The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-17 00:00:00

that cavalry can gain a naval victory, even by sur-
prise, and gunboats are not more than once to be
captured by small steamers protected by cotton
b :les. The Confedera,tes, however, have laboured
with great ingenuity ant; obstinacy to create a fleet
capable if not of disputiaj, with the enemy his
at sea, yet of doinggood service to their
country, and inflicting serious
though only par-
tial damage on the enemy. Tho Alabama and
the Florida have done enormous harm to the
North. Rumours are rife of preparations for a
naval contest on the Mississippi. Reports have
reached us from time to time of the presence of
formidable floating batteries in the James River.
And at Charleston tue improvised squadron, con-
cerning whose existence the fr;ends of the North
have professed themselves scept,tcal, has tendered
essential service, and achieved a brilliant, if not a
decisive success. It i 3 true that, in their over-
weening confidence, the Yankees dreamed of main-
taining the blockade with ships that coud not fight,.
except against defenceless merchantrnen—ships of
which it is said that the majority could not fire
their own broadsides without sinking. But never-
theless the achievement of the Southerners is one
which would have added to the fame of a Na pier or
a Cochrane ; and if it produce no great practical re-
sults, it will not on that account fail to be remem-
bered as among the most honourable of the monY
daring exploits which have cast a lustre on the areas
of the nascent nation. A question of maritime law,.
which may amuse the curious, hereupon arises. An
Interruption of a blockade requires a resumption
and formal notification to foreign powers in order
to its legal re-establishment—some say a notifica-
tion of sixty days. Now, what will be the legal
rights of a vessel bound for Charleston before such
notification is received from the Federal Govern-
ment ? Would her capture be illegal ? In other
words, was there such an interruption of the block-
ade as to justify the application of the rule requir-
ing formal notice of its re -establishment ? The ques-
tion has not much practical importance for English-
men, inasmuch as it is the invariable practice of
Lord Russell to consult in such cases, not the
law of nations, but the wishes of Mr. Seward;
and if the blockade of Charleston had been sus-
pended for a week he would not recognise the fact
unless it were first officially admitted at Washing-
ton. But in the present instance we are bound to
say that—so far as we can judge from the statement
of facts at present in our hands—right and common
sense are in favour of the view which our Foreign
Secretary is certain to take. Cessante ratione
cessat et ipsa lex. The purpose of the rule re-
quiring notification of the re-establishment of an
interrupted blockade is the protection of neutral
ships which may have sailed for the blockaded port
during the interruption with the bona fide belief
that it was still open. Now, in the present in-
stance no ships can have sailed for Charleston, be-
cause the news of the resumption of the blockade
must have arrived even at the nearest neutral ports
simultaneously with or immediately after the news
of its interruption. If, indeed, during the afternoon
of the 31st January, a British vessel have left or
entered the port she cannot legitimately be cap-
tured, for she has broken no blockade. But unless
some such unlikely case should arise we can hardly
think that it would be desirable to assert too
stringently what may possibly be the letter of the
law against what, so far as our present knowledge
goes, appears to be the fair and equitable view--
that the blockade of Charleston still subsists, and
that the temporary success of the Confederates hao
not invalidated it.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

.40

COLtHE STER—FEB. 14.
A liberal supply of grain, but trade dull, and prices ra-
ther cheaper.
Wheat, white. 46s 52s Beans,Mazagan..3os 33a
red 42s 48s middle & small.3ss 42s
Barley
Oats

GLOUCESTER—FEB. 14.
To-day there was a moderate supply of English wheat
from the farmers, which sold at prices much the same as
last week. Foreign was in limited demand, and in some
instances 6d per qr less money. Barley and beans were
unaltered. Oats also were at late prices,

IRD-FEB. 13.

)-day there was a dull trade
3 same as last week.
Yeas, Partridge- 37s 40s
White 398 400
Boiling 4os 430
Dun 35s 380

Ditto new .. —8 —a
Beans, Tick, old 34s 390
new —s --s
Harrow Ticks 3ss 408
new --s fi
Mazagan 3os 38s

GRAIN—FEB. 14.
lies of wheat, barley, and oats.
priarno.
Barley.

Oats.