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

AMERICA

AItRIVAL OF THE ARABIA.

By the arrival of the Arabia we have New York
papers to the 3d inst.
in the Senate, on the 2d, a communication was
received from the president of the Smithsonian In-
stitution, suggesting that George E. Badger, of
North Carolina, ought no longer to be a member of
the Board of Regents, as he had not attended any
of the meetings, and was, moreover, in the rebel
army. The petition of Madison Y. Johnson was
presented, setting forth that he was arrested in
August last by order of the Secretary of War, and
imprisoned until the 13th of September, and that
no reason was ever assigned for the arrest or dis-
ch-Irge. Mr. Richardson moved for a select com-
mittee to inquire into the facts, but the petition was
laid on the table by a vote of 22 against 16. The
judiciary committee reported back the bill granting
pecuniary aid to Missouri in emancipating slaves.
The Paymaster• General was directed to inform the
Senate what payments, if any, were made to the
army up to the 31st August, and, if none were made,
what was the reason for such non-payment. The
bill making appropriations for executive, legislative,
and judicial expenses was passed, and the Senate
adjourned.

In the House of Representatives the Senate's
amendments to the Army Appropriation Bill, with
the exception of 5,000 dole. for the survey of the
Minnesota River and the Red River of the North,
were concurred in. The Senate's amendments to
the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation Bill
were also concurred in. The Senate bill emenda-
tory of the act for the collection of direct taxes in
insurrectionary districts was passed. The debate
on the bill authorising the President to employ
negroes as soldiers was then resumed. After an
animated discussion the bill was passed by a vote of
85 against 55, and the noose ndjuurued.
The steamship Australia arrived at New York on
February 1, and the Norwegian at Portland the
same day.
The port of Galveston has been declared open to
the trade of all nations friendly to the South by a
proclamation of General Magruder, which he sent
forth under a neutral register to a neutrd port.
The merchants of these friendly countries are in-
vited to resume their usual commercial intercourse
with the port, now that it is in the possession of
the rebel forces. The following is the text of the
proclamation :

PROCLAMATION.
Galveston, Jan. 4, 1863.
Whereas, the undersigned has succeeded in capturing and
destroying a part of the ensmy'k fleet, and in driving the
remainder out of the harbour of Galveston and beyond the
neighbouring waters, and the blockade having been thus
effectually raised, he therefore proclaims to all concerned
that the harbour of Galveston is open for trade to all friendly

nations, and their merchants are invited to resume their
usual commercial intercourse with this port.— one at Gal-
veston, this 4th day of January, 1863.
J. B. MAGRUDER. Major-General Commanding.
In reference to the above the Houston Telegraph

of the 7th says:—
We had the satisfaction of sending a number of copies of
our last paper containing copious accounts of the battle by
the same vessel, addressed to the principal journals of the

West Indies and Europe. We thus have r. aeon to hope
that the true account of the affair will be published to the
outside world. 'I he proclamation ought to have the effect
to invite trade, and bring cargoes of needed merchandise to
our shores.
The special corresponlent of the Inquirer, at the camp
of the Fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry, near Williamsburg,
reoitnes:s—"g ofOn yesterday,ompanies I andthel9 K, L and M, com.th inst., the Third
j't
Battalion,2owrites
consisting
manded by Major Wm. G. Al 'Candles, made a reconnois-
sance in the direction of Barnesville, through the country
thoroughly scouting all the roads branching from th
Williamsburg and Richmond turnpike. Companies I and
K, which remained on the turnpike, under the command
of Captain Cameron, having been sent forward as an ad-
vance guard, Lieut. H. A. Vezin, with 18 men, who re-
mained, detained 12 as a reserve, and ordered Sergeant
Josiah Anderson, of Company K, forward with six went
to march 200 yards in the advance of his column to act as
videttes, and if attacked by a superior force, to tall back oiz
the column. Thus the squadron marched to within one mile
of " Burnt Ordinary," when a body of mounted rebels ar
peared, drawn up in a line across the Richmond road, Oti7
mated at about seventy men. Sergeant Anderson orders
'
his men to fall back, but immediately in his rear appeared
scano twenty rebels drawn up in line, thus cutting himself
and party off, and capturing the whole advance. Boeing
his critical position, he put spurs to his horse and succeeded
in cutting his way bkiek to Lieutenant Vezin and his re-
serve, giving that gallant officer the alarm, who, with true
courage, ordered his twelve heroes to draw sabre, charge/
and give the rebels the cold steel. Here was daring %I/it'll
scarce a parallel in the present war. One Lieutenant, one
sergeant, and twelve men charging about one hundred of
the enemy, drawn up in line of battle. Dashing forward,
they broke the rebel ranks and recaptured all our comPtv
nions but one, together with four rebels and five horses
fully equipped.
'the Galveston city sexton buried 28 persons up
to the 3d, of whom 17 were killed in the fight and
11 died subsequently.
The English steam propeller Princess Royal,
while trying to enter Charleston harbour on the
28th January, was chased ashore and captured by
the blockaders off Long Island, about 15 miles from
Charleston Bar. The pilot and one of the crew
escaped to the shore. She was from Glasgow, and
contained a most valuable cargo, comprising eight
Whitworth guns, engines for four gunboats, gun-
powder, rifles, &c. Important despatches to the
Confederate States from Capt. Maury, in Europe,
were saved from the Princess Royal previous to her

