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NEW YORK HERALD. jaj1ks GORDON uknnktt, editor and pk0pr1et0b. omcem w CORNER OF PULTON and NASSAU STS. TERMS cash madranre. Money*?mt by mail will be at the, nJny the kendtr None but Bank billg current in Ntto York vft|eoh THIS DAILY t'KHALD. tico rente per coptf. $7 per annum. THE WKKKLY H KHALI), rttery Satunbiy, at eix rente per bu/^. or $3 per annultj, the European K>1 r,m retry W"lnr* lay, jtl .a mt* p*r ropy, w;"t annum to any /?rt or Great Uritain, ?> <6 12 inau f<ax ? (v- Ointment. froth to include porta#* the Ciil ,fomia Bauitm on the lit, 1 if a uwt 21./ o' each month, at nix trnU fxr 'Ipv, or il 7i tier annum TUB FAMILY HKftALD, on Wedneeilay, at jour rente per ???. or Si ver am, nil.. TOLL'STAR Y OOHMMSPOlUDKlfCK, containing important mews, eolirited f <nn ,*<>> quartet or the teorld; ij unci, trill be lit* oily yoft (nr. kjtuuk korkium corumro.ndkbt* ark Paktu'ulakl* rkyl?t?p TO SkAL ALL lhttfcbs and i'lck aub ?k?v u*. , yu NOTHS token o, i?>nymoue correqxmdem*. hv do not feHtm r'iert"i cimuntmiwtlpn*. ad vMi rr.-utM A'.v 7".S >r*eirr<l eaary day: ailrertis^ments tw ?di-tarf in/*'? Wkrblt huu.d, kabily Hbrai.d, a ml in the Caluornfi am' Km-pean A.' uiom. JOB PKIVTING eMcn!c,\tcilh nmtneet, heapnee* and dett patch. Volume XXVII Ho. 193 amusembmtb qhi8 bvbninq. huo't GARDE*. braaaraf-.?tm Ei?cha!?tb?s*. vu7u GARDEN. amd jnin viluct'l theatre. '?m brmhmr.-tiu lots lade A KBKNB?8 tokaths. blm4waf>-B?aso? AND fu.n. 1 NEW bowebt theatre, Sowory. Deb preis cbutz?^jkrkx SIT?sukr*!,#, OLYMPIC THEATRE, 4Si nl^ay.?people's Law tkt?krouo ' or TUB km BIBS?strribb. BARN un'S american ml'?:jm. Broadway.?co*. jit'it? lirijiii wbalb, Ac , a; ki huura.?t lowebs or tun f'um.r, afternuou fcoj eteuinj BRYANTS* minstrels. macha^* Hill.?173 Broad Way.?iwugkd i'aia. \ Canterbury music halu ? broadway-so*:?, dabcbs, hublemoej. to. PEOPLE'S MUSIC HALL, 45 bowty.?sojros, Dax si, bsaumves, *c. koyelty music HALL, 616 broiway Ixstrcbes *al CONCERT. PARISIAN cabinet op wonder: 863 Broadway. ?pen daily lrorn 10 A. M. till 9 P M. TRIPLE SHEET.! H?w York, Wednesday, M??, 1863. THE SITUATlOl, The despatches from the Army of t Potomac are now very anxiously looked for, t| greedily devoured as soon as received. UeneraifcClellan reports that on his arrival before Williagburg he found that Joe Johnston, the rebel geral, was 3a of him with a strong fie?pro fcably orach larger than hia own. He al states that the rebels intend disputing everyto Bichmond. He, however, intends to re^e his original plans, which have been somewhfater fered.with, bat in the meantime wSl run % risk mt holding tha rebela in check. The proepe* are that the battle here will be a bloody one, amrith regard to the forces engaged and the results be determined will be of more importance ^bai^oy like contest since the days of the elder Napoon A battle has taken place near Williamsburg,ad ? brilliant victory has been achieved by qr forces. General McClellan'B despatch, whiclig op to ten o'clock on Monday night, reports as>l lews:?Gen. Hancock has taken two redoubts td repulsed Early's brigade by a charge with ve bayonet, taking one Colonel and one hundred *d< ttty prisoners, and killing at least two Colonels ad many privates. His conduct was brilliant in te extreme. I do not know onr exact loss, but feu- thit General Hooker has lost considerably on on left." The detailed accounts of the fight, and thesletchee of the military lives of the two Generals Till tfe found of great interest by our readers. ? The Union gunboat* have been up the rver as frr aa West Point, and have reported tin river Blear of obstructions. They captured teveral febel transports on their way, and destroyed sther*. Doubtless, by this time, the forces under General Franklin havo reached their destination, and will soon be, if tbey are not now, actively en gaged with the enemy. % The despatch received from Fredericksburg lives a denial to the stock jobbing reports thit lircakted through Wall street yesterday, to the rffret tfaat funeral McDowell was in Richmond. By that telegram it would appear that his troops ftre now about for the. rirst time to take mili T tarjr pos*e?stoa of the former city, and ?onsequently have not ytrt moved very far in ad vance of that position. The *ag of the Union now lermanently wares once more over the public wildings of Frcdericksburg. General Steele reports that there are but few ?ebels in that part of Arkansas where he now is., u>d gives hopes of their speedy capture. The rebel marauder Morgan, with a force Of tbout one thousand cavalry, attacked a small body if Union troops at Pulaski, Tennessee, on Friday ast. and after a fight of two hours and a half, luring which the rebels lost six killed and two founded, and our troops lost two killed, three rounded and one mining, the whole force wan ?ken prisoners. The prisoner* were released on larole and are now in Nashville. The rebels out lumbered our forces four u? one. On Monday morning Geueral Dumont, who had ent a strong cavalry in pursuit, foi^nd and attack M the united rebel cavalry under Morgan and Vood, at I?ebanon. and utterly routed them, afw tilling a great number, rapturing one hundred ad fifty prisoners and nearly ull their horses and jms. The fight