, 1862-04-26
THE LATEST NEWS
By TELEGRAP
FROM WASHINGTON.
Reports from Fredericksburg.
The Rebels Knew Of McDowe!t's
Movement.
RIGHT OF SEARCH ACCORDED TO
ENGLAND.

from fredericksburg, says the inhabitants re-
port the rebels in force no nearer than Milford,
80 miles On the Railroad to Richmond, to
which place the nlaln body retreated three
days before McDowell's advance, leaving five
hundred cavalry to skirrnish with him and
burn the bridges. His movement was thus
known to the rebels beforehand, although uu-
known, (according to the Associated Prcss)
to more than half dozen persons.
Fredericksburg people say the rebel troops
there had no law but that Of the commanding
gcncralE-taling property and persons without
notice or payment
Capt Wyman says the town Of Tappalan-
mock, which is only 42 miles from Richmond,
could have been occupied my time this win
ter. The only fortifcations On the river, are
one below Urbana, and one at the mouth,
wlcrc one gun vas mounted, since carried of
to Richmond, and Fort Lowric 10 miles above
the mouth, mounting7 guns, Of which 5
we're taken away and sunk in the
river. The latter fort WAS built
on a low, sandy point, and could easily be
shcllcd out By our gunboats. above Tappa-
hanuock the stream narrows to Frcdcricks-
burg, and the only fertilization at that point
WAS seven miles below the town, where
schooDers were sunk. No guns were ever
mounted there, hut as the stream flows like J.
gutter between banks frop so to 100 feet
high, with occasional swamp=, our gun5oats
could not have used their cannon with effect,
could not have turned about, and would have
been exposed to musketry and field pieces from
the banks, unless accompanied By infantry to
clean out the woods.
The Yankee was fired at hy the rebel scouts
seyeral times, but no harm was-done.
The railroad bridge over Potomac creek is
too long and too expensive to rebuild.
The treaty for the suppression Of the slayc
trade, ratified yesterday, defines and settles
within specified limits the right Of search as
regards slave traders, thus removing one
great source of irritation between England
and America.
Letters from Paris say Napoleon has ap-
pointed q military and naval commission,
since the Monitor aud Merrinac fight, to
study the iron-clad subject thoroughly. with
view Of turning it to practical account
Too late to telegraph you last night, I
learned that the report Of the departure Of
Lord Lyons for Norfolk and Richmond was
| without foundation.
A gentleman from st. Louis, just returned
| from visit to his mother near Manassas, SAWS
the general opinion Of the people in that yicin-
| ity is that Johnston nerer had more than So
| COO men there, the most Of whom Wcrc i'll dis
ciplined. The size and efficiency of the rebel
armits everywhere he believes greatly .1ager-
| atcd.
| Mr. Dawes Of Massachusetts made DAM
aging speech in defense Of the WasAuurne
Committee this morning, against Thad. Ste
vens and other assailants. He hit right and
left, and intimated that Cameron had served q
notice in the district Of each member Of the
Committee that he should not be Reelected.
Mr. Kelly OF Pa. is now replying.
| Dan Sickies WAS to day nominated Brigu,
dier General.
Mr.. Dawea's speech is regarded as q com
| plete vindication Of the Committee on Govern
mcnt Contracts, against charges brought by
Stevens and others. He said the committee
received only assistance and good will IRON
the Chairman Of Ways and Means, (Mr. Ste
7ens,) until they placed themselves between
the Treasury and fraudulent Claim Of ST
| mon Stevens, for ffty-scven thousand dollars
The speech was listened to by full house, ane
| at times created much merriment.
The new slave trade treaty with Grea
Britain authorizes commanders Of vessel
of war Of each nation, specially commissioned
Tor that purpose, to board and search merchan
vessels Of either nation In specified waters, OF
reasonable presumption that such vessel i
engaged in the slave trade, subject to pay
ment Of damages for loss and detention arisin.
