The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-16

New York. Thursday, April Ie, 1863.
THE 9ITUAT1ON.
Our latest news from General Foster at Wash
hgton, N. c., up to the 18th instant, states that
he can hold out for three weeks that he has plenty
Of supplies, and can resist any force the enemy
have to bring against him. On the other hand the
rebel accounts represent his positionas most cri-
Acal The Wilmington Journal Of the 9th says that
Washington WAS actually in the hands Of General
Hill on the day previous; but this is not probable
Our Newburn correspondence to-day gives Q
full account Of the fight at Bount's Mills, from
which our troops were compelled to fall back
to Newburn. and were thus unable to reinforce
General Foster.
There - pretty heavy diminishing going on
during Tuesday and Wednesday ON the Black
water. near Suffolk in which the forces of General
Peck engaged the attacking party of the rebels
with some success. Our SufIblk correspondence
contains very full account Of the affair."
We give numerous extracts from the Southern
jous.sis to-day. and dispatches from different
points In Rebellion, including Charleston, Mobile,
vicksbuzg, Chattanooga, and jackson, Mississippi.
The afEAir ct Charleston FERNS the principal sub
jeot Of >coument In the Richmond papers. They
are exaataut over the failure Of our ironclads TO
capture the city, but erroneousy credit II to the
dring Of the forts; whereas it II known that it was
owing to the distractions in The channel that our
boats did not knock Charleston to pieces.
The Richmond Wig reports that fight took
place 1t Williamsburg on Saturday, the 9TH inst.
between the forces under General Wise and our
troops; that 1t an early hour on that morning the
rebsls drove in the Union pisksts and occupied
the town. the latter retiring to Fort Magrudsr.
from which point they commenced Smelling the
place. General Wise took position near the col.
lege and replied to their fire.
On the night Of the 18th inst. the steamer Stone.
wall jackson Formerly the Jeopardy, while ct.
tempting to run into Charleston harbor, was
chased by half dozen blockaders, which fred at
her, and she received several shots through her
hull. The captain. finding II impossible to escape,
ran the steamer on the beach and burned her.
The cargo consisted Of several pieces of field A.
tiliery, two hundred barrels Of ssltpetre, forty
thousand army shoes and . large assortment Of
merchandise.
1t does not appear that the Navy Department
received any dispatches from Admiral Dupont by
the Arago relative to the attack on Charleston.
General Shields has resigned his commission In
che United States army. He arrived in San Fran.
eisco on the 10th ult, but occupies no position in
the Military Department Of the Pacific.
Jefferson Davis has issued an address to the peo.
pie Of the Southern confederacy, which We pub.
lish in another column, urging them 70 devote
their agricultural labor to the production Of food
He says that although the soldiers are on half
rstions Of meat there is plenty Of II in the con-
fsderacy, but that difficulty exists In ito trans.
pOrtation, which is now about to be rsmsdied.
By the arrival Of the steamer Mslita from Ha.
vans, we learn the curious story that Admiral
Wilkes is paroed prisoner there until he can ex.
plain why the Vanderbilt fred q shot At Spanish
coasting steamer . short time ago.
THE LIaIsLATURH.
Our State Legislature will probably soon bring
its present session to . termination, as Yesterday
was the last Of the one hundred days for which.
by law, the legislators are entitled to compensa.
ton. A the time for their final adjournment
draws near, the members appear to manifest In.
creased industry, and . great amount of work Is
gotten through with each day. In the Senate
yesterday . number of bills were passed; but
nearly all Of them affected only matters which
are not OF interest TO the general reader. The
Brooklyn Firemen's bill was passed, and also the
bill incorporating the Union Trust Company of
New York. The bill giving the New York Super
visors annual salaries Of 81 900 was ordered 70 a
third reading, and is expected to pass to-day.
The amendments to the New York City Unsafe
Buildings act and the bill giving the Mayor and
Comptroller Of New York the power Of an.
pointing msrshals we're also ordered to a
third reading. The Assembly amendments to the
bill to promote volunteering and re. enlistmen,s
we're concurrcd in The bill to re guste our citv dis.
Irict courts was reported favorably. The supn,v
bill was lost. The Attorney General sent in a
communication expressing the opinion that the
bill TO permit soldiers to vote by proxy was un.
constitutional.
The New York City Tax Levy bill was passed BY
he Senate on Tuesday night.
Among the bills passed by the Assembly were
he Across Town Railroad bill, the vote being
seventy nine yeas to twensy-scven nays. The
Assembly slso passed the bills authorizing dummy
engines on the Brooklyn Central Railroad; for the
Science Of New York harbor. with an appropriation
d one million dollars amending the statutes relative
. burglary, incorporating the Mechanics and Ira