lasted an hour and a half, md the rebels fled, closely pursued by Genera! tamont. A report is current in Chicago that Corintli ?a been evacuated by the rebels, and that our oroas are in possession of the place. One re* port states that General Pope's army occupied the ?bel works on Sunday last. Jeff. Thompson is ?aid to be prowling about in Jfastern Kentucky, with one thousand mounted Mlowers, committing depredations and alarming Bm quiet country people for their persona) safety. Be ii reported to have met a company of the Ne )riikl cavalry and scattered them in all directions. i The naws from Port Royal is to tbe 3d instant, fhe United State* gunboat Hale attacked and cap tared tha rebel battery at the junction of the Daboo and Pow Pow rirers. The rebels fled as loon M the gunboats came within three hundred yards. Our European ad rices by the Edinbnrg and 0anm contain some interesting matter rela te to the position of American nfTtirs abroad. The Parii vorrfpyttUeat of the London Adur. finer asserts (hat the Emperor Napoleon had as sured Mr. Slidell that >[ the struggle in the United States did not terminate in six months his govern ment, with tint of England, would feel bound to interfere. The spread of destitution among the cotton spin ners and other "mill hands" of England, in conse quence of the closing of some manufactories, and the "short time" economy of the capitalists, was becoming w.der in its range, and more aggra vated in its character every day. It was quite evident that the government and aristocracy were sorely puzzled to know what to do with the "fear ful mass" of pauperism?as the London Time* terms it?which stands behind the unemployed heads of families. The savings, credit and, in many instances, household property of most of them had disappeared, and they had no alterna* tive but the workhouse or pauper emigration, pro vided cotton could not be had from the United States more abundantly. A vessel hap arrived at Liverpool frem Nassau, N. P., with apta* ca*f o of the staple. The exigencies of the case, combined with this encouragement, cassed seme persons to openly; embark in t|e venture of Attfeg out steamers at tfull and ^ther- places, with the intention ef despatching them against the blockade at Charles ton. We have the particulars of three cases of this description?the Hero, a large Baltic trader? having sailed already on her mission. The recapture of the British ship Emilie St. Pierre from an American prize crew, by her Eng* lish captain, and her arrival in Liverpool, with the federal seamen in irons, caused quite a sensation in the commercial world. The St. Pierre was from Calcutta, and was taken by the Union gteamer James Adger, off Charleston. She was being navigated to Philadelphia by a prize crew, when her commander?a Scotchman?although having only four men at his disposal, disarmed, ironed and confined in the hold sixteen of our men, took control of the vessel, and ran her to Liver pool?completing a romantic incident of the war in a fortunate manner both for himself and his em ployers. The London Times announces the termination of its special correspondence from the army of the Potomac, and endeavors to cover the retreat of "Bull Run" Russell from the United States. It alleges that Russell was very popular with all par ties?General McClellan, the Union army, and the rebels; but that the Washington Cabinet feared his "independent" criticism, and the President sent him away. The Tunes claims that the late ' pfophet enjoys a world-wide credence as a '-his torian." C0HGBE8B. . In the Senate yesterday, a resolution caning for fdl the official reports relative to the battle at Pittsburg Landing, was laid over. The Homestead ; bill #aa taken np, and passed by a vote of thirty three to seven. The bill incorporating the Wash ington and Georgetown Railroad Company was briefly discussed. The debate on the Confiscation bill was then resumed, and finally the subject was referred to a select committee. The Finance Committee reported the Internal Tax bill, and it was ordered to be printed. After an executive session the Senate adjourned. In the House of Representatives, a bill was re ported appropriating $2,500 indemnity to the offi cers and erew of the Spanish bark Providencia, il legally detained by the blockading squadron. A bill to punish frauds on the government by fine and imprisonment was referred to the Judiciary Committee. A resolution directing the steps to be taken for the impeachment of West H. Humphreys, Judge of the United States Courts for Tennessee, for high crimca and misdemeanors, was adopted. The Pacific Railroad bill was passed by a vote of seventy-nine to forty-nine. Mr. Scgar was admit ted a member from the First district of Virginia, and took his seat. A resolution declaring F. W. Lowe not entitled to represent California, was adopted. The Nebraska contested election was diseased till the adjournment. