The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-27
THn DlAsON-sLIDrIL APrzTR.
THE BRITISH VIT1xhTUM
Ihe English North American Fleet
Ordered to Boston.


"shavs received large number OF North.
srn papers, and from their columns obtain
much that In In tsresting an d new concerning
the all absorbing topic which is now sgita.
ting the public nc ind-that IT, the urre.t 81
Mason and Slidsll Many Of our extracts
are taken from papers Of the Goth instant
which lose mole Of tn sir In tsrsst; for, though
In our last issue wa copied from Northern
journals OF the 2lst, yet papers of the 2o,h
have entirely failed to reach us before our
present issue:
Especial Corrsspen dsrce of the Maryland Nsws
shset
1as Asss-sLipILt A1yAIK-LoRD Lross's
DlsPArcHEs.
WAfhIsGfoX, Dec. 20-It In curyant,v m
ported among the English resident. here.
tnat tne tenor CT Lord Lyons's diana ches re- .
csivsd by the Europa il worry simpIe He Il
Instructed 10 demand the absolute delivery Of
Messrs. Mson and Sl!deIL ana thar hacrs-
taries. The question will be discussed sr,sr-
H Waros. The gun boa. L,ndriI. which sailed
Tuesday Tor New York, has dispatches To
Adniral milne, directing him to repair at
ones Win isrgs nsst 10 Boston harbor to
receive the Southern Comm Is sion.rs The
meet vii! be composed Of abo ut IS vessels
Especial Washington 6ispa;sh to tie New York
tribune
oPiNIoNs IN wAsHIsGTox
WAsnIsdros, December 81 Captain sey.
Iaour, messenger To Lord Lyons, came here
an expense Of $40. Mr.. Adams rent no cou
risr; but the dis patch agent a. Boston mt
The bag In charge of Captai Of the Twenty
second mass ichuse1ts Regin snt, yho did uot
get heret ~ TINS morning All O'clock, Lord
Lyons called on the cecretsry Of State. who
was then at the Capitol. He called again q t
three O'Clock. The Communication which he
made Is yet secret. No Cabinet meotinY
hts boen hell on the subJect.
The general feeling OF the city Is les, war
like than at first, and people talk coolIy OF
sending tbs Con federats Commissioner. il
il can Re done without IL sacrifice OF honor,
Back, Iather IMAM 70 engage at this time in a
foreign war. The report that members OF
the cabinet entertain = similar view of the
question gains currency and fiuds belief
But, while it - not true hat such u concin.
sion has been arrived at in Cabinet meeting
On the one hand, il is untrue on the ether
hand that the detc rnination not 10 surrsn-
der under any cIrcuWstanCes, or for any
consideration, is absolute-that, while the
Government will 90 nothing TO provoke
hostility, It Will guard we'll the national
honor.
Should sThitretion be proposed, 1t may he
accepted should sufficient considers alton
for The tGrrender OF Slidsii and Mas be
offered It may. be NJ aus
a psominent member OF the Government
stated III conversation mis- evening tn
Lord Lyons would not dsmaud his passports:
that 1tdsoL oEo SllGclt NOUiO mol De
up. and that there was no proba biIity or u
war with England. The Rinaldo, which
left Halifax on tic arrival OF ina Europa, 1t
was thought for tho purpose of curnmuni.
eating nth the squadron, Is rspo, ted g. An
napolis awaiting the embarkaton OF Lord
Lyons, should he wish 30 go to England
EnSiichmsn here continue contidsnt OF war
between The two countries. This opinion
however, - oaed upon no omcial communI-
cation, and while il sxcitss some Unpleasant
feeling carries no weight. Several English
Ineu now serving in our army-among thsm
Col. H3yelock and Capt Stewart-haye, 1T is
deciarsd, sisnifed their Intention to resign
hoRid Iuc1her complication ensus. In other
easss painful evidences OF sudden hostility to
our Gauss have been shown. The general
feeling, however, appears to be 81 ncere re-
greet Al what they IegarI the inevitable issue.
MT. AdamsB dispatches have little to say
touching the affair OF the Trent he having re-
ceived no commuL ication on the subiect from
the British Government. On the case Of the
Nashville he had made representation 9, but
hxd received no reply.
rus rREsr ArFAIR IN ENGLAND. Es2
Private letters from England (of which
N any have reached Washing TOM speak of the
excitement there as intense, reminding the
4 merieans there Of the feeling OF the North
after Fort Sum tel fell.
Our corr.spon dent, under date of December
Ash, speaks Of sesing newly painted cab, on
oxford street, with the British and Uou1ete-
rate flags crossed on panel, and little Secss-
sion Il KS for sai- on the street. Al the Adsl-
Phi Theatre, controlled by Dion Bourci-
cGuit, where tie OctOroon WIS playing the
Stars and etripes which had doa.-d tnsrs
were wrapped round The staff, and the Stars
and Bars displsyed. The Torl,s were urging
on tbs popular feeling in the hope of getting
DO Wer and the Wings were striving to utdo
the n in order to retain II.
The London Timss, at fret doubtful a. to
our right, having changed front after it had
learned The opinion of ths law cflcers OF the
a
or three Irish onss, rivaled sacn other in
fierce an H. Am ericau articles.
Especial Washington Despatch to the New York
AID.
TEE IAsoS.AND sLIDELL AFFAIR,
an absurd rumor has Giro uiAted today that
the Govern nenI last ever il decided TO sur
rsLdsr Mason and Sl'dsil, is without any
Foundation whatever. Up - eleven O'Clock
asst night Lord Ly ons had N AIDE no commu-
nication from bis Government to the Presi-
dent or Secretary OF State relative to the
seizure OF The traitors, Mason and Slidell.
The French MirIstsr gave . dinner this
evening. Tho Ditisn, Spanish, Russian, and
o thsr ministers We're present. In converse
French Minister that he had received no in
s.ructoDs from his Government on tho Ma
son aud S!idelt affair, since France has re-
manned as the chr ser ally Of England. This
was pleasantly done, but the French Minis
ter did not rel, Sh the Joke
The President has inn ortant private letters,
that will have q sat weight in the summing
up OF this 1Iui oTous lmbrogtIo, Sena or
chairman Of the Committee on FL.
nance intern pied ths proceedings of the Sen
q Q to-day by moving that the body 60 into
executive session to consider imp, rtart bust
ness communicated by special messenger OF the
President. The motion prevailed. The mes
sage con tanned highly important doc umentS
co acerninK our foreign relations, bat having
orr ference to the Mason and Slidcll STAIR. It
the tri pRrtite expedition 10 the Gulf,
which 10 after all of more importance to this
government than anything now agitating the
public mind In this country. The message
was ordered to be printed. The Maaon aud
Slioell affair IL only employed by the British
government as Iretext while they employ
their forces in another direction TO destroy
our power and siren gthen their own.
Especial Dispatch OF the Kew York World
TIE BRITISH DIsPATcnss BxIrIsH WAR
sTKAMBR lKPoRrBD AT AEIAPoIIs.
WAsHINaroS, Dec. l9-An extraordinary
mt e,ing of the Cabinet was held to day and
the views of the British Government relative
TO the seizure of Mason and Slidell on board
the Trent were laid before 1t. soon after m
executive session of the Senate took place
at the request OF Senator Sumner, the
Chairman OF the Committee on For.
eign Relations, and rumor has been busy in
atlrihutiEg its secret session TO the corsidsra-
ton Of thsall i'm portant subject. The inter-
est manifested in the pending diplomacy 10
very great, though accompanied with not
the least excl temsnt. The inhma lions which
are to be- heard In infiuent isl though not off.
cial circles lead TO the belief that there will DO
some peaceful solution Of tho troubles, and,
Of course, no foreign war. Idle rnmors pre- ::
vail In many circles, bat as they are not
b. sed on the least shadow of fact, l refrain
from telegraphing them. 1t Is stated however,
that q British war steamer il now at Anna
polls ready to take Lord Lyons to England
should his diplom attic relations cease. 1t IL
believed that Lord Lyons has not yet made
any official CO mmunlcatiors to the Secretary
OF State on the Affair OF tho Trent. num-
Der OF private letters have been recei we'd from
England representing the excitement rs In
tense, but the spec al atoms ON the subject are
similar to those INDUCED In by the press OF
q