The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-16
THE NATIONAL. CRISIS.
CABINET MEETING.

'r General Scott in Cons sultation with the Cal
~ fnet-Miiitary Movements at Charleston.
st WASHINGTON, March 15.-Tt Cabinet had a
h other meeting this morning. Gen. Scott was
| consultation with them, and this fact strengthe
,. the surmise that they were in consultation on m
ir itary affairs.
f. D.. IL. Wheeler, ex-Minster to Nicaragua, h
el been removed from the position of Document Clel
Is in the Interior Department.
r Accounts from Charleston say that Gov Picke
h and Gen. Beauregard have decided on erecting 70
titications at Stono and all the inlets leading
, that harbor.
NJ Colonel Forney, in command of the Pensaco
Navy Yard, informed the commander Of the sloo
ot-war Brooklyn, on the sth instant that he cou
. get no more water or coal at that station.
= From Louisiana
New ORLEANS, March 14.-The Convention ha
under consideration to-day an ordinance to sui
NIT the permanent Constitution of the Confederat
States to the people of louisiana for their ratifc
tion or rejection.
BATON ROUGE, March IA resolution autho,
zing the transfer of the State military to the Pre-
visional Government, and requiring all volunteer
to enlist under that Government, passed the Hous
to-day.
joint resolution introduced in the House
requiring the State Convention to submit tho per
manent Constitution of the Confederate States t.
tsepeople, or that Convention should be eecte
by the people for that purpose. 1t was objecte
to, and laid over under the rules.
Missouri State Convention.
ST.. LOUIS, March l4.-In the Convention to-da1
Judge Gamble offered series of resolutions to ap
point delegates to the Virginia State Convention
in accordance with the invitation from that State
which, by request of the Committee on Federal Re
lations was ordered to be printed
Yesterday and to-day were almost entirely devo
ted to debate on the majority report of the Com
mittee on Federal Relations
sOUTHERN CONGRESS-
Am Exciting Report.
MONTGOMERY, March l4.-A bill has been intro
duced in Congress to establish an Admiralty
Court for Mississippi, the Judge to reside at Vicks
! burg.
News has been received here from an apparently
reliable source that five war vessels left New ork
| on Tuesday night well armed, with large num-
! Der OF marines and an ample supply of provisions,
! believed to be destined for some Southern port.
| PRESIDENT DAVIS VETO OF THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
Bull.
! MONTGOMERY, March l5.-President Davis veto
message on the African Slave Trade bill was made
|
removed. The President objected to the sixth sec
tioR of the act which authorizes the sale of At
ricans to the highest bidder unless the Colonization
Societies take them Liberia at their own expense
lie contends that it is in opposition to the clause
OF the Constitution forbiddng such trade and the
mandate to legislate effectually to prevent the
same.
The vote to pass the bill. Notwithstanding the
veto, stood-ayes Is, nays "A.
There was nothing of interest in the public ses-
sion to-day. Congress adjourns tomorrow.
VIRGINIA LEGIsLATURE-THE STATE CONVENTION.
RICHMOND, March 15.-The House has passed the
bill for the transfer of the James River canal to
the French company. The Senate has not acted.
In the Convention to-day Mr.. Conrad advocated
the majority report of the Committee on Federal
Relations. He maintained the legal right of Sc
cession, though he thought the policy of the South
should be to make proper demand for amend
ments to the Constitution, and he believed the
North would accede to them.
Hon. a. II. Stephens
AUGUSTA, March 14.-Hon. A. II. Stephens
Vice President of the Confederate States" pass
ed through here for Savannah to-day. salute
was fired in his honor.
United States Steamers Sent to the Gulf
New YoRK, March 15.-The steamers Mohawk,
Supply and Empire City sailed hence to-day for
steamer has been chartered by the Government
PETERSBURG, VA, GONE FOR SECESSION
PETERSBURG, March l5.-The polls were closed
this evening at sunset, with the following results:
Whole vote cast, l,64l. Vote in favor of instruct
ing the delegates to the Convention to vote in favor
of secession ordinance, $40; against instruction,
762. The Union vote in February was l,O39
against 427.
