ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 2, 6 May 1863, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL.

RAISING OF THE BLOCKADE OF CHARLESTON BY THE SOUTHERNERS. CAPTURE OF GALVESTON. Message of Jefferson Davis. Dismissal op Gen. FITZ JOHN PORTER. RESTORATION OF GEN. BUTLER. A FEDERAL NEGRO ARMY. WHOLESALE DESERTION FROM THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. THE POLISH REVOLUTION. ELECTION of PRINCE ALFRED to the THRONE of GREECE.

By the present mail we have files up to the 26th February. We extract the following items of intelligence—a portion of which appeared as an " Extra" yesterday morning —from the Home News : —

AMERICA. Amongst the recent incidents of the war one of the most noticeable has been a momentary raising of the blockade of Charleston by a Confederate squadron. Two ironclads and three steamers sallied out on Jan. 31, sunk the Mercedita, of 11 guns, and another vessel, burnt four Federal vessels, and drove off a fifth.

Galveston, the strongest fortified place in Texas was lately taken by the Confederates. Early on New Year's-day the rebel force under General Magruder, comprising 5000 troops on land, and five war steamers, " protected by double rows of cotton bales," fell upon this stronghold, which is situated on an island in the very mouth of a large bay—a perfect natural haven on the coast of Texas. The port appears to have been very slenderly defended, and was regularly overpowered, the Harriet Lane losing all but 14 out of a crew of 130.

In his message to the Confederate Congress Mr. Jefferson Davis declares the anxiety of the South for peace, but says that its determination not to submit is unalterable.

Mr. Lincoln has signed the bill authorising the immediate issue of £20,000,000 sterling in greenbacks, with a sort of protest to the Congress against the principle of depreciating the currency by these unlimited issues. A Bill has been reported to the United States' Senate to authorise letters of marque. A Bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives, appropsiating 10,000,000 dollars for the emancipation of the slaves in Maryland. General Fitz-John Porter has been found guilty of the charges brought against him, and dismissed from the service.

It is expected that General Butler, who has been received with a popular ovation in the Northern cities, will be restored to his command at New Orleans.

The Governor of the State in New Jersey, in his message to the Legislature, denounces the emancipation proclamation, and the illegal arrests, and recommends peace upon the basis of the union of the States with their equality and ri hts unimpaired. The proposals of the French government for a meeting on neutral territory between delegates from the North and South hud arrived out, and appear to have met with favour from some of the papers. The bill to arm negroes was passed by the House of Representatives at Washington by

; a majority of 83 to 54. It provides that the President may arm such numbers of negroes as he may deem necessary for a term not exceeding five years. Their rations, clothing and equipments arc to be the same as for other soldiers, and their pay not to exceed present rates; to be officered by white or black persons, and governed by the articles of war and such special rules as the President may direct; but no black officer is to exercise authority over white officers or men, nor shall privates or laborers of color receive more than 10 dols. per month. There is a proviso that no slaves of loyal owners shall be thus employed, nor shall any recruiting offices be opened in Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Missouri without the consent of the governors of those States.

"This great c'ty," says the New York correspondent of the '• Times " in a letter of the 30th January, " seems to revel in the heyday of luxury and enjoyment. The streets are blocked with traffic. The theatres never before attracted such immense crowds, and what call itself society was never more resolutely bent on amusement. The only signs of war that meet the eye are the flags at the recruiting offices, and now and then a legless or an armless hero—the victim of the bungling and brutal surgery of the battlefield—who hobbles through the street or lounges at the Park Barracks, In all other respects the city would seem to be the home of untroubled peace and unprecedented prosperity- The rowdies and blackguards have all gone to the war, and one half of them at least have left their bones on the battle-fields of Virginia and Tennessee, so that the city was never before so free from the turbulent scum of the population. Greenbacks fly from hand to hand in unexampled profusion ; and such is the daily expenditure of the government, and so enormous are the gains of contractors and speculators and stock-gamblers, that all the trades and manufactures which administer to luxury are more prosperous than at any time within living memory. In another letter, dated January 27, the same correspondent writes, in reference to the demoralised condition of the main body of the Federal army:—"The recent failure of the army of the Potomac has brought matters to a crisis. After floundering in the peculiarly tenacious mud of Virginia for a few hours, General Burnside resolved to lead his dispirited and insubordinate army to the attack, unaccompanied by the artillery, which he found it impossible to move, arguing that the storms which had done him so much damage had done as much to the enemy, and that if they could fight without cannon so could he. At the council of war called to consider the matter, General Burnside found none to agree with him. He resigned himself to his fate, countermanded the movement, left his horses, his waggons, and his guns in the mud, marched his troops back to their old cantonments, and proceeded to Washington, determined to resign his command. The President did not wish to accept the resignation, but General Burnside was peremptory and would listen to no advice or persuasion. The result was that on the 24th January he ceased to be commander of the army of the Potomac; and that General Hooker, the • fighting Joe' of the soldiers, was appointed to his place. Generals Sumner and Franklin —old, experienced, and trusted soldiershave also resigned. The distrust and demoralisation arc widely spread. Mr. Raymond, of the l New York Times,' reports that in a visit to the camp, amid the exciting scenes of last week, he heard of one corps of 15.000 men, which, oil arriving to take part in Gen. Buruside's projected movement was found to number but 5000. In other words, the remaining 10,000 had .severed their connection with the army of the Potomac by the simple act of desertion. At the present time this once noble army is little better than a mob. The discouragement began by the removal of General M'Clcllan, was followed by the proclamation of emancipation, and lastly by the non-receipt of its long overdue pay and allowances.

