The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-02 00:00:00

AMERICA.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
(Per the Bohemian.)

NEW YORK, August 21 (Evening).
The Tribune asserts that, according to informa-
tion received from Richmond, General Lee will
offer General Meade battle before September, and
that if Meade refuse, Lee will invade Maryland,
select a battle ground, and await the Union army,
his aim not being to carry operations northward but
to take Washington. General Lee is organising a
reserve force of 40,000 men to be stationed at Win-
chester, or another point in the Shenandoah Valley.
This force ;s intended for some particular purpose,
and will be commanded by General Longstreet.
It is semi officially announced that the Govern-
ment is confident of the reduction of Fort Sumter,
after a few hours' bombardment. But this would
not terminate the siege, as there is desperate work
and fighting to be done afterwards which may re-
quire a considerable time.

Official circles put but little faith in the antici-
pation of immediate triumph, but entertain no
doubt of ultimate success.
Mr. Davidson, a member of the North Carolina
Legislature, has written a letter to the Raleigh
Standard saying ho believes four-fifths of the people
of North Carolina demand peace upon any terms
which will not enslave and degrade them. They
may prefer Southern independence, but that they
now believe cannot be obtained, nor do they see
much future hope of it. They would compromise,
upon an amendment to the continuation and per-
petuation of slavery in the States.
He urges the people to elect members to the next
Southern Congress who favour a six months' armis-
tice, and submission of disputed matters to a con-
vention of delegates from the Northern and Southern
States, elected by the people themselves.

The District Court has ordered an appraisement
of the Peterhof', in order that if the Government
decides upon purchasing her at prize value she shall
be delivered to the Government.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
Money easy; gold, 251 premium; exchange,
New York Central, 1301; Illinois, 1243; ;
Erie, 119.

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 (Evening).
The l'ichmond TVhig contains Charleston news
to the 20th inst., stating that during the last 24
hours the Federal operations were confined to a
steady and continuous bombardment cf Fort Sum-
ter from guns on Motris Island. The Federal
200-pounder Parrot-guns are too much for the walls
of Fort Sumter, and their firing begins to tell
upon the fort, which only replies at long inter-
vals. The defence of the harbour, however, does not
depend mainly upon Sumter. If that fort be
battered down, says the Richmond WM I, the har-
bour may still he held. It is determined to defend
the city street by street, house by house, as long as
as a foot of earth is left. The Governor has urged
all non-combatants to leave Charleston as soon as
possible.

General Lee is still upon the Rapidan and Rap-
pahannock, where it is expected engagements will
take place. General Meade is preparing to receive
Lee's anticipated attacks.
Rumours are current that Lee's movement to-
wards Fredericksburg was a feint, and that he is
going towards Richmond via Gordonsville.

Eight hundred guerillas, under Qaantrell, have
crossed the Missouri River, captured Lawrence,
Kansas, burning and destroying property to the
estimated value of 2,000,000 dols. Senator Lane is
supposed to have been captured. The Federal troops
have started in pursuit of the guerillas.
Military affairs are active in Mississippi. General
Burnside is moving towards Knoxville, and General
Rosecranz towards Chattanooga.
President Lincoln has promised to attend a Union
mass meeting at Springfield, Illinois, on the 3d
September. If unable to be present, he will address
the people by letter.
The New York Herald urges President Lincoln
to send strong columns from General Grant's' and.
Banks' armies through Texas to Rio Urende, oppo-
site Matamoras, in order to counteract any coalition
between the Emperor Napoleon and the South,
or any attempt of Naroleon, to annex Texas to
Mexico.

General Maury has issued an order at Mobile
that persons domiciled there are subject to the con-
scription, even though they have taken the oath as
aliens.

The New York. Times contains an article attack-
ing England and lauding Russia. It says :•.•." We
are bewildered at England's treachery, which has
subsided into a fixed, unchangeable policy. There
can be no oblivion of the past. Henceforth America
will recognise no tie to England." The New
York Times accepts these new relations, and says
It will go hard with America but England
shall have enough of these relations before America
has finished."

