The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-18 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, JUNE 16.
The Royal mail steamer Persia, which touched
at Queenstown yesterday, has arrived.
It was anticipated that the Government would
make a further levy of 75,000 men.
From the Federal army at Alexandria we have
no intelligence of any particular interest. Alarms
were rather frequent. Entrenchments continued
to be thrown up. The railroad was rapidly being
put in repair by the mechanics belonging to the
troops, and would form a continuation of the mili-
tary line into Virginia. The sth New York Regi-
men' has been sent back to the capital ; they appear
to have been in a disorganised state. On the 31st a
company of New York Zouaves was sent to take
possession of the old mill two or three miles from
Alexandria, and a party of Virginian troops lying
in ambush fired upon them, killing one of the
Zouaves, and wounding another. The Zouaves
returned the fire, but without effect, as they could
not see the enemy. On the night of the 2d, during
a drenching rain, two columns belonging to Gene-
ral M'Clellan's command. one under command of
Colonel Kelly, of the Ist Virginia Volunteers, and
composed of the Indiana Volunteers, proceeded from
Grafton to Philippa, about 20 miles, and surprised
a camp of Confederates there, 200 strong. The
rebels were completely routed, attar a brief struggle,
with the loss of 15 killed, and a large amount of
arms, horses, ammunition, provisions, camp equi-
page, &c. The surprise is reported to have been
most complete, and at last accounts the Federal
forces were in hot pursuit, with the prospect of
capturing a large number of prisoners. Colonel
Kelly, the commander of the Virginia Volunteers,
was, it was feared, mortally wounded. This, how-
ever, was the only life lost among the Federal troops.
On the 31st ult. a body of Federal cavalry made a
foray into Fairfax Courthouse, and retired with the
loss of six killed and missing. It being reported
that two of the prisoners were to be hanged by the
Confederates, the Federal cavalry subsequently made
another charge upon the town and released them.
Respecting the bombardment of the Confederate
battery at Acquia Creek, the Commander of the
Federal squadron had reported as follows :
" The firing on shore was scarcely as spirited at
any time as yesterday. The heights we abandoned,
the guns apparently having been transferred to the
earthworks at the railroad termination, to replace
the battery silenced there by us on Friday. During
the last hour of the engagment only two or three
shots were thrown from the shore, the men being
seen stealthily now and then to emerge from con-
cealment, and hastily load and fire a single gun."
From other accounts it appears that the engage-
ment lasted five hours, and that a rifled gun on a
hill was unsilenced when the squadron drew off.
Senator Douglas expired at Chicago on the 3d.
In various cities flag were hoisted half-mast high
when the intelligence was received.
The 7th Regiment of New York Militia had re-
turned from Washington.
Further bodies of troops had been sent to Fort
Monroe. More than 100 negroes had taken refuge
there.

The following vessels had arrived as prizes at
New York :—the Lynchburg schooner, from Rio
for Richmond, with coffee, and the IL 11,1. Johnson,
from New Orleans, with cotton, hides, &c. The
District Attorney had filed a libel against the ship
North Carolina. Parties interested in the prize
bark Octavia had received information from Wash-
ington that the Secretary of the Treasury had given
an order for the release of that vessel.
By letters received from Panama we learn that
Capt. Ritchie, of the Federal frigate Saranac, had
taken measures to prevent privateering in the
Pacific.