The navy department at Washington has received official information of the capture and sinking of the United States' steamer Hatteras by the Alabama or " 290." The substance is contained in the statement of L. 11. Partridge, acting-master on board the United States's steamer Hatteras, oif Galveston :

At about 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, when a vessel hove iu sight south-east, we were signalled from the Brooklyn to give chase. As she came in sight she appeared to be endeavoring to escape. Just after dark we were able to discover that she was barque-rigged, and set a topgallantsaii. After dark we gained on her fast, and when we got up, found her lying-to under steam. We had been at quarters about twenty minutes. As we came up Captain Blake hailed, and asked what ship it was ? The answer was —«Her British Majesty's ship Spitfire. Captain Blake saicW will send a boat aboard. Tho boat

being lowered away, I was ordered to take charge and board. Before we went one-half the ship's length away from the side the stranger opened fire. It was returned by the Hatteras and both started ahead under a full head of steam, exchanging broadsides as fast as they could load and fire, for about 20 minutes, with big guns, and then with musketry from both vessels. All the time I had been trying to board my vessel, but could not come up. After the musketry ceased I discovered that the Hatteras was stopped and blowing off steam with the enemy alongside, for the purpose of boarding. 1 heard the enemy cheering, and knew the Hatteras had been captured. 1 thought it no use to give myself up as a prisoner, and rowed back to the fleet, under cover of darkness, in the hopes of giving information of the affair, The Brooklyn went out this morning and found the. Hatteras sunk.

The Hatteras was 1200 tons burthen, 210 feet long, 34 feet wide, 18 feet deep, and carried four guns.

The special correspondent of the ' Times' in the Confederate camp writes about the negroes as follows: —

Whatever may have been the feeling of the slaves in Northern Virginia in reference to emancipation at the commencement of the war, it is certain that they now entertain towards the Yankee a mingled feeling of abhorrence and terror, which is continually increasing, and is stimulated by the reports which reach them of the misery of the runaway negroes at Washington and Harper's Ferry, and Craney Island. At this latter place, which is near Fortress Monroe, it is reported that a large body of negroes are kept in a kind of confinement by the Federal authorities, in a miserable state of dirt; listless apathy, and disease. It is found that no work can be extorted from them by hope of reward, or any of the stimulants which provoke the white man to industry, and the Washington cabinet has the option of allowing them to starve or driving them back into captivity. Ludicrous stories are told about the want of success which has attended the efforts of the Federal generals upon the coast of South Carolina to drill and make soldiers out of the negroes. It requires a thousand white soldiers to guard night and day a thousand negroes, to wnom arms have been committed, and prevent their bolting with the muskets entrusted to them. When the negroes are called upon to fire, the scene, as described to me by an eye-witness, baffles belief: some fall flat on their faces, others scramble up trees, nearly all fling away their muskets, and endeavour to break out of the ranks.

POLAND. The following survey of the present position of the patriots is compiled from the best information at our command. First, as to their political status. In spite of the grand duke and his 45,000 men, in spite of the Marquis Wielopolski and his police, a secret committee sits in Warsaw and acts as a provisional government,, and under the noses of the Cossacks its proclamations and decrees are, by its own agents, posted on the walls. It boasts of an official seal, and it makes use of its own types and presses, it has an exchequer, and it has sent abroad its own emissaries, one of whom, we believe, is 'now in London. Moreover, it has appointed a military commander for Warsaw, who will act in case of need, and the leaders of the other provinces have been appointed by this body, and with each commander is a civil officer whose functions are those of a governor.

