Dr p,atietti an. Oca. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28,1862. 1.1. Messrs. MATHER & ABBOTT, No. 335 Broadway, New-York, are duly authorized to act for us in soliciting advertisments, and receipt for the same. tEr Forney's Press of Tuesday morn ing, speaking of the resignation of Mr. Seward and Mr. Chase, says : "The late occurrences in Washington, involv ing the• resignation of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, have been very much misrepresented by designing men with a view to dishearten the friends of the country and unite its enemies. Whatever may have led to the course of these ministers, we feel certain that their_compliance with the wish of the President is the best evi dence of their patriotism and the ab sence of truth in the absurd stories that have been overburdening the news paper press for the last four days.-- Those who regarded these resignations as the begining of the long-looked-for political revolution that was to destroy the Administration and bring the sym pathizers with the rebellion into power will see in the action of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury a disappointment of their treasonable hopes. We are told that there was a Senatorial caucus, and elaborate reports of such a meeting have been published. We cannot, of course pretend to Com ment upon any action that was,secret to the public, and therefore secret to us, and it would be unjust for us to as sume any of the hundred rumors floating around as the ground for any opinion. This much we will- say, however : The Senators are the advisers of the Execu tive. They were perfectly justified in recommending any course of action to him that seamed to serve the public welfare. It was a recommendation, and nothing more; and it was treated with proper and careful attention by. the President and his Cabinet. He might accept their advice or decline it, for as the Executive power, his own wiltwas absolute. Those whoknow the Pres ident's sincerity, and his desire io serve the cause, will regard his action with pleasure, while all who have the good of the country:at heart, and desire the suc cess of the Administration as the means of doing good, will welcome the an nouncement of this morning as grati fying evidence of its stability and har mony, and its desire to sink all minor differences, and push on the war to a speedy and triumphant close. MILITARY GOVERNOR OF FLORIbA.---A delegation of Congressmen headed by Vice President Hamlin have presented to President Lincoln a petition of loyal 'Floridians that Eli Thayer be made ALL tary Governor of Florida, with author ity to enlist and take to his command 20.000 emigrants of a fighting breed. The-petition was endorsed by 134 mem bers of Congress, and General Hunter's certificate of approval. The President gave the subject most favorable atten ion, and promised speedy action. ifir Dr. John W. Wallace (Rep.) will contest the election to Congress of Gen. Jesse Lazier in the Greene, Washing ton, Beaver, and Lawrence district, Pa. Samuel Shellabarger, of the Seventh district of Chip, will contest the seat Of S. S. Cox. Several of the Democrat. is candidates in W eaten/ • States, who were defeated•by the soldiers vote, pro pose to contest. The frigate United States sunk in Norfolk Navy-yard when that place was evacuated by our forces, has been raised and men are now at work on the new sloop, Cumberland, which was slunk by the Merrimac. No doubt the whole will be raised, including the Merrimac herself. or The Grand Jury of Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, have instructed the District Attorney to present to them for indictment at their next session, on the 4th of January next, all persons who shall then be engaged in circulating or issuing shinplasters of any character. sir In New London, on Thanksgiving morning, a,man , by the name of Farrel after making fire, went up stairs to tell his wife that everything - was in readiness for cooking the thanksgivinggoose. He found his wife sitting np in bed dead. - Or A. petition has been presented to the British Parliament, praying for a Change in the present mode of dividing the day into two divieions of twelve bours each, and, in its stead, count the hours from one to twenty-four. ser Gen. Scott's letter to the Old Pnl Functionary oreated quite a sen s*itiii in *gland. The London Times prouonuces its author the "Wellington of Ar4jOica." ar Th ere ut tee be eo change in the Valifeet.. PEN, PASTE AND SCISSORS, In the Brooklyn Navy Yard seven thousand men are now employed. The pirate Sumpter is to be sold at auction, in Gibraltar. the "290" had a narrow escape from capture by the San Jacinto, near Martinique, and is at large. Rev. T. W. Higginson, of Worcester, Mass., has accepted the Colonelcy of the Ist South Carolina Colored