Gross 13. Januar The un No. 650. Emancipation Proclamation has disgusted many; it has made still more doubt britannien, the possibility of any other result to the war, whenever it may end, than sepa1863. ration. Nor is the one great advantage which the Republican party has-that of holding the Executive power, turned by them to the best account. popularity and the failures of the Administration recoil upon its supporters, and they in return weaken the Administration by manifesting their discontent with it. The attack made upon the Cabinet by the Republican Senators has no doubt damaged it very much. Nor is the effect of it allowed to subside. It is pursued in the newspapers; indeed, yesterday the text of the Resolutions pressing the President to change his Cabinet was published in one of the Washington journals. Besides these party troubles, there is in some of the Western States, and especially in Indiana and Illinois, a discontent which causes apprehensions of even more than constitutional opposition. To add to all this, the state of the finances is becoming really alarming. The pay of the army is six months in arrear. The Democratic party seeks to profit by the difficulties of its opponents, without committing itself to any very definite policy. Thus it attacks the arbitrary arrests and the other extra legal measures of the Cabinet, and, above all, the military administration; but it does not risk its own popularity by declaring against the war, or pronouncing the word,,separation." Its leaders know that it is felt to be the peace party, and that it really gets all the votes of those who desire peace. They will not incur the danger of losing other votes by avowing a desire for peace themselves. They desire to throw on the Republicans all the responsibility of any unpopular measures which may become necessary. Foreign mediation is not likely to be acceptable to the people at large, and the Democrats would be very glad to escape all share of the unpopularity of having recourse to it. According to present appearances the difficulty of keeping up the numerical force of the army would seem to be the most probable cause of peace. Great military successes might, however, revive the warlike spirit, and an invasion by the Confederates of the Northern States would probably induce great numbers of volunteers to enlist for a short period to defend their homes. There is nothing at present to show whether or not there is likely to be in the meantime a conjuncture at which foreign Powers may step in with propriety and effect to put a stop to the effusion of blood. To Earl Russell, London. Lyons. No. 651. - VEREINIGTE STAATEN von AMERIKA. grossbritannischen Min. d. Ausw. Gesandter in London an den königl. Dampfers (,, Alabama“) in Liverpool für die Regierung der Conföderirten Legation of the United States, London, June 23 (received June 24), 1862. Vereinigte 23. Juni My Lord, Some time since it may be recollected by your Lordship No. 651. that I felt it my duty to make a representation touching the equipment from the port of Liverpool of the gun-boat the ,,Oreto" with the intent to make war upon the United States. Notwithstanding the statements returned from the authorities of that place, with which your Lordship favoured me in reply, touching a different destination of that vessel, I have the strongest reason for believing that that vessel went directly to Nassau, and that she has been there engaged in completing her armament, provisioning, and crew for the object first indicated by me. I am now under the painful necessity of apprising your Lordship, that a new and still more powerful war steamer is nearly ready for departure from the port of Liverpool on the same errand. This vessel has been built and launched from the dockyard of persons one of whom is now sitting as a Member of the House of Commons, and is fitting out for the especial and manifest object of carrying on hostilities by sea. It is about to be commanded by one of the insurgent agents, the same who sailed in the,,Oreto." The par ties engaged in the enterprize are persons well known at Liverpool to be agents and officers of the insurgents in the United States, the nature and extent of whose labours are well explained in the copy of an intercepted letter of one of them which I received from my Government some days ago, and which I had the honour to place in your Lordship's hands on Thursday last. I now ask permission to transmit, for your consideration, a letter addressed to me by the Consul of the United States at Liverpool, in confirmation of the statements here submitted, and to solicit such action as may tend either to stop the projected expedition, or to establish the fact that its purpose is not inimical to the people of the United States. Renewing, &c. To Earl Russell. Charles Francis Adams. United States' Consulate, Liverpool, June 21, 1862. Sir, The gun-boat now being built by the Messrs. Laird and Co., at Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool, and which I mentioned to you in a previous despatch, is intended for the so-called Confederate Government in the Southern States. The evidence I have is entirely conclusive to my mind. I do not think there is the least room for doubt about it. Beauforth and Caddy, two of the 23. Juni 1862. No. 651. officers from the privateer,,Sumter," stated that this vessel was being built for Vereinigte Staaten, the Confederate States. The foreman in Messrs. Laird's yard says she is the sister tothe gun-boat,,Oreto," and has been built for the same parties and for the same purpose; when pressed for a further explanation, he stated that she was to be a privateer for the ,,Southern Government in the United States." The captain and officers of the steamer,,Julie Uhser" now at Liverpool, and which is loaded to run the blockade, state that this gun-boat is for the Confederates, and is to be commanded by Captain Bullock. The strictest watch is kept over this vessel; no person except those immediately engaged upon her is admitted into the yard. On the occasion of the trial trip made last Thursday week no one was admitted without a pass, and these passes were issued to but few persons, and those who are known here as active Secessionists engaged in sending aid and relief to the rebels. I understand that her armament is to consist of eleven guns, and that she is to enter at once, as soon as she leaves this port, upon her business as a privateer. The vessel is very nearly completed; she has had her first trial trip. This trial was successful, and entirely satisfactory to the persons who are superintending her construction. She will be finished in nine or ten days. A part of her powder canisters, which are to number 200, and which are of a new patent, made of copper with screw tops, are on board the vessel; the others are to be delivered