They hold nearly the whole of the Southern portion of the kingdonin, thus keeping open the Galician frontier, a point of immense importance, because Austria, hithorto, has acted a judicious and honorable part, and has refused to be the mere tipstaff of the Czar. But there are exceptions to the general statement touching the possession of Southern Poland. The Russians still hold Zamosc, a strong fortress, the frontier towns of Stolnica and Miechow, and Sandomir, and the interior towns, Kielce, Radom, Lublin. These posts are surrounded by hostile bands, and their communications with Warsaw are either cut off or precarious. Along the Prussian frontier the patriots arc also strongly posted and numerous, cutting off Warsaw from Posen, and from Thorn.

The 'Nord' of February 33, asserts that there are now in Poland upwards of 80,000 Russian infantry and cavalry, and'about 200 guns. With reinforcements which will shortly be there the army will present a total of 120,000 men. It seems, however, from various accounts received from Poland, that the reinforcements have hitherto been unable to proceed further than Lithuania, where the excitement is 60 great that all the force at hand is needed to prevent an insurrection. The • Posen Journal gives the following episode of the insurrection:—"A handful of insurgents, composed entirely of the youth of the nobility, has been surprised in the neighbourhood of Plotchcw. A frightful carnage took place. The chief of the little group, who had just arrived from Paris, encouraged his companions to the attack, despite the shower of balls and grape-shot, but soon fell, killed by two balls in the breast. Several of his companions, however, with the courage of

despair, threw themselves on the Russian ranks, and cut a passage through." A report has arrived of one of the insurrectionary chiefs, Kurowski, having committed suicide, but the source from whence the report comes does not lend it confirmation.

GREECE. The Greek throne is still unoccupied, and for a marvel, no new candidate has appeared during the month. The report of the National Assembly, indeed, is not very favourable to any, for it shows an almost unanimous vote in favour of Prince Alfred. He had 2130,016

votes, and his nearest competitor, the Due de Leuchtenberg, 2400, or about one per cent, on that number. Other members of the Russian family had some 4500 votes among them; Prince Napoleon, 345; a republic, 93; Prince Ypsilanti, 6; the due d'Aumale, 3; and the late King Otho only I—let us hope his valet. The Assembly accordingly solemnly decreed Prince Alfred king, and directed the provisional government to invite his royal highness to take possession of the throne.

ITALY. An incident characteristic of life in Southern Italy has lately been reported by the correspondent of the * Times' at Naples. On Jan. 30 the governor of the National Bank of Naples, the Marquis Avitabile, had left the city for a short visit to his villa at Torre dell' Annunziata, which is scarcely beyond the suburbs. On arriving near this locality he found he had been " waited for" by some of the band of Pilone, a notorious leader'among the banditti who are the great social curse of the South of Italy. The Marquis was made prisoner on the high road and in the full light of day. He was "requested" to give an order for 100,000f., or £4OOO, as the amount of 'his ransom. An abatement was however made in his price, and for 80,000 francs, or £3200, the marquis obtained his release. An order having been given for the smaller sum, it was presented on the following day, and duly paid "to one of the band," who came to Naples for the cash, and the marquis was set at liberty. Most of the ugly tales which are current about the dangers of travelling in Italy come either from the Roman provinces or from the Abruzzi But what are we to say when the scene of action is transferred to Piedmont, and when the Turin and Genoa Railroad is selected as the theatre for such performances ? About a fortnight ago four ordinary passengers had taken second-class places by a " stopping train/ from Alessandria to Genoa. Two of them were women, a third was a government employe, while the fourth was a merchant at Novi, returning home with a considerable sum of money. At Freegerolo, a fourth-rate station on the road, four more passengers entered the train—or rather, as it is now suspected, changed from some other carriage to the one in question. In a quarter of an hour later the train was due at Novi. No sooner was it in motion than out came their knives; the employe, who was the only one of the party who attempted resistance, was stabbed in two places. All the four travellers were desired to hold up their arms, and were subjected to a rigid scrutiny. Money, trinkets, and all other valuables were successively appropriated; the paletots of the men and the kerchiefs of the women were seized, and the only thing, as so often happens, which escaped the notice of the ruffians, was the precise booty of which they were in apparent search of, viz., the sum carried by the merchant, which was all the time snugly deposited under the seat of the carriage. As the train slackened speed, the ruffians leaped one by one from the carriage, the last desperado covering the retreat of his comrades with a drawn knife, and evading one of the company's servants, who supposed him merely to be travelling without his ticket. It was only when they were fairly landed on terra firma that the cries of their victims became audible, and in spite of all the efforts of the police they then contrived to make good their escape, and have not as yet been arrested. Demonstrations in favour of Poland have taken place at Genoa and Naples.

MEXICO. During the last few weeks we have had no very trustworthy news of the progress of the French in Mexico. It seems certain, however, that they have not yet taken Pucbla.