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. The steamship Ediaburg, from Liverpool on the 2*d and Qneenatown the 24th of April, arrived At thia port yesterday evening, bringing over five hundred pawengew. Her news is one day later than the report of the HaaomooiA, which was pub lished in the Heralo yesterday morning. Onr special correspondence from London, Paris, Ber lin and tfca port of Lisboa, with the compilation from our flies by the Hammonia and Bdinbnrg given in oar paper to-day, make np a most inte resting history of the important events transpiring ,n the chief countriea of the Old World to the latest moment. The Liverpool cotton market, on the '.'4th ultimo, closed firm, with prices unchanged. Kight thousand bales changed hands. Breadstuff* were quiet and steady. Provisions were very dull. In London, on the 24th ultimo, consols closed at r?3% a 94 for money and account. American stocks were dull. A French squadron wus to sail from Toulon direct for Naples on the 26th of April. The light ing between the Turk* and Montenegrina still con tinued. It is said that Austria is preparing to re duce her army to a great extent. We have news from South America dated at Buenos Ayres the 14th and Hto Janeiro the 26th of March. The Legislature of Buenos Ayres had finally approved of the project authorizing the convocation of a national C ongress, empowered to reorganize tl e government ot the republic and appoint a place lor the reunion of the State*. The English and Fiench Ministers in Montevideo pre sented an uliimatum to the Executive respecting the payment of the claims of both governments, j The united debts amounting to four millions of I dollars must be liquidated in thirty years, the bond* b?-anntj five per cent interest. There is no thing important from Rio Janeiro. The United State* transport Daniel Webster, from Shipping Point, with one hundred and eighty invalids und sick from General McClellan's army at Yorktown, in charge of Dra. Crimes and Smith, of the United States Sanitary Board, arrived at this port yesterday. The American ship Soreamer, from the Cape of Good Hope March 4, pat into Plymouth, England, 1 April 23. Her news ia ten days later than that brought by the last mail steamer. Lung sickness had broken out badly in Hamaguland. Sir Walter Currie had been successful in his negotiations with the chief Krell, the latter having accepted the offer of being taken under British protection. General Fremont, with hia wife, his daughter and son. and the members of hia staff, left Wheel ing on the 3d inst., in a special train of three cars, for New Creek station, en route, it is supposed, for Monterey, in Highland county, Virginia. Samuel S. Mills and Thomas 8. Piggot, former ly editors of a rebel newspaper in Baltimore, called the South, have been released from Fort McHenry, on their good behavior. The febel papers in Western Virginia, which stimulated and hounded on work of disunion the breaking out of this God forsaken rebellion, were the Wheeling Union, Parkersburg Neics, Clarksville Register, Fairmount Virginian and Philippi Jeffersonitui. Now where are they? The Erie canal is represented as now being in good navigable condition. Twenty boat# were launched at Rochester on the 2d inst., and a num ber of the largest class are yet on the stocks, nearly ready. Mr. John liilmary Shea, a well known historian' appeared before the New Yort Historical Society last evening, and read a paper on "The Negro Plot in 1741," to a very large and intelligent as" semblage, in which the reader was frequently in terrupted with well merited applause. The election campaign for the October canvass has fairly opened in Indiana, and Jesse D. Bright, who was expelled from the United Stutes Senate for alleged complicity with Jeff. Davis in his work of rebellion, is already in the field with his seces sion sympathizing ticket for State officers. The ticket thus put forward ia composed of the follow ing names:? Secretary of State?James S. Anthoa. Treasurer?Mat hew L. Brett. J Auditor?Jo??|ih Rutin*. Allot ney Om^ral (>ecar 1. Hard. Suferimttmitml 1'uUic InnituHimi Www?I L.Ruf* I For the tetter office the Convention hadaomi . nated Milton B. Hopkins; but, as the company into which he had thus been throat did not wut his taote,hfr withdrew, his name, aod a substitute was provided. The object of-Mr. Height ia t# en deavor to keep np the organization of the secession dcmocMcy, and k possible to aeonre a majority in the next Legislature, in order that he may regain his seat in the United States Senate. But it re quires no sagacity to see that he will bo doomed to disappointment. Hundreds of the old line de mocracy have already forsaken his standard, and a large number of the democratic journals in the State refuse absolutely to support the ticket. A Union Convention has been called, to meet at In. dianapolis on the I8th of June, and this gathering will embrace all the conservative men of both par ties, who will shape their course in such a satis factory manner as to eventually leave the Bright secessionists and abolitionists high and dry upon the bank together. Mr. F. Byrne, associated with Mr. J. T. Brady, yesterday sued out a writ of habeas corpus for John W. Butler, proprietor of the American Hall, 444 Broadway, and his barkeeper, both charged under the "Saloon act." The accused preferred remaining in custody, in order to test the question of the constitutionality of the law, which will be argued before Recorder Hoffman in a few days. The case of Haynes, first mate of the slaver Nightingale, was commenced yesterday. It is the same voyage as that for which Westervelt