Against tlie Amendment to the Confiscation Act. Mr. from the Judiciary Committee, re ported bacK, ad versely, the resolutions in amendment of tho joint resolution explanatory of the confiscation act, Which Cassedthe House February fith. Mr. JOHXfSoii also, from the same committee, re ported bsck, adversely, the bill of Mr. Bumuer, to re- Co 2 B tractl°u of the joint resolution explanatory of the confiscation act, and to declare that fetich resolution shell not be construed to create any other restriction on the lorfeiture of the reU estate of au °.?f n .« B sri!? r^ e . Ba i^. act * than is created by the Con stitution of the United states in the case of an attainder of treason. General McClellan’s Report. Mr. AJSTHOIfY, from the Printing Committee, report ed back the resolution to print 10,000 copies of McUiei .aii b Report w “h at amendment reducing the number to 5,000. - The resolution &b amended was adopted. Kqual Pay to Soldiers. The bill equalizing the pay of Soldiers in the Unite l |utes Army being under consideration. Mr. DaViS nf r * Bl9rk ' tlw Rcmnikg of Mr. Garrett Davis He *aid, though the writ of habeas corpus was sus pended, it didnot suspens the trial which every citizen has a right to under the Constltutimand the laws. The ' r «!!^? , rt£+v? lft fi CUOllaoa £ responsibility topro a,\4*r their Constitutions, and required that certain condition*, whiehwereab horent to the Juniority of the people of these States, should be complied with before tbe State shall ba Unlo n- The re-election of tha the ***tia Interrupted. as he Kttew ine g o “se WM W.arr With his talk.ca/tK th® God’s trutkf? he was tired of .it faun: ell tUfoai referred to a meeting held at one IWme to Kaieacbmetts, at whieh resolutions were passe t in citing the terroes of the South to revolt agaiE't their maatere. The Senator from Massachusetts tools a Promi nent x art in that metting, aid vet did nofcr*ieea word of objection against each an outrageous proposition. Mr. WILSON eaid he was at t*e meeting as a spec tator. Mr. DAVIS proceeded at great length in denunciation of the course of Massnchuoeets Btnce thegfo'seationof the Federal Government, and made some satirical alia iiors to her Senators on the Senate floor at this time. He said the mUittuy Senator (Mr. Wilson) had attempted to hull* and domineer over those who were his peers on this floor Mr. WILSON called Mr. Davis to order. The f'HAJB sustained the question of order. Mr DOOLITTLE thouifat the whole tenor of the te marks ofthe Kentucky were calculated t ) create personal strife. He should either oall the Senator frr-zn Kentucky »o order or leave the Senate, as he would not sit in big teat and listen to there personal attach. 'ibtT WGJ6 JOtonlj out of order,hut beneath i the dignity of the Senate- The time of the Senate was too giredons to be wasted m nersonei vituperation-. Mr JOBNSON arreel with the Senator from Wlwou sin li st much of what had been eald by the henator from Ke> tucky was productive of nothing but mischief. Mr. WiL-ON hoped the Senator from Kenlucky woaid he allowed to conclude his remarks, they n> MrsnMsEKhHd never mate any *a«h allusion to tbo Senator from Kentucky, and he was wuling that t* should proceed in his attacks against him until dooms day. . Mr. Davis then concluded hie remarks. Mr. Siunncr’s Hew Amendments Abolishing Slavery. Mr SUMNER offered amendments to the floastUutiou of the United States as a substitute for thoss reported by Mr. Trumbull from the Judiciary Committee, a few days ago. and t sfc ed that they might be made the special order lor Monday next. Mr fcomner’a amenemf uta are as follows: I'irst, The re shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude an-* where in the United States, or within the jurisdiction )hereof, otherwise than in punishment for crin e; and that may make all laws necaswtry and proper to eftfriceita prohibition. Second To strike out the third paragraph of the second tection of the fourth article of the Constitution, except the words “excluding Indians not taxed,’’ to that The who) e clause shell read: * * Reprasenttui ves and diifct taxes shall be apportioned among 'be several States of the Union according to their number. excluding Indians not taxed. *• Third. To elriko out from the third paragraph, second section, fourth article Of the Coaatitatiun. ths “No person held to service or labor in one afcats under the laws thereof, and escaping into another, shall, tu consequence ofafiy law or refutation thenjln, be dis charged from such service or labor, but shall be de livered up on the claim of (he parly to whom such ser* vice or labor xnav he due.” On motion of Mr. HALE, the Senate went into execu tive session,, and shortly afterwards adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Mr. HOoVJCfi. from the Committee of Ways aui Meats, asked leave to introduce a joint resolution au thorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to. sell any suTpluß of gold in the treasury. re*ohuion C< ° f ohio * ot -i ectecl to the introduction of the . ?