was arrested came to Major-General Butler from Fortress Montroe, and that he was arrested by direction of that officer. There was some delay on Williams' part in furnishin the bond required, but he was finally released on the terms before mentioned on the 14th day of November, 1861. -From Record Book, State Department, "Arrests for Disloyalty. "

BOSTON, Augusst 9, 1861.

Honorable SECRETARY OF STATE:

John Williams, of Norfolk, Va., who has held a commission of major in the Confederate Army, has beeen arrested by me on suspicion of treasonable purposes in his visit to Boston. Will the Department give me any instructions about him?

JOHN S. KEYES,

U. S. Marshal.

WASHINGTON, August 9, [1861].

JOHN S. KEYES, U. S. Marshal, Boston:

Deliver John Williams to Lieutenant Colonel Martin Burke, Fort Lafayette, N. Y.

W. H. SEWARD.

U. S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE, DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS,

Boston, August 12, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State of the United States.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in pursuance of the directions contained in your telegram of the 9th instant I have delivered John Williams to Liut. Co. Martin Burke, at Fort Lafayette, N. Y.

I also desire to report to the Departmeent that I am informed by a reliable source that a Captain Vincent, an old ship master of North Carolina familiar with that entire coast, in company with a wealthy citizen of South Carolina of a French name not remembered correctly, were met on the steamer from this port to Saint John week before last, and from ttheir conversation my informant had no question that their errand was to fit out privateers form some of the ports of British America if they could be obtained either y purchase or fraud or force. The fact has also come to my knowledge that two Southerners were conversed with in the Province of Canada East last week who avowed their business to be to procure vessels for that business, and to the question of where they would get their letteers of marque, &c., replied that they were to receiv e them when they were ready to sail in Boston. Whether these were the same Captain Vincent and friend I do not know.

These taken in connection with the report of a plan on foot in the British Provinces for an organized party to take passage on board some of the steamers plying to this port or New York as passengers and putting on board as freight such armament as they desired, rese on the passage and capture the steamer and take her on a privattering cruise which has been circulated here for some days have led me to believe that there was need of great vigilance on the part of our consuls and agents in Canada to guard against such practices. I have therefore taken the liberty of communicating these facts to the De of any value or materiality they may be acted on. In the