regret quite as much as Mr. Archibald that these men have regained their liberty under false pretences.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

J. HUME BURNLEY.

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

Mr. Archibald to Mr. Burnley.

BRITISH CONSULATE, New York, December 17, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 15th instant, calling my serious attention to an enclosed copy of a note addressed to you by the Secretary of State of the United States, remarking on the genuineness of the affidavits offered in support of the nationality of the two Harrises, and instructing me to set on foot an inquiry, with a view to ascertaining whether any imposition has been practiced, and to report to you on the subject.

In reply, it is with extreme regret I have to report, that about a week ago I first entertained suspicions, which have since been confirmed, that an imposition had been practiced upon me in reference to the affidavits forwarded to you in my despatch of the 31st of October. I communicated my suspicions to General Dix on the following day, but it was unhappily then too late to arrest the party most guilty in the transaction, namely, William Rainey, late purser of the Young Republic.

The circumstances of the case of the two Harrises, so far as they came under my cognizance, are as follows: on my return from England, these men together with Rainey were imprisoned at Fort Lafayette; I was informed by the acting consul that they had all made affidavits of their British nationality; but that further proof was required, especially in regard to Frank M. Harris. I never saw either of the Harrises until after their release from Fort Lafayette.

On the 6th October, William Rainey, the purser of the Young Republic, was discharged. He reported himself at this office, and it was quite manifest from his strong north-of-Ireland accent, and his appearance, that he was a native-born British subject. He subsequently called at this office several times, and spoke of the hardship and injustice of detaining the two Harrises in prison, always asserting that they were both undoubtedly British subjects, and adding that they were suffering from ill health.

There was a frankness of manner about Rainey which led me to place confidence in his statements. He told me he knew they could get out by paying money, but he thought it an unjust thing that they should have to pay for their liberty when they were legally entitled to it. I inquired if they had not written for proof from England. He replied, "Yes, they had; but that their letters had either miscarried, or that some unaccountable delay had taken place; but he said he knew there were people from the old country here who could prove the nationality of both the Harrises, if he could but meet with them."

On the 31st October Rainey called upon me, accompanied by two persons, well dressed and of respectable appearance, entire strangers to me, and told me they were two Englishmen whom he had fallen in with, and who both knew the Harrises, and could swear to their nationality. I examined them on the subject. Both, I lament to say and believe, were Englishmen. The one calling himself Cragg undoubtedly was so. He was stout-built, respectably dressed, fully sixty years of age, and with an unmistakable Yorkshire dialect. They gave without hesitation their addresses-the one at Boston, the other at Philadelphia. I was very busy that morning, and said I could not further attend to the matter, but that if they could call on the following morning I would take their affidavits on the subject. The one calling himself Foster said he was obliged to return to Philadelphia by the afternoon train; and Cragg said he was going back to Boston on the next morning. I said, “Very well; if they would call in the afternoon at three, or half past, I would attend to the matter." At the appointed time they returned with Rainey, and, their statements being repeated and reduced to writing in the form of affidavits, they respectively signed and swore to them before

me.

So far as regards the demeanor and appearance of the witnesses, who were grave, intelligent, and respectful, I confess I had not the least suspicion that a deception was being prac ticed upon me; but, confiding in the veracity of their statements, I subsequently pressed the case of the prisoners on your consideration.

On the first of December the two Harrises, accompanied by Rainey, called at this office and reported that they had been discharged on the 29th of November; that the marshal was satisfied there had been a mistake of Frank M. Harris for some other person of the same name. This was the first time I had ever seen either of them. They remained but a few minutes. On Monday, the 5th instant, Frank M. Harris again called, mentioning that he had been detained, by order of General Dix, from sailing in the Corsica, and was at liberty on his parole, with orders to attend at the general headquarters on the following morning at 11 o'clock, and requested that I would send a clerk at that hour to identify him as the Frank M. Harris who had been liberated from Fort Lafayette. I told him that the marshal could better do that;

but, as he repeated his request, I said I would comply with it. I then had some conversation with him, and remarked, that had not his nationality been so positively sworn to by himself and others, I should certainly have taken him for an American. He persisted in stating that he was an Englishman, and a native of Grimsby, in Yorkshire. On my observing again that his manner and appearance were quite American, he accounted for it by saying he had sailed out of the States a good deal, and as a boy he had been in Charleston with his father some ten years ago. His father, he said, was a native of Liverpool, but that he himself really was a native of Grimsby, in Yorkshire. He added that he had been mistaken for another person of the same name, but that the marshal was now quite satisfied of the mistake, and that a person who was said to be his father had declared he knew nothing about him.

On the following day my clerk attended at General Dix's headquarters; but Harris, it appears, was not forthcoming. Even then my suspicions of falsehood on the part of the witnesses were not aroused; but two or three days afterwards, when I sent to the hotel where Rainey had lodged to inquire of him respecting them, I found he had left New York also. The information conveyed in Mr. Seward's note that these witnesses are not to be found at the addresses given by them, leaves, I fear, no room to doubt that they have sworn falsely, and under other names than their proper ones.

I shall not fail to use all practicable means to trace and discover the parties who made these affidavits before me, and trust I may be successful. I can only repeat the expression of my deep regret that so gross a fraud has been practiced upon me. I lament it the more since, although I have at all times endeavored to use proper precautions in submitting for your consideration statements of facts made by other parties, yet, through the confidence which has been placed in the prudence as well as in the integrity of my proceedings in this matter, this prisoner has regained his liberty, I fear, on false pretensions.

I have, &c., &c.,

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

E. M. ARCHIBALD.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Burnley.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, December 22, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 17th instant, relative to the conduct of Lieutenant Pearson, of the United States corvette the Jamestown, in co-operating with the English, French, and Dutch vessels-of-war against the batteries erected by the Japanese Prince of Nagato on the straits of Simono lake, and requesting that the United States government will convey to Lieutenant Pearson the acknowledgment of the lords commissioners of the admiralty for the ready co-operation which that officer afforded to the British admiral. The account of these proceedings affords this government great satisfaction, and I will thank you to convey to Earl Russell my congratulations upon the result, and to inform his lordship that the conduct of our minister on the occasion and that of naval officers have been approved. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, December 24, 1864.

SIR: With reference to your note of the 8th instant, and to previous correspondence relative to the movements of the steamer Georgiana, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith copies of a despatch which I have received from his excellency the governor general of Canada, by which you will perceive that the Canadian government is fully alive to the importance of preventing the formation of any plans hostile to the United States on British soil.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

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

J. HUME BURNLEY.

Viscount Monck to Mr. Burnley.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, Quebec, December 17, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 11th instant, and its enclosures, relative to the movements of the steamer Georgiana, and to other proceedings reported to be on foot in Canada hostile to the United States.

I have to request that you will inform Mr. Seward that the Canadian government is fully alive to the importance of preventing the formation of any plans hostile to the United States on British soil, and has taken stringent measures to that end, both of a civil and military character.

I have, &c., &c.,

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

MONCK.

[Communicated by the British Legation.]

Lord Russell to Mr. Burnley.

FOREIGN OFFICE, December 24, 1864.

SIR: Her Majesty's government have had under their consideration, in common with the proper law advisers of the Crown, Lord Lyons's despatches of the 25th and 29th ultimo, together with a further representation from Messrs. Lawrence, of which I enclose a copy for your information, respecting the case of the Night Hawk.

Her Majesty's government fully approve of the manner in which Lord Lyons has treated this matter, in his lordship's note to Mr. Seward of the 26th ultimo. It does not appear to them that any ground whatever has been shown by Mr. Seward for ascribing to the Night Hawk the character of an enemy's ship; and having regard to the circumstance that she was destroyed by the boarding officer without so much as examining her papers, her Majesty's government consider that the proofs which have already been given of her British ownership are amply sufficient.

The ship was indeed destroyed in the act of violating the blockade, and as she must necessarily have been condemned if brought in for adjudication, the mere act of her destruction may possibly not have involved any substantial injury to British interests; but the conduct of the boarding officer, and the subsequent imprisonment of the British crew, seems to be wholly without justification or excuse. The captor had no right to fire upon the unresisting crew, and the whole circumstances of the case, instead of affording any exceptional reasons (as Mr. Seward says) for applying to these unfortunate men a different treatment from that admitted to be the right of the class of neutral subjects in neutral vessels engaged in violating the blockade," appear to her Majesty's government to give to the treatment actually inflicted upon the crew the character of an aggravated breach of international law. You will read this despatch to Mr. Seward, and give him a copy of it.

I am, &c.,

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

RUSSELL.

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward.

[Memorandum.]

Relative to the apprehended attempts of persons hostile to the United States from Canada, Viscount Monck informs me that he has taken measures for the prevention of such acts, by the establishment of a detective police force, under special stipendiary magistrates, along the border between Canada and the territory of the United States.

Viscount Monck has also called out for permanent duty a strong force of the volunteer militia, who are to be stationed on the frontier line.

These measures Viscount Monck hopes will effectually prevent any such attempts as those alluded to.

BRITISH LEGATION, Washington, December 26, 1864.

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, December 28, 1864. SIR: With reference to your note of the 20th of October, relative to the British steamer Mary, formerly the Alexandra ram, and her supposed connexion with the so-called confederate government, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch, and of its enclosures, from the governor of New Providence, stating that he has ordered the seizure of the steamer Mary, for violation of the 7th clause of the foreign enlistment act.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

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

J. HUME BURNLEY.

Governor Rawson to Mr. Burnley.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

Nassau, December 15, 1864.

SIR: I take the earliest opportunity of informing you that on the 13th instant the British steamer Mary, formerly the Alexandra ram, was seized in this port by my orders, for a vioation of the 7th clause of the foreign enlistment act.

Before my arrival here on the 9th instant, the United States consul had called the attention of this government to the existence of guns and munitions of war on board of this vessel, which had lately reached this harbor. A search was made, and nothing was found but a 12-pounder gun, and a case supposed to contain shell. Upon this, the lieutenant governor, acting upon the advice of the attorney general, informed the consul that there was not sufficient ground for detaining the vessel, after this gun and case were landed, which their agents professed their willingness to do.

The consul had at first supposed this search to have been a seizure, and he was much disappointed at this last communication, and protested urgently against it. The attorney general saw him personally, and was not satisfied with the proofs offered, and finally he was informed that the government could not proceed upon conflicting communications made to him by persons who could not be produced in court to support a prosecution. This was the state of the case when I arrived.

I mention what occurred with the consul, in order that you may be cognizant of it, in the event of the American government adverting to it in any communication which it may make to you.

Upon examining the correspondence, and making inquiry of the officer who searched the vessel, I found that there were suspicious facts bearing upon the case which did not appear in the papers, and that certain packages which were shipped at Bermuda had not been opened, nor were their contents known. I therefore directed that they should be landed and opened. The result is shown in enclosure No. 1, which, among other things, proved the continued connexion of the Mary with the Mr. Hamilton, an officer of the Confederate States, whose name was brought forward by the attorney general on the occasion of the trial in England, as one of the proofs against the parties who owned the Alexandra.

Upon the discovery of this further evidence, and receiving the opinion of the attorney general, I ordered the vessel to be seized, and she is now in charge of the customs, moored opposite the ordnance wharf for protection. The attorney general will commence legal proceedings without delay, and I have received a letter from the United States consul thanking me for my proceedings in this case.

I am, &c,. &c.

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

RAWSON A. RAWSON, Governor.

Mr. Dumaresq to Governor Rawson.

RECEIVER GENERAL'S OFFICE,
December 13, 1864-1 p. m.

SIR: I have the honor to report for your lordship's information that this morning, immediately on the landing of the cargo ex. Mary, late Alexandra, I directed all the packages to be opened in my presence, and found the marks, numbers, and contents of each to be as follows:

P. II. One cask containing scrubbing brushes, tin cans, &c.

J. R.. Two cases containing iron hammock racks.

J. R. 3. One case containing iron hammock racks and handles for screws of side lights. O. C. 1. One case containing a gun and carriage, with appurtenances complete, designed by Messrs. Fawcett, Preston & Co., of Liverpool, with flat iron tray or slide for the gear and body of carriage to traverse on. (This gun is the subject of a former report.)

O. C. 2. One case containing shell.

O. C. 3. One case of grape-shot.

J. R. H. 3. One case containing six trap wheels, about six inches in diameter, apparently handles such as are used for working the screw of a gun.

J. R. H.. Two cases of stationery.

H. H. 2. One case containing confederate flags, brig, ship, and boat ensigns and pendants, log lines, bolts of canvas, &c.

S. D. H. 2. One case of drugs, lint, &c.

J. R. H. One case (partially examined) of private effects, consisting of military and naval books in relation to the confederate service, having the name of Hamilton on the fly leaves, forty-eight packages of tourniquets, one blank confederate commission, charts, a case of surgical instruments, &c., one bundle of hammocks-about sixty; also two small iron carronades and carriages, belonging to ship.

With reference to the cases marked J. R. 1 to 3, I have respectfully to state that the hammock racks are all of a size, and that I have had one of them placed in the staples on the bulwarks of the Mary, which it exactly fits.

It is my duty further to add, that since the date of my last report of the 7th instant, four new berths have been completed in the after hold, where the gun and carriage above referred to were found, and sixteen additional ones in the forecastle, so that, independent of the afterdeck berths for the officers of the ship, she has now thirty-two berths for seamen, besides the sixty hammocks.

I have, &c., &c.,

Ais Excellency Governor RAWSON.

J. A. DUMARESQ,

Receiver General.

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, December 28, 1864.

SIR: With reference to your note of the 13th December, relative to the alleged manufacture of what is known as "Greek fire," for use in attempts to burn cities of the United States, I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a despatch which I have received from his excellency the governor general of Canada. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.

J. HUME BURNLEY.

Viscount Monck to Mr. Burnley.

QUEBEC, December 20, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch and enclosures relative to the alleged manufacture at Windsor of "Greek fire," for use in attempts to burn cities in the United States.

In reply, I have the honor to state that I will take immediate measures to have the truth of this allegation investigated, and should it prove well founded I will adopt such measures as may be within my power to defeat the objects of those engaged in the manufacture. I have, &c., &c.,

J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &e.

MONCK.

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward.

WASHINGTON, December 28, 1864.

SIR: With reference to your note of the 14th instant, relating to suspicions entertained that two vessels in course of construction in Montreal are intended