in a few days. No pains or expense have been spared in her construction. Her engines are on the oscillating principle and are 350 horse-power. She measures 1,050 tons burthen, and will draw fourteen feet of water when loaded. Her screw or fan works in a solid brass frame casting, weighing near two tons, and is so constructed as to be lifted from the water b steam-power. The platforms and gun carriages are now being constructed. ¶ When completed and armed she will be a most formidable and dangerous craft, and if not prevented from going to sea will do much mischief to our commerce. The persons engaged in her construction say that no better vessel of her class was ever built. I have, &c. Thomas H. Dudley. GROSSBRITANNIEN. No. 652. - Min. d. Ausw. an d. Gesandt. d. Vereinigten Staaten in - Uebermittlung des Berichts des Zoll-Amtes über die Aus No. 652. Gross 4. Juli Sir, -- With reference to my letter of the 25th ultimo, I have the britannien, honour to inclose a copy of a Report from the Commissioners of Customs, res1862. pecting the vessel which you have been informed is being built at Liverpool for the Government of the so-styled Confederate States, and in accordance therewith I would beg leave to suggest that you should instruct the United States' Consul at Liverpool to submit to the Collector of Customs at that port such Gross evidence as he may possess tending to show that his suspicions as to the destina- No. 652. tion of the vessel in question are well founded. ¶ I am, &c. Russell. britannien, 4. Juli 1862. To Mr. Adams, etc., London. Anlage. — The Commissioners of Customs to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. Custom-House, July 1, 1862. Your Lordships having referred to us the annexed letter from Mr. Hammond, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, transmitting, by desire of Earl Russell, copy of a letter from the United States' Minister at this Court, calling attention to a steamer reported to be fitting out at Liverpool as a Southern privateer, and inclosing copy of a letter from the United States' Consul at that port, reporting the result of his investigation into the matter, and requesting that immediate inquiries may be made respecting this vessel, and such steps taken in the matter as may be right and proper: We report: That immediately on receipt of your Lordship's reference we forwarded the papers to our Collector at Liverpool for his special inquiry and report, and we learn from his reply that the fitting out of the vessel has not escaped the notice of the officers of this revenue, but that as yet nothing has transpired concerning her which has appeared to demand a special Report. ¶ We are informed that the officers have at all times free access to the buildingyards of the Messrs. Laird at Birkenhead, where the vessel is lying, and that there has been no attempt on the part of her builders to disguise, what is most apparent, that she is intended for a ship of war; and one of the Surveyors in the service of this revenue, who had been directed by the Collector personally to inspect the vessel, has stated that the description of her in the communication of the United States' Consul is correct, with the exception that her engines are not constructed on the oscillating principle. ¶ Her dimensions are as follows: Length, 211 feet 6 inches; breadth, 31 feet 8 inches; depth, 17 feet 8 inches; and her gross tonnage by the present rule of measurement is 682. 31 tons. The Surveyor has further stated that she has several powder-canisters on board, but as yet neither guns nor carriages, and that the current report in regard to the vessel is that she has been built for a foreign Government, which is not denied by the Messrs. Laird, with whom the Surveyor has conferred; but they do not appear disposed to reply to any questions respecting the destination of the vessel after she leaves Liverpool, and the officers have no other reliable source of information on that point. And having referred the matter to our Solicitor, he has reported his opinion that at present there is not sufficient ground to warrant the detention of the vessel, or any interference on the part of this Department, in which Report we beg to express our concurrence. ¶ And with reference to the statement of the United States' Consul, that the evidence he has in regard to this vessel being intended for the so-called Confederate Government in the Southern States is entirely conclusive to his mind, we would observe that, Gross 4. Juli 1862. No. 652. inasmuch as the officers of Customs at Liverpool would not be justified in taking britannien, any steps against the vessel unless sufficient evidence to warrant her detention should be laid before them, the proper course would be for the Consul to submit such evidence as he possesses to the Collector at that port, who would thereupon take such measures as the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act would require. Without the production of full and sufficient evidence to justify their proceedings, the seizing officers might entail on themselves and on the Government very serious consequences. We beg to add that the officers at Liverpool will keep a strict watch on the vessel, and that any further information that may be obtained concerning her will be forthwith reported. No. 653. Vereinigte Staaten, 22. Juli 1862. ungesetzliche Ausrüstung des,, Alabama." Legation of United States, London, July 22 (received July 22), 1862. My Lord, I have the honour to transmit copies of six depositions taken at Liverpool, tending to establish the character and destination of the vessel to which I called your Lordship's attention in my note of the 23rd of June last. The originals of these papers have already been submitted to the Collector of the Customs at that port, in accordance with the suggestions made in your Lordship's note to me of the 4th of July, as the basis of an application to him to act under the powers conferred by the Enlistment Act. But I feel it to be my duty further to communicate the facts as there alleged to Her Majesty's Government, and to request that such further proceedings may be had as may carry into full effect the determination which I doubt not it ever entertains to prevent, by all lawful means, the fitting out of hostile expeditions against the Government of a country with which it is at peace. I avail, &c. To Earl Russell. Charles Francis Adams. No. 654. No. 654. Vereinigte VEREINIGTE STAATEN von AMERIKA. Gesandter in London an d. kön. gross- Legation of the United States, London, July 24 (received July 26), 1862. My Lord, In order that I may complete the evidence in the case of Staaten, the vessel now fitting out at Liverpool, I have the honour to submit to your Lordship's consideration the copies of two more depositions taken respecting that 24. Juli 1862. |