BELLIGERENTS.

Colonist, Volume V, Issue 465, 8 April 1862, Page 3

BELLIGERENTS.

A good deal of excitement has been caused in England by the movements of two or three American vessels, from a suspicion that the commanders will succeed by some means or other in involving us in a new controversy with the Federal government. Our readers will recollect that the Confederate vessel Nashville arrived a considerable time ;h;o at Southampton with the crew of a Federal merchantman, which she bad burnt to the water's i-dge. Tbe Nashville was allowed to enter the docks to obtain a frw necessary repairs, but, in accordance with the English proclamation of neutrality, strict orders were given that no warlike equipment would be psrmitted. Soon afterwards, the Ttiscarora, a Fedeial sloop of war, arrived in tho Southampton Water, looking after the Nashville. These_ two vessels have since been playing a game of hide-and-seek, and causing no ersd'of annoyance to the authorities, who have apprehended oil several occasions a breach of the peace. As no one can tell what may be the purposes of the antagonists, the Admiralty, through the superintendent at tho port, has informed each belligerent that he cannot bo allowed to leave within tweuly-fnir hours of his enemy, should the enemy leave first. The Admiralty has also taken the necessary measures to enforce this decision. Orders have been transmitted to Captain Wilcox, who commands the Dauntless, 01, screw steam-frigate, off Southampton, to stop whichever of the belligerents begins tlie pursuit of the other within the prohibited time. The Tuscarora is armed with nine heavy guns. The Nashville has but two guns of inferior calibre. While these two vessels are looking at each other, the Confederate cruiser, Sumter—which, as her captain writes to tlie Times, is not a privateer, but a regularly commissioned ship of war of the Confederate States—has been engaged in several daring exploits. Tlie first of these was her escape from a Federal man-of-war, the Iroquois, which bad been sent to watch her while at Martinique. Here the captain of the Iroquois was within an ace of drawing the fire of a French man-of-war, as lie wanted to start in pursuit of the Sumter without tbe usual twenty-four hours' notice. The Sumter was next heard of at Cadiz, off which port she arrived on January 5, with the officers and crew, 42 persons in all, of three Federal merchant vessels, which she destroyed at sea. She solicited permission to enter the port of Cadiz, and her request was granted, in spite of a protest by the American consul. The Spanish government, however, issued strict orders to prevent her taking arms and ammunition on board. In a few days the Sumter was off again; and although no fewer than six Federal frigates are said to have been sent after her, she has hitherto contrived to dude them. A telegram from Gibraltar, dated January 18, stated that the Sumter was cruisiug about three leagues to the eastward of that place, that she had two barques in tow, and that she had burnt the American barque Neapolitan, of Kingston, from Messina for Boston, with fruit, but had allowed the American brig Investigator, for Newport, with ore, to proceed. Another telegram from Algiers, dated the 22nd, stated that on the 20th a prolonged cannonade was heard there, proceeding" apparently from a distance of about six miles out at sea; and that a vessel wa9 sighted that morning, which appeared to be the Sumter. It was supposed that she had sunk her adversary. A third telegram, wliich comes to us from Genoa, says that the Sumter was seen on January 2-4 a few leagues off that port.