—Governor Hicks, in response to an order of the Maryland Senate, inquiring if he consented to or authorized the burning of the bridges on the Northern Central, and the Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia railroad, said: “I have to say that I neither authorized nor consented to the destruction of said bridges, but left the whole matter in the hands of the Mayor of the city of Baltimore, with the declaration that I had no authority in the premises; that I was a lover of law and order, and could not participate in such proceedings.”—National Intelligencer, May 10.
—The six regiments demanded by the Federal Government of Indiana were raised and mustered into service and ready to march in a week after the call was made. They are now in camp, drilling daily, and living the regular soldier life. They would have been on the way to the post assigned them long ago if they had been armed. But up to this time, though the guns have come, the accoutrements are still behind.—Indiana State Journal, May 7.
—Virginia was admitted into the Southern Confederacy in Secret Session of the Confederate Congress.—N. Y. Times, May 14.
—The Committee appointed by the General Assembly of Maryland to visit President Lincoln and present him with a copy of the joint resolutions adopted by that body on the 24 of May, presented their report.—(Doc. 135.)
—The town of Dorchester, Mass., voted $20,000 for the war, besides appropriating $20 per month to every married volunteer, and $15 to every single volunteer. This applies not only to citizens of Dorchester who enlist in the town or out, but to citizens of other towns who may enlist in Dorchester, provided their own towns . do not make any provision for them.—N. Y. Express, May 9.
—General John A. Dix, late Secretary of the Treasury, was appointed one of the four major-generals from the State of New York. General Dix is a native of New Hampshire, and is a son of the late Lieut.-Colonel Timothy Dix. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1812; was promoted ensign in 1814, and was subsequently promoted to a third lieutenancy in the twenty-first regiment of infantry. His subsequent rank of promotion is as follows:
Second lieutenant, March, 1814; transferred August 14, 1814, to artillery arm; returned same year in the re-organization of the army; adjutant, 1816; first lieutenant, March 18; aide-de-camp to Major-General Brown, 1816; transferred to First artillery, May, 1821; Third artillery, August, 1821; captain, August 25; resigned his commission in the army, December 11, 1828. He afterward filled the post of Adjutant-General of the State of New York, Secretary of State, and United States Senator from January, 1845 to 1849; Postmaster of New York in 1860-61; and was called to the post of Secretary of the Treasury, under James Buchanan, January 11, 1861.— Commercial Advertiser, May 7.
—The First, Second, and Third regiments of New Jersey State Militia arrived at Washington. They constitute, with the Fourth, previously arrived, a brigade of 3,200 men, under the command of Gen. Theodore Runyon. His staff consists of Capt. J. B. Mulligan, Aid; Brigade-Major, A. V. Bonnell; Private Secretary and Special aid, C. W. Tollis.—(Doc. 136)
—The Arkansas Convention, by a vote of sixty-nine to one, passed an ordinance of secession from the Federal Union. The ordinance was unanimously ratified by the State.—N. O. Picayune, May 7.
—The correspondence between Mr. Faulkner, late American Minister at Paris, and Secretary Seward, in relation to the recognition of the Southern Confederacy by the government of France, is published. — (Doc. 137.)
—The Washington Star of this morning, speaking of the intended attack on Washington by the secessionists, says, “The scheme of the oligarchy was to have attacked this city sometime between daybreak of the 18th and daybreak of the 21st of April ultimo. They had been led to believe that the Virginia ordinance of secession would have been pushed through the Convention a few days before that was accomplished, (on the 17th,) and that the troops of that State would have been able to take Washington by surprise between the dates we have named above. The secret outside Convention that was assembled by the disunion Convention in Richmond on the 17th ultimo, was called to aid the scheme, and the raid on Harper’s Ferry was to the end of aiding it also. That was contrived and carried out wholly by disunion revolutionary means; the Governor (Letcher) having declined to order it, or the raid on the Government property (the Navy Yard, &c.) in and near Norfolk. John Bell was doubtless in the conspiracy, we apprehend, as his change of front took place just in time to admit of his getting on what he foolishly supposed would be the winning side. The resignation of the large number of army and navy officers between the 18th and 21st of April, in a body, was doubtless also planned to embarrass the Government just previous to the contemplated attack upon the Federal Metropolis. The conspirators had no idea that the Government would prove more prompt and efficient in their measures of defence, than they in theirs of attack.”
—President Lincoln’s letter to Governor Hicks of Maryland and Mayor Brown of Baltimore, dated on the day after the attack upon the Massachusetts troops, (April 19,) is published in full in the newspapers of to-day.—(Doc. 138.)
—The Police Commissioners of St. Louis, Mo., formally demanded of Capt. Lyon, the officer in command at the Arsenal, the removal of United States troops from all places and buildings occupied by them outside the Arsenal grounds. The Captain, as was doubtless expected, declined compliance with the demand, and the Commissioners have referred the matter to the Governor and Legislature. The Commissioners allege that such occupancy is in derogation of the Constitution and laws of the United States, and in rejoinder Capt. Lyon replies, inquiring what provisions of the Constitution and laws were thus violated. The Commissioners, in support of their position, say that originally “Missouri had sovereign and exclusive jurisdiction over her whole territory,” and had delegated a portion of her sovereignty to the United States over certain tracts of land for military purposes, such as arsenals, parks, &c., and the conclusion implied, but not stated, is, that this is the extreme limit of the right of the United States Government to occupy or touch the soil of the sovereign State of Missouri.—St. Louis Democrat, May 7.
—An important interview took place at Camp Defiance, Cairo, Ill., between Colonel Tilghman, commander of the Kentucky forces, and Colonel Prentiss in command at Cairo.—(Doc. 139.)
—The act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the seceding States, and concerning letters of marque prizes and prize goods, which had passed the Southern congress at Montgomery, was made public, the injunction of secrecy having been removed therefrom.—(Doc. 140.)
—A meeting of the principal shipowners and commercial men of Maine was held at Augusta. It was summoned by Governor Washburn to take into consideration the state of the country, and the expediency of procuring a guard for the coast. Resolutions were adopted tendering the services of the shipowners to the Government, and pledging their ability to furnish thirty steam vessels within from 60 to 90 days, if required.
George F. Patten, of Bath, John B. Brown, of Portland, and George W. Lawrence, of Warren, were appointed a committee to proceed to Washington and communicate to the Government the views of the merchants and shopkeepers of the State, and to urge the most vigorous action in the premises. The meeting embraced the leading shipowners of all parties, and the sentiment in favor of executing the laws was not only unanimous, but enthusiastic.—Boston Transcript, May 8.
