Year: 1862

those most familiar With the subject, will
not be taxed, at tie most to exceed one
dollar per bead, and this being collected by
indirection, by having the tax added to the
cost of article purchased, will be collected
without the payer being aware of it:
Whether this rule will hold with the con-
sumers of whiskey and tobacco is doubtful
they may feel the tax in the increase cs
the prices Of those articles, as the tax im-
posed will be equal to the present first cost.
The same Is true Of fermented liquors. The
tax on slsves-a very raw article-is two
dollars per head-but a small per cent. on
first cost though perhaps high on present
value. As soon as the tax bill is disposed
Of, the tariff bill will be revised, so as to
equalize imports with home products, and
the increased revenue from this source is
expected to bring in scme forty to millions
of dollars. If the war should be brought
to close soon, the. tax and tariff bills will
bring in money enough to pay the interest
on the public debt, and defray the ordinary
expenses of the Government. The present
debt is about S75O, O,O00, 900, the average
interest on which is about 81 per cent.
A large amount Of the debt, in the shape Of
Treasury Notes, bearing no interest .t all,
and affording the Nation the best currency
it has ever enjoyed. Another $3.50, ,OOO, 900
of demand notes is soon to be issued.
S25, 100000 os which is to be in two and
three dollar bills, which. will be great
convenience to the country.


Congress will probably continue in ses-
sion until some time in July. The weather
here has become quite warm, and the
amount of sickness in the army greatly
increased.


We are all still waiting to hear some-
thing from Richmond worth hearing-o of
great battle, and of crest defeat to 10y
alists or traitors. General Mcclellan \
course is severely criticised, but the fact
that the officers and men under him are
satisfied with him goes good ways towards
showing that it is pretty nearly right. But
how impatient We all are for a movement
We have fairly learned to "sup on horrors"
Every day we witness the spectacle of sick
and wounded men borne through our streets
to the hospitals, or men marched to prison.
The hospitals arc all full, and the Govern
ment has taken possession of several
churches, which they are Citing up for the
accommodation ofthe scores who are brought
here from the valley of the Shenandoah and
from before Richmond. The churches
whose congregation most sympathized with
traitors were first taken, but since then
more loyal have likewise been taken, and
if battle occurs soon at Richmond, all the
public buildings will be used in the same
way. Churches are preferred because they
are more roomy and better ventilated usu.
sually than other buildings; besides, it
affords the congregations a better opportu-
nifty of diseharching high Christian duty
towards the brave men who have peried
their lives for their country.


Yours, &c, McB.


Z. S.-Since the above was written the
Rail Road bill has gone through the Senate,
as in Committee of the Whole, and will
probably be disposed of tomorrow or next !,
day As amended in the Senate, the START
ing point Of the Pacific Road it fixed upon
the 1OOdth meridian of longitude west, and
between the south verge Of the valley of
the Republican, and the north verge of the
valley of the Platte. This is about sixty
miles west of Fort Kcarney, and within the
limits of Nebraska Territory. To this poins
the Leavenworth Pawnee and Western
Railroad is authorized and empowered to
build branch. This is not all that we Of
Kansas could desire, but it is about the
test we are likely to get There is pos
sibility that this may be changed in the