The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-27 00:00:00

"Brigadier-General, Commanding Dapartrnent
of Anapolis.
"E. G. Parker, Lieutenant-Colonel, Aide-de-Camp."
General Butler had ordered the outposts of his
army to be extended some ten miles towards
Harper's Ferry, to act in conjunction with the force
advancing from Chambersburg. Earthworks were
to be erected along the railroads from the North
through Maryland to Washington, which was com-
pletely encircled with encampments controlling all
the railways. The citizens of Annapolis having
complained of coloured persons in the camp tam-
pering with slaves, orders had been issued prohibit-
ing them from passing the lines. On the demand
of General Butler a large number of arms bad been
given up at Baltimore. The Maryland Guards
managed, however, to secrete theirs previously.
The Maryland Senate had adopted a proposition
to 'appoint commissioners to President Lincoln, Jef-
ferson Davis, and- the Governors of Virginia and
Pennsylvania, for them to stay hostilities till after
the meeting of Congress. The House refused to
accede. loss Winans, a prominent Secessionist
citizen of Baltimore, had been arrested by the
Federal officers.

Advices from Virginia report that the Virginia
troops had rendered their position at Harper's
Ferry impregnable. Batteries of heavy guns had
been mounted. Their batteries on James and Y ork
rivers were also of a vary formidable character.
The whole number of Confederate troops in Virginia
was estimated at 30,111. The Federal sloop of
war Pawnee was anchored off Alexandria with her
guns run out and double shotted, the object being
to stop
attempted.topany interference with navigation, which had
been Troops
were arriving daily at
Richmond from the other States, and quite a large
force was assembled in and around that city. Louisi-
ana, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky,
and Tennessee were all represented strongly in this
force. A number of the Georgia, Alabama, Louisi-
ana, and Kentucky man had been sent to Norfolk
and its vicinity. The Virginians had five batteries
erected in Norfolk harbour, one on Craney Island,
one at Sandy Point, one at the Hospital, one near
Fort Norfolk, and one on the Bluffs, three miles from
the Hospital. The steamer Yankee pursued an armed
schooner up York river, but after proceeding a short
distance was fired upon from a concealed battery
and compelled to return.
The Convention at Wheeling, Western Virginia,
had assembled. The Stars and Stripes were hoisted
over the Custom-house, national airs were sung,
national speeches made, and the people were wild
with excitement. Governors Curtin and Dennison
had pledged the Union men of Western Virginia the
entire support of all the forces of Pennsylvania and
Ohio to protect them. Indiana and Illinois had
pledged the Union men of Kentucky and Missouri
the same. The governors of all the Free States
westward, it is asserted, had united and obtained a
pledge from the President that no compromise or
cessation of war should take place until the national
flag floated over all the national property. The
Kentucky Legislature had passed a bill suspending
the Courts until January, and ordering all execu-
tions issued since January last to be re-issued, re-
turnable next March.

The Southern Congress has passed the following

ordinance :

"An Act recognising the existence-of war between
the United States and the Confederate States, and
concerning letters of marque, prize and prize
goods.
" Whereas the earnest efforts made by this Go-
vernment to establish friendly relations between the
Government of the United States and the Confede-
rate States, and to settle all questions of disagree-
ment between the two Governments upon principles
of right, justice, equity, and good faith have proved
unavailing, by reason of the refusal of the Govern-
ment of the United States to hold any intercourse
with the commissioners appointed by this Govern-
ment for the purpose aforesaid, or to listen to any
proposal they had to make for the peaceful solution
of all causes of difficulty between the two Govern-
ments ; and, whereas the President of the United
31'4" 'Anorioa has issued his proclamation mak-
ing requisition upon die States of the American
Union for 75,000 men, for the purpose, as therein in-
dicated, of capturing forts and other strongholds
withinjurisdiction of and belonging to the Confe-
derate States of America, and has detailed naval
armaments upon the coasts of the Confederate States
of America, and raised, organised, and equipped a
large military force to execute the purpose aforesaid,
and has issued his other proclamation announcing
his purpose to set on foot a blockade of the ports of
the Con federate States; and whereas the State of
Virginia has seceded from the Federal Union, and
entered i▪
nto a convention of alliance, offensive and
defensive, with the Confederate States, and has
adopted the provisional constitution of the said
States, and the States of Maryland, North Carolina,
Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri have
refused, and it is believed that the State of Dela-
ware, and the inhabitants of the territories of
Arizona and New Mexico, and the Indian terri-
tory south of Kansas will refuse to co-operate with
the Government of the United States in these
acts of hostility and wanton aggression, which
are plai▪
nly intended to overawe, oppress, and
finally subjugate the people of the Confederate
States ; and whereas by the acts and means
aforesaid, war exists between the Confederate
States and the Government of the United States
asntadttehseoSrtatesa
Maryland,
nd
Carolina, except
Tennessee,the
Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, and Delaware, and
the territories o f Arizona and New Mexico, and the
Indian territories south of Kansas. Therefore,
" Sec. 1. The Congress of the Confederate States
of America do enact that the President of the
Confederate States is hereby authorised to use the
whale land and naval force of the Confederate
States to meet the war thus commenced, and to
issue to private armed vessels commissions or letters
of marque and general reprisal, in such fos m as he
shall think proper, under the seal of the Confede-
rate States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of
the Government of the United States, and of the
citizens and inhabitants of the States and territories
thereof, except the States and territories hereinbe-
fore named; provided, however, that property of
the enemy (unless it be contraband of war) taken on
board a neutral vessel shall not be subjected to
seizure under this act ; and provided further, that
vessels of the citizens or inhabitants of the United
States now in the ports of the Confederate States,
except such as have been since the 6th April last,
or may hereafter be, in the service of the Govern-
ment of the United States, shall be allowed 30 days
after the publication of this act to leave said ports
and reach their destination; and such vessels and
their cargoes, except articles contraband of war,
shall not be subject to capture under this act dur-
ing said period,
.unless they shall have previously
reached the destination for which they were bound
on leaving said ports.
" Sec 2 That the President of the Confederate

_ _ ---
States_ shall be and he is hereby authorised and
empowered to revoke and annual, at pleasure, all
letters of marque and reprisal which he may at any
time grant pursuant to this act.
" Sec. 3. That all persons applying for letters of)
marque and reprisal, pursuant to this act, shall
state in writing the name and a suitable description
of the tonnage and *force of the vessel, and the
name and place of residence of each owner con- '
cerned therein, and intended number of the crew ;
which statement shall be signed by the person or
persons making such application, and filed with the
Secretary of State, or shall be delivered to any other
officer or person who shall be employed to deliver
out such commissions, to be by him transmitted to
the Secretary of State.
"Sec. 4. That before
any commissions or letters
of marque and reprisal shall be issued as aforesaid,
the owner or owners of the ship or vessel for which
the same shall be requested, and the commander
thereof for the time being, shall give bond to the
Confederate States, with at least two responsible
sureties, not interested in such vessels, in the penal
sum of 5,000 dole. ; or if such vessel! be provided
with more thou 150 men, then in the penal enm of