The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-06 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.
The Cunard steam ship Asia, Captain Shannon,
has arrived, with the New York mails of the 23d
ult. and 157,226 dole.
On the day of sailing the Asia spoke the Persia,
off Sandy Hook.
In the Senate, on the 21st, a petition was pre-
sented from free coloured citizens of the United
State's, praying for colonization in Central America
if ?ossible. The petitioners say they appreciate to the
full extent the humane actions which are now inau-
gurated to give freedom to their race, but they believe
that this freedom will affect them injuriously unless
there shall be opened to the coloured people a region
to which they may emigrate—a country which is
suited to their organization, and in which they may
seek and secure by their own industry that mental
and physical development which will allow them an
honourable position in the families of God's great
world. Though coloured people, and debarred from
the rights of citizenship, their hearts, they say,
none the less cling to the land of their birth. They
desire to go to Central America, there to be tempo-
rarily protected, so that they may not be wholly
excluded from the United States, and that they may
aid in bringing to their native country that great
commerce of the Pacific which will still further in-
crease the wealth and power of the United States.
In the House of Representatives, on the 22d, a
motion to lay all the Confiscation Bills-15 or 16 in
number—on the table, was lost, by 65 to 39. The
first of the series—to forfeit the property and slaves
of those engaging in the rebellion—was debated at
considerable length, when its further consideration
waspostponed. The second, offered by Mr. Hickman,
of Pennsylvania, leaving confiscation discretionary
with the President, was rejected; but Mr. Brig.
ham's substitute for it, declaring that " all property '
of rebels, wherever found, shall be lawful indem-
nity to the Government," was adopted by 62 to 48,
The question then came up on the passage of the bill
as amended by the adoption of the substitute, but
the House adjourned without a vote.
The President had communicated to Congress the
following corrrespondence respecting the arrest of
Mr. Cameron :
ma. BREWSTER TO MR, SEWARD.
e No 706, Walnut-street, Philadelphia,
April 16, 1862.
et Sir,—By the direction of General Simon Came-
ron, I send you a summons issued out of the Su-
preme Court of this State, at the suit of ' Pierce
Butler v. Simon Cameron,' July 1, 1862, No. 17.
The writ is returnable on the first Monday in May,
and is for tresspass vi et atas, assault and battery,
and false imprisonment. The cause of the action is
no doubt founded upon the supposed misconduct of
Gen. Cameron in causing the arrest of the plaintiff,
Mr. Pierce Butler, and placing him in Fort Warren,
or some other public fortification, without authority
of law, while he (Gen. Cameron) was Secretary of
"War. Asl am instructed, the act was not the act of
Gin. Cameron, and was done by those who com-
manded it to be done for just reasons and for the
public good. You will please communicate the fact
of this suit to the President and such other official
persons as should properly be advised of it, and
have such action taken as shall relieve the defen-
dant, Simon Cameron, from the burden, cost, and
responsibility of defending this suit. By the direc-
tions of Gen. Cameron, I have, as his private coun-
sel, ordered my appearance for him, while I also
invite and request the intervention of the proper
authorities in his behalf and for his protection.—
I am, sir, yours truly, &c.,
" BENJAMIN H. BREWSTER.
" To Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State."
" MR. SEWARD TO MR. BREWSTER.
" Department of State, Washington,
April 18, 1862.
" Sir,—l have received your letter of yesterday,
stating that, by direction of Simon Cameron, you
transmit to me a summons issnep out of the Su-
preme Court of the State of Pennsylvania, at the
suit of Pierce Butler against Mr. Cameron for tres-
pass vi et armis, assault and battery, and false im-
prisonment, in causing the arrest of the plaintiff
without authority of law. This communication has
been submitted to the President, and I am directed
by him to say, in reply, that he avows the proceed-
ing of Mr. Cameron referred to as one taken by him,
when Secretary of War, under the President's direc-
tions, and deemed necessary for the prompt suppres-
sion of the existing Insurrection. The President
will at once communicate by correspondence to the
Attorney-General of the United States, and also to
Congress.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
" W. H. SEWARD.
" To Benjamin F. Brewster, Esq., Philadelphia."
The Washington correspondence of the New York
Times contains the following statement respectinc
the slave trade negotiations between the British and
Federal Governments :
" It is stated, upon high authority, that the treaty
for the suppression of the African slave trade, re-
cently negotiated between. Secretary Seward and
Lord Lyons, and transmitted to the Senate, is based
upon an express desire communicated by Mr, Se-
ward to Lord Lyons. That the President is ani-
mated by a sincere desire for the complete suppres-
sion of the trade the correspondence shows. Since
the date of the convention between Great Britain
and the United States, dated Aug. 9, 1842, to slaves
have been carried into any of the territoriesof Great
Britain, and, with the exception of the case of. the
barque Wanderer, none have been brought into the
United States. The traffic has been mainly carried
on under the fraudulent cover of the American flag
by residents in other countries. Lord Lyons' re-
'ense was prompt and hearty on behalf of his own
Government, expressing the strongest wish of her
-Majesty to act in concert with the President of the
United States for the attainment of the objects de-
sired. Her Majesty's Government believes that it is
on the co-operation of the United States that the
success of their own persevering labours in the
cause must mainly depend. His lordship gives
assurance that his Government will be prompt
to agree to any stipulations giving increased
efficacy to that co-operation, and expresses
his readiness to enter at once upon negotiations.
To the draught of the treaty submitted to him,
Lord Lyons made objections to but one cleuse—that
limiting the duration of the treaty—which objection,
it is said, was soon removed by Mr. Seward, who
assumed that if the treaty was faithfully executed,
the trade would be brought to an end within the
term of ten years proposed, and that, should the
traffic survive that period, it was easy to see that
some new and probably different means from that
which the treaty proposes, will have become neces-
eery for the vindication of the cause of humanity in
common. The treaty, as originally drawn by Mr.
Feward, was signed by the latter and Lord Lyons
on the 7th day of April, and has been favourably
reported upon by the Committee of Foreign Rela-
tions in the Senate."
On the 19th, the President, accompanied by Se-
cretaries Chase and Stanton, Captain Dahlgren and
P. D. Field, of New York, went down the Potomac
in the revenue steamer Miami to Acquia Creek.
Evidence had been received at the Treasury De-
partment that the work of mutilating Treasury,
notes had become
quite a business, and not an un-
profitable one. For instance, the mutilator takes a
10:dollar note, and tears off a tenth part on ono
corner, and passes offal° note for 10 dollars, nobody
questioning him that it is perfectly good. He takes
another note of the same denomination, and tears off
a tenth part on another corner, and so on until he
has secured four corners. Then he takes another
note and tears out a piece from the upper side right
—from another note a piece from the upper side
left, next to the corners; from two more notes a
piece is extracted from the lower side right of one,
and a piece from the lower aide left of the other.
From the ninth note he removes a piece from the
right of the middle, and from the tenth and last
the left middle. Then he has ten
note a pier© from
parts of what appears to be
,a single 10 del. Treasury
note, which he ingeniously pastes together, and
passes off under the plea that the note was acci-
dentally torn in pieces, but is nevertheless just as
good as if it was whole.
Letters from Yorktown of the 17th report that
early that morning all the infantry were ordered
under arms, and formed in line of battle at the rear
of their re‘sptetive encampments. No assembly-roll