was tried, and in which the jnry could not agree. A large number of jurors were excused, on the ground that they could not conscientiously find a vcrdict of guilty in any case where the punishment was death, unless for the crime of murder. The Board of Supervisors met yesterday, when the Commissioners of Harlem Bridge sent in a bill, amounting to $4,569 01, for expenses incurred in constructing Harlem Bridge. The salaries of the Commissioners' chief and assistant engineers, Ac., for the last month, amounted to *2,060 33, and the laborers'jfcry roll for the same time amounted to 1336 18. The Comptroller submitted a tabular statement of the total expenditures on county account, incLadmg the Stato taxes and support of the MeirepoHts? police to the 30th alt. The ex penditures amounted to $1*358,290 4S, leaving a balance of $3,697,911 49 unexpended. The Board confirmed the appointment of Mr. James M. Mac gregor for the oflice of Superintendent of Buildings. The bill for Coroners' services for the quarter ending on March 31, amounting to $4,047 87, was ordered to be paid. The Board then adjourned until Tuesday, the 20th inst. The annual sermon before the New York Uni versalist Association was preached last evening by the Rev. Dr. Flanders, in the church corner of Bleecker and Downing streets. His text was taken from the 4th chapter of St. John's Uospel and the 35th verse. The discourse was entirely of a religious nature. It was intended to show that during no time in the world's history has the influence of religion been so slight and eo little felt as at the present: and he closcd with an eloquent exhortation for his hearers to beeome earnest workers in the work of redemption. The business meeting of the association will be held at haif-paat nine o'clock this morning, in the base ment of the same building. The Sanday school anniversary exercises will take place at three o'olock this afternoon, in the Rev. Dr. Chapin's church, on Broadway. The stock market was again vary active yesterday, and the prices of some of the Western shares were higher. The chief favorites were Roek Island, Toledo, IIIiaols Central, Galeae sod Erie. Goveraments were unchanged. Exchange wae dull at 114; gold lower, clos' ing at 102ft a 1C2*;. Money was abundaot at 4 a 6" (ha export ef produce fer the week was $1,931,209. The cotton market was qoiet yeeterdsy. 3he selee in small leu did net exceed 100 halee, scarcely sufficient to make a market. The transections, however, w?re based upon middling uplands at about 27c. a 27ytc. Thu re reiptsof flour were larger, and the market wae heavy ' sad lower, having .closed at a decline of 6c. a 10c. per bbl. Wheat was heavy and rather lower, with limited tales. Corn was in fair request, with sales of Western mixed, at 56c. a 67c. in store, anUat67Hc.aS8c.de. livered. Pork was hlghtr and mora active with free sales on the spot,at $13 for mess., and 600 bbls., for .(one delivery, were sold at the sams Qgure. Prime was selling at $10 a $10 36. Sugars were firmly held, which tenfled to chock sales, which embraced about 300 hbds. Cubasatfull prices. CofTeo was quiet and no sales of moment were reported. The stock embraced 125.111 bags of Rio, and 136,482 mala and bags of all descriptions. Freights were firmer. Hour was taken to Liverpool a1 Jf. 4i?d. a 2.'. 6d., corn in bulk at 7>?d.,and wheat a1 3d a8';d. and provisions at 25s. a 27s. 6d., and flou^ to London at 2s. 4>*d., with provisions at full prevlou rates. The Emancipation Question Solving Itmlp,? Among our Washington despatches will be found a communication from a correspondent who has recently visited Manassas, and who describes the contrabands as pouring down there m shoals from the rear of Banks' and McDowell's columns, from sheer inability of their masters to keep or feed them. If this state of things continues, and the rebels perse vere with the war, the emancipation questipn will not be as long of solution as President Lincoln's measure contemplated. The ad vance of the Union armies will not only clear the border, but the cottonStates, of their entire slave population. The extremists North and South bad better take heed in time of this dan ger. Unless they speedily come to terms the war will pinch both of them in a way that they have not bargained for. A Lemon in the Art or War.?We notice that General McClellan hM determined to make his rebel prisoner* pick up the torpedoes and loaded sheila distributed about the rebel forti fications at Yorktown and along the road to Williamsburg, fhis ia as excellent idea, and we shall be glad to karc it strictly carried out. Already we have lost eight or ten brave Union soldiers by this cowardly and treacherous de vice of the rebels, of putting man traps about their deserted fortifications, and we think itv about time that they should be hoist with their own petards. Perhaps If a few rebels are blown to pieces with those concealed torpedoes w? (>hall be able to infuse aome idea of the pro prieties and humanities of war into those traitors who run like sheep bpfora our brave troops, and wr*? ik their weak revenge by settiug CiiwariUy trays Lu cleat,ra* the uawar?? Fsnatirttl Exceiaei, North and Soull*. Considerable alarm is expressed in some quarters lost the destruction of cotton and tobacco, which