Regiment. Democrats in Congress are taking up most of the time in offering resolutions to embarrass the administration. It 19 contemplated returning to their churches all the houses of worship used as hospitals at Washington, this month— hospital buildings having been erected. Congress has granted excisemen the power to administer the oath to persons paying taxes and making monthly and other returns under the War Tax Laws. Provost guards have been out in the counties of Pennsylvania, hunting up and sending to camps many deserters and stragglers. Daniel Mosteller, a respected farmer of West Hemlock Tp., Montour Co., giv. log way to despondency on account of some troubles, has committed the aw ful crime °flanging himself in his barn. Cotton is arriving quite freely at Col umbus, By., by rail, Within one month past about 14,000 bales have reached Cairo, Minas, en route to a Northern market. Two hundred negroes returned with 'General Hovy, twenty-five of whom, he found chained in a cane-brake. It seems now, that owing to the rapid re. treat of the rebels, there is not likely to be Any:serious battle in Mississippi. The McDowell Court-Martial haE! ev ery appearance of ending in his entire innocence of the charges made against him. One of the principal charges were drunkenness ; but strange to say he is shown to be a "total abstinence man 7" The West Virginia House of Repre sentatives have passed resolutions ask ing Senator Carlisle to resign, on the ground that he has not fulfilled his pledg es, and shown hiniself sufficiently in fa vor of putting down the Rebellion. Remember that the Law requiring: stamps to be placed upon Notes, Drafts, Bonds, &c., is in full force. No instru 7 . ment of writing upon which a stamp is required by this law, is valid unless a stamp is placed upon it. Rev. Arthur B: Fuller, Chaplain of the 16th * Mass., was among the first to cross the river at Fredericksburg and was kill ed in the act. He was a brother of Mar garet Fuller, and was the "A. B. F." correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune. Four of the "greatest" European sur geons were called in to see Garribaldi's anele. Two of them said the ball was still in it, and two said it was not.— Late arrivals say the ball has been taken out of the ancle, and he is now improv ing. A man in Albany city issued • four thousand dollars in shinplasters. Threat ened with the law, he began to call them in, and, after redeeming five thousand he repudiated the remainder declaring it "a poor, mean business—the counterfeits eat up more than the profits." He suf fers and so do the poor holders. Rev. I. 0. P. Baker, of a Lutheran church in Allegheny county, has died from mortification and amputations re sulting from a felon begining at the second joint ti the fore finger of the right hand. The French Empress is getting to be more and more of a devotee, greatly to the disgust of her liege lord and imperi al husband. Her latest, demonstration in this direction ti said to be the ex pression of the determination to go to Rome in the .spring. to pais Passion Week. A recent meeting of the Associated Press of New York appointed a-commit tee to invite proposals for a supply of printing'paper for five years. This action is likely to have some effect. A propo sal has already been received from a par ty to supply at a large reduction from current prices. Gov. Letcher, of Virginia, has found a sober interval long enough , to write a letter to the Richmond Examiner, in reply to a report that he and Fernando Wood were cooking up some peace ne gotiations. -Letcher says he don't know Wood, never saw him, and shouldn't know him if he saw him. Wood's char acter is such that even a drunken rebel won't own him as an acquaintance. Negroes in great numbers are coming into Gen. Grant's lines, bringing horses mules and wagons. They are set to work ginning and baling cotton. They receive wages-for their labor, and, it is said, do twice the work they perfoirmed as slaves. There is every indication that if the masters were well disposed, the transition from the system of invol untary labor to paid labor would be mach easier than may have supposed, and in stead of being injurious to their masters would be highly beneficial. Acdording to General Burnsid e ' s report-tbe• killed at F!ederickeburg only amounted Co 1152 - end the wounded' Omit 8000. % " • •-v• - )taTITE Comm RUMORS : It is ascertained that. the Senators who met in caucus last week were pledged to keep their proceedings secret, excepting to the President, and this they did with more success than usually attends such delib erations. the Secretary of State, how ever, soon beard of the proceedings, and he promptly , tendered hie resignation.