*. r : of 4 lowa,; introduced a bill to grant st> 5 t> * 0W j . to xs eT t? in railroads heretofore provided i*?? 4 ! 10 the Committee on Public Land* ThU is lntexded to insuxe a speedy completion of the Miasia fijppi-and Missouri Railroad atro&s lowa to Omaha, con n* ctTug with the Union Pacific Railroad at that point. wii I S/?S o *9r on to be reportpd by Mr. Hoopor Kfaiffv?;? providesthat ttj o Secretary of the Treasury i2 r^®4 f ro *P * llne *° time. at his discretion. to sell < ? 1 . u in the treasury over and above the amount Simt required by the Govern- Oll the public debt, and for other re B \ v ! consent to the introduction to know how much gold is in ]~e ?hat is the object of Belling at thta time, and what wil he the effect of selling a large amount of gold upon cornibprce and exchange at this time? Would ijyetemf™ Ac tffect of c °avulBingtha whole commercial Vi Xl J 4ia “a. objected to the resolu little wi y iie ff s ld wUI briaß a hiiher price after a w??L,SA S £ 01 *' of lowa j fluid the demands of the Go vernment for payment in gold had brought into the treasury so large an amount of coin as to embara?* regu lar-merchants in obtaining gold to dischfrgS thir lta bUities. Ibis has caused a rise m the price of gold in tre market, and had placed the GoveruWt (t 5 use a technical term) in the position of tie Principal l “ b? 3 ” I'Hleee the Secretary th all be authorized torelieve this t 2 0 prirff orVoia! a 8 ‘ the tff “‘ wiU iJSa&TSSR™ *“ W , BW York were half a million in gold. So. from day. to day, as importations c< me in, the want of gold and the facilities of the mer chants for obtaining it diminish. It was roVthis reason too Committee of Ways and Means, while believing it not ntcesi a* y for the treasury to relieve itself of the an* ti« am.iuut or su'd oa hand, had prepaid tU B «?olS t on anthoiiztng the Secretary of the TwwmVfroiß tlin« tot-me, as the anrplnu will al( ow , to e«U gold to meet the legitimate and constant demands Imposed by .The price of Ko’d yesterday reached a hundred and 8 iiy*ODo. The h&iaiice now in the treasury beyond the wants of the Government, Is eight or tea millions of do*Jars. Mr. BROOKS, of New York, said the bill was of great importance, and should not be hurriedly parsed. The Secretary has control of all the paper money of the coun try. end is a great rag baron, Mr. KASSON. of lowa, aeked that the resolution should he permitted to b 6 reported to-day and considered to-muTTovr; hut an objection was made from the Opposi tion side. Thanks to Veteran Regiments. Mr. FAHNhWphTH,.of Illinois, introduced the follow ing joint resolution: St it ii€solved.&e. « That the thanks of CongeeßS are hereby given to those noble and brave men who, having alreauy bo gallantly endured the hardships Bnd perils of war for more than two y*ars in support of their country and n&g. present the sublime Bpectacle of again volunta rily enrolling tbejn&elvee )n the army of the Union for a ? 1 taree years’ campaign, or ho long as the war snail continue. Second, That the Secretary of War may cause this re ? to be read to each of the veteran regiments which have re-enlisted, or thnll re-enlist, in both the volunteer and egular tones cf the United States - The resolution was unanimously passed without de bate. Mhssachufettfl’ Representative. M*- DAWES, of Massaclinseits, from the Committee on flections, reported resolutions declaring that John rL £ is not entitled to a s«?at as Representative from -he Ji bird CongTesgional district of Massachuaettz, and thatA.esftnder H Rice, is entltkd to tie seat. Bureau-of Freedmen’s Affairs. The resolutions were ordered to be printed, and the House resumed the consideration of the bill to establish a bureau of freedmen s affairs. Mr. Cox’s Opinions. Mr. COX, pf Ohio after discussing its constituUonalUy and humanity, staled that he could not support eo novel, fe\reeping, aud revolutionary a scheme as ostab lishiiig an eieemosj riarv ays l era f.