The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-12-23 00:00:00

foreign anti Colontal intelligence.

HOLLAND.—A telegram from Holland announces
that the Dotal, Chambers have ratified the conces-
sion for cutting a ship canal through North Holland,
by which a direct oommunication will be made between
Aniaterdain end the North Sea. This undertaking,
when completed, will, according to the description
given, be one of the most iiiinortant engineering works
ever executed in h'urope. The canal will be 13 miles
lung, navigable by ships drawing 24 feet of water, and
will shorten the distance from Amsterdam to London
and all porta south of the Texel by about 80 miles, and
wielde vessels to get to BOY within a few hours %berms
they now generally spend three days, and often a week,
in that process. To form a safe entrance it will be
necessary to construct enormous slnices and an arti-
ficial harbour upon the unprotected coast of Holland,
the piers of which will lime to extend More than a
mile into the sea. This will be the most difficult en-
gineering work to overcome. To the undertaking is
conceded the reclamation of about 15,000 acres of rich
eliuvial land, the value of Which is estimated at
£1,01.10,000 sterling. The total capital required is
stated to be £1,500,000 sterling, and this is to be raised
by a Government guarantee of interest at the rate of 4i
per cent. The conceseionaires are Mn, J. C. stager, or
Amsterdam, and the English engineers, Messrs. B. W.
Croker and Charles Burn, who, ibis said, have been
wore than ten years maturing the project, the
concession having been originally asked in April,
1852.

GREECE. —On the 30th ult. the Provisional Govern-
ment of Athens received the following telegraphic from
the Dreck Embassy in London :—`' Lord Hassell has in-
formed we that the English Government will not
accent the Crown for Allied, whether it comes from
the National Assembly or from the people. Fromm has
not indlSLOti upon the Duke ; to-day she Is against it.
Fraoce is not at all oppolied to Alfred, but England has
changed her pet cy nit account of the withdrawal of
Leuolitenberg. The Powers are now about to sign the
protocol. France and England are considering to-
gether for the most suitaole candidates. llnglarid
*tenni disposed to cede the lonian Islands. All hopes
are not yet 105t...72 Taicoun."

magi:Jct.—The New York telegrams of Tuesday
show' as was expected, that the statement sent over • few
weeks back, that the national liabilities were " only"
e11i10,000,000, was altogether fictitious, the amount of
national debt being now admitted by Mr. Chase to be
certainly mole than 48.1,01.11.1,01.10 in the course of six
mouths (ruin this 'date, with a prospect of its being
raised to £400,u4a0,000, by Its end of 1861. As
the debt of the South must be taken into amount
in any scheme that may be considered posaible
for pence, it would thus seem that, apart from the pro-
posed compensation to loyal sisveownets, the public
burdens on the rehabilitation of the Uniou are
even on the Government estimates, to be little short of
the total national debt of Groat Britain, carrying a rate
of interest which will cause their pressure on the popu-
lation to be nearly double that of the debt of this
country.
. .

The conduct of the infamous Butler has been inquired
into by a Federal Cominiseioner, named Johnson, and
this gentleman reports that here are persons iii Butler's
command who are growing reth upon the necessities of
the lielplese people of Orleans by extortions offensive to
decency, and that the inhebitante have been as much
sinned against as sinning, since Butler Itmauto dictator.
It would be strange if after th is emphatic condemnation
of the tyrannical and unarm Woes Yankee, President
Lincoln should continue him in his command.
The City of Washington, which has inaile one of the
most rapid passegts from New York on record, the
voyage having been completed in nine days suit four
hours, brings many interesting items of new,, both war-
like and political So.eial nacre small engagements are
reported. In New River, North Carolina, noise of the
Federal gunboats appear to have fallen into a trap, and
the glid lula tuba blown up to prevent her falling arm
the hands of the Confederates. The Federals have also
sustained • leas in the shape of • train of waggons with
ordnance stores, which one of the Southern leaders
menaced to get posikseion of in Virginia. In Tennessee
the Federal* have lout a whole brigade, An engage-
ment, it appears, took place at ilartsville, between
Federal advanced forces Cod the Confederate guerilla
leader hiorg.itc, and the latter, after several times re-
pulsing the Federate, succeeded in capturing a brigade
led by Col. Aluore. Rueouraged by this SUCCH6B Morgan
advadoml on Gallatin, but here he met with • warmer
reception thlut he expected, and lie ie reported to have
seen repelled, with heavy loss.—Prepaeitions for an
active prosecution of the war continue to be made
iii all directions. Fredericksburg, which las so long
occupied the attention of both the Federal and Southern
Governments, is still in the same position ra w‘r last
reported. The Confederates occupy the eity, and both
parties continue to throw up works which are supposed
to commend the positions ocoupied by each other. The
great naval expedition under General Banks, which has
been for some time iii prepareton, and is expected to give
the Sontlietners a tremendous surprise somewhere, has
sailed ender sealed orders, and all sorts of guesses are
hazarded as to its destination, the moat probable of
which lead to the belief that the fleet in bound for
James or York River, to no-operate with Burnlide in
his projected attack on Rialenond, via the Peninsula,
where Gen. hi'Glellan showed bid skill in the art of re.
treating. In the blisdeaippi Federal Gen. Grant con-
tinues to advance, the highest point lie has reached being
Abbeville, which has been abandoned by the Costs-
derates. Several other movements, more or less impor-
tant, are reported. At Suffolk there is said to be •
Federalforce of thirty thousau.l preparing to m me 'Omit
Petersburg, while the Federal force at Newborn makes •
shuultaneous attack on Whiten. If the actual •agage-
mentsheve not been very important, there would seem
to be no lack of preparations on the part of the
Ferlerals, who certainly give the Confederates little
rest.