— On Friday night the committee from the caucus again visited the President, and remained with him and all the members of the Cabinet (Secretary Seward•alone being absent) for more than four hours. The next day by noon Secretary Chase sent in his resignation, not merely as a matter of form. It is not known that there was any objection to him on part of the caucus. Reports are current, bikt which cannot be 'verified, Unit all of the members of the Cabinet have - resigned. However this may be, it is believed that none of them will, in the least, embarrass the Executive in the choice of their suc cessors. While aline of the Senators insist that all of them shall be undoubt ed Republicans, othera are content to liave the entire matter in the hands of the President, so that he may act as best to serve the Country in itfi present circumstances. Senator Fessenden and D. S. Dickin son of New York are the most promi nent, among others, named for Secretary of State, and the belief is entertained that, the former will soon be tendered the appointment. Speaker grow will probably be ten dered a Secretaryship. Many of his friends seem to regard this as nearly certain. It appears that at the caucus meeting on Monday night, Senator Sumner offer ed a resolution declaring that the Re publican senators lacked confidence iu Mr. Seward, and in delicate yet definate terms requesting the President to dis pense with his services, but at another meeting on Thursday evening, a substi tute for the original resolution was unan imously adopted, recommending the President to remodel his cabinet. Mr. Seward has set the exampel. For some time past Mr. S's friends have predicted his withdrawal, and it is now rumored that if he reraains in the Cabinet at all a change must be made in the War De partment and:that Gen. McClellan must be substituted for Gen. flalleck. linclkcommotion has been produced in consequence of :the rumor that a:full reconstructictn of thetCabinet has been determined on. Various prominent men_ from the North are spoken of for the new Cabinet. Here is one : Secretary of State, Charles Sumndr, " ""Treasury , Rob't J. Walker, " " War, Ginn. N. P. Banks, 11 Navy, Joseph Holt, These rumors are without any actual foundation, althOugh it is known that Mr. Chase will certainly be elected to the United States Senate from Ohio, and that he is anxious to be relieved from the • arduous duties of his present posi sion. He has not been mixed upin•the exciting Cabinet imbrOlio, and the reputed reconstruction of the Cabinet is more the result of wisher than a state ment of fact. It will turn out that - the facts are simply these : Mr. Seward and Mr. Blair, convinced that the 're moval of Gen. McClellan from the po sition of General in Chief was an error, and anxious to repair the wrong thus done, and to avert further disaster to the Federal arms, have insisted that there shall be a change in _ the War Department:, and that McClellan shall be restored to the position of General in Chief. The cositest is simply be tween Mr. Seward and Mr. Blair on one side, and Mr. Stanton and Gen. Halleck on the other. Mr.. chase is also . spoken of for Secretary Of State .and IfOrace.Greely for Postmaster General. W. P. Fessenden is also spoken of for Seward's place. GEL BURNSIDE.— In the battle of Fredericksburg, on Saturday, the gal lant Cotemander•in:Chief was nearly the whole day under fire, directing in person the various opetations. Wherever he made his appearance and was recognised he was received with simultaneous bursts of the warmest enthusiasm. He is , the highest degree popular with hi s army. . The troops have the greatest confidence in him, and he in his brave boys. He has a'stupendous task before. him ; but that he will perform it well and decisively, we feel an abiding as surance. fed' A member of a Border State cemmittee, appointed by a recent cam: cue! states that, in the interview with the President a few days since, he in formed them that, as to the emancipa= Lion proclamation, =he had acted from the firm belief it would effect good re sults ; but that if he could be convince d to the contrary, he would modify , his po sition upon that subject, his purpose be ing to do.the best he could -under all the circumstances which_surround shim. Cr General Burnside has been in Washington. He has held consultations with the %President, Secretary of War, and Commander-in-Chief. He reports the army in excellent fighting condition ; has every confidence in its -efficiency, ;and is anxious as ever-to assume and illeintaih^ the offensive.` • THE DEATH OF GENERAL BAYARD.