The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-05
IMPORTANT FROM THE SOUTH.

MONTGOMERY, March 3.-The Congress of the
Confederate States in session here comprises
the ablest and most conservative men of the Cot.
ton States 1t is seldom that men of such char
acter and such calibre are found at the head of a
revolution.
The prevailing sentiment is an earnest desire for
peace with the United States, and for an amicable
adjustment of all questions relating to Notifications,
custom houses, minis, and all other national pro-
perty, upon principles ofjustice, and with entire
regard to the obligations of national good faith.
At the same time there is fixed and immovabIe
determination to ma intan the permanency of the
Confederation at all hazards, at whatever cost, and
without sticking at any extremity to which cir
cumstances may render it necessary TO go for that
purpose.
The propositions of the Washington Peace Con
gress will not even be taken into consideration
here; and in no event Will the rule OF Lincoln be
submitted to.
The permanent Constitution of the Confederaey
is now being elaborated, in order to be submitted
to the Congress and to.the States. | am enabled,
in advance, to state some of its more important
features 1t will provide that south of Kansas
and of Utah slavery shall be established beyond
the power of Congress of the Northern States
to abolish it, or in any way interfere with the
rights it confers.
The idea which has prevailed to some extent in
South Carolina, that only slave States can be
admitted to the Confederacy, is repudiated by the
controlling men, and by the majority of the Con-
gress The Constitution will provide for the ad-
mission of Free States, of course with suitable
guarantees.
Full powers will be given to the Congress to levy
duties on imports and exports. The tariff recently
enacted will Immediately be amended, and will
probably be made to impose an export duty of one
per cent on cotton, tobacco and rice. The duties
most imports will be fixed at ten per cent, and
these rates will be made to take effect on January
l. 1862.
Meats, breadstufs, tea, coffee and jewelry will
be admitted free.
REVOLT OF CONVERSION Monday, 18th ultimo,
the convicts in the Chatham prison, England
numbering eleven hundred men, Succeeded in over
towering their keepers, and for the space of few
hours held undisputed sway OF the prison. Upon
being ordered to return to work after dinner,
gang of about fifty turned upon their keepers in
The yard, whom they soon overp0wered and drove
before them. Other gangs OF convlcts then joined
the mutineefs, and the keepers on duty, to the
number of about one hundred and fifty, driven
out of the prison by the infuriated convicts. The
prisoners in the cells were then liberated and
scene of the utmost confusion ensued. After gain
ing their liberty, the convicts Immediately com
menced wholesale work of destruction in the in
terror of the prison. A large number of them
rushed into the office of Capt. Powell, where they
commenced destroying the books and papers, and
every other available article on which they could
lay their hands desks, tables, chairs, and every
thing which could be broken up Deln8 quickly ue-
stroyed. They then endeavored to set the prison
on fire, and the building actually fired in two
or three places, from which the flames began to
pour forth, but were extingushed from the outside
Information of the revolt sent to the garrison,
and one thousand troops were soon on the ground.
The convicts driven into their cells at the
point of the bayonet, and order more restored.
The next day, punishment was ordered on about,
ninety of the mutineers.
The Montgomery Advertiser of the oath ult. says
that on Saturday there were forty mine thousand
one hundred pounds of powder shipped from the
Montgomery and West Point Railroad Depot, for
Charleston.