has been qrderod by the rebel authorities wherever we have obtained advan tages over them, should become general, and thus deprive the world of their supplies of those necessary staples for a couple of years to come. No fears should be entertained on this head. The orders thus given will be but very par tially acted upon. They will be treated with about as much respect as the silly letter pub lished some little while ago by Cobb, Toombs and two or three other crazy rebels, advising the Southern people to burn their towns and dwellings sooner than allow the Yankees to take possession of them. Inflamed by bad whiskey, and maddened by disappointment, the men who have dragged the South into this slough of despond are capable of urging upon its people the most frantic excesses; but, although the latter have allowed themselves to be dragooned into the war, they are not demented to this suicidal point. It should be recollected that the aaooant *f cot tan and tobacco burned on the coast bears but a small fractional proportion to the aggregate stock oa hand of both. What ever could be removed into the interior baa ; been, in every instance, immediately seal there on the approach of the federal forces, and the general collapse of the rebellion will find it untouched. To assume that the planters and other holders of these staples will act on the incendiary recommendations of men who aro vested with an authority of such short probable duration, who have no property themselves to lose, and who are prepared to run away and de sert them at the first convenient opportunity, is contrary to all experience of human nature. We have seen how the efforts to burn the towns about to fall into our possession have been re sisted in almost every instance by the inhabi tant The same conservative spirit will be exhibited by the planters, once they are as sured of protection from the drunkards and tyrants who now hold the fate of their property in their hands. But whilst we charge these excesses to the account of the misguided men who have already so much to answer for, let us not shut our eyes to the fanaticism of those on our side who, at a time which calls for so much forbearance, are doing all they can to exasperate to the highest pitch the biter feelings that the war has pro voked. The conduct of Senator Wade's com mittee, in publishing their report on the barbarities said to have been committed on our wounded and dead t>y the rebels after the battle of Manassas, is inexcusable. It can serve no purpose but to inflame still further the ran cor that exists between the two sections, whilst in other respects it is equally contrary to good policy. Admitting that-tfco statements-? ! the report are true, what object do the com- I mittee propose to tbemscl vegbygWftgtfcem to the wovld? Are they so blinded by then* hos tility against the SontS as not to see that what reflects on the. civilization and humanity of its people may also be taken to reflect en our selves? People abroad will not stop to draw the distinction, and will set down to the account of democracy the excesses of a few fanatics drunk with the fury of an insane hatred. Have we no minds among us similarly diseased, and who, for the sake of an abstract idea, would see thousands upon thousands of lives sacri ficed?nay, humanity itself perish?rather than forego for a moment the gratification of their infuriate passions? Let us remember that this unnatural war is not going to last forever, and that we shall, North and South,again fraternize as one people. Out of its bitterness and its resentments let us try only to preserve the memory of the gallantry and soldierlike quali ties that mutually distinguished us. At all events, whatever wo may think of each other, let us not fitrnish those against whom, by and bye, we may be conjointly called upon to take up arms, with reproaches so foul against our good name as a people. Abolition Attacks on Ocr Generals.?The brilliant success of our armies in every quarter sorely afflicts the abolitionists of the Sumner and Lovejoy scheol. They see in the success that has attended the labors of our generals the speedy crushing out of the rebellion, and the restoration of the Union on its former basis. Here is where the shoo pinches, and the cause of all the bluster of the abolitionists in and out of Congress, and tl%ir continuous attacks upon the generals, nearly all of whom are constitu tional Union men. and therefore labor for the speedy and effectual crushiag out of the rebel lion, letting slavery to take care of itself. Our generals and two-thirds of the army being con servative men, the abolitionists are unable to use them to carry out their grand theory of negro equality. Hence their ravings in Con gress and elsewhere. From present indications there is every rea son to believe that the rebellion will be soon brought to an end. and the Union restored on a constitutional basis, leaving with the several States to take care of slavery as it best affects their interests, by accepting or rejecting the emancipation policy of the President. This does not commit the President to the protection of slavery; it does not commit the North or the Union armies or generals to ? slavery policy, but leaves it where it belongs?with the States affected by it, as thsy and their interests may determine. Stock Speculations in Waix Street.?There has been a regular rush for stocks in Wall street during the last few days, resulting in a general rise of everything bearing that name. While the stockjobbers and brokers are having a high time purchasing on a rise, the proprie tors of the stockjobbing journals of this city havo gone to Virginia to ascertain the prospects of crushing out the rebellion and the consequent additional inflation of stocks. No doubt these managers and proprietors of the stockjobbing newspapers have been sending home private advice to their accomplices in Wall street, and, like Bull Run Russeil, have been urging them for several days past to act m though they had heard "good news." | stockjobwno Journalism.?Already the stock jobbing journals are beginning to show the cloven foot. Some time ago such papers as the imbecile Times tried to write down stocks by making cowardly predictions of our defeats. Now, having secured a full supply of stocks at a low price, they try to get up a great sensa tion upon the old news about Mercier's visit to Richmond, the motive of which was disclosed in the Herald three weeks ago, and they hope thus to influence the stock market. It is trouble wasted, however; for the stock market is buoyant enough, and our victories will keep i UjMt. TMe Bogus Enterprise off th? Blew York Time*. It used to be a favorite dodge of swindlers and pickpockets to roundly abiue a man after robbing him, in order to convince any stray polieeman who might be in the neighborhood that their victim was a ruffianly scoundrel, and that they, being gentlemen of exemplary virtue> had felt it their duty to knock him down and give him into custody for an attempt at rob bery and assault. The "Little Villain" of the Times, who is perfectly well posted in all the tricks of the Knights of the Pave, has adopted this same device to cover up his newspaper thefts and swindles. It is his ordinary prac tice first to steal our news and our opinions, and then to attack and berate us, with a great show of virtuons indignation, as if we had been guilty of the very errors of which we had just convicted him. An extraordinary instance of this brazen effrontery may be found in the com ments in yesterday's Times upon M. Mercier's visit to Richmond. The ne*w8 that M. Mercier had gone to Rich mend wes published in the Hjcbaj-d of April 16. The next day, April 17, commenting editorially upon this news, we disclosed the aobent* of Napoleon to ally himself with this country against England, and then explicitly stated:?'-Now, the object of the visit of Mercier {s to tell Jeff. Davis and his Cabinet that they must submit at once; that if they do not France will take part with the North, and settle the affair very soon. But if the Southern leadere will lay down their arms the Emperor of the French will interpose to save their necks. This reasoning will probably be successful." Two days after, on the 19th of April, we devoted an editorial to M. Mercier's mission, remarked upon the curious interest it had excited, ex" posed the fallacy of the various rumors of its connection with cotton or to bacco, and then proceeded to say:? "We adhere to our theory that M. Mercier, from the Emperor Napoleon, has gone to Richmond as a peacemaker. We are very much strength ened in this opinion by the fact, which has come into our possession, that before leaving Wash ington on this mysterious enterprise M. Mercier was closeted for two hours or more with Mr. Seward, our Secretary of State. We dare say that from this conversation the French Minister went away entirely satisfied that the govern ment of the United States intends, in any event and against all difficulties, internal and exter nal, to prosecute this war to the complete resto ration of the territorial 'integrity of the Union;' and we presume, too, that M. Mercior has for some time been convinced that the Southern confederacy of Jeff. Davis is a failure, and is rapidly fading away, like a castle in the clouds. That Louis Napoleon has lately come to this conclusion we have every, reason to believe; and we know that the. conclusions and the ac tionaof Louis Napoleon are very apt to go to gather. When he divines the drift of passing events in other nations be proceeds to meet them, as the vigilant guardian of France. Hence it is our belief that M. Mercier has gone to Richmond as a peacemaker; that his busi ness is to advise Jeff. Davis to abandon this hopeless rebellion, and to rely upon the good offices of France with the government of the United States in behalf of a liberal amnesty, and to warn him, on the other hand, of the possible intervention of France against himself and his confederates, if they, in a spirit of bar barous ferocity, shall extend their resistance to the Union to the criminal extremity of wasting by fire our Southern cotton, tobacco, sugar and rice crops, which are so essential to meet the common wants of mankind." To the conclusions thus expressed we have of course adhered, and have since repeatedly expressed them editorially, although, in ac. cordance with an invariable policy, we have given our readers the benefit, in our news columns, of every reasonable rumor upon the subject, so that those who could