The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-08 00:00:00

AMERICA

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)
Per City of Washington.
NEW YORK, Dec. 26.
There is no further news from the Army of the
Potomac, and the general belief is that active opera.

tions are ended for the session. The rebel guerrillas
however still hover about and keep the outposts on
the alert.

There have been no Federal advises received from
Chattanooga for a few days past, disclosing any-
thing of importance.

Richmond papers contain the following :
DALTON, GA., Dec. 18.
General Joseph E. Johnson is appointed to the
command of the Tennessee Army. He is expected
here early this week, General Hindman has arrived
and taken command of his old division. General
Sherman's corps has fallen back from Knoxville,
and passed through Cleveland yesterday.
BRISTOL, Dec. 19.

A fight took place yesterday at Bear Station.
The enemy after a stubborn resistance retreated
towards Knoxville. We captured seventy wagon
loads of stores and a number of prisoners. Our loss
in killed and wounded was eight hundred. General
Graele was wounded. Two hundred and twenty-
five prisoners have arrived. Longstreet is advanc-
ing, and a battle may be looked for in the neigh-
bourhood of Jonesboro, Tennessee. Reinforcements
from Jackson and General Sam Jones are going to
Longstreet. _

General Averill reports that his command suc-
ceeded in destroying five bridges on the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad, near Selma, about 60 miles

from Lynchburg, on the 16th inst. They also cut
the railroad in several places. The effect of Gene-
ral ANerill's raid upon Longstreet's operations will
be severe, inasmuch as it destroys for the time his
direct communication with Richmond.

The Philadelphia Ledger states that a rumour has
been received at Cairo to the effect that the rebel
General Magruder is marching from Texas with a
view of capturing the forts below New Orleans by
means of a rear attack, and thus close again the
navigation of the river to all sea-going vessels. Two
powerful rebel rams are to aid in the movement,
and it is said that suspicious vessels have already
been seen in the Gulf.

Apprehension is felt at Fort Smith, Arkansas, for
the safety of an immense supply train, which is on
its way from Fort Scott. Quantrell and Stand-
waite are said to be lying in wait, with a large

force, to capture it.
No important news has been received lately from
New Orleans or Texas. The rebels continue in
their efforts to obstruct the navigation of the Mis-
sissippi, and attack all boats from their moving
batteries on the banks of the river.
Advices have been received from Charleston up
to Dec. 22d. At that date no important events had
transpired. General Gillmore opened on the city

every night, throwing a few shells. His fire was
generally replied to by the rebels with vigour.
Efforts were to be made to raise the Weehawkan.
She lies in five fathoms of water, in an easy posi-

tion. The reported disaster to the Ironsides is
positively contradicted. The Monitor Lehigh, how-
ever, got aground, and was so badly irjured by the
rebel fire that she had to be towed to Hilton Head

for repairs.
Richmond papers contain the following :
CHARLESTON, Dec. 18.
Four shells were thrown into the city on the
night of the 16th. Our batteries opened heavily
and silenced the enemy. Ten shells were fired into
the city this morning. Our batteries keep up a
steady fire on the enemy, who is engaged in ob-
structing the approaches to their works on Morris
Island. The Ironsides and four Monitors are inside
the bar, and the usual number of vessels in Stone
Inlet.

CHARLESTON, Dec. 21

The enemy opened yesterday on the city at ten
o'clock, and threw fifteen shells. In the afternoon
twenty more were fired. No damage was done to
the buildings; no one injured. Our batteries re-
plied. To-day a few shots have been exchanged
between the enemy's batteries and ours. The enemy
continues to work on Gregg and Wagner, extending
the fiAnk of the former and sodding the latter.

There has been no new movement by the fleet. A
calcium light has been displayed by the enemy for
two nights, reflecting on the city.
It is stated that General Rosencranz has been
appointed to the command of the military depart-
of Missouri in place of General Scholefield, who has
been removed by the President.
A fleet of vessels of war is stationed off Sandy
Hook and the Narrows, for the purpose of searching
mercantile vessels leaving the port of New York.
The Government has resorted to this measure in
order to prevent the recurrence of such cases as
that of the Chesapeake, Hereafter, all American
vessels leaving ports in the United States are to be
subjected to a rigid scrutiny by United States de-
tectives. Passengers on the steamers to Aspinwall
and Havana are required to surrender their fire-
arms into the hands of the officers of the vessels,
until they reach their destination, when they are
returned to them.

There have been no very important proceedings
in Congress for the past three days. In the Senate
Mr. Sumner offered a resolution which, was adopted,
directing the Secretary-of-War to inform the Senate
whether the slaves in Delaware, Maryland, West
Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri, had been en-
rolled, and if not, why their enrolment had not been
made, in accordance with the act approved March
3d, 1863. Mr. Wilson, cf Massachusetts, introduced
a bill to prevent members of Congress acting as
counsel in cases wherever the United States Go-
vernment is involved. The House resolution for the
appropriation of seventy millions of dollar for boun-
ties, was adopted after a lengthy debate.
In the House of Representatives, Mr. Johnson, of
Pennsylvania, offered a resolution to the effect that
since the Conscription Act had been decided in
Pennsylvania to b 3 unconstitutional, it was the duty
of the Government to either acquiesce in that de.
cision or to bring the matter before the Supreme
Court. Mr. Johnson's resolution was laid on the
table.
Mr. Ancona, of Pennsylvania, offered a preamble,
setting forth that the Conscription Act is oppres-
sive, unjust, and unconstitutional, because it takes
from the States the control of their own militia ;
therefore resolved, that the Committee on Military
Affairs be instructed to bring before the House a
bill providing for the immediate filling up of the
armies in a just and constitutional manner.
Bills to construct a Government railroad from
New York to Washington, and to connect, by means
of a canal, the river Mississippi with the great lakes,
were brought forward and referred to appropriate
committees.
Both Houses of Congress have adjourned until
Jan. 5.
The Nations'. Conservative Union Committee, in
session in Philadelphia, have re-affirmed the nomi-
nation of Major-General M.Ciellan for President.
For Vice-President, the committee nominated Judge
Campbell, of Pennsylvania.
It is believed that the rebels receive large quan-
tities of supplies from Maryland, across the Upper
Potomac, and also by small craft through Chesa-
take Bay.

DEATH OF MR. COMBS.—The deathof Nir. Combe,
the police magistrate, was announced yesterday.
On the 11th of December last ho was transacting business
at the Southwark Police Court, apparently in his usual
health ; on the Saturday he was taken unwell with a cold,
and on Monday fever intervened and caused a complete
prostration of the system. His death was daily expected,
bat he seemed to rally, and on Monday last information
was received at this court that he was recovering.
On Tuesday he was visited by Mr. Burcham, his col-
league, who found him much exhausted,' a relapse
having taken place, and then all hopes of recovery
were gone. The deceased was about 75 years of age.
He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn on the 19th of
Novembor, ISI3, He was a Chancery barrister, end was
a few years ago elected a bencher at his own inn. He was
first appointed a metropolitan police magistrate at the time
of Lord Melbourne's Government, in 1833. He first sat at
the Thames Police court with Mr. Ballantine; afterwards
.be sat occasionally at Lambeth-street Police-court, and then
he was appointed to Hatton-garden ; thence he removed
to the new Clerkenwell Police-court, and at :851 he at his
own request came to Southwark court, in lieu of the late
Mr. 3ecker, who was removed to Greenwich. During the
time Mr. CJnabe presided at Southwark he was much re-
spected by the Bar apd all who had business at the court.