The Local News from Alexandria, Virginia • Page 1

(Orphan referred, a few dayejago, to tbe Orphan Asylum in this place, arid expressed the hope that its claims would not be forgotten by the public. As an evidence that they have as an incentive to follow so good an may Mention that, notwithstanding the hardness of the times," the pupils of Mrs. Whiting's school, and Miss Ellen Mark's school, bave voluntarily determined to make their usual Christmas offering to the Asylum. The children teach us, in this, true charity. Tbe very promptings of nature teach them to be kind to tbe poor, and especially to tbe poor orphans.

Christmas the present week there will be religious service every afternoon at four o'clock, at the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association. On Christmas morning there will be a prayer meeting at 7 o'clock at the same place. Divine service at 11 o'clock a. on Christmas Day, at St. Paul's church.

Communion at O'aoe church next Sunday morning. There will be high mass at St. Mary's (Catholic church on Christmas morning at 4. o'clock, and at 11 o'clock, and vespers in tbe afternoon at o'clock. River has been but little movement upon tbe river off this city today.

Three barges, with provisions for the United States army, arrived up in tow of a steam-tug, having passed the batteries dv ring tho dark hours of last night. One of tbe barges lost her deck load in Chesapeake bay, and one of the others lost also a portion of her cargo. They report that batteries sunk yesterday large sehoonwhich was "running the blockade" Dwelling dwelling houses citizens of this place, who left at the beginning of the present war, continue, to be taken and occupied by the military now stationed here. Several warehouses are atao v- ed for storage by the U. S.

forces. I The have had a spell or dry weather" for several weeks, and rain was much wanted. A tine rain fell lust (ght, and continued to-day. rain which commenced yesrday, changed about noon to-day into a iving snow which lasted about an TBI Mayor's Mayor's office was but slimly attended this morning. and no cashes of interest came up for adjudi.

cation. was a sombre looking Sabbath, and tew ventured out of doors ex. cept to attend divine service. The streets were deserted during the entire day. About nightfall a smart rain began.

GENERAL NEWS. Tbe Cincinnati Commercial and the N. Tribune continue to assail Gen. McClella one, for not "advancing to Richmond," the other for not receiving "visitors who come to bim with important letters." A private letter received by the Europe, from the oonsignee of a British vessel at New York, announces that $50,000 worth of arms which bed been shipped on board the vessel, lying at Liverpool, for America, and a bill of lading bad therefor, were seized and removed from the vessel by order of the British Government. The Silas for New York, having a hundred tons of lead on board, was stopped io the River Thames, the export of the article having been prohibted.

Tbe Sorghum sugar culture has been very extensive this past auturu. The value saccharine productions in lowa is stated to be a million dollars, and other Western States, bave made quantities of correspond ing value. A letter from ou board the steam frigate Niagara, dated tbe 3d of December, states that the frigate Santee had destroyed a fortification that was nearly completed at 801 vur Point, In Texas. A man is said to have been arrested below Port Tobacco, with leiters for tbe on. h.

in his possession. Ie liussiau govsrnment has sentenced nffragan Archbishop of Warsaw to be ported to Siberia for ten years. Fif medical students of the and condemned to I serve as common soldiers in the army. Tbe Confederate batteries on the Lower Potomac continue firing ou the vessels passing up and down the river. During Saturday and the day before the whole Hue of batteries kept up a continuous fire upon the propellers and schooners bound up end down the river.

Col. Mich'l Thompson, a lawyer in Washington, and a native of South Carolina, has been arrested in Washington on a charge of sending letters to person? in the Confederate States. The most exciting scene which has beta witnessed in the Tower of London for many years took place on the late occasion of the packing and forwarding of tbe huge supplies of war material ordered immediate shipment at tbe naval ports. The official report of General Phelps of I his landing in ffce Mississippi Sound, states that on tbe 7th inst. (the latest date, of his report,) the New London and De Soto I were engaging tbe Confederate vessels in tbe direction uf New Orleans.

A Captain of a vessel reports having seen a new comet, when at sea, on the 18th inst. The first service of the "Conference of the Independent Methodist Churches in the United States" was held in the St. John's Methodist Church ie New York Wednesday Eid Thursday last. A writer in the Maryland News says that en. Ltickwood's course ou the Eastern Shore of Virginia, his punishment of robbers, nod the discipline he enforces, are much to his credit.