From the Federal blockading squadron off the
Southern coast we learn that the Brooklyn had
captured the bark H. J. Spearing, from Rio Janeiro
for New Orleans, with 120,000 dols. worth of
coffee. It was sent to Key West. The Picayune
of the Ist inst. says that the steamers Bremen
and Everhard, from Bremen, and General Mira-
mon, from Havannah, were ordered away from
Pass l'Outre by the Brooklyn. The Powhattan
captured the Mary Clinton, from Charleston for
New Orleans, off the Pass on the 31st, with a full
cargo of rice, peas, &c. Gen. Twiggs has been put
in command of the military department of Loui-
siana. Capt. Poore, of the Brooklyn, blockading
Balize, was visited on the 28th, under a flag of
truce, by the captains of several British and French
vessels now on the bar, and Capt. Poore was asked
if he intended to prevent the departure of the ves-
sels then on the bar belonging to English and
French owners, and loaded with freight for foreign
ports. The New Orleans Delta says :
"Poore declared that he should certainly prevent
their departure or seize them if they attempted to
run the blockade. As their ships are all heavily
laden with valuable eargoes, including 2,000
hogsheads of tobacco, shipped by the French
Consul on account of the French Government,
and several hundred on account of Rothschilds
and other foreign houses, such a decision naturally
produced considerable excitement in this city. The
British and French Consuls took the matter in
hand, and by telegraph caused Captain Poore to
understand that they would not permit such non-
sense, and that the British and French squadrons
would be here in a few days to protect the interests
oftheir Governments. The last news from Belize
was that Poore had backed down, and the ships are
all going out."
Captain Porter, of the Federal steamship Pow-
hattan, had replied as follows to an inquiry made
by the British Consul at Mobile :
" United States steamship Powattan, May 28.
" Sir,—ln answer to your communication of the
27th of May, 1861, I beg leave to inform you that
British ships will be permitted to use towboats, or
any other means to get to sea, and that the tow-
boats will not be molested by us in the discharge of
their duty in so towing British ships. I beg leave
to add that the 28th is, I believe, the day fixed for
rigid blockade, but, as I am only here temporarily,
give
and without special instructions, i
most liberal construction to the order. It would be
better 'fit can be done without injury to British in-
terests to get the ships to sea as soon as practicable.
" Very respectfully your obedient servant,
" DAVID D. PORTER, Commandi
" Mr. James Magee, Acting Consul, Mobile."ng.
The movements of the Confederate forces were
nvolved in mystery. Advices from Virginia state
,hat on the death of Jackson (who shot Ellsworth
at Alexandria) flags were hoisted half-mast high in
various Confederate cities, and that Governor Let-
cher had sent for the family of Jackson who would
be provided for by the State, and a monument would
be erected to his memory.
There were reported to be 5,000 unemployed
negroes at Richmond.
The Confederate Congress had passed the follow-
ing Act :
" Sec.l. The Congress of the Confederate States
of America do enact,—That from and after the Ist
of June next, and during the existence of the block-
ade of any of the ports of the Confederate States of
America by the Government of the United States,
it shall not be lawful for any person to export raw
cotton or cotton yarn from the Confederate States
of America, except through the seaports of the said
Confederate States; and it shall be the duty of all
the marshals and revenue officers of the said Con-
federate States to prevent all violations of this act.
Every person violating or attempting to violate this
law will be confined or imprisoned, besides
,
losing
all the cotton attempted to be exported.'
The new tariff of the Confederacy has seven
schedules ; five are charge respe.ctivellincalt2ess,t2woo
items of specific duties, 20,
15,10, and 5 per cent. ad valorem, one ud
,—ice d01.2c 2c. per
is .
per ton, and salt ground
,btolowiwnt or i
bushel of 561 b. ; and one the free list. In the 25

per cent. schedule are included brandies, cordials,
and other spirituous liquors, vines, cut glass, and

all manufactures of tobacco. In the 20 per cent
schedule are included almonds, raisins, dates, cur-
rants, c
prunes, balsams, essences, camphor,
p mgoslasses, and sugar of all kinds. In the
spices,
sipees figs,
t:
cent. schedule are included most articles of
clothing, hats, caps, boots and shoes, malt liquors,
all textile fabrics of woollen, silk, cotton and flax,
earthern, china, and stone ware, paints, leather, sad,
dlery, vehicles of all kinds; and nearly all other
manufactured articles. In the 10 per cent, schedule
are included acids, green fruit, tea, iron and steel,
wool, flax and hemp, lumber, books, magazines, and
other publications not in course of printing in
the
Confederacy, dyewoods, precious stones
When set,
watches, and unmanufacturod tobacco. In the 5
per cent. schedule are included brass, comp; &la;