The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-09 00:00:00

AMERICA

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

QUEENSTOWN, March 8.

The royal mail steamship Asia, from New York
on the 25th ult., arrived here at 6.40 p.m. to-day,
with 70 passengers, and 597,430 dols. in specie.
She landed all the mails and five passengers, and
proceeded for Liverpool at seven p.m. All well.
The Asia experienced severe weather.
NEW YORK, Feb. 24 (Evening).
The Fed orals commenced active hostilities against
Vicksburg on the 18th instant. The mortar boats
were towed into I osition, and commenced a brisk
fire, which was responded to by three Confederate
batteries, which forced the mortar boats to change
their position, when they renewed the bombard-
ment.

The Richmond Examiner states that the Federal
ram Queen of the West was captured while attack-
ing the Confederate fortifications at Red River,
Contradictory reports are current respecting a
fresh invasion of Kentucky by the Confederates in
force under General Longstreet. Some accounts
say they are threatening Lexington, Frankfort,
Danville, and Louisville. This, however, is discre-
dited by some journals. _ _

It is rumoured that Ro3encranz has advanced into
Middle Tennessee. Trouble continues to be expe-
rienced at. New Orleans concerning the coloured
troops. Several white officers have resigned, and
one brigadier-general has refused to mareh with
the negroes.
The Richmond Enquirer says that the Southern
Confederacy was the dupe of a notable imposition
in regard to the reported damage done to the Con-
federate iron dads off Charleston.

The Southern journals still assert that the issue
of the rebellion must be decided by Southern arms,
and not by conferences or by conventions.
A severe snow storm prevailed on Sunday last.
The snow on the Rappahannock averages seven
inches deep, rendering military operations imprac-
ticable.

General Hooker has visited Washington for a
consultation.

The Confederate Governor of Virginia has con-
fined two Federal cfficers in Richmond to hard
labour, in retaliation for the incarceration of two
Confederate officers in Washington Penitentiary.
The Washington Senate has passed the bill
authorising the suspension of the Habeas Corpus
Act.

The Committee of Ways and Means has recom-
mended the taxation of transactions in gold at the
rate of one quarter per cent., and all transactions to
be made in writing.
The steamer Alice has arrived at Havana, from
Mobile, with 850 bales of cotton.
It is reported via California that 4,000 Mexicans
had sailed from Mazatlan for Acapulco.
The Glasgow put into Province Town yesterday,
short of coal. _

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 (Morning).

The news of the capture of the Federal ram
Queen of the West is confirmed. All the crew
escaped, except thirteen. She had six guns and a
quantity of stores on board when captured.
Eight hundred Confederate cavalry entered Rich-
mond, Kentucky, on Sunday last. It was this that
gave rise to the reports of a Confederate invasion
of Kentucky.
A collision has taken place between the inhabi-
tants of Honey Valley, on the Californian and Ne-
vada frontier, concerning the boundary question.
Both parties were fortifying themselves in log huts,
and receiving reinforcements.

The feeling of discontent and opposition to the
policy of the Administration at Washington is
said to be increasing in the North West.
The debate in the House of Representatives on

the Conscription Bill is very acrimonious. The De-
mocratic members oppose the bill, some of them
declaring that an attempt to enforce it would cause
a Northern rebellion. During the debate, Mr.
Stevens read a letter from General Scott, Secretary
of War, dated September, 1661, in which the General
asserts that he should order General M'Clellan to
be court martialled for reported disobedience of
orders, " were it not that a conflict of authority
near the head of the army would injure the Union

cause."

The New York Tribune asserts that the action of
the Connecticut Democratic Convention is attracting
the special attention of the Government, and that
there is a limit to forbearance.
The same journal says that the late Democratic
Convention at Frankfort, Kentucky, which was
broken up, was assembled with the intention of
handing Kentucky over to the Southern Confede-
racy.

Mr. John Van Buren has made another speech,
urging the continuance of the war.
1.500 bales of cotton have arrived at New York
from Havana.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, Feb. 24, Evening.

Money easy. Great excitement prevails in the
gold market. Gold is quoted this evening at 72Z.
Exchange on London, Bankers' Bills 188.
Stocks buoyant. New York Centrals 1191,

nois 941, Erie 79-'4. Cotton quiet. Middling Up-

land 91c. Flour very firm, at an advance of 20r..
Wheat, good inquiry, 3c. higher. Corn buoyant,
2c. higher. Provisions good inquiry. Coffee very
firm. Sugar advancing. Petroleum, 401.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25, Morning.
Gold is quoted at 72 per cent. premium this
morning.

LIVERPOOL, Saturday.

The Canadian mail steamer North American,
Captain Dutton, which left Portland, Maine, on the
20th ultimo, arrived in the Mersey at 2.20 this
morning.

The news by the North American is virtually the
same as that received per Etna, but by telegraph
via Portland we receive the following later des-
patches :
The Tribune's Washington correspondent says :—" Three
days ago a secret interview is said to have taken place at a
friend's house between Mr; Lincoln and M. Mercier. in
which, if I am to trust my informant, questions of the
greatest moment were reviewed and discussed. Notwith-
standing the mystery observed in that interview, it is
reported in diplomatic circles that Mr. Lincoln denies
having had any share in the framing of a document written
in reply to M. Drouyn de Lhuys' proposition, further than
to have expressed, in a Cabinet Council, that the time for
listening to the kind suggestions of France had not yet ar-
rived. He was very sorry to learn that exceptions had been
taken to the form in which the views of the Cabinet had
been set forth, and he hoped the French Government would
only notice the necessity imposed upon the Administration
to refuse its proposition, without paying any attention
the manner in which the refusal had been presented.
A special despatch from Washington the the Philadelphia
_lnquirer says :—Scouts report the Confederate General
Fitz Hugh Lee, at Culpepper Court house, with 2,000
cavalry, with pickets to Hazel River and the Rappahannock.
In the United States Senate, on the 21st, Mr. Morris pre-
sented a petition from a large number of citizens of New
York city, for a submarine telegraph from Fortress Monroe
to Galveston, Texas. Mr. Wilson introduced a bill to in-
corporate the National Academy of Sciences. This academy
is to be formed on the plan of the French one : it is to con-
sist of 50 members, and to be charged with the prosecution
of such scientific investigations, in addition to its own, as
the Government may entrust to it.

In the House of Representatives a committee of confer-
ence was asked of the Senate on the disagreeing amend-
ment of the two bodies on the bill to provide ways and
means for the support of the Government. The house then
resumed consideration of the Post Office Reform Bill, and
an amendment providing that all soldiers in camp or hos-
pital shall receive and transmit their letters free of postage
was passed.

The Commercial Advertiser's correspondent at Washing-
ton telegraphs that there is no truth whatever in the reports
about a misunderstandinv. between Secretary Seward and
the French Minister at Washington.
The steamship Bavaria, for Southampton. is detained
until to-morrow (the 22d), and will take 64 passengers, but
on specie.

The journals announce the approaching marriage
of M. Edmond About, the writer, and Mdlle. Danain,
daughter of the actress of the Francais.