An immense procession was formed at the close
of the polls, headed by band, and secession flags
were displayed. They escorted Mr.. Pryor to the
depot, as he speaks in Richmond tonight.
THE SOUTHERN CoMMIssIoNERs-PEACE POLICY OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
WASHINGTON, March 15.-The Commissioners
from the "Conterated States" expect no answer to
their communication for several days. as it is un.
derstood that the matter of their embassy is now
engaging the attention of the Cabinet.
Great weight is attached in political circles to
the declaration of Mr.. Fessenden to-day in the
Senate, that the Administration contemplated
not strictly in accordance with law, and not until
ample time had been taken for an examination of
the question in all its bearings.
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM PENSACOLA
We have received information from Pensacola of
the 7th inst, which states that the Confederate
State troops were concentrating there in large
numbers preparatory to laying close siege to
Fort Pickens The families are flying into the
country, and preparations are being made for
severe conflict. The men are at work night and
day putting the batteries in perfect orders balls are
being cast in the Navy Yard and communication
with the vessels outside is to be cut off Immediate
". Several families have already moved off to
Mobile, New Orleans and other places. The
United States club Wyandotte, which has been
from time to time furnished With coal and water
from the Navy Yard-always coming in under flag
of truce-has been notified by the commander of
the confederate troops that this privilege would
have to be discontinued
very spicy correspondence was carried on be-
tween Captain Bergman, of the Wyandotte. aud
Captain O'Hara, stationed at Fort McRea. The
Wyandotte was in the habit of putting herself to
great Inconvenience by leaving her direct course
and Steaming quite close to the fort. Captain o.
Hara wrote to him forthwith, apprising him of the
dangerous navigation of that locality to which
Bergman replied, and O'Hara sent pert reply,
which laid Captain Bergman silent. He kept the
channel until the 9th inst, when the authorities
told him that even the channel was no longer safe
for his craft unless it carried different colors.
Several masked batteries have Just been
completed, in which the troops are now placing
eight and ten-inch coumbiads. These works com
mand every point of the entrance to the Pensacola
harbor, besides having an unobstructed range of
fire upon Forts Pickens. In few days there will
be at least dozen different batteries including
those of Forts McRea and Barrancas, ready to open
fire on Fort Pickens Five hundred barrels of pow
der arrived at Pensacola a short time ago. and was
put in the Navy Yard magazine.
In sand battery A, situated south of Fort McRea,
there are two eight>nch cOumbiads in battery,
and ready for action.
lppeCidl DespdCcu 10 tne charleston courier.
PENSACOLA, March 11.-Our preparations are
progressing rapidly. We will soon be enabled to
resist any attempt at coercion. General Braxton
Bragg, OF the Confederate army, is in command to-
day, and will have things placed in readiness for
action. The troops are in good spirits, and ready
for fight.
The AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.-The Congress of
the Confederate States has passed a law prohibit
ing any person from directly or indirectly import
iDg, or bringing in any manner whatever, into the
States or Territories of the Confederacy from any
foreign kingdom, place country, (other than the
savehoding States among their late confederates),
or from the sea- any negro, mulatto, cooie, per-
labor, for dny length Of time a1hateUer. Here we
are in advance of both England and France, which
are introducing coolies from India and China to
their colonies, to labor for given term of years.
The vessel engaged in such trade is to be seized and
forfeited; and the person importing, or aiding
others to import negroes, &C.. is liable to a fine of
from one to five thousand dollars, and to mprison-
ment for term of ten to twenty years. Any per-
son selling, purchasing, receiving, conceaing or
removing any negro, &C., so illegally imported,
may be fined from one to five thousand dollars for
each one so sold, &C.; and if any person SHALL for
himself or Others master, factor owner, build,
equip, load or otherwise prepare vessel within
a port OF the Con.ederacy, for such trade, the
vessel shall be forfeit, and he may be fined from
one to five thousand dollars, and imprisoned five
years. Other provisions of the act refer to the
forfeiture by the claimant of any negro import.
ed, even when he has been an innocent purchaser
The law is so stringent aid guarded against
the probability of its infraction that we presume
few of the Northern shipmasters, who chiefly en-
gagged in the trade, will risk themselves within
Snuthprn Ua Va frnSt nr,ro ol,