The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-28 00:00:00

FRANCE.

t
~~

BOURSE, Jan. 26.--The market has been dull, as
far as the amount of business is concerned ; but the
English funds having arrived without any further
decline, prices have obtained a slight improvement.
The following are the last quotations :-
41 per per Cents ... 97 10 Credit Foßeier 915
Do end month.... 97 —I Belgian 41 9B 75
3 per Cents
Do. end month 67 601 Roman
Bank Shares 2900 —1 Austrian
Credit Mobilier.... 667 50 Spanish Threes 47 50
Do. Account 666 25 Home Debt

AMERICA.

REUTER'SEXPRESS.

LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY.
The Royal mail steamship Australasian; Captain
Hockley, which left New York on the 16th instant,
arrived in the Mersey at two o'clock this afternoon.
A telegraphic summary of the news (received via
Queenstown) has already been published.
There is but little news of importance from
Charleston. The South Carolina Legislature has
declared that any at tempt by the Federal Govern-
ment to reinforce Fort Sumter will be regarded as
an act of open hostility and a declaration of war.
The Legislature has approved of the attack upon
the Star of the West, and decided to support the
Governor in all measures of defence. Military
companies were arriving at Charleston from all
parts of the State. Governor Pickens has tele-
graphed to the President of the Bank of the
Republic, of this city, that no vessel will be dis-
turbed or prevented from entering the harbour of
Charleston, unless bearing hostile troops or muni-
tions of war for Fort Sumter.
The South Carolina Secretaries of War and
State went on the 11th to Fort Sumter, under a
flag of truce. There is great excitement, and all
sorts of rumours are afloat as to their object, but
nothing certain is publicly known.
The secretaries remained two hours at Fort
Sumter. It is believed the visit was not hostile.
Mr. Gourdin, a member of the South Carolina
Convention, went to Fort Sumter this morning,
and held a private parley with Major Anderson.
All kinds of rumours prevail as to the cause of
the sending of a flag of truce by South Carolina
last night. Some say that disaffection exists among
Major Anderson's men, and others that a surrender
of the fort is contemplated, and that it will be
evacuated.
It is believed the negotiations with *Washington
are going on for a peaceful surrender of the fort,
and for the cessation of a warlike attitude.
Colonel Hayne, on the part of South Carolina,
and Lieut. Hall, on the part of Major Anderson,
left for Washington with proposals, and to obtain
further instructions.
A Charleston despatch of the 13th says :—" Eight
working men came away last night in a boat from
Fort Sumter; they report the soldiers on short
allowance."
Last night was quiet. The excitement of the
people has subsided, and there are great hopes
that the ultimatum of South Carolina sent to Wash-
ington by Messrs. Hayne and Hall will give peace.
Nothing of importance transpired at Charleston
on the 15th.
The largest crowd that ever assembled inside the
United States Senate House assembled on the 12th
to hear the speech of Hon. W. H. Seward on the
National Crisis. The full Diplomatic Corps were
in attendance, the galleries were crammed almost
to suffocation, and numbers went away unable to
obtain admission. Mr. Seward's remarks were
listened to with the most profound attention. No
business of special importance was done by the

Senate.
On the 14th Mr. Bigler, of Pennsylvania, pre-
sented in the Senate a bill proposing amendments
to the constitution, to be voted on by the people on
the 12th of February. This bill carries out
substantially the ideas of Mr. Crittenden, though
with some variation of detail. In the absence of
Mr. Crittenden, and other senators, Mr. Bigler
preferred to postpone its consideration and refer-
ence. During a brief discussion relating to it, Mr.
Brown, of Mississippi, announced the secession of
his state from the Union, and said that although
he and his colleague had not yet received official
notice of the States action, they should decline here-
after to take part in the Senate's proceedings. Mr.
Grimes, of lowa, offered a resolution, which was
laid over, calling upon the President for informa-
tion relative to alleged intention of certain men, or
bodies of men, to obstruct the free navigation of
the Mississippi. Consideration of the Crit-
tenden resolutions was postponed. Mr.
Polk, of Missouri, then addressed the Senate,
the subject under consideration being the resolution
offered by Mr. Hunter, of Virginia, calling for
information regarding the attempt to reinforce the
garrison at Fort Sumter. He found the republican
party answerable for all the ills which now afliliet
the country, and insisted that the only means by
which the Union could be saved was through such
guarantees from the North to the South as would
assure the latter equal rights and facilities in it.
In the Senate on the 15th a number of memorials
were presented, urging the passage of the Crittenden
resolutions, and they were taken up as the special
order. After a short discussion, however, they
were laid over again to make way for the Pacific
Railroad Bill, which had also been appointed as a
special order. A motion to postpone its considera-
tion was defeated—ayes, 12 ; noes, 39. Subse-
quently two other motions, one of them made by
Mr. Crittenden, were defeated; and after consider-
able debate the Senate adjourned, pending a motion
by Mr. Benjamin, of Louisiana, to amend the
section relating to guarantees. In the House of
Representatives on the 12th, Mr. Clark, of Missouri,
asked leave to offer a resolution in reference to the
reported occupation of the Government buildings at
St. Louis, by United States' troops, and moved a
suspension of the rules ; but objections were
made, and the resolution was not entertained.
The Speaker laid before 'the House a letter
from the Mississippi delegates announcing
their withdrawal from Congress. An attempt
was made by Southern members to have

their names and those of the Carolina delegation
stricken from the roll of the house, but it did not
succeed. The Navy Appropriation Bill was then
taken up, and a long debate followed a motion to
strike out all appropriations, on the ground that
the navy was to be used to make war upon the
seceding States. The Southern members announced
their intention to defeat appropriation for the army
and navy by the usual parliamentary expedients,
and a full debate could be had. A compromise,
however, was finally effected, on an agreement that
a three days' debate should take place on the army
and navy appropriations, and the navy bill was
allowed to pass.
On the 14th, in the house, Mr. English, of
Indiana, asked leave to offer a resolution, instruct-
ing the committee of 33 to report the proposition

of Mr. Crittenden for the pacification of the coun

try, but objections were made, when Mr. English
gave notice that at the proper time he should mov e
a suspension of the rules, and subsequently did so
but without success. Several measures were in-
troduced bearing on the present condition of affairs,
which were referred to the select committee of five
on the President's message. A resolution was
adopted instructing that committee to consider and
report, as soon as possible, upon that portion of
the message which recommends that a vote of the
people be taken upon the great questions at issue
between the North and South.

Mr. Stanton, of Ohio, made an effort to appoin

to-day for the consideration of the bill providing
for the organisation and discipline of the militia
of the district of Columbia, but he failed by one
vote. The house then went into committee of the
whole on the Army Appropriation Bill, and the
general debate, which was on Saturday agreed to,
was commenced by Mr. M'Clemard, of Illinois,
who took strong ground against the right of seces-
sion, and closed with an appeal to all conservative
men to rally to the support of the Constitution and
the Union. Mr. Corwin, of Ohio, presented the
majority report of the committee of 33. Mr. Taylor,
of Louisiana, obtained leave to have the minority
report printed.

On the 15th, in the house, Mr. Harris, Maryland,
presented a petition, signed by 12,000 citizens of
Baltimore, irrespective of party, praying for the
adoption of Mr. Crittenden's Compromise Resolu-
tions. The house then wentinto committee of the
whole on the Army Bill, and the general debate on
the condition of the country was continued.
Messrs. Hayne and Guardin, messengers from the
Governor of South Carolina, and Lieut. Hall, bearer
of despatches from Mjr. Anderson, arrived atWash-
ington, on the 14th. The latter immediately sought
an interview with the President, but the object of
his mission had not been made public. Nothing had
officially transpired respecting the mission of the
gentlemen from South Carolina, but it was believed