rection of York River.

MAY 5TH.--We have many rumors to-day, and nothing authentic, except that
some of the enemy's transports are in the James River, and landing some
troops, a puerile demonstration, perhaps. The number landed at West
Point, it seems, was insignificant. It may be the armies of the United
States are demoralized, and if so, if Grant be beaten, I shall look for
a speedy end of the invasion. It is said some of the advanced forces of
Grant were at Spottsylvania C. H. last night, and the great battle may
occur any hour.

Gov. Smith is calling for more exemptions (firemen, etc.) than all the
governors together.

Col. Preston asks authority to organize a company of conscripts, Reserve
classes, in each congressional district, the President having assigned a
general officer to each State to command these classes. The colonel
wants to command something.

The Commissary-General, Col. Northrop, being called on, reports that he
can feed the army until fall with the means on hand and attainable. So,
troops didn't starve in thirty days several months ago!

A Mr. Pond has made a proposition which Mr. Memminger is in favor of
accepting, viz.: the government to give him a bill of sale of 10,000
bales of cotton lying in the most exposed places in the West, he to take
it away and to take all risks, except destruction by our troops, to ship
it from New Orleans to Antwerp, and he will pay, upon receiving said
bill of sale, 10 pence sterling per pound. The whole operation will be
consummated by the Belgian Consul in New Orleans, and the Danish
Vice-Consul in Mobile. It is probable the United States Government, or
some members of it, are interested in the speculation. But it will be
advantageous to us.

"A PERTINENT RESOLUTION.--The following was offered recently in the
United States Senate, by Mr. Saulsbury, of Delaware:

"'_Resolved_, That the Chaplain of the Senate be respectfully requested
hereafter to pray and supplicate Almighty God in our behalf, and not to
lecture Him, informing Him, under pretense of prayer, his, said
chaplain's, opinion in reference to His duty as the Almighty; and that
the said Chaplain be further requested, as aforesaid, not, under the
form of prayer, to lecture the Senate in relation to questions before
the body.'"

MAY 6TH.--Bright, warm, beautiful.

We have a sensation to-day, but really no excitement. A dispatch from
Gen. Lee (dated last night) says the _enemy_ opened the battle
ye