IRON mistakes. ANY one of the following
marks is to constitute Presumption auf
authorize the seizure Of the vessels: uatche
with open gratings, an unusual numse
of bulkheads, spare planks for th
second or slave deck, manaclcs, al
unusual quantity Of water, water-casks, mess
tubs, cooking apparatus, provisions an
clothing beyond what is necessary for til
crew or mentioned in the manifest as a part q
the cargo. The treaty constitutes three Is
mixed courts Of justice, consisting Of citizen
Of both countries, at Sierra Leone, Cape of1oo,
Hope and New York, for adjudication uE
veseelsseized. Tie captains, crews and own
efs a1e to be tried according to the Ii Us {
tie country to which the vessel eelvngs.
Mr.. WigGll is reported from Richmond q
sa,ing that the South would conquer peace s.
I Philadelphia
Mr., Mereier reports that thu Richmond Of
c1als arc hard up, but dragging. They har
no tea, coffee, wine or ice.
General Dc Alama Lockwood wus to Iav r:
jeeted By the Senate.
| ofEo r..
on account Of the wound in his foot. Thre
ply sic{ans say he requires rest, but the D.
pa1tment can't spare him, and SO have ordel
. I'd Captain Charles e. Davis to report to hin
He (Dayis) viii perform the active dutie:
, Foote retaining the supervision
! WASHINGTON, April 25-Com Foo:e, OWN
| to the wound received in the battle Of F 81
Henry, has asked to be relieved from th
: command Of the Western feet, but the DE-
, partment has, it is understood, ordered Capt
Chas. h Davis to repair to the squadron q
lis second in command, thus releasing him {
{ much Of the physical labor Of his responsibl
position.
In addition to what has heretofore been .:
serted in contradiction Of the false statement
) Of the Richmond papers, there Is good ar
I thority for stating that Count Aercier, th
: French Minister, had no official eommunic:
s tfon whatever with the Southern authoritic.
Lac EelsoTI !1R1 LORD Lyons had gone t
: Richmond, or Is going, is untrue, as are ais
f the recent unfuunded rumors Of changcs j
l. the Cabinet.
E The Navy Department is quietly, though c
6 hcfent1y at work, increasing the 1ncaus Of Il
i. national defence. The Atlantic Works 81
/. Harrison Lo1ing, OF Boston, have been a~ar,
( cd contracts for building iron-c1ad vessels u,
d der the recent law.
t The Senate to-day, in executive sessio,
/. confirmed the nomination OF Geo CAD wall
' | der, Of Penna, and Geo. q. Thomas, of Va
as Major Generals, and Cot Alfred H Terr
t. OF Conn, Miles H. Haskell, ofInd, Maj He
e II n. Vessels, OF the 9th Infantry, Col Jot
= " Gcary, Major Sam'l ". Crawford, of tt
:. 18th Infantry, and Leonard F. Ross, of Ind
d as Brlgadier Generals Of Volunteers; als
b Brig Gen. Jas. ". Ripley, to be Chief of Or
It nuDce, and Vim. a. Hammond as SurEet
20 General, with rank Of Brigadier General al
Chas. i. Garrett as Asst Quartermaste7, al
Hasvey 4: Smith, Of Kansas, as Commissa
,r Of subsistence
The Senate, it is stated, rejected Nath
Of RetTe IS Asst Quartermaster, and the folio
n ing rs Brfgadlar Generals; John Cochran
ID T. Il. Lockwood, Chas. F. Clarke, and Chs
i. Dana.
n John Trumble, of Tennessee, was confirm
e IS q: 8: Attorney for the Middle District
nr that state.
I. Owing to Misrepresentation which caus
!. the rejection Of Daniel E. Sickles, the Pre-
ts dent to-day renuuinated him to be Brieai]
Z General The prospect OF his confirmation
y, ReVerdy johnson has written a letter.
H. | which lie attempts to prove the unconsti,