-vr blacks by the Fede ral Government, and making the Government a planta tion speculator and overseer. He held that the highest humanity was adherence to the Constitution We are invoked to look the fact in thfe &ce that millioni more of slaves will be freed who are unfit for freedom and need care. This is too true- We cannot, bv shutting our eyes, v ignore the fact He accepted events, aad he gdvlfed tie humanity of New England, fatt«»nifl* upon Western toil, to do its pirt in saving the slaves so im providently freed If slavery be doomed, thentaeco - flici will be between black and white, and no longer between slavery and freedom. No system like this can save the slave, rionewrybtem of miscegenation. Which l-i but Hi oth sv u&m- for amalgamation,and which ia being urged by ibohtiomstfi. and to establish which a? a tys tf m no doubt we shell soon have a bureau, will save tbee:avp. - The Northern Democracy are rot responsible fur h r s Wbiio we never were pre-slavery, we were for non intervemlon. Slavery may be crushed ontes the war Roes on, bm so will the slave. Ifalavery bad to die. good men would have prepared the slave to be saved, and that it should have been by ibe enforced action of ibe States not by the rough, usages of war aad the bass usurpations of power. For this condition of the slave the dominant party 5s responsible. In striking at slavery they have strode down locai liberty, of which the Northern Democracy are the charDpiers They have marrea the perfection end perilled the endurance of bur political fabric. For this they must am wer next fall. No more cry of pro slavery democracy The issue will be the old order, with Democracy to administer or continued revolution with ?Fi^wt S teniDg, not to our distinguished friend from uehum^ce^^Sughter 0 ] br ' bat binds Mr. WA6HBUBNK further read from Mr. Cox’s book, making ccmmeats as be proceeded, and referred to the patsage id which it said copies of the sermon of the cltt* bnt an opportunity wu not Thanks to Major General’Thomas. The Honse took np tli9 Senate joint resolution of i hooks to Major General Georee Thoma. and the offlcVrs Snl n, Mr' l G* i pyrei o n 1 of a n'i, at thc bl o' J . e «Jhickamingn lnclnd9 tbe ™ 9 gtSm- . f ARNSWO hTH thought thanks to that offiier ought to be provided for in aseparate resolution.* Carfleld’s Tribute 10 den. Roiecraus Mr, GARFIELD eald tbat the thanks of Congress had Sf chc i 9p e T M Wme was when tha aka wej*i Of the Bill i The bill passed as fallows; ; Be It InT 06e *K5tS!L if necessary- with the “aim road or its branchOi. i # croes other ra lrvade at grade. •jJ acrofcs ihe river Delaware, and to !J ithat if* rt ad with any railroads now or that bet eufter be constructed in the vicinity in toe stats <»; New Jeuey; Provided. That in so do mg the cavUi.U, of ibe Delaware shall not b« Injured, and that erecting taid bi idge concurred legislation in "BW Jer^j shall Hist he obmined. . , aaetlon of m. Sf.o. S That the provisions of the fifth section or ii act to which this is a supplement hew and hereby, ex ended, so a» to embrsM> *}• rjuroaa *an branches, aud the bridges heMbyprovlded #omnau» Ia Seo 4. That it* hall be lawfnl tor wmpauy increase their capital stock from exceuruS amount an may bo necessary P or to he expended in the «ons#hc«io» of toelr wort-, n j iißpmcniest, wticb. have been or may o . jj □I he Camden anti Atlantic, and R'vvlUu-u . Delaware B»f Knilrt*®,. Mr. SMITH, of Philadelphia, offered the follow es Waxeuas, It Is well known that the fhoimj-, r, )r the transportation of troops and munitions oi war V#l twet-n Washington and the Northern and Baßtem filainn are entirely inadequate; aud «« «» - Whtrmfi. One of 1 1 e railroad cmntjanieai In■ s*y is now endeavoring, by a suit at I^wSSiSSK 1 ard and R&ntau and. Delawaro b4r Railroads, to take up tbotr ralu-, and refund money rv> ccived forcarryingtro?p«i and _.v AW dlu WfurenB> Tbeto companies did great serricft wneo chj CBpiral was threatened by the r«bel tosions. by vam* ait their avaitabJe means at the of the uenary 1 important that all aT^*Eitf /Sl* and should be left open to their faiiau e3 Jß?olmws, r ThS*our Senators Congress are reqnes td to urge npeu Congress e . sure* as wiil open the read, already built, a* J M-l route, andmtit the man-feet exigencies ( »r (he 'Bengal Government- and that a copy of the sam.o heiorwaraM to our senators and members m Cengross inn <*o The above reto-ution was, on motion of Mr. BAKU-n»K. rererted to the Committee on Federal Relations, Bills Intrmluctt.' ' 1 Mr. BLIHE, an set relative to the Hanover Br»»»t Mr. JJEHT.ET, an act Incorporating the Mewor anl Bntter Railroad Hompany. . Mr. BILLINGFBLft an ac. Incorporating the EphraU and Lancaster Railroad. „ . 