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in all accounts between the parties hereto, according to the spirit of this agree ment. As witness our hands and seals.

H. F. JORSS.

Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within named Henry Frederic Jorss, in the presence of—

WILLIAM KAppell,

Merchant, No. 2 Lower Mosley street, Manchester. EDWARD HUTER,

Bookkeeper, No. 2 Lower Mosley street, Manchester.

JOHN N. BEACH.

Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within named John N. Beach, in the presence of

WILLIAM KAPPELL,

Merchant, No. 2 Lower Mosley street, Manchester. EDWARD HUTER,

Bookkeeper, No. 2 Lower Mosley street, Manchester.

FREDERICK NORTH.

Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within named Frederick North, in presence of

DAVID BOOTH, Clerk, Leeds.

JOHN NORTH, Solicitor, Leeds.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, August 20, 1862.

SIR: In the matter of the seizure in New Orleans of certain sugars made by the order of Major General Butler, and claimed by certain Greek, English, and other foreign merchants, I have the honor to state that the same, under the authority of the President, was investigated by the Hon. Reverdy Johnson during his recent mission to New Orleans, and that he has reported to this department that the sugars should be returned. This report having been approved by the President, directions will be given to the major general and to commanding officers of the United States at New Orleans to release the sugars to the claimants. A copy of so much of Mr. Johnson's report as relates to the transaction is herewith enclosed for your information.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Hon. WILLIAM STUART, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Reverdy Johnson to Mr. Seward.

[Extract.]

WASHINGTON, August 19, 1862.

The sugars seized by order of Major General Butler, and claimed by certain Greek, British, and other foreign merchants

I. The largest quantity is claimed by Messrs. Covass & Negroponte, Greek merchants, residents of New Orleans.

The fact of their purchase of the sugars is not only fully proved, but was not contested. Their right to them, therefore, in the absence of other evidence, cannot be questioned. The seizure was made on the ground that the purpose of the claimants was, in some way or other, to assist the rebel government. Of this, however, there was no proof. The purchase of each parcel was shown to have been made in the customary mode, and to have been paid for in the customary mode. The bills drawn on Europe by the claimants, as was their uniform practice, placed in the hands of their bill brokers for sale-the price only being fixed by the house-were by the brokers sold, proceeds at first deposited in bank to their own credit, and the net amount of sales, less commission, paid to the claimants by the broker's check.

It does not appear that in this instance, or in any other, the claimants knew who were the purchasers of their bill, or with what purpose they were purchased. The suspicion that there existed, after the rebellion, as was suggested to me, "an association of Greek merchants residing in New Orleans, London, and Havana, or elsewhere, formed for the purpose of or actually carrying on the enterprise of selling foreign exchange for confederate money, with the view of transferring abroad the credit of the Confederate States to be converted into bullion for the purchase of arms and munitions of war," is wholly without support. And as to these claimants there is proof as positive and demonstrative as there could be in such a case that the fact was otherwise. They sold their bills and invested proceeds, from time to time, in the produce of the country, for sale here or shipment abroad. There is not a scintilla of evidence that they ever belonged to such an association, if there was one, (of which, however, there is no proof,) but, on the contrary, their conduct in negotiating their bills, as exhibited in the many depositions annexed, is absolutely inconsistent with such a connexion. The seizure by the major general was evidently made under a misapprehension. His conduct in this particular, as in those of the $800,000 and $716,196, is to be referred to the patriotic zeal which governs him, to the circumstances encircling his command at the time so well calculated to awaken suspicion, and to an ardent desire to punish, to the extent of his supposed power, all who had contributed, or were contributing, to the aid of a rebellion the most unjustifiable and wicked that insane or bad men were ever engaged in.

I am, therefore, clearly in the opinion that the sugars should be released. They have already lost much in quantity by leakage, and the sooner the return is made, the better, I beg to suggest, will it be for the cause of individual justice and the honor of the government.

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I have the honor to be, with high regard, your obedient servant,

REVERDY JOHNSON.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, August 20, 1862.

SIR: Having informally understood from you that British subjects who had merely declared their intention to become citizens of the United States had expressed apprehensions that they might be drafted into the militia under the late requisition of the War Department, I have the honor to acquaint you, for their information, that none but citizens are liable to militia duty in this country, and that this department has never regarded an alien who may have merely declared his intention to become a citizen as entitled to a passport, and, consequently,

has always withheld from persons of that character any such certificate of citizenship.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Hon. WILLIAM STUART, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. F. W. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

Department OF STATE, Washington, September 1, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 30th ultimo, enclosing a copy of Earl Russell's despatch to you of the 28th of July last, which you read to the Secretary of State on the 16th of last month, and to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant,

F. W. SEWARD, Acting Secretary.

Hon. WM. STUART, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Stuart to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, September 2, 1862.

SIR: A complaint having been made by Messrs. Murphy & Twining, of Halifax, to Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, and referred by the latter to her Majesty's government, respecting the manner in which United States cruisers are exercising their belligerent right of search, I have been instructed to represent the matter to the United States government, and to request that an inquiry may be instituted relative to the conduct of the United States officers in the cases of the Annette and Dart, mentioned in the letter of Messrs. Murphy & Twining, of which I do myself the honor to enclose you a copy herewith. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

WILLIAM STUART.

Messrs. Murphy and Twining to Admiral Milne.

HALIFAX, N. S., July 10, 1862.

SIR: We take the liberty of addressing you, as the naval commanding officer on this station, to call your attention to the following circumstances: Our brigantine, the Annette, Curtis, master, of this port, on her late voyage from Matanzas to Halifax, with a cargo of sugar, was on the evening of the 20th ultimo, coming through the gulf of Florida, lat. 25° 44' N., long. 79° 58', chased by a steamer showing United States colors, hailed, ordered to heave-to, and boarded by an officer of the said steamer, who demanded ship's papers, and after examination and defacing them by remarks, allowed Captain Curtis to proceed on his voyage, after considerable detention.

The steamer, by indorsation on the brig's register, was the United States. steamer Rhode Island.

These instances of searching our vessels are now becoming so frequent that we have thought it advisable to call your attention to the above, with the hope that you will take steps to remedy this grievance. Some of these American cruisers are not content with ordering our vessels to heave to, to be searched, but in some instances (as in the case of the brigantine Dart, Conrad, master,) have fired into our vessels.

The conduct of the boarding officers also being particularly offensive. In this instance our vessel was detained at an unreasonable hour in a bad position, and at some considerable risk to ship and cargo, and might have proved of serious loss to us. Trusting that you will take some steps to prevent the recurrence of these most annoying, unlawful, and insulting acts of these American cruisers in the gulf,

We remain, &c., &c.,

Sir A. MILNE, K. C. B., &c., &c., &c.

MURPHY & TWINING.

Mr. Stuart to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, September 2, 1862.

SIR: Having forwarded to Earl Russell a copy of the note which you did me the honor to address to me on the 23d of July last, respecting the case of the Will-o'-the-Wisp, I have been instructed to inform you, with reference to the observations therein contained relative to the inconvenience sustained by neutrals engaged in honest trade with Matamoras, that when Great Britain was at war with Russia her Majesty's government did not enforce the blockade of a port near to the Russian frontier in order not to interrupt neutral commerce. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c.

W. STUART.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, September 4, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 2d instant, with the accompanying extract of a letter from Commodore Edmonstone to Rear Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker, on the subject of the African slave trade, and to inform you in reply that you are entirely correct in supposing that I would learn with satisfaction that the present suspension of that obnoxious traffic may be ascribed to the measures which have been taken in this country towards punishing those engaged in it.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM Stuart, &c., &c., &c.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

DEPARTMENT of State,

Washington, September 5, 1862.

SIR: I have received the papers remitted to you from Canada, and informally communicated by you to this department in my absence. It affords this government the greatest satisfaction to know that the British authorities in Canada are so earnestly and judiciously employed, as these papers show they are, in preventing and allaying irritation on their side of the frontier. You have rightly expected that the civil authorities of the United States on the frontier will be cautioned to practice the utmost justice, forbearance, moderation, and courtesy towards British subjects in executing the duties relating to American citizens confided to them by the War Department.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Hon. Wм. STUART, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Stuart.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, September 6, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 2d instant, in which you state that you have been instructed to inform me, with reference to the observations contained in my note to you of the 23d of July last, in the case of the Will-o'-the-Wisp, relative to the inconvenience sustained by neutrals engaged in honest trade with Matamoras, that when Great Britain was at war with Russia her Majesty's government did not enforce the blockade of a port near to the Russian frontier in order not to interrupt neutral commerce. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Hon. Wм. STUART, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Stuart to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, September 6, 1862.

SIR: The painful nature of the letters which have reached me by this day's post from British subjects residing in the United States renders it absolutely necessary that I should request you to have the kindness to take prompt and energetic measures for their protection.

I shall proceed to state, as briefly as possible, a few of the cases which have been brought to my notice, and which, although I cannot for a moment believe that such extravagant threats as those to which allusion is made would be carried into execution, are sufficient to show that a system of intimidation is being established in some places which may lead to most disagreeable results.

Mr. Christopher Cleburne, a British subject, with a consular certificate of his nationality, writes that he was imprisoned at Newport, Kentucky, by the provost marshal, for refusing as an alien to report for military duty. His mother,

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