not accept our solution of the Mercier mystery might have all the circumstances from which to deduce theories for themselves. The Times in common with our other contemporaries, violently attacked us for the articles we have quoted, and lavished the most absurd and ridiculous epithots upon us for holding such opinion. In a few days, however, the World concluded that we were right, and on the 21st of April published along editorial, adopting our views, but mixing them up with a great deal of its own silly nibhUli about the Pope of Rome. The Tan*a continued its abuse, how ever, until yesterday, when, imagining our articles forgotten, and seeing a cbance to operate upon slocks, the "Little Villain" came out with a long despatch, dated Washing ton, but really written up from our columns in the Times office, and with an editorial which is a mere paraphrase of our own?the very ideas, words and order of arrangement being pal pably stolen. The only original sentence in these conspicuous, double leaded articles in the Times was false, and was to the effect that the Herald had declared that Mercier would " bring French fleets and armies to the aid of Davis." It is thus that our con temporaries get up their special and excit ing news; for the Information which the Herai.d gave its readers on the 17th and 19th of April the World copied on the 21st, the Times re vamped for May 6, and the Tribune will repub lish some time next month. Now, as newspapers cannot be copyrighted, we are unable to prevent, and find it useless to complain of, this gross plagiarism. We can only pity the readers of these slow journals, who are compelled, in this fast age, to be three weeks behind the rest of mankind in the matter of news Fortunately, however, these readers are very few, and are becoming beautifully less as the pnblic is better edu cated. A long experience of snch meanness has made us perfectly indifferent to the thefts of our jobbing contemporaries, and we are quite content that the small fry newspapers of this city, Boston and Philadelphia shall eke out their scanty means of subsistence by steal ing onr news and hashing up our editorials We must insist, however, that our contempora-' ries shall rob without abusing us. The Times does not make its plagiarism less evident by inserting a false statement about our opinions; nor was Beauregard's cipher despatch?first published by the Herald and afterwards copied by the other papers?less authentic because the Tribune, Timet and World hastened to pronounce it a forgery. Let our contempora ries steal like gentlemanly ruffian*, and be as courteous as Gentleman Jack, or as silent us is the TriJ?inc about its jobbery. If they will do this, and give our opinions unadulterated and in full, we will lend them our old types, to save them trouble, and recommend their pa pers to all person? who are unfortunate enough npt. to ba altla to obtain the Uniuu>. PjN I, A KG K ME NT OK TMK CANALS KOK TUK I'aASAOS ok Gunboats.?The Legislature of this Stat* betore its adjournment enacted a law giving permission to the general government to en large one tier of the look* on the Erie and Oswego canals of this State, so as to admit ol the passage of gunboats to the lakes. Thifl, taken in connection with the movement at Washington to connect the Mississippi with Lake Michigan, is on* of the moBt important measures that has been brought forward in the last year, and we trust that Congress will nol adjourn without ordering the work to be done with the greatest possible despatch. Our treaty with England prevents our having more than one gunboat on the lakes, and that only a small affair, while she is so situated?having a canal around the rapids in the St. Lawrence, every foot of which is in her own territory?that th? moment there is any difficulty between the two nations and hostilities commence she can send a fleet of gunboats through to the lakes, and, before we can build boats to compete with ? Iter, can bombard and burn all our flourishing cities ?nd towns on the. lakes. Thus,, white the treaty binds each nation to one gunboat. Great Britain has a great advantage over end should-war break out between the two nations this advantage wHl be seriously felt at every point ou the shores of our inland seas. It is, in faot, stated upon good authority that a num ber of gunboats have been in the course of construction during the winter on the Ottawa, whence they can be run down to the St. Law rence, near Montreal, and thence through the canal to the lakes. We notice that the Philadelphia papers are very much alarmed at the projoct of enlarg ing these canals and opening a passage for gun boats from the Hudson to the Father of Waters, Like everything else, they look upon it with jealous eyes, and imagine that they see in it a great reduction in the transportation on their railroads. What, we ask, has that to do with a great measure of public necessity? Must Buf falo, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago and the other flourishing cities and towns on the shores of our lakes be left defenceless because, for sooth, their protection may divert traffic from the railroads leading to Philadelphia? That view of a.question of so great national import ance is characteristic of Philadelphia, and is, therefore, not