__.„.
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSaOll,—The most important
portion of the iutelligencial cargo of the Persia, which
arrived at Queenstown on Monday last, is the message
of President Lincoln. From the summary before Its it
is impossible to pronounce an opinion upon it as a
whole, but so far as we can judge it is by no means
such a sensational document as the anticipations of
sundry authorities had almost induced us to believe it
would be. It has not set the Atlantic on fire. Ou the
contrary it will, perhaps, have a tendency to tone down
somewhat the fiery enthusiasm of the believers in the
possibility of a restoration of the Chien, for the tone
of the message, if not the words, does not seem to be
by any means so sanguine as the tone of its predecessors
delivered by Mr. Lincoln. Experience has a wonder.
fully moderating effect, even upon the hopes of presiii
deuts, and at the present moment the hopes of the
President of the Federal Republic of America, with
respect to the vanquisliment of the South, are, we
doubt nut, much weaker than they were at this time
last year. The tone of the address with respect to the
South. is moderate, although, as • matter of course, the
Presieent expresses his firm determination to restore
the Union. The possibility of do ng so is still • matter
of hope, although, as we have said, the hope may be
more faint than it was. The question of foreign media.
ties it touched upon at considerable length. The
unintentional injuries inflicted upon foreign nations by
the blockade are dwelt upon ; and the abolition of
slavery by compensation recommended. It would
appear that the Government at Washington do not
entertain the hostile feelings with reference to our-
selves which are cherished by a portion of the people
whom they govern. Mr. Lincoln refers with satisfac-
tion to the satisfactory relations of America with Euro-
pean Powers, and in these England is of course in-
cluded. The message has not been received with unani-
mous satisfaction. The NOD York Herald is of opinion
that the proposed amendment of the Constitution, the
abolition of slavery, namely, will not be listened to by
the Radical party in Congress. The Commercial Adver-
tiser is astonished that the message totally ignores all
the military and naval sacrifices, and remarks that it
contains no word of sympathy for the past, or cheer for
the future. The New York Times thinks the proposal
of Lincoln will not command universal assent, and
doubts whether Congress will pass the amendment.
PHOORPSB OP THZ WAR.—General Burnside has
visited Washington, and had an interview with the
President. lie has since returned to the army. Nothing
important has occurred at Fredericksburg. The COll-
- cavalry have crossed the Rappahannock and
captured two entire companies of the Federal cavalry.
Five Federal gunboats are reported to hays proceeded
up the Rappahannock and anchored opposite King
George's Court House. A successful cavalry recon-
naissance has been made from General Sigel's army, in
which 40 Confederate cavalry were captured. The
Legislature of Alabama bee placed one million dollars
RE the disposal of the governor, and has authorised him
to impress one-tenth of the negroes in Alabama to
erect defences. The negroes will at ones commence to
obstruct the channels leading into Mobile Bay and in
the rivers above the city. The Southern journals assert
that the Federals in West Tennessee have foi bidden the
farmers to plant anything but cotton. A portion of
General Banks's expedition has sailed. The Federal
army of the South West has commenced a general
advanoe from Memphis and different parts of Kis
Preparations are toeing made at New Orleans
for an advance by land and water up the Mississippi. A
Union meeting lips been held in New Orleans. The
oorrespondentsof the Now York journals describe the
proceedings as enthusiastic. General Butler is
appointin overseers for the plantations which he has
. Gemmel Sutler, la • letter peraitilig the

tta.vs raw stsi4 ivt. boo

National Advocate to resume publication, says all
tier4ons expressing a desire for fnreign intervention will
he treated as traitors. GenerAl Halleck's report con-
taino a letter from General in which he
ptrenuoteily opposes the removal of the army from the
Peninsula to Acimia Cr-ell, declaring that the same
would be fatal to the Union cause, Nearly All the
Democratic candidates have teen elected At New York
city election. A. meeting of thy New York Chamber of
Commerce has been convened for the 4th instant, to
consider measures for the relief of the distress in Lan.
coshire.

THE FEDERAL SECRETARY' OF WAIL-NEW YORK
Deoenther 3. —The report of the Federal Secretory of
War has been published. It states that the Federal
army at present numbers 800,000 fully armed and
equipped men ; when the quotas are filled the army
mill number-1,000,000. The report of the Secretary
of the Navy says that the Federal naval force consista
a 323 steamers and 104 sailing measels, carrying in all
3,268 guns. The Secretary of the Navy refers in his
reoort to the depred4ions of the Confederate steamer
Alabama, and says :—" The Alabama went forth from
England to destroy American chipping, and how far and
to what resnite this ablate may be carried with impunity
tot!,, Government which tolerates it, is matter of grave
consideration. This lawless rover, though built in and
sailing from England, has no acknowledged flag or
recognised nationality. Before the Alabama left Eng-
land the British authorities were informed by the
recognised official agents of the Federal Government of
her character and purposes. The British Government
thus invoked, came too late to prevent her nailing. To
what extent, under these circumstances, the British
Government is bound in honour or justice to make
indemnification for the destruction of private peopertv
is • question whir% may present itself for disposal. It
so alluded to now from a sense of duty towards
American commercial interests, and from the fact tha
recent intelligence indicates that other vessels of at
similar character are fitting out in England