capture.
The Richmond Wing, of January 31, gives the
following account of this capture—
After our form was sent to press on Thursday night e,
telegraph despatch was received announcing the capture 0'
thewAht the British
me ot steamfintgh tepor depuelnal rtethruePr ebr of fec
Halifax for Bermuda the Northern papers announced the
tact, and gave a full description of the vessel and cargo.
As As might have been anticipated, therefore, the Yankee
cruisers were on the look out for her ; and as she was making
her way in before daylight on Thursday morning she was
suddenly surrounded, and the officers were compelled to run
her on the Long Island beach, where she was captured.
The Princess Royal had ou board a most valuable cargo,
consisting of eight Whitworth guns, four steam engine!
The bulk bulk of her freight was
gunboats, rifles, powder, &c.
about 900 tons weight and measurement. A party of Eng-
lish workmen skilled in the manufacture of projectiles were
captured with the vessel. The pilot sand one or two of the
, crew escaped in a boat and reached Charleston safely. We
are gratified to learn that important despatches from Capt.
Maury to the Government were saved by these persons.
The New York Herald of the 3d inst. contains
the following general summary of news :
The latest news from Suffolk represents that the enemy
was last night in force between 16 and 17 miles from there,
RoyalstLoan Lawson'
S,Bl
this side of the Blackwater. Our troops had taken every
precaution to attack him again should he advance farther
towards Suffolk. There is now no evidence that an engage'
ment will ensue immediately.
With regard to the reported disabling of the Union iron-
clad Montauk, in the Ogeechee. off Fort M'Allister, there.
are two very different versions abroad. The Richmond font
Savannah papers say that the Montauk came up tothe fay
Their
in fine style, and that she was the only boat engaged•
shell and shot were broken to pieces as they struck her sides,
but her turret was so badly injured that she had to hell
off. The other in the meantime remained below a bend °
the river, entirely out of the action. On the other hand, the
avy Department received a despatch last night frcrl
Fortress Monroe, statingthat there is no truth in the rep
or!
that the Montauk was disabled; that Commander Wordct
lay under the enemy's guns for four hours, and that the,r
shot had no more effect upon his vessel than hailstones. ,
Nothing had been heard at Port Royal of the capture °f
the gunboat Isaac Smith in Steno river. to the
In addition to the news we gave yesterday relative
since
reported destruction of the Oreto or Florida, we. haveavan
a
sen,
learned that a leading mercantile hous H
e of
leaving that
word off to the Columbia, h
as she was about
port,"that the rebel vessel had been desttro Carolina,
say that
Despatches from Morehead City,
Nor read and tat the
the great Southern expedition is now
bl • h lei
ac wit vesse
waters between there and Beaufort are
ng the abate ent of the
all kinds, which are only aweaiatilliig for the pastn five cleVs
severe gale which has b een p
fans hreiry destination. The at mY 1!,
to take their departure
in the very best of spirits. The,
in a splendid condition, fro -ecto
with all its fleter* ros
mg p
are eager for the coming ,
)flustered,toot'
of success. The enemy are terribly end are
for they know the storm is coming.
bling with fear,
conference last with o°r
week Gove
Jeff. Davis had a ce
of North Carolina, upon the relations of that State
Vance,
wit the Southern Confederacy, meeting him for that gt,loi,
Franklin Depot, Virginia on the blackwater.
pose at
would
Vance plainly told Jeff. Davis that Nor h Car°lle
force
would insist upon the reserve and recall of an adequate ,00
for the protection of North Carolina from any further -I.lolw
advances. North Carolina has now 80,000 troops in there
service.

PEDESTRIANISM —E MILLS (YOUNG ENGIOD)
AND C. MOWER.—These clippers Met on Mondfli
at. Mr. J. Roberts's, West London Cricket Ground, t° deo-
elle their one mile race for to 4. (10
Mills, and then closed at 2 alnldoo.3 tTohel,btehtetriengbe6ing
money invested. Mills, on coming to the mark, I.:4°s:er
tended by W. Price, M.C. of Hackney-wick, and olg
by George Martin. On the word being given,
be lead and held it for the first half mile, when
I.ltler6
made a spurt and went to the front. At thr,e-ra
ce
f a mile Mills was leading by six yards, which distaarl'ao,
he increased, and finally ran in a winner by 30211 r.
having run the distance in four minutes and 35 seco
Mower 0.114