Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-06
LATEST FROM THE NORTH.
Eproa tss Norfolk Day Book, Dccsnyer4l

Prom tas Norfolk Day Book. December
We are in possession Of the ~ York Her
aid" Of the 1st OF December. from which We
Gull the following extracts:
We rs PROM WASHINGT0N.
TIE REPORT OF TIE SECRETARY OF wAR-HIs Po-
sITIoN ON TIE TRANSCRIPTION QUEsTloS--PrB.
Lie ACTION oP CONGRESS ON THE SUBJECT.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 80, 1861.
The report Of the Secretary of War is com
pleted. 1t is carefully written document,
| aud highly crcditable to Secretary Cameron
1t gives detailed view of the army, showing
that We have ut the present time over six hum
dred thousand troops in the services, and
points With considerable force 10 the fact,
that Notwithstanding the immense army has
been raised in so short time, that it is splen
didy appointed and in fine condition for the
field, and, what is better, tina. the position of
the people in very loyal States is to rush 10
arms in overwhelming numbers.
Secretary. Cameron defines his position on
! the slavery question. He says distinctly that
every agency employed by the rebels to de
stroy the Federal Government, when it falls in
oar hands, no matter what it would be, would
be Immediately turned against them these
contraband negroes should be put 10 work or
Qualifications, constructing bridges. engaged As
hos,lcrs, wagoners, hprseshoers &c, &c, and
that they should be paid for their labor. He
il Of opinion that under no circumstances
should any slave who belongs to q rebel mas.
ter he returned, either before or after the
war
From present appearances, proposition will
be brought before Congress authorizing each
commanding General as he advances into any
rebel State, to issue proclamation to the peo.
pe thereof, that after the expiration Of brief
period, to be named, the property Of every
F., description, recognized rs such by the laws Of
the State in which such proclamation is issued,
shall be confscatcd if ,be owner thereof under
such State laws does not within the time men
5ioued take the oath Of allegiance 10 the Fed
ersl Government
NEWS FROM GEN. RosEcRANs' DIVISION.
! Dispatches bGVt been received NJ the army
headquarters from GcGcral Rosccrlns. They
| give no details OF interest. Gen. RosccTans
was still occupying his old position. Gen.
BsnEsm had been placed under arrest it is
understood here, for permitting the escape Of
the rebel Floyd and his gang.
CAPTURE or TWO scHooSERs By tn E REBEL STEAM
= ER PAGE.
| Capt. Mister, Of the oyster sloop Broom,
! that escaped the clutches Of the Page, on
Thursday night, confirms the statement of
Capt. Paul. he saws he saw tie Page take
two schooners into Quantico creek. One was
loaded with coal, and tho other with lumber
for the government. The coal vessel bad G.
white bottom, and he supposes her to be the
John Francis,' Of Baltimore There was four
vessels opposite the batteries that night be,
sides the Delaware O1e OF them, An oyster
boat, has not yet come up.
THE BRITISH coSsuL's ACCOUNT or TIE CAPTURE
OF MEssEs. MASON AND sLtuELL
From the n. y. Herai.i's Havana Correspcn-
derca Nov. 90
The news by the English steamer, which
arrived here this morning from st. Thomas, Ias
thrown the whole city in state OF greit en-
citement.
By this time CT coursc, the news cf,he capture
Of Messrs. Slidcll and Mason, with Their Secre-
,arles, is old, bu. we have heard nothing cf it
until this morning. The British Consul vas
kind enough to read me the official dispatch he
received in relation to the affair from the off
Ger in charge of the mails on board the Trent
L u
that the steamer Trent left Havana on the 7ih
inst On tho following day steamer vas OBJ
served nearing him, which presently fred
round shot across the bows Of the Trent
Thereupon the latter hoisted her flag and con-
tipued or her way shortly afterwards Shell
exploded at about half cables length from her,
upon which she hove TO. The stranger showed
no 0,g until about the time the shell was fired,
a 81, eh,,
american.
Presently 81 armaG party Of nariacs, under
conmaId .! Lieutenant, cano along side thc
Trent and the officers, On boarding ner, de
manded list Of her passengers, which the
captain refused. Tine former then stated that
be had positive knowledge that Messrs. Mason
and S!idell, With their secretaries, Messrs Eus
tis and Msclarland, were on board; that he had
orders 10 arrest them, and, if necessary, use
force. The party Immediately surrendered
themselves under protest the captain joining
in the protest The Federal officer waited 70
take tho csptsin Of the Trent, but for some
reason or other relrained, and both steamers
went their respective ways. The whole afair
occupied bur a few minutes, and occurred al
about three o'clock in tho afternoon.
Southcrners, Southern sympathisers and
Engishmcp, are apparently rjoicsd ut the
event. Tie former because 1t may bring
about an Immediate war with Great Britain,
which will relieve the blockade of Southern
ports, and the latter because they hope ''the
Yankees will be made to pay for their inso
euce.
FROM MISSOURI
ST. JosEPn's, NO., Nov 20 "A band Of Con-
federates under the notorious s. 7. Gordon,
captured three United States cfllcers--Captain
Robb, Capt. vi hite, and Lieut. Msrnlish sht-from
railroad train az Western To-day.