-A letter from the battle-field to the New York World, says : "Your correspon dent was an eye-witness to the mortal wound of Gen. Bayard. It occurred abort 3 P. M., at Gen. Franklin's head quarters, in the rear of the line of battle of General Smith's corps, and within a few feet stood both General Franklin ane General Smith, and a dozen other officers. Gen: Bayard was sitting at the foot of a large tree, when the enemy suddenly opened a brisk artillery fire upon one of our batteries, and their shell fell in that vicinity very rapidly, tearing up the ground, cutting the trees, and killing horses. - In a moment a shell struck at the very point where General Bayard was sitting, nearly severing his leg at the thigh. He was at once removed to the Bernard House Hospital, his wound examined and pro nounced mortal. He lived perfectly conscious until about 8 P. M., when he died: He dictated three letters during the afternoon, one to Col. Colborn of Gen. M.cOlellan's staff, and one to his affianced bride, to whom he was to be married-on the 18th of this month. He received a number of friends daring the afternoon and evening, and his mind was as - cool,and as placid as in the moments of .brilliant health. GO. BaYard was twenty-eight years of age. eir The Attorney General has just delivered his 'Opinion on the qnestion, "Are colored men citizens of the United States ?" The facts on which it is based are stated as follows - : "The schooner Elizabeth and Margaret, of New Bruns wick, is detained by the revenue cutter Tiger at Perth Amboy, N. J., because commanded by a colored man, and so by a person not. a citizen of the United States. As colored masters are numer ous, in onr coasting trade, I submit to you the question suggested by Captain Martin, of the Tiger, 'Are colored men citizens of the 'United States, and there fore competent to command American vesseli ?' As some incorrect statements have gone forth in regard to this opin ion, we give the chief paints. 'The Con stitution does not define the word "citi zen," so the Attorney General examines history ant the civil law, from the days of Herne down, for its meaning. His conclusion is that all free persons, with out distincti in of race or color, if native foorn, are citizens. A. distinction is made between the inherit rights of citi zens and the political privileges of cer tain classes. All citizens have a right to protection, but certain classes enjoy the privileges of voting and holding of fice. Hitherto, not only the public, but jurists, have often confounded the two. A child or a woman is a citizen, though not always privileged . to vote or hold of fine. The papers conclude as follows : "And now, upon the whole matter, I give it as my opinion that the free man of color mentioned in your letter, if born in the United States, is a citizen of the United States, and, if otherwise quali fied, is competent, according to the acts of Congress, to be master of a vessel engaged in the coasting trade." , ;Er Mrs. Lucy Baker, the mother of the late distinguished Senator and sol dier, General E, D. Baker, - died on the 12th inst., at the residence of her son, Dr. Alfred G. Baker, U. S. A., Barry, Illinois. Mrs. Baker was a' native of England, and a sister of Admiral Dick erson, of the royal navy,; although at the time of her death she was in her eighty-fifth year, was remarkable still for her energy of character, and the po ssession of a taste and ability in refer ence to Matters of art that was truly wonderl'l;li. In-all matters pertaining to the politics of the country at large she was thoroughly versed; and her conver sations and suggestions in reference to passing events were at once original and profound. ,iter The Historical Society of New England, on hearing of the general send ing of old books And pamphlets to the paper manufacturers, by persons wishing to realize the good prices now paid for such matter, held a meeting in Boston on Wednesday, and voted that every Member be requested to visit paper mills where practicable, and that agents should be appointed for the same pur pose, M order that old papers, pamphlets and other documents which might prove of historical interest might be saved.— . Some very important documents come to light at the paper mills. Ur Soldiers to the Rescued—Young men, rushing into the exposures and dangers of a Soldier's life, should pre pare themselves for the fatal Fevers, the Dyseutary, the Scurvy, which are al- most certain to follow. Holloway's Pills used occasionally during the campaign, will insure sound health to every man.