The New York herald., 1862-12-12
,S506,294

addresses in favor of donating money useful
articles to the Commission to enable them to carry
| out their object. the proceedings closed.
| Jack Frost having suddenly turned the key in
the canal locks, and closed them up for the win
| ter the subject of the freight tariff has become
interesting to the railroad managers. A large
number of them met in council at the st. Nicholas
| Hotel yesterday, when the concoction Of a uni.
| form freight tariff was under consideration.
! AT a regular meeting of the Board of Council
! men last evening. a resolution was offered to
establish ferry at the foot Of Seventeenth street.
| East. river. Referred. A resolution was adopted
| inquiring OF the Comptroller what system is es
tablished in the Nineteenth ward for the distribu
| tion Of the Volunteer Family Aid Fund, the
| Councilman from that ward very broadly insnuat-
| ing that in his opinion there was q screw loose
| somewhere in the present arrangements. The
| Board concurred with the Board of Aldermen in
donating the of $50, 900 to be applied towards
| the erection of new Roman Catholic Orphan
/ Asylum. The report relative to the purchase of
| the Fort Gansevoort property, as amended by the
| Board of Aldermen, was received and laid over.
The Board adjourned until this afternoon at four
| O'Clock.
In the Court of General Sessions, before Re-
corder Hoffman, yesterday, a man named Thomas
Sullivan was tried and convicted Of grand larceny,
on an indictment found in the Court Of Oyer and
Termner. The offence was committed on the
10Th of November last, when the prisoner stole
from his roommate, John Mcclure, Eve IS United
States legal tender notes and quantity of cloth
ing-in all valued at $67 so. The prisoner was
sentenced to the State Prison for two years.
The body of an unknown man, supposed from
his appearance and clothing to have been q sailor,
and perhaps master of some vessel, was found on
the 4th inst. Oh the east side of Horizons Point,
l.. l.. near the lighthouse lying face downward in
the sand. His face and hands were almost desti-
tute Of flesh. that it was impossible to identify
his features. The remains were inferred at
Southold on the 5th inst
The stock market inactive and prices rather
lower yesterday Cold declined per cont closing At
about 1875 Exchange closed at 145h LAG Money
was in rather better demand at Ca per cent,
The cotton market steady yesterday, but sales
were light. The sales of -four reached q 900 bbis.;
wheat 100000 bushels and $50 900 bushels at
generally full prices for prime parcels. There
dcrate business transacted sugars hops and taow
also in whskey hides and leather without any worry
remarkable changes prices Coffee rice and tea were
quiet, likewise naval stores oils Gsh Candles
whaiebone and tobacco The movements in provisions
were fair, and the price OF pork closed high
$l4 There very light freight engagements report
ed Particulars Of The awards Of government contracts
for pork, rice and coffee given our regular city
trade report.
The Opening OF the Winter Campaign-
The Capture or fFredcricksburg.
The stirring news which we publish to-day
from the Rappahannock shows that the winter
campaign has fairly opened. The Union army
has crossed the river in the face of the foe The
devoted city of Fredericksburg, bombarded by
| our guns, and partially destroyed, is already
occupied by our troops, Franklin's corps has
landed on the south side Of the river, and the
greatest battle of the war is now begun,
if the rebels will await the shock. They
are said to be in great force around the
city. Fifteen miles below they are also in
force, and are being shelled by the gunboats.
A crossing will probably be effected there, and
perhaps also above Fredericksburg. Meantime
we hope there will be bright lookout for
Jackson. who may turn up where be is least
expected If the entire Union army sue
ceeds in crossing the river without great loss,
and if the enemy will fight there with all his
force, it will perhaps prove the decisive
battle OF the war, casting into the shade
the battles Of Shiloh, Rull run and perhaps
Antctam. IF it should be won by Burnside,
the fate OF Richmond would be sealed. On
the other hand, If it should be won by Lee,
Washington would be in imminent danger.
But we have every confidence in the skill OF
the Union General, taught, as ho has been, in
the school Of Mcclellan. But we hope that his
plans will not be interfered with in the critical
moment, as were those Of his predecessor in tire
former campaign. If he wins decisive battle
on the banks Of the Rappahannock, it will be
his good fortune to have given the blow which
virtually terminates the war If the rebels do
not fight in force on the Rappahanncck nor on
the other streams further south which obstruct
the march Of the Union army to Richmond,
they will have to fight on the James, or sur
reader their capital withcut a struggle. q On
to Richmond y is now cry with some mean
ing in it. If they will not fight on the James
they must fight on the Roanoke, and II they will
not wait to give Lattie anywhere they will be
driven into the Gulf. Their retreat to Mexico
by way Of Texas il now cut off. There was y
time when that escape was open TO them, but
the opportunity has now passed away, and no.
thing remains for them but submission TO the
authority OF the Union, or, like Pharaoh and his
host. to find watcry grave. How much bet
ter to have proposed an armistice and con-
vention to settle the terms Of reunion than to
be brought to 40 miserable an end.
simultaneously with the movement Of Burn
side. we learn that the expedition of Banks has
sailed south OF the Capes, and it is expected to
reach its destination in few days. These
movements arc the north and southeast of
the theatre of wal The movements in the
West and Southwest are equally important.
TIE news we have recently published OF the
success Of the army of Curtis In Arkansas,
and Of the brilliant operations Of the army Of