was beat, but the alarm was spree.d in `whispered'
tones, and in a few momc:',ls long lines of thousands
of bayonets were glistening in the early morning
moonirzams. It was expected a sortie would be
made by the enemy at daybreak upo i the guns
planted during the night; but as the u orning ad-
vanced, with no visible preparation by the enemy
for sueh an event, the troops were finally dismissed
and retired to their quarters.
The fire of the siege batteries had began to be
more regular and heavy. The Federals had
planted two very heavy siege guns and opened on
the right wing of the Confederate lines. At night
a sortie in force was made, with the object of
spiking those guns, but it failed. The heavy work
at the Confederate guns was being done by negroes.
The continuous fire of the Federal guns had caused
the besieged to relinquish an attempt to throw up
a line of intrenchments in front of their centre for-
tification. Up to the 18th nothing of importance
bad occurred. The Confederates' right flank from
Yorktown to the Warwick River, and along the
river to the James, had been greatly strengthened.
New earthworks had been thrown up and guns
mounted upon the parapets. The banks in front of
the earthworks were lined with rifle-pits, Pi ince
de Joinville Lad pronounced the Confederate posi-
tion to be much stronger than that of Sebastopol.
A body of troops under General Smith marched on
the night of the 16th. The result is stated as fol-
lows ;

A number of regiments, under General Smith,
proceeded last night to attack a battery and in-
trenched position on the enemy's left, under cover
of some of our field guns. The troops marched to
the Warwick River, which, from the representa-
tions of a scout, was fordable for infantry, with a
good bed for the wheels of artillery. Our forces
arrived at the river late at night, and commenced
crossing at a point where the rebels have o:instructed
a dam, under a tremendous fire from the heavy guns
and musketry of the enemy. There were but two
feet of water at the time in this portion of the river.
After the infantry had crossed the rebels turned on
the water from the dam, swelling the stream so that
it was three feet higher than before, making the
depth of water at the crossing five feet. Of course
it was impossible for the artillery to follow—so they
took positions in the woods to protect the storming
party. The troops attacked the enemy's intrench-
ments, when some sharp fighting took place
on both sides. The enemy had an imposing
force to meet our men, with guns of large calibre,
well protected in embrasures. Our force with-
drew and recrossed the river. Here it was that
we lost the most of our men. The great depth
of water compelled the soldiers to hold their
muskets up at arms'. length, to prevent them from
getting wet. The large body of troops crossing the
river in this way afforded the rebels a splendid op-
portunity to pick them off, and volley after volley
was poured in upon them. The cannonading from
our side was terrible, and caused great slaughter
among the rebels. Our forces kept their positions
on this side of the river all night, driving the enemy
from their entrenchments. Late this morning our
firing ceased, and the regiments engaged in the ac-
tion returned to their camps. Our loss in killed
and wounded was about 100, that of the enemy
more than 300, their forces having been exposed
for a short time to the range of our batteries."
The weather was fine, and the water over the
swamps was fast drying up. The Federal riflemen
were doing considerable execution on the gunners.

