From Washington.
effort to step British dispatches — Sickles appointed Brigadier, &c.
Washington, Aug. 8
--It is stated in generally well informed circles that Lord Lyons' dispatches to his Government about the battle of Bull's Run were declared contraband.--After Lord Lyons demanded his passport his dispatch was allowed to pass.
It is understood that Dan. Sickles will be appointed Brigadier General.
There is strong ground for the belief that the object of Prince Napoleon's visit is to enlighten the Emperor about American affairs.
The Post master General has received the following dispatch from General Rosencranz:
‘"The Rebels have been expelled from the Kanawha. Mail service may be resumed there."’
The wife of Mr. John Heart (late Superintendent of Public Printing) has left this city to meet her husband in Richmond. The correspondent of the New York Commercial says that Mrs. Heart has carried valuable information to Richmond.
H. C. Welles, of Michigan, has been appointed Minister to Honduras.
Refugees from Fort Oregon give startling accounts of doings there.
On the North Carolina coast, at Cape Hatteras Inlet, three steamers and a pilot boat are privateering. One of them, the steamer Gordon, which ran the blockade at Charleston, has captured the Wm. B. McGilvery and Proctor.
All privateers are armed with rifle cannon, and their headquarters is at Newbern, N. C.
Gun. boats are being collected and mounted at Norfolk, to be taken down the canal.
The bark Glenn, with Federal coal, has been captured.
The Wabash has arrived here from Charleston, and the Roanoke was left there.
The Wabash re-captured the Depiar prize, the Mary Alice. The prize crew are prisoners on the Wabash. She also captured the Mary Star, from Wilmington, bound to Liverpool, while sailing under colors.
Lieut. W. H. Stevens, Engineer, has been dismissed from the service for defalcation.
The correspondent of the New York Commercial sums up the total appropriations of the last Congress at $297,000,000 for the army and $35,000,000 for the navy.
J. G. Eades, of St Louis, has received the contract to build seven gun-boats, at $89,000 each, and agrees to forfeit $200 per day for every day's delay after contract time.