Gen. lloaecrans in Blross to his seldiers in Western Virulls for "magnanimity and forbearwards the unarmed and defenceless." U. government is strongly urged New York Heruld, to make "a speedy settlement of the Trent atf.iir, upon the basis of England's reclamations." The Tribune in speaking of Gen. Phelps' proclamation, says he is an unfortu- nate victim to gab, which is a prevailing epidemic. A letter from Col.

Coreoran, now at Charleston, confined as a hostage for tbe safety of the privataorsmen captured by tbe C. S. vessels, is published, in which he complains of the situation of himself and his he writes witliont fear of any fate that may come to hieiself personally. Tbe tone of his letter is courageous. Gen.

Rosecrans' address to his troops in Western Virginia, upon the close of the campaign, bestows upon tbem high and his language is very bitter towards Gen. Floyd and his troops. The steamboat George Weems has been again searched at Baltimore, and one of her passengers, an Englishman named Wilson, and another were arrested, morphine and quinine having been found in their possession, and some letters for the South. Several of the French papers say that in a quarrel between England and tbe United States, France will be neutral. Others affirm that Eugland and France understand each other, and will act for each other's interest.

The trial of Jeflerds, in Now York, for the murder of Matthews, is still going on. The prisoner, it seems, has been in tbe clutches of a paid "detective" for months past, who wormed all his secrets ironi him. Mr. Anderson, the brother of Gen. Anderson, of Sumter memory, is iv New York lecturing, lately escaped from Texas.

The budy of Rooget de Lisle, the author of the celebrated "Marseillaise," has been recently exhumed Paris, and placed in a stone coffin with a suitable inscription. Tbe Troy Dlack Horse Cavalry of which 'there has been much said in the news papers, has beeu ordered back from Washington to I Spain is about to pay her debts to France, contracted in 1823. The Roman question is still before the Italian Parliament. Garibaldi would, it was said, return to Caprera. Advices from India state that the harvest was progressing favorably.

A boat's crew from the Harriet Lane landed on the Virgiuia side opposite Indian Head on Friday. The landing was effected on the farm of Mr. Otterback, reaiding in Washington, and several sheep and in quantity of poultry were obtained from him. Four new iron-clad vessels have been ordered to be prepared by the British government. Mr.

Jones, of lowa, late Minister to Bogota, has been arrested by the U. S. government, in consequence of some letters of his written to persons in the South, coming into the possession of the State These letters expressed his sympathy with the South. Gen. McClellan has issued an order direo ting that all persons coming into the Federal lines from Virginia, shall be sent on to hi 8 headquarters, without previous examination by any further, that the telegraph stations must be guarded, and unauthorized persons kept off from them.

Gen. McClellan, upon the receipt of Gen. Phelps' report of his occupation of Ship Island, yesterday, declared his dissatisfaction withGea. Phelps' proclamation, stating that he should bave issued no at ail on the occasion. A young man deliberately shot and killed his father while he wsa lying asleep in Lewis county, N.

on inst. The murderer escaped. The throe weeks parole of Marshal Kane, of Baltimore, hiving expired, he returned to Fort Warren on the 20th inst. Reviews mid flag presentations continue to take place almost every day, in the divisions of the U. S.

forces on tho Potomac lines. Kentucky has, by a vote of liar Legislature, resolved to assume the payment of her frtion of the direct tax imposed by the U. Congress, and also by resolution approves the action of the administration regarding Fremont's proclamation aud Secretary Cameron's original report, and requests the removal ol Mr. Cameron. I A pamphlet has been issued in Washing- I ton explaining and enforcing Mr.

Chase's views on his proposed system ot finance. The office nf the St. Croix Herald, at St. I Stephen's, N. 8., was destroyed last night, 1 by a party of Confederate sympathisers, pw-1 ing to the opposition manifested by the cdi- I tors to the cause of the Southern Confede! rates.

1 Col. S. C. Stambaugb, of Pennsylvania I late Surveyor General of Utah Territory, ac! eompanied by Messrs.Gavish and Livingston, i merchants from Salt Lake City, passed through this city yesterday, on a visit to the various camps. The British frigate Warrior had taken her coal on board preparatory to setting out for North America, and the Hero (eighty-six guns) was to leave Portsmouth on the Bth instant for the same destination.

It is said that the U. S. army in Kentucky on the l3t day of January next will contain one hundred and fifty thousand men, in seven divisions, ail under the command of Gen. Don Carlos Buell. This is a high probably exaggerated.