From General Banks's command the following
despatches had been received :
" To TIIE HON. E. M, STANTON, SECRETARY AT

WAR.

" NEWMARKET, April 19.

" I have been to the bridges on the south fork of
the Shenandoah, in the Massanutten Valley, with
a force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, to pro-
tect the two important bridges that cross the rivers.
We were within sight of Duray at the south
bridge. A sharp skirmish occurred with the rebels,
in which they lost several men taken prisoners.
Their object was the destruction of the bridges.
" One of the prisoners left the camp on the bank
of the Rappahannock on Tuesday morning. There
were no fortifications up to that time.

" Other reports indicate a stronger force at Gor-
donsville, and a contest there—the whole resulting
in a belief that they are concentrating at York-
town. I believe Jackson left this valley yesterday.
He is reported to have left Harrisburg yesterday
for Gordonsville, by the mountain road. He en-
camped last night at M‘Gangeytown, 11 miles from
Harrisburg.
" N. P. BANKS, Major-General Commanding."
A LATER DESPATCH.

,‘ To TIIE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY AT

WAR,

NEWMARKET, April 20, 9 8113.

" The flight of Jackson from the valley, by the
way of the mountains, from Harrisburgh towards
Leannardsville and Orange Court-house, on Gor-
donsville, is confirmed this morning by our scouts
and prisoners.
" N. P. BANKS, Major-General Commanding.
" To THE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY
AT WAR.

" Newmarket, April 22.

" Our advance is near Harrisonburg. We have
troops across the mountains, protecting the bridges
on the Shenandoah at Almy and on the Luray road.
To day we pushed a force forward to Luray. The
people were greatly alarmed at first, on account of
the reports circulated by the rebels as to the treat-
ment they would receive from us, but in the course
of a few hours they became quite reconciled to the
presence of the troops. There is a good road to
Warrenton, 25 miles, and a turnpike to Culpepper
Court-house, the same distance. In several recent
sharp skirmishes with the enemy we lost three men.
Jackson has abandoned the valley of Virginia per-
manently, and is en route for Gordonsville, by the
way of the mountains. Every day brings its pri-
soners and numerous deserters from the rebels.

" N. P. BANKS, Major •Generel."
General M'Dowell had occupied Fredericksburgb.
The Federal troops left the vicinity of Warrenton
Junction on the 17th, and, making a forced march
across the country, encountered the enemy's out-
posts, which were driven in by the cavalry, who
captured one of the Confederate camps. On the
18th, early, the march was resumed, Col. Bayard
with the Ist Pennsylvania Cavalry being in the ad-
l'auca. He was attacked by a regiment of Confe-
derate infantry, a regiment of cavalry, and a bat-
tery of artillery, but the troops succeeded in driving
the enemy 'before them across the Rappahannock
at Fredeticksburgh. The bridge had been pre-
pared for burning, and was set on fire by the
retreating enemy, and consumed. Falmouth oppo-
sitegh, was occupied by the Federal
troops
r ae dt e7r
o'clock
sl
on the 18th. The Confederates
in addition to the bridge, burnt the steamer St.
Nicholas.

From General Ft emont's command the following
had been received :

"To THE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY

AT WAR.

" Head -quarters, Wheeling, Virginia,
Sunday, April 20.

" Intelligence just received fr)m General Milroy
states that the enemy, numbering about 3500, with
two batteries, including two rifled guns, are con-
structing fortifications upon the crest of the Shen-
andoah. Reliefs of 500 men are constantly at
work, day and night. The rebel encampment is on
the eastern slope of the mountain, extending down
five miles from the summit. A notorious guerilla,
named Frederick W. Chenning, has been captured
by a cavalry company under General Milroy.
"J. C. FREMONT, Major-General."

The advices from Fort Wright (Fort Pillow) are
to the 18th, at which date the bombardment was
proceeding slowly. It was believed that the Con•
federates had partially abandoned Randolph and
concentrated at Fort Wright. The Confederates
had cut the river at the Arkansas shore, opposite
the fort, and had inundated the district.
Advices from Fort Monroe of the 21st report
that a Confederate paper, the Petersburg Journal
of that date, contained a report of the repulse of Et
Federal force under General Burnside at Elizabeth
City. It is stated the Federal troops, 5,000 strong,
attempted to land there, but were repulsed, with a
toss of 500 killed, by a Confederate force of 1,000,
lincluding a Georgia Regiment.
Letters from Newborn to the 17th and Hatteras