The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-16 00:00:00

AMERICL

Raising the Blockade of Charleston.

ARRIVAL OF THE ARABIA.
QUEENiTOWN, Feb. 15.

The royal mail steamship Arabia, from Boston on the 4th
and Halifax on the 6th inst., arrived bare at 5 p.m. to-day.
She brings 58 passengers, 310,783 dole. in specie, landed all
mails and two passengers, and proceeded at 6.30 p.m. for
Liverpool ; all well.

NEW Yowl, Feb. 3, Evening.

The engagement between Generals Corcoran and Pryor
near Suffolk was without any important result. The Con-
federates retreated towards Franklin.
Jefferson Davis has had an interview with the Governor
of North Carolina. It is reported that the Governor in-
sisted upon the reserve or recall of a sufficient number of
troops for the protection of the State.

The Southern journals publish a despatch from Charles-
ton, stating that the Federal gunboat P. Smith, oarrying 11
guns, surrendered unconditionally to the Confederates at
Stone River.

The Federal Navy Department has received a despatch to
the effect that the P. Smith was captured through getting
ashore.

Southern reports state that the Federal iron-clad steamer
Montauk was badly injured in her turret by the guns of
Fort M'Allister, on the Ogechee River, and compelled to
haul off.

The Federal Navy Department has a despatch that the
Montauk remained tour hours under the enemy's guns

without receiving any injury.
The .Riahmond Whig asserts that the British steamer
Princess Royal, with a valuable cargo of guns and powder,
was captured, whilst endeavouring to enter Charleston:

It was reported in Havana that heavy firing had been
heard at Matanzas and Cardenas, supposed to ixo caused by
an engagement between Federal gunboats and the steamer
Oreto. The rumour was strengthened by the report of the
gunboat Cayuga, that she had observed a steamer on fire,
supposed to be the Oreto, with three other vessels firing
into her.

It is rumoured that the Harriet Lane has escaped from
Galveston.

The bombardment of Galveston by the Federals has cow.
menced, but the result is not at present known.
General Magruder has declared Galveston open to the
trade of all friendly nations.
Another British steamer successfully ran the blockade
into a Southern port.
At New Orleans Confederate notes were rising and in
some demand.

The New York Tribune asserts that President Lincoln
had offered General Butler the oommand at New Orleans,
with additional powers to raise African regiments on the
Mississippi. General Butler, however, hesitated to accept,
fearing that the means offered were inadequate to the ends
to be accomplished.
The editor of the Philadelphia Journal has been released.
It is rumoured that the Legislature or Congress will
take measures to check speculation in gold.
It is reported that the Senate Finance Committee is op-
posed to a further issue of legal tender notes.
Secretary Chase's bank scheme is being pressed in Con
gress.

General Banks's whole expedition has left New Orleans.
Its supposed destination is Port Hudson..

General Foster's expedition from Beaufort has been seen
off Cape Fear, en route for Port Royal.
The Federals at Vicksburg number 80,000.
Southern journals assert that it was the British steamer
Spitfire which sunk the Federal steamer Hatteras off
Galveston.

The House of Representatives has passed the bill to arm
negroes by a vote of 83 to 54. The bill provides that the
President may arm small numbers as he may deem neces-
sary. No slaves of loyal owners are to be thus employed.
No recruiting offices are to be opened in Delaware, Mary-
land, Virginia, Kentuck3, Missouri, or Tennessee, without
the permission of the Governors of those States.
The Republican candidate, ex-Governor Morgan, has