— Only 25 cents per Box. 21.4 A. disease called the " Black Tongue" is prevailing extensively among the home belonging to - the army , in the vicinity _of Washington city. The tongue turns black, swells to an *min. nmus size, so that the horse affectetlby it is unable to eat. The disetse is very. difficult to be cured. sir General Butler cornpeler.the Epis , copal Clergy of New Orleans to pray for the President of the United States. But . it is likely that'compelled - Prayers will do old Abe'but little`good f ' Col. Tom Ford, the non-hero of Harper's Ferry, is out with a written attempt to defend himself. His pen isn't much mightier than the sword, which might as well be a wooden one. He calls the report of the Commission that condemns him "a sad mixture of truth and falsehood," and says that these words of his "are deliberately weighed and measured.", We should like to hear him say whether the conse quences to result from his miserable conduct at Harper's Ferry were "delib erately weighed and measured." If they were, no dbubt he blundered sadly as to both weight and measure. He indulges in a laudation of hi s own "coolness, en ergy, courage, and capacity," There can bu no question as to the "coolness," but the more common name for the thing is impudence. There are several shal low fords at and near Harper's Ferry, but Tom was the shallowest one ever known there.—Prentice. • tar It has been decided by the author ities at Washington that if a soldier is discharged before ha has served two whole years, or to the end of the war, if sooner ended, he forfeits his bounty.— The back dues or wages, and fifty cents for each twenty miles traveled from the place of Aischarge to the place of enrol ment, he is entitled to on the pay cer ti6 cates from his nearest paymaster.— If a snldieris killed,' or • dies ordisease, before the end of the two years or the close of the war, be has, under the liber al construction of the law, served to the end of the war, so far as he is or can be concerned. Congress intended by the provisions of the laws that no one should have the bounty until the end of the war. The $lOO bounty, by this law, will be immediately paid, so soon as audited. dar A communication in the Brooklyn Eagle of yesterday positively contra dicts the report that Mrs. John Dean, formerly Misd Mary Ann Boker, of New Y ork;,has- been "deserted by her hus band and is now a pauper in the alms house on Blackwell's Island." The cor respondent says: "The writer had the pleasure of seeing the lady on Saturday last; when she was zealously engaged in conducting a ladies' fair to aid the com pletion of a Parochial school house la tely erected in West Hoboken, N. J." It is a little singular that private indi viduals cannot be. let alone, but their domestic relations must be-always con sidered a kind of public property for continual newspaper comment. cgr The President has.achnowledged the reception of the resignations of the Secretary of State and Treasury, and in formed them that after due deliberation he came to the conclusion, that an ac ceptance would be incompatible with thopublic welfare, and therefore request ed— them to resume their respective func tions. The two Secretaries have accor dingly resumed their places as Ileads of the Departments. ea- While the Monitor was at Wash ington for repairs, her turret was found uninjured. Over the indentations on the turret, received at the engagement with the Merrimac, has been inscribed the name of the engagement, punched into the into the- iron. She has now gone forth to future - conquests, and her sides may hereafter be inscribed all over with the records of her victories. ear Some nights ago Mr. henry Phil lips, of Enfield, Connecticut, while fast asleep, arose from his bed, procured an axe, and inflicted several blows with it on the head of his wife. Mrs. Phillips finally succeeded in grappling with him. He awoke, and learning the trouble, his dismay was only equalled by hie pleas ure that she was not killed. drs,. Phil ips is in a fair way to recover. air Faralera will be interested in knowing-that they are lisible -to pay a tax otthirty.cents per head for 'all the beef cattle they slaughter for side, and a tax of-five cents a heiid oii ' sheep and ten cents a head on hogs they slaughter for sale, provided the number :of hogs or sheep exceeds twenty head in each case. fir A Citizen of New York, whose son belonging to the 9th regiment New York State militia, was killed recently in battle, writes to a paper in that city, that the ,Colonel, every field officer, and some of the captains of the Regiment named, were in New York on the day of the battle of Fredericksburg. er John Hickman has introduced a bill in Congress authorizing the Presi dent to raise a hundred regiments of negroes. It has been pretty well dem onstrated now that negroes will fight when they have the chance and there seems to be a growing disposition to give them that chance. eir The late General Mitchell once stated that when he held 150 . mites of Tennessee river he was enabled to do;it becalms he had intelligent slaves in his employment, who kept him ad= vise.d of the movement of the enemy. Gir It is perhaps well that the seces sion 'women :can't raise any babies,. The thunder of Federal victories has made, the , milk in their bosoms too sour for nutrition. sar Hen. James A. Peare,e, 11. ,S. Senapr frorft, Maryland, died on ,Sat nrdaY laacaged 56 years. MURDER AND ROIIHERY. — On Friday night, 12th instant, about 9 o'clock, some person as yet unknown called at the residence of Azariah Dougherty, Esq., a merchant in Aunamesses, Som erset county, Md., and said he wanted to go in the store and procure some thing. Mr. Dougherty was counting his money at the time, and unsuspecting, placed his money (some $400) in his pocket. He stayed rather longer than usual, and his wife went out to see the cause of his detention, when she beheld her husband in the last agonies of death, produced by a blow over his head. The store door was wide open. No clue to the murderer has as yet been obtained. —Somerset (Md.) Herald. POSTAGE CURRENCY.