Large numbers of British troops are daily expected in Canada. Dr. Bayne's resolutions, offered in tho Maryland State Senate, urging a plan to prevent fugitive slaves from being received into tbe lines of the U. S. forces, bave been adopted in that body.

Scouts from Kentucky report tha' a large contraband trade is being carried on vth the from Illinois via Cave in Rock on tho Ohio river. Also, that the rifled cannon "have been placed on the Tennessee river for the purpose of sinking the I United States aunboat Conestoga, which Six weeks ago potatoes were selling in Canada for twenty-five cents; the price is now seventy-five cents. The rot is said to have already destroyed half tbe crop. Vessels from Philadelphia and New York, to Liverpool, are taking out large quantities of breadstuffs. The N.

Y. Post of Saturday evening says: "The Assistant Treasurer has made another call upon the banks for $3,500,000, making the third instalment on the new United States funded stock. This is payable on Monday, and will leave $33,000,000 undrawn on this account. Gen. Armstrong, one of the oldest in the British Army, aged 95, died recently.

Capt. De Lagnel, has been appointed tocommand the Confederate forces at Craney Island. The captains of vessels who ran the blockade report that the Confederate steamei Page was out in the Potomae firing on passing vessels. The court-martial convened for tbe purpose of trying Colonel Kerrigan, has not yet concluded its labors. The most serious are "sbamelul abandonment of his his pickets without orders, wbeu the enemy was and "communicating and conversing with the enemy." Colonel Kerrigan remains ir, close confinement in the old prison on Capitol lull, aud complains bitterly of the indig.

uities to which be is subjected. Both the London and Paris press agree io stating that tho instructions sent out to Lord Lyons were simple and ter.se, and couched in linn language, being a demand for the surrender of me men or an announcement Among the papers relating to Mexican transmitted to the U. S. Senate, the project of a treaty with Mexico, sent home by Mr. Corv.in, the provisions of liiob are of the utmost is understood that the proposed treaty uvides on the one hand for the payment of 1,000,000 by the United States Governjut to Mexico, applied to the satisfaction of English aud French creditors, aud on the other hand, for a giant to tbe U.

S. of extensive commercial privileges, as well as the adjustment of all outstanding debts, 1 and a right of transit across Mexican territory for troops and munitions of war. Ac, FOB THE HOLIDAYS. LOOK AT THIS! CHIUSTiMAS HOLIDAYS The subscriber respectfully informs his friends and and thepablic at large, tbat he has a large assortment of TOYS AND FANCY Also, a large assortment of PIES, of his own 1 manufacture, which he warrants to be No. 1.

He I has also a line assorlmentof SWEET ORANGES, of various kinds. The above articles will be sold low for cash, at C. SCHAFER'S, dec Confectionery, No. 3 THE MERRY HOLIDAYS at C. BRENGLE'S STORE, ON KNti, NEAR ST.

ASAl'It STKRET. CHOICE CONFECTIONERY. CALL AND SEE. deo LET ALL BE HAPPY As CHRISTMAB comes but once a year, call at MICHAEL BOSSART'S, ON FAIRFAX STREET, where may bo had, on reasonable terms, EVERY LUXUTY in my line for the HOLIDAYS, made at home, viz CAKES, CANDIES, PIES, PUFFS, FRUITS, NUTS, Ac, Ac. dec TRUSTEE'S SALE.

T) VIRTUE of a deed of trust, bearing data OB of May, 1851. by consent of tbe parties thereto, I will, on THURSDAY. JANUARY Id, 1862, nt 12 O'CLOCK-, in front of the Mayor's office, in the city of Alexandrio, sell at public auction, lor cash, a two-story TENEMENT and LOT OF GROUND, on tho south side of Cameron street, between Pitt nnd St. Asaphstrot'ts, lyingnext wcst of the property owned and oci.upicdby Benjamin' Waters, Esq The lot fronts ou CamorO- street about HO feet, and extends lick about 100 dee S. F.

LEACH, Trustee. SERVANTS FOR HIRE. HAVE lor hiro soveral SERVANTS, of ont ages and BBXSS, among them somo grod cooks, washers and ironers. Apply at my re-i---denee, near Alexandria, on the Washington roiid. dec THOMAS W.

SWANN. CtMALL CHANGE and COPPERS may bo bad in exchange for GOLD or its equivalent. Bttbo 1 counter ol tne Local News..