Year: 1861




WASHINGTON, March 31.-It is undoubtedly true
that decided pressure is brought to bear upon
the administration for the retention of Fort Sum-
ter at all hazards. The resolution offered by Mr..
Trumbull, before the adjournment of the Senate,
reflects the feeling of the great majority of the
members from the North west, these efforts and
others have produced some effect, and the idea of
reinforcement is now entertained in quarters which
have hitherto regarded it as whol p impracticable
and unworthy of consideration.


The Cabinet have had several sittngs upon the
subject and 1t is known that energetic policy is
strongly urged. The President necessarily reserves
to himself ultimate decision eff this question,
about which the Cabinet were, with one exception,
unanimous two weeks ago. Different views have
been recently presented, and not without leaving an
impression favorable to the feasibility of introdu-
cling men and supplies.


Several leading naval officers express the belief
that the batteries which guard the entrances to
Charleston harbor might be run under steam with
out more than ordinary risk. They agree, however,
that unless such an experiment could be successfully
executed at night, the boats tugs which might be
used for this purpose would be exposed to the fire of
Fort Moultrie in an attempt to land the troops and
supplies. That contingency must be regarded as
nearly inseparabe from the enterprise, and it almost
necessarily involves the commencement of actual
war, for any movement looking toward that object
would certainly be resisted.


This view is sustained by all the official informa-
tion on the subject and by the opinion of the agent
sent to make personal inspection for the satisfac-
tion OF the administration.


SAD CASE OF PoIsoNING.-The Philadelphia Press,
OF yesterday, says that on Saturday evening a
fatal case poisoning occurred in the Seventeenth
ward, resulting in the death Of two persons and
the danger GUS illness of two Others The facts are
as follows: Mr.. James Magee, aged rs. and his
wife Mary, aged II, lived in a small house in
Henry's court, running out of Germantown avenue,
above Thompson street. Up to within a day or
two, the upper story of their house was occupied
by another person, who moved away. After she
was gone, Mrs. Magee discovered that she had left
behind paper parcel, which the unfortunate
supposed to contain baking powder.


She used the powder in her baking, and with her
husband partook freely of the product at supper
time. After they had finished their meal, their
son-in-aw and daughter, whose names are John
and Catharine McVey, came in to visit them, and
were invited and partook of the supper. Soon
after, the father and mother were taken violently
sick. In their fright, instead of seeking medical
aid, they sent for priest, and afterwards to the
new home of the late tenant to inquire what was in
the paper they had used in the baking The valuable
time thus lost incurred the death of both the father
and mother. The paper had contained arsenic,
and was plainly labelled with its name and the
not read


The supper was eaten at few minutes after six
o'cock and it half-past ten before medical aid
was called in. DR.. McAvoy, DR.. Z. Donnely, and
Mr. +. A. Keffer, the chemist at Germantown
avenue and Master street, exhausted ali the re-
sources OF science in efforts to save the poor vic
Tins from the fatal consequences of the poisoning;
but too muca a.. precious time had been lost. Mr..
james Magee olea at eleven O'Clock on Saturday
night and his wife Mary early yesterday morning.
At late hour last evening, we were informed
that the medical attendants of Mr.. McVey and his
wife were hopeful OF their recovery.


CARL SHuRTz-A rich revelation has been made
in connection with Sburtz. On Thursday evening
last be informed friend that he was unwell and
intended to keep his room during the next forty
eight hours for the purpose of efecting cure
with calomeI. The friend expressed his sympathy
and was about making a visit to the supposed pa
tient Yesterday afternoon, when he accidentally
learned, to his utter astonishment, from newly
arrived New Yorker, that Shurtz bad been seen OF
the way between here and New York. The mys
terry was Investigated, and it is said that hnancia
conederations had something to do with the Gap
tain's disappearance Rash. Correspondent