, 1862-03-29

Inent and tho result. The most complete
descriptions were given Of shersan's and
busnside's expeditions, but neither has expari-
eneed any trouble on that score. Capt.:Por-
tes's mortar fleet has been. made 11attar al
history In its preparation, and will be histori-
cal IN Its results. Nothing has been LETT to be
said Of the armament Of Com. Foota,s srnn.
boats, and it was known beforehand thev
we're preparing to take Forts Henry and non.
elsons which they did take. Our "1ittle Mon
itor" was described long ago in the Scientific
American, and Jet the rebels we're not able to
damage her- Where, then, has single item
81 information been given In the loyal press
IRON which the rebels have derived ssaid and
comfort" to the dettimeut Of the Federal
arms!
But that the rebels do receive ttald and
comfort" Is undeniab1e. Their sources, how
ever, are more reliahle than the press. THE
Information they get comes from nearer the
throne, and ia by just so much the more what
they want and what they can rely upon. Who
told them Of the Presidents order to Gen.
Mcclellan for ed Of February movement,
that did not take place? The people Of the
North knew the existence Of such an order
only on the 18th OF March, A letter found In
rebel camp by the advance Of our arny: d.
ted "eamp Pickens, Manassas, Va, March
9TH" is evidence on this point, and 1t is abun-
oantl5 co1roborated r It reads as follows:
see none Of the Richmond papers have publish
"a ne Mcts herein communicated, and therefore
tona LIME they are prohibited doing 50; and for this
public. The evacuation Of Manassas Is at this mo-
ment IN process Of accomplishment. The process
Aak osem Carried on for tceek, and at last it
seems that the store of Government provisions
and ordnance has been touched. The 1adies were
ordered to retire beyond cnlpeper Court House q
Weekago; then the sick soldiers were sent back:
and since and now all the CATS have been employed
In Transporting Government property except the
passenger cars.
This close coincidence between the move
ment Of the rebel army and our army, shows
that the Confedcrates still have the same relia-
bic means Of information at Washington Of
the most eecret counsels Of our generals.
While such state OF things exists, the war
orders for suppressing news and newspapers
are simply farce. The source of the infor-
nation to the enemy, is not far from the head
Of military affairs, and the place to begin the
search and suppression is at the top.
Why the merr1mac Came Out.
a new and important meaning las been as-
signed to the raid Of the Mer1imac. There is
reason to believe that the sole object Of the
1ron-plated monster in appearing as she did,
and destroying the blockading squadron at the
mouth Of the James River, was to enable the
two smaller rebel vessels, the Yorktown and
jamestown, to pass down the stream, and up
Elizabeth River to Norfolk and Gosport Navy
Yard, where they now are The repairs made
to these two vessels at Richmond were not of
very important character, the evident design
being to remodel aud reconstruct them at
Gosport as iron-p1ated steamers, to Cooperate
at some time not far distant, with the Merri-
mac, IN an attack upon all the Federal ship
ping in the harbor. Whether the Monitor
would be match for these three enemies, is
question which should be solved at once bv
those in authority. The Jamestown and York
town would not have been able, without the
aid Of the Merrimac, to have run the James
River blockade, and the facilities of the Cos
port Navy Yard for their reconstruction, are,
unfortunately, ample.
The Ways and Means Tax Bill.
The debates in House Committee of the
Whole, on the Tax bill, are but q matter of
form, giving members a chance to relieve
their minds and put themselves on the record
before the final vote is taken. The bill will
pass substantially as reported. 1t is a fore
gone conclusion While, therefore, the de-
bate continues, members are taking advantage
Of the time to visit home, and we sec in some
OF our Eastern exchanges that the attendance
has rarely been Us small as now. Delegations
swarm the hotels and lobbies using their infu-
ence to cut down certain special revenues, and
representations Of the most absurd and purely
personal nature are made. For instance, it is
stated that A. B., an extensive distiller, will be
taxed S250, eco annually on his product! The
billiard men can't afford to pay $50 per table,
and Phe1an Las been in town feeling for re-
duction: The Philadelphia Board Of Trade
have discovered that the schedule will produce
twice as much as We want, or SIS, ,0o0, 600 from
the income tax, instead Of s., ,o0o, ,O0O, as esti-
matcd, and 81, 500, 900 from the coal oil tax, in
stead Of $4,000