1-V i« Mr BECK, an act relative to tho Philadelphia Ofii) U*ocompany to appropriate grßOgrl f °Mrf COCHBaN. an act relative to certain evidence u C °lt r was agreed to consider a bill sertamed by the rebel raid at a special, eejjri oll * to "# held on Wednesday evening next at 7 H ° €s®**; _ , . Mr. SUITE IN. an act to exempt the Penosyivaniit Frankfordeni Hornes construction of anew railroad from oaiumorD w T??w»e “Mr°. n GKABER. an act to pay bounties to poldlers i» Schnvlklll county. Passed. Adjourned. Public Entertainments, The German Opera.— “ J,a Dame Blanche" was euog again at the Academy laat evening, and tvsa even more succeseful aa a rendering than belore. It la quite a pleasure to hear eo good a voice as Her mann,’. It 1, rich, broad, and nonoroui, and wo hope to hear him in opera* where It* qualities nitllie better teated. Meadames Johanneea and Prederioi,. and Herr Habelmann, who aang the beautiful air la the third ast with apecial good taate and feolieg,' were generally applauded. Walk tit- :-tkkrt Trbatrb. —We havefreqiiCAtly adverted to the faults and excellences of Mita West, em’e repreaentatlon of Lady Isabel Anil Madame Vit w, and have likewise complimented her upon the very evident improvement* which mark her present sea iron. Yet it aeema inevitable that the more she advance* the more ahe retrogrades, and that tho larger the audience ahe draw* the leas ehc really gives them in return. We believe that ahe is very energetic and' painstaking, and that ahe is aontor. entious in endeavoring to please. But in some re spect* her coneienoe needs enlightenment. We have ao olten reprimanded her for the absurd manner in which the aing, “ Then you’ll remember me,” that we give up ‘ reprimanding aa a bra job. Mies Weatern, though ahe haa improveii -In her rendition ot the »ong, eeems totally beyoa i redemption past the point of acceptability she has now reached. But the principal fault which wo ad vert to la that ol lengthening out or curtailing her performance at ber own pleaaure. According to her humor, ahe dismisses her audience at hair-pisi ten or eleven o’clock, or an hour after. Perceiving that one judicioualy-acted point takes ahe ttrlves to increase the artillery of applause by stretching the scene to its farthest tension. For instance, In the dinner-ordering acene with Mia. Comcy, sn,« Western, instead ot rendering it amusing, makes it stupid and extravagant. In the earlier nights of her engagement her acting did not have this fault. Lady Isabel would never have been so stupid as to have dwelt for nve mtnntes upon the possi bility of a whole cow’s being ordered for dinner : Miss Western interpolates and stretches out this scene beyond endurance. She plays and trilles with her Indulgent audience, and makes pause, one minute and a half in length for the display of what she considers beauties, Again, when she asks her husband whether he thinks Barbara Hare a prsity girl, she ruined the whole scene by her own acting, She shrugged and pouted without uttering one sin gle word, for one minute and three-quarters, by the watch. Again, in BpeaUing with Lord bit. .S'guwa ia relation to Sfi> Frarcis Liuisen, she dwelt upon lire point of Lady ML Severn's partiality for the la'ter, -more'than Mrs. Wood’s novel would ever have war ranted, and presented the lady in the light or too prudent wife, and Lord ML Severn in IhaTo! a sutpioioua cuckolded husband. Neither the novel or the play admits of this. Occasionally she ir :v miso In giammsr, and exclaim, every night in role, tion to Sir Ftancis, "not a very bad man he cannot Still, takir g Miss Western altogether she has m»\eri' ally improved. She possesses the quality or tv lai ii called throwlrg one’s self into a character. We us sure that the faults which we hgve reluctantly d.vcit upon are wearying to the audience: and we think, if they were corrected, Miss Western would cons/ii date her reputation. She will probably appear raj soon in new plays. Arch- stkebt Theatre, “ Diadeste, or the Veiled Lady,” was last night presented for the first time in Philadelphia. The plot seems to turn upon a sort of philopena pasiion of Celena (Miss Eichlngs), which, in the last scenes, puts to rest the suspioiCDß of her jealous husband, the Marquis Man* fndi (Mr. W. J. Hill), and bring* together in happy betrothal Countess Amatji (Mrs. W. ,T. Hill) sad Count Steno (Mr. Edward Seguin). As the opera was presented last night, one or two|very pleasing pss< •ages had ample opportunity to elicit applause. These were confined to the singing, and, we might add, the