, 1862-01-28
THE LATEST METUS
From Washington --- Farms
W0rth'S Cayalry---P0stal
Matters.
Z Free Press to be Sustained and En-
couraged--No Stamp Duty.
TIE COMMISSION 70 VISIT TBE
PRISONERS RAT!0HS OF
PRISONERS TO Be COM
MU1ED FGR,
An Army Newspaper Advertises
Fugitives--MeHcan Affairs,

Especial Dispatch to the Chicago Tribnnc,l
| WAsH1SGToS, Janpary p, 1862
Mr.. Hade'e new rule for the secret session
Of Congress has been amended in the Senate
by striking ont a clause so that they IRE not
Obliged to conclude business before adjourn
ment. Mr.. Doolittle's substitntc was adopted
after which the question waspostponed. Mr..
Wade said that, having kille;a !:ds proposition,
he didn't care what became ef- the other thing
Farnswozth's Illinois Cayslry, having suf-
1ered much from sickness, o.. account Of the
location Of. their camp during wet weather,
orders were given for them to be auartescd in
secession houses at Alexandria. Accordingly,
they took possession Of about fifty houses Of
rampant seccssionists, including two secession
printing offices and one church Of the Mctho-
dist denomination. The regiment have insti-
tutcd moral reform in Alexandria by cutting
liquor shops.
Schuyler Colfax to-day submitted bill sim
plitylns tho rates Of postage On printed mat
teT, to do away with $50 different rates now
existing. It was referred to the Post Office
Committee. It provides that newspapers
not weighing over two ounces and going
less than 1000 miles, Tor which postage is
now payable by law, shall pay, when
sent by mail, ) cents per quarter for weeklies,
10 cents for semi-weeklies, 80 cents for dailies.
instead Of the awkward rates Of 81 cents per
quarter weekly on Papers weighing less than
~ ounces in the State, and e. cents on those
less than j ounces sent out Of the State,
The proposed bill puts another rate Of !,
cent per ounce on magazines and periodicals,
aud l cent per ounce Oh books, &c, making )
fates :"s+re1 Of over 800. It is Il mistake that
the bill abolishinG erenlinq rivi,or-, a,,,1
ishcs the free circulation oi t-rors =, ~
county where published, Or free excha.,,,s 49,
nor does Ills proposed .oill.
The Committee on ways and Means will
not recommend a stamp duty on newspapers,
but tax on circulation sworn to by publish.
ers.
All railroad passengers to be taxed.
The brig Perry, ant: steamer Island Belle,
ran the gauntlet of rebel batteries on the Po-
! tomac to-day, and were not fired ut. The
batteries 1T Cock Pit Peint, Oh the rebels right
wing, have been great1;=trengthenelr recently
Bishop Alnes, of tut Methodist Episcopal
Church, and Hon. Himilton Fish, of New
York, we're appointed to-day by Secretary
: Stanton as commissioners to visit and relieve
United Suites prisoners, agreeable to previous
orders. They are directed to telegraph their
acceptance or rejection.
Tile War DeMrtmc.! has ordered flat re-
; leased prisoners receisf full communication of
, rations additional to ,.y.
Delaware rcsine1:;- formerly commanded
1r-7 oaf--
:: Dru1nmondstown, is 3s.'oliSlling paper which
ecntaias Embellishments Of fugitive s7avts
Gen. Goicourria is here authorized to settle
all questions and negotiate trcaties with the
United Sttrs in behalf Of Mexico.
The Senate to-day decided in executive scs-
; sion that staff appointments to acting Major
! Generals did not require confirmation Ac-
cordingly, they have seut back to the Presi-
dcrt Gen. McClvllan's, Of Which Gen. Lanes
, are matt