—The soarcity of small change still renders the demand for postage currency unabated. As the demand is much greater than the supply at the present tate of production, the Government will not be able to supply the demand within a year. When it is taken into consideration that only $4,- 000,000 worth has been issued, some idea can be formed of the immense amount of small change which has been withdrawn from circulation, and the necessity for prompt delivery of the remainder of the currency. ' A scouting expedition, sent out from Brownstown, Va., has just returned. They made a march of 160 miles in nine days ; caused the big thief, Ex-Secreta ry Floyd, to retreat with -his force across the Big Sandy to Pikeville, Ken tucky ; burned tle town of Logan, with the residence of Floyd, his mills, and some adjoining farm buildings ; destroy ed au ordnance store of the rebels at Wyoming, and a commissary store on the bead of Island creek; broke up a ang of bushwhackers near Logan, and captured 50 head of cattle, 40 horses, some are:is, and 37 prisoners. lir Rev: Thomas K. Beecher, brother of Henry Ward Beecher, chaplain of a regiment raised at Elmira, writes to the New York Times, from near Warren ton : "1 have been glad at heart to see . our men in squads taking down a useless fence by daylight, and putting the lum ber to ser3ice. When they used to steal it, bit by bit, the chaplain was grieved. Bat when the order came 'Rise privates, take and build then I felt like mixing dialects, and shouting Bully Hallelujah !" Or Bishop Potter of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, has addressed a circular to the clergy anal congregations of the Diocese, recom 9 inektAuLthat in all the congregations on some occialvm—skfpeht lic worship between this and the Epi phany, a collection be taken up for the purchase of a cargo of provisions, to be depatched from Philadelphia to Liver pool for starving poor of Lancas shire. Cr The President has finally decided to hang thirty nine of the convicted In dians in Minnesota.. The reasons why he singles out the thirty-nine are, that no crime can be proved against two hun dred and sixty•one of the. three hundied Indians. Thiity-seven of them are proved guilty of murder and two of rape ; so he with perfect justice hangs thirty nine and reprieves two hundred and six ty,one of the number. aur Senator Wilson's bill to aid the State of Missouri in the work of eman cipation,.provides that when the State shall pass initable laws for the emanci pation of ell thit slaves within the State, the President shall issue five:per cent. bonds `running thirty - years, to the amount of twelve millions of dollars, to compensate loyal sla've owner's in the State of Missouri for the emancipation of their slaves. r t e' Major General Robert C. Schneck has assumed command .of the Middle Department, or Eighth Army Corps, Major General Wool retiring. The lat rer .ret urns immediateLy , to :his home, at Troy, N.Y., but it-is-stud that - le- will be assigned to An important command soon to_be.establiOed in the East, with New York city as head-quarters. air According to ,the report of the Postmaster-General:the regular postal revenue for the past fiscal year, is only $49,475 less than in the previous year ; while the expenditures are less than in 1860, owing to the offset of the Southern States, in 'which tbe receipts never have nearly paid the expenses. Cr Mr. Thurlow Weed has sold his interest in the Albany Evening Journal to Hon. Henry H. Van Dick, formerly of the Albany. Atlas, who will assume the editorship of the piper. Mr. Weed, it is said, retires finally from editorial responsibility after more- than forty years service. sr The New York Herald's New Orleans correspondent says that Gener al Beapregard's wife is lying dange*ous ly sick in New Orleans, and General Butler has sent General Beauregard a kind invitation to visit her, assuring him of every protection and courtesy. lir Laid, Thursday a telegraphic dis patch was sent from New York city, between, three and four o'clock in the afternoim, to San Francisco, and an answer received between six and seven in the 'evening ?