unexpected; and we dare say Congress will pay but little attention and to care much less for the jealous ravings of tha small t ry Quaker City editors. The great success that has attended every trial of the gunboats during the present war has effectually decided them to be far superior to fortifications, even for defence; and let thie system of canal enlargement now broached in Congress be carried out, connecting the Hudson with the Mississippi, and the construction of the appropriate iron ctaL gunboats, and we will be. in a position to defy the combined fleets and ' armies of the world. The project is in every particular feasible and practicable, and the safety of oar commerce, upon the lakes de mands the speedy construction of this work; The ill feoling engendered towards England by her course towards the North since the commencement of the rebellion, her secret attempts to help the South and break up the Union, do not augur harmonious feeling be tween the two nations in the future; and the first step for Congress to take to prepare the nation for any and all emergencies is to make the necessary appropriation, and direct the en largement of the locks on the canals of this State, and the construction of the oanal con necting Lake Michigan and the Mississippi. Next to the passage of the Tax bill, this measure is of greater public importance than any other before Congress, and we hope to chrenicle its final passage at an early day. . NEWS FROM WASHIMTOi. Wamh.vgton, Hay I, IMS. THK SKNATt'S AXBNDMXNT TO TBB TAX BILL. Tk? report of the Finance Committee of the Seaalo upon the Tax bill is accompanied bjr an amendment, offered by Senator McDoogall, on* of the committea, as a substitute for the whole bill. This bill proposes to Iraiee rereuM from tba following sources:? Fird.?Capital, active and circulating, to be roaehed by a tax en sales and transfers, and en receipts of some classes of business, as hotels, Kc.?one hundred and tea millions. Second?Capital, Awed and realised, Income duties on interests from interest paying bonds and securities tea millions. TMrd?Excise* on spirits, malt ltqoor and manufac tured tobacco?foriy millions. KttrlK?Duties on legacies and inheritances graded from one to eight per cent?sevoa millions. The system of the payment by ad valorem stamps ia adopted throughout. The officials employed to be:?First?A Commissioner of Internal Revenues at Washington to supervise all. Second?Inspectors in the several districts, with depu ties, to be appointed by tliem. Third?A Stamp Agent in earh district, or more than one if necessary, for the disposal of stamps. This is substantially the system recommended by the New York Chamber of Commerce and the Boards of Trado of Boston and Philadelphia. It is claimed that it ia Imss expensive, loss complicated, and affords reasonable convenience to the publie; that this mode of collodion will be leas Colt, and that it nffords complete checks froaa the parties paying all the way up to the Commissioner, and that it will collect tho tax for less than three per rent. Senator Simmons will introduce aa amendment to tho bill reported by tho committee, modifying that portion which afltcts the manufacturing interests. Numerous amendments were made to the Hotiso bWI, in order to perfect its machin-ry, and It In understood that, the Committee of Ways and Means agree to them. The Senate Committee on Finance have reported two hundred and sixty amendments to the House Tax biH, after having heard the representatives of delegating representing various interests. Among ths amendment* they have stricken out the tax on all rectified an I mixed, and increased that on distilled spirits to twenty centa per gallon, to be collected at tho distilleries; but not to operate upon the stock on hand previous to the parsag* of this act. The tax on domestic wine ia gtrlcaen out. Lager bier and other malt liquuaa remain undisturbed. Three per centum is proposed on the gross receipts of railroads, steamboats, ko.\ thirty instead of flfty cents a hond on rattle, add lac flveoenta on calves; tobacco, twenty i-eota per pound, cigars, from ten to thirty-five, according to quality.' The tax of one cent par pound on cotton was stnekea out, and schedule A, taxing pianos, watches, carriages, kc, , nearly all stricken out, retaining the tax on billiard tables and dogs. The commit tee have not changed tho mode of collection, but have modified the section tn thn act of the 6th of August for raising (20.u00.000 by Us. and making the provision applicable lor coe year. AM. WEM. AT WILMAMSBl/KH. Senator Foster recoived a despatch to-night from Gea. Fit* John forter stating that evorything is working welt with tho army at Willtnmsbnrg. THE REBEL WiFKNCEH AT YORKTOWN. Qeutlsmnn of this city who visited Yorktown immedi ately after the evacuation state that the position was a. strong one, and the works vary formidable. A members of Congrs-H, who examined tho place thoroughly, say* tint all tlin enemy's large guns were left in position, there beinnbut. one ombriatire vacant, where, froin ap pearance*, it was doubtful If a gun had ever beon mounted. Tho prisoners captured al Yorktown ounvoraa freely respecting the war, except thst thny refuse to ulvc iuforiuation about the strength ol GeneralJom