The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-02-25
NEWS ITEMS.

/ prOclamatlon warning away all nou-cOU-
batants, and calling upon every able bod
/ led man to rush to the ranks. His call
is not in the boastiug tone for which he
is noted, from which we may infer that
he is not very confident of success. The
Rebel troops and people are said to be
calm and confident.
The Copperheads have wasted much
breath in circulating the falsehood that
the freed slaves employed by the Gov
ernment at Port Royal are worthless and
vast expense to the country-that white
men are taxed to support lazy niggers,
&c. Official information having been
called for by Congress, the Secretary Of
the Treasury replies that there has been
expended for agricultural implements
ST., ,081; for the purchase Of the schoon-
er Flora, s3l $50; for white labor, S82,,
749; for colored labor. S34,527. Total
expenses, S225,705 From this expen-
diture has been realized S726,984. De-
Quoting the above expenses, there re-
mains on hand from this fund SOL ,279.
The Secretary says that no expenditure
whatever has been made from the Treas
ury on account of the cultivation of the
plantations or the collection of cotton, or
the educational or benevolent care of the
laborers The rations furnished by the
War Department were paid for by the
use of the Flora More than half mill
ion of dollars was saved by these opera
tions, aud is in the hands of the Assist
ant Treasurer at New Ycrk.
While every schooner captured BY the
Confederate pirates offers occasion for a
small panic in the newspapers, we are
apt to forget that something has been and
is being done on the other side. An of
fetal report just made reveals the fact
that already l18 prize cases have been
decided, the amount of sales footing up
over S2,000,000, of which about 80 per
cent is to be divided. There have been
in all over $50 vessels taken; 35 steam
thips, G ships, Is briggs, 224 schooners,
p sloops, 10 barks and 81 smaller boats
In compliance with official call, let
ter Of Lieut.. Gen. Scott. dated Oct. IS,
1861, has been sent to Congress. At
that time, the writer was General-in-
Chief, and George B. Mcclellan com
manded the Army Of the Potomac
Gen. Scott complains of McClellan's an
suJordination, and begs the Secretary Of
War to put stop to it, All McClellan's
dispatches will soon be sent to Congress,
and probably will be printed in full.
The story is current in Washington
that the Illinois Legislature backed out
of their scheme for wrestling the military
power Of the State from Gov. Yates and
sending peace delegates to jeff Davis,
by the advice Of Gov. Seymour of New
York, who sent word that the Western
Copperheads were carrying too much
steam, thereby injuring the prospects Of
the party in the East.
TIE Alabama has captured, robbed,
end burned the brig Chasteaine of Bos-
ton, and the bark Golden Rule Of New
York. The cutthroat stole $500 in gold
from the first named vessel.
Admiral Porter reports that the Rebel
steamer Vicksburg was so much damaged
by the Queen of the West that she is kept
aAoat by barges, and her machinery has
been taken out.
1t is reported that the Legislature Of
Mississippi has made it penal ofIense to
sell cotton in that State except to the
/ Confederate Government.
Maj Gen. Butler had grand reception
at the Maryland Institute Hall, Balti-
more. He made one Of his vigorous and
patriotic speeches.
Richmond papers say that there has
been no intention nor pretense of inten-
ton by France to mediate between the
North and the South.
The officers of the 18th New Hamp-
shire Regiment have sept home an ear
nest appeal for the maintenance Of the
Government. They say that Northern
sympathy with Secession is the cause of
more Encouragement than all the lost
battles and fruitless campaigns of the
war.
| NARROW ESCAPE OF THE Hon JOSH
UA r, GIDDINGs.-AbOut 2 O'Clock on
the morning of the 18th inst, FIRE broke
out in St, Lawrence Hall, Montreal
The Hon. Joshua r Giddings, American
Consul General, occupied apartments in
that portion of the building near the fire,
and though awakened as quickly as pos
sible, before he could escape, became in
sensible from the effects of the vapor and
smoke, and was carried for safety to an.
other part of the hotel. Subsequently
Il