The Placer herald., 1864-05-07

ing AT all-al,hough the line seems open for
private dispatches. The legislation of Con.
gress upon import duties on foreign goods,
and other measures connected with the rev.
enues, engrosses principal attention, and par.
ticularly among the mercantile classes. This
act of Congress, increasing The duties fifty
per cent on foreign goods, for sixty days, has
created something like a panic among the
importers, in California, as wei as al the
East. 1t was a matter of doubt, from con-
t1cting dispatches, whether goods in the
| bonded warehouses, were subject to this in
creased duty, but importers generally took
the safe side, by paving the duties, and ta'
king The goods out of bond, before the law
went into operation. That this was a wise
precaution, appears from the following dis
patch, received a, San rancisco. on Wed
nesdav from The Secretary of the Treasury:
The Joint Resolution Of April goth, IS ap.
plicabe to all goods on which duties have
not been paid" (sgned) S. CHASE
This action Of Congress will mainly &C.
count for the sudden rise in the premium on
gold at the East, as it created an extraordin.
airy demand for coin with which to pay du-
ties. More mon y was paid for custom in
the month OF April, at the port of New
York, than in any one month before since
the formation Of the Government. At the
San francisco Custom lluse, over 81 200, 900
was paid in the same month--an amount
| unprecedented on this coast.
| Every one will understand that this extra
duty OF fifty per cent will be added to the
cost of imported goods where disposed of to
]obbers, and consumers who indulge in for
een wines, liquors, cigars, and fancy goods,
must pay well for these luxures The i'm
portation of foreign goods for year or
two past, has been largely increasing, while
our exports have been diminishing In con
sequence the balance has been heavily agans,
Us, which was depicting the country of
com.
Besides this law, Congress will levy tax
of 81 25 per gallon on domestic liquors to
be collected after the LIST of June A tax
Of one fourth Of one>per cent. is also to be
collected on the banhinote circulation of the
State Banks.
These various enactments for revenue pur-
poses. indicate the pressing wants of Gov
erument, and at the same time convey an
| admonltloD to consumers that mercantile
prices are to make a considt rable advance.
Hence an urgent necessity for economy
and particularly among people OF moderate
circumstances, if thry expect to keep credn
tors and sheritls from their doors. This is a
requisite so potent that influential journals
have already sounded the warning that peo-
PIE may prepare for the storm.
In war matters we have nothing parlicu
Iarly striking In North Carolina the Com
tederates seem IN be striving to gain their
lost possessions, and have succeeded in re-
capturing all the towns in Federal posses
sion except Newbern, Beaufort and Fort Ma
con.
On the Potomac, the order Of the day
seems to be to reinforce. Soldiers are being
hurried to the front of both armes-but no
fighting reported beyond picket firing and
diminishing. A Federal force lately went
to Madison Court House and burned the
town. Beauregard is reported to have join
ed Lee with 10000 men from Charleston
Officers FROM Gen. Grants army do not look
for a general engagement for some time
but picket firing indicates that the hostile
armies are within striking distance, and a
battle may be brought on at any time.
All quiet at Chattanooga and in East Ten
nessee.
The States Of Ohio nd Indiana are put
ting their militia in the field to protect the
border.
From Banks army much bitterness is ex'
pressed against that General by his officers
and soldiers. A change of Commanders, it
is said, will be made. 1t is becoming ap-
parent that Banks is a failure as a military
man, and it will be a cause for surprise If he
is longer kept in the position of a fighting
commander, after his repeated defeats. The
record he has made at Winchester, Cedar
Mountain, and Red River, should be suffi-
cient to sheve him-had he been an old ar
my officer, instead of political General
from Massachusetts, he would have been
courtmartialed long since
Gen. Steele, who was to have united with
Banks, in the expedition against Shreveport,
has been occupied with Gen. Price. The
telegraph says Steele. decoyed Price from
Camden, in Southern Arkansas, and after
ward succeeded in occupying the place him,
self, where he found strong works of defense,
and great depot of goods and munitions
of war.
From Europe we have brief items of the
progress of the war between the German
allies and Denmark. The former have cap
tured Duppel, a stronghold Of the Danes
The German conquests have now extended
beyond the territory originally in dispute
Denmark fights single handed against the
Confederation. A conference of European
powers is to convene in London to effect "a
settlement of the questions at issue.
The alexandra, SO long detained 10y the
British authorities on suspicion of being I'M
tended for the Southern Confederacv is to
be released The owners of the vessel have
been notified TO this effect.