The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-25 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY.

The Canadian screw steamer Norwegian, Captain
McMaster, from Portland (Maine) on the 11th inst.,
via Londonderry, arrived in the Mersey about 8
o'clock this morning. The news by this arrival has
been generally anticipated.
The Portland Argus of the 1 lth, in an editorial
on the rumour that the Washington Government
had agreed to let English troops pass through the
State of Maine en route to Canada, says :
We therefore hope the tender has been made, and
we feel sure that our fellow-citizens, upon a moment's
reflection will come to the conclusion that such an
act would not only be becoming in one great nation
towards another, but that it may be of vast conse-
quence in soothing tempers already irritated by false
impressions, and in allaying the growing bitterness
of feeling that has been so unfortunately fostered by
indiscreet short-sighted persons on b)th sides of the
Atlantic.

In a postscript to this article the Argus says—.
After the above was in type, we learned from a
perfectly reliable source, the fact that permission
has been given for the Hibernian, the next steamer
due at this port, and which has English troops on
board, to enter our harbour, and for the troops which
she brings to pass over the Grank Trunk Railway
to Canada. We learn also that the tender of per-
mission has been made in terms so courteous and
unreserved as in themselves to carry an assurance
that the Administration has the utmost confidence
that the peaceful relations of the two countries will
not be interrupted.

The Hibernian is under instructions to come to
this port, land her mails and passengers, and then
return to St. John, New Brunswick. As at the time
she sailed the state of things in this country could
not have been known, the commander of the troops
probably has no instructions in regard to availing
himself of the courtesy tendered, permitting him
to pass through our territory, and may not, there-
fore, feel at liberty to accept it. But whether he
does or not, we are quite sure that the friendly
courtesy will be duly appreciated by our English
cousins.

On the same subject the Portland Advertiser says:
On Thursday a despatch was received from Secre-
tary Seward, addressed to the United States Marsha]
and all Federal officers in this city, directing the
agents of the British Government to have all proper
facilities for landing and conveying to Canada or
elsewhere troops and munitions of war of every
kind, without exception or reservation. This is in
striking contrast with the refusal of our neighbours
across the water to allow the arms purchased by
the State of Indiana to be shipped, though paid for
and ready to be forwarded, and the refusal to allow
one of our war steamships to coal at a British port.
Secretary Seward is possessed of great suavity of
manners that govern both his private and public
life; and that always makes a favourable impres-
sion upon his enemies. We have great faith in the
English people, and doubt not that their second
sober thoughts will give signs of a peaceful solution
of the Trent affair by the next arrival.
In regard to an engagement reported to have
taken place at Batb, Virginia, a late Washington
telegram of the 11th inst. says :
The skirmish of Captain Russell at Bath was a
brilliant affair. He bad been detailed from Gen.
Kelly's command with two regiments of infantry
and two squadrons of cavalry, and was stationed at
Bath. On the approach of Gen. Jackson in com-
mand of 6,000 or 8,000 rebels, his scouts gave him
notice. He was six miles from the Potomac river,
and took the infantry out about two miles and posted
them as skirmishers in a dense wood. The cavalry
was left to engage the advance of the enemy. An
exchange of shots was the consequence, and the
enemy's advance came on and fell into the ambus-
cade. Captain Russell lost seven horses, captured
13 of the enemy's, and retired with his whole force
across the Potomac, with the loss of only two men,
who were drowned in crossing. This is considered
one of the most brilliant manoeuvres of the war.

THE BOJiBAI AND 111EBI7EI?RANFAN

MAi L AJ

SOUTHAMPTON, JAN. 24.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Delta, Captain Field, with the heavy portion
of the above mails, has arrived. She brings 27
passengers, two packages of specie, value £1,430,
also 10 cases shawls, 114 boxes oranges, 59 pack-
ages sundries, and 1,056 bales raw silk, value
£90,000 sterling.

The Delta sailed from Alexandria on the 10th ;
Malta, 14th; and Gibraltar the 18th inst. On the
13th she spoke the steamer Pera, steering south-
east; 18th, her Majesty's ship Queen, steering east
to Malta; 19th, her Majesty's ship Scourge, stand.
ing northwest; and 20th, steamship Demetrius,
steering to southward and westward. From Gibral-
tar to Southampton the Delta experienced strong
gales, with rain and high sea.
The usual Egyptian fleet, his Imperial Majesty's
transport Mayenne and steamship Gomer, Russian
corvette Actpell, and English steamers Morocco
and Corinthian, were in the harbour of Alexandria.
Her Majesty's ships Marlborough, Neptune, Lon-
don, Surprise, Foxhound, and Firefly were at
Malta. At Gibraltar—Her Majesty's ships Am-
phion, Scylla, Alacrity, Firebrand, Procris, and
Cuckoo. The Doris, Queen, and Algiers left Gib-
raltar on the 18th for Malta.

The Confederate steamer Sumter arrived at Gib-
raltar at 7.45 p.m. oulthe 18th, reporting that she
had sunk one vessel and put a prize crew on board
another ship belonging to the Northern States.
The Sumter entered the harbour without showing
any lights.

A part of the cargo of the British brig Sappho,
wrecked near Saffi on the 27th ult., had been saved,
and every means taken to secure the interests of the
underwriters.

Her Majesty's ships at Gibraltar had received
orders to proceed to the Mediterranean.
The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 18th says :
" The final settlement of the Spanish-Moorish dis-
pute by the actual payment of the money due as
war indemnity by Morocco to Spain seems close at
hand. The loan raised in London, added to a
further sum to be paid over to Spanish agents at
such of the Morocco ports as the Sultan's Govern-
ment may designate, will complete the first half of
the war indemnity, upon payment of which and the
fixing of the new limits at Melilla, it is stipulated
that Spain shall evacuate Tetuan."

We have not yet heard the result of the joint
labours of the Moorish dignitary and the Spanish
engineer officers who went to Melilla for the pur-
pose of fixing the new boundary. The chieftains of
the Riff, it is thought, are men likely to turn a
deaf ear to all persuasions of their own Sultan to
surrender territory to Spain. Their objection may,
however, be overcome by the Sultan first buying the
land himself, and then handing it over to Spain ;
and it is probable that his envoy is empowered to
give compensation for the soil which an extension
of the Spanish frontier will take from its former
masters.
The Madrid journals publish the text of the
treaty of commerce between Spain and Morocco. It
consists of 64 articles, and is substantially the same
as that concluded about two years ago between
Great Britain and Morocco.

The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 16th says the
Cadiz papers confirm the fact of a protest having
been made by the United States consul against the
assistance given to the Sumter. The authorities
considered themselves bound to afford such aid as
was indispensable. The Sumter was inspected by
Spanish official surveyors, when it was found that
she had st rung a leak near the screw. The safety
of the vessel would have been compromised by her
proceeding to sea without stopping the leak, and
paerrsmeniattleodf
et oa
rerffaeccat. " indis-
the Sumter has been
the
PeTushaebtlehrreer viersss"elisndestroyed at sea by the Sumter
a short time since, are the ship Vigilant, bound
from New York to the Pacific for guano; bark,
theE b e
Windwardodge(lvlhsallaenrd)s;. schooner, Arcadia, bound to
The British ships brigantine Arcadian, 52 days
from Liverpool, steamer Ellora, four-and-a-half
days from Southampton, and steamer Ann, eight