acting of Miss Richings. In our opinion she is the only member of the troupe whom It Is worthwhile sitting a couple of hours tojhear. Her acting was very chaste, very correct, excessively ladylike. Too much so. And yet she threw iut» the character as much warmth and coloring as she is capable of. Her stDging was very ohartuing. The duet with Manfredi, “Diadeste, charming game I”, was dlliciously rendered on the part of Miss Etchings, and theexqulsite solo in the second act was sung with such sympathy and sweetness that it is a miracle how it escaped an encore • Tee opera opened with a chorus, and with some sort of a medley song by Zambo (Mr. H. Peakes), of which all that was intelligible was the refrain, ••Break your head.” Zambo afterwards favored the audi ence with ‘'Ohuokabeo !” or something which was pronounced very much like it. Fossibly the pro nunciation was Italianized, and oooutringl unex. pectedly in English opera, seemed etranger than it would otherwise have done. The members ot tha Etchings Opera Troupe, In this opara at least, are not worth lurther individualization. The audience felt this, and was. correspondingly small. Compared with the audiences whioh hsva lately thronged the other theatres, it was beautifully diminutive. This in some measure acoounled foe the coldness which marked the reception of the whole performance, or possibly the bare Walls anil comfortless appearance of the house infected the audience with a coldness whioh was enhanoed by tbe harsh weather without. It would indeed bB a pity for the Arch to lose prestige, for the- manage ment has struggled hard. Furthermore, Miss Bich ings herself, apart from the members of her troupe, deserves a success which it must be confessed the audience of last evening did not give much promise of coßfirmi&g. CnESTKOT. STHEBT Tbeatrk.—“ The Tlcket-of. Leave-Man” has not yet received from the public hi* ticket df departure. Mr. Grover has presented this attractive play so well, that the theatre is crowded nightly. The Saemgeebubd Grand Annualßallls an nounced to take place on Monday evening, February acd, at both saloon, of the National Guards* Hall, and the members of this celebrated society, undee the direction of their leader, Mr. Carl Gaertner, will add to the pleasure of the evening by performing tho comic opera of the “ Incognita,” by H. Hippie. Tha opera begins at S o’olook, anil admission for one gen tentleman and two ladies to the entire entertain meat is announced at one dollar. TheMorrts MiNßTn.ai.B— This famous band of minstrels are playing a short star engagement at Con cert Ban They have drawn iarge ZtaoS and gentlemen to that place. The Hall is not very well adapted to such displays, because m ™ tors rise from their seats in order to see and thus the Vision of those to the rear i, directly ob“ruotcil. The staging should be raised several feet then ail could eee. The Minstrels as nartoJi™** ,aea * 1 nal, and loss objectionable thaif anv nrhl* ol1 ®*" they avoid all allusion to political programme of entertainments Is enttoall for the remainder of the week. Ewies iL men fond of a pleasant entertainment for an^!^!”' “If fail to *>*7 the Mo ' rt * Mlnstrei. at lease Mb. Mubcooh gave the first of a course dr .-i and Scriptural reading, on Tuesday eventog witu unqualified success. The sacred classic. a new intereat and effect from Mr. Murdoch’s eloouant and Intelligent expression. To-night, at the J Fund H.ll, he will givehl. second Madtag The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, will deliver at the Academy of Music, Monday, Feb 29t0 National Circus The testimonial tawT“ h lVe “ thU ® Venln « to and Mr,. Whi“ taker-has been postponed until next Thursday eve n,n B> in consequence of » death in their family Father? DErGo »« l CARPETS of i^q u «M e S I the^ dPl * rtl#Ul " attentio “ 1 060 packseeiMuifvi oatber *> *°‘i embracing about and loto 01 “fioloeand desirable stapla worsteds llnen *> cottons, woollengf losna f d * Uk *> *° be peremptorily sold by eata. month.’ credit, and part for e.to; U < Tbur »U»y) and Friday mornings, h« l9tb ’ ** precisely ten o’clock, to a Mv^^ij he U^**t part of 6aob d »y> by • Toh " ket sheet, 00,1 auotlonee ™i Nos. 232 and KU M»r, Auction Notice.—Sale of 1.500 oabbs Boors and Shoes.—The attention of buyers is called to the I"l B “ dat . tfaoa ™ .«»!«of oases boots, shoes, brogans, balQonl*, cavalry boots, fcc„ to he aoia by , , Ofifißi for cash, this morning, commencing at to o dock precisely, by Philip Ford A Co., auctioneers, »* their store, Nos, 625 Market and 632 Oommaro* treat.