The draft continues in New York without any
disturbance. Mayor Opdyke has called a meeting
of the common council to act upon the amendments
he bas to propose to the municipal apprepriation
for drafted men.

(Liter by Telegraph to Father Point.)
NEW YORK, August 22 (Evening).
A report has been received from Philadelphia that
Fort Sumter is captured and that the Federal gun-
boats have passed that fort. The Federal Govern-
ment has received no such intelligence, and little
credence is given to it.
Troops continue to arrive at New York to pre-
serve order during the draft.
COM MERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
Gold, 24 per cent. premium. Stocks dull. New
York Central, 131. Erie, 1191. Cotton quiet.
Middling Upland, 67ke. Wheat and flour dull.
Corn very firm. Provisions and coffee in good
inquiry. Sugar, molasses, and petroleum firm.

A treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation,
was yesterday concluded
ebetween the United Kingdom of
h
Sweden and Norway and t
Republic of Liberia, by their
respective plenipotentiaries, tha Count Wachtmeister and
Mr. Gerard Ralston.
THE FORTHCOMING VISIT OF THE BRITISH
ARCH OLOGICAL SOCIETY TO LEEDS.—The annual
/E
meeting of this society•isto be held in Leeds during October.
It will be under very i fi ential patronage, the president
being the newly created (lord Houghton. Among the
•
papers to be read will be one on the Early History of
Wright an Account
Leeds, by Mr.
Jewellery and other Antiquities discovered by Lord
Londesborough in Seamer Lime Quarry, near Scar.
borough, Mr. Wright;
p
York, Mr. J. R. !auche ; on Ripon Cathedral, Mr. C. E.
Davis; on Fountains Abbey, and on Spofforth Castle and
Church, Mr. Gordon M. Hills; on Kirkstall Abbey and
on Adel Church, Mr. Edward Roberts;' on the Wakefield
Chapel on the Bridge, Mr. F. R. Wilson ; on unpublished
MSS. relating to Meaux Abbey, Mr. E. Levien ; on the
IWeapons of Ancient Yorkshire, Mr. H. T. Coming; on
Historical Autographs, Mr. I'. O'Callaghan; on Crom-
lechs, Rev. W. C. Was ; on Harewood Castle and Church,
Mr. J. Jones ; and on various other interesting antiquarian
topics. The excursions include the following visits :---To
Ripon and Fountains; to Adel Church, Farnley Hall,
Ilkley, and the Runic Crosses; to Harewood Church and
Castle; to Wakefield Church and the Chapel on the
Bridge;
to Pontefract Castle and Church; to Borough-
bridge and Aldborough ; to Kirkstall Abbey and Halifax ;
and to York Cathedral and the Museum of that city.
A DELICATE QUESTION.--A curious case of
breach of contract—which, however, included a
libel—has just been decided in Paris. Mademoiselle S—
proceeded against the director of one of the Paris theatres
for certain moneys due to her for an engagement as se-
cond danscuse. The defendant pleaded " never indebted ;"
and, as a rider to the plea, stated that " the calves of Made-
moiselle's legs were too big for a danseuse." The following
letter was put iu by the counsel toi the prosecution and
formed the ground of the action :—" My dear Mademoi-
selle,—You surely. are not serious in proposing to appear as
second dlnseuse ? Your physicalformarion,otherwise charm-
ing, is totally opposed to such a career. You may consider
your engagement cancelled and yourself free. We have
now but to 'regret a rehearsal which bias produced such
negative results.—Agree, Mademoiselle, to believe the
respect with which, ,Sc.c.' On the part of the plaintiff it
was argued that she had made no secret of her legs, which
were such as a liberal nature had given to her; that they
were, in fact, the stock-in-trade of a dancer ; that objection
had been taken by other directors to danseuses " sans
mollet," and finally, tb at the state of the case was known
to the defendant wJ can he made the contract. The iefen-
dant offered to ref. u. the matter to an " expert," and
named the ballet-ru aster of the Imperial Academy as his
referee, but the Col art held that strong legs were no breach
of contract, and ga ce a verdict with,coste for Xhc