CORRESPONDENCE. CORRESPONDENCE WITH BRITISH LEGATION. Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward. WASHINGTON, December 5, 1864. SIR: Being on the point of quitting Washington on leave of absence, in order to recruit my health, I beg to recommend to you Joseph Hume Burnley, esquire, whom I have already had the honor to present to you as her Majesty's chargé d'affaires. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. LYONS. Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward. WASHINGTON, December 5, 1864. SIR: With reference to my note to you of the 23d ultimo, relative to the alleged schemes of so-called confederate agents in Canada against the United States, I have now the honor to transmit to you a copy of a despatch from 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. For Lord LYONS. J. HUME BURNLEY. Viscount Monck to Lord Lyons. QUEBEC, November 30, 1864. MY LORD: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's despatch of November 23, and its enclosures, relative to the alleged schemes of so-called confederates in Canada against the United States, and, in reply, I beg to assure your lordship that the matter shall receive the earnest attention of the government of Canada. I have, &c. LORD LYONS, &c., &c., &c. MONCK. Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward. WASHINGTON, December 6, 1864. With reference to my note of the 20th of October, and your reply of the 1st ultimo, and to my further note of the 26th ultimo, relative to the case of the Night Hawk, I have now the honor to enclose the register of this vessel, and other papers duly legalized by the United States consul at Liverpool, for the purpose of setting at rest the question of nationality, as raised by your note of the 1st ultimo. In these papers you will see it distinctly stated that the Night Hawk was a British paddle-steamship, registered in the shipping register at Liverpool, and owned by Edward Lawrence, who appointed Captain Smiley, a British subject, in command of the ship. I hope that the Secretary of the Navy will take these documents into serious consideration, with a view of modifying his assertion with regard to belligerents and neutrals, and look upon the ship as a vessel belonging to a neutral power, and the crew, a list of whom I had the honor to forward in my note of the 20th of October, as neutral subjects of that power. I beg you to return me the original documents as soon as note has been taken of their contents. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. [Enclosure.] J. HUME BURNLEY. I, the undersigned, consul of the United States of America for the port of Liverpool and its dependencies, do certify and make known to whom these presents shall come, that Edward Lawrence, esq., mayor of Liverpool, having addressed a letter to me requesting my, certificate to the annexed declaration, with copy of register of steamer Night Hawk annexed and declaring that he is the sole registered owner of said vessel Night Hawk, and that the sole object for which my certificate is asked is to send it, with the declaration and copy of register, to his agent at New York, to be by him presented to the British consul, or the authorities there, to show that the Night Hawk is an English vessel, and that her late captain is a British subject, and not for the purpose of being used to protect the vessel from United States cruisers, or to sanction her running the blockade, or for any other purpose than that above specified; I do, in compliance with such request, grant him my certificate, and do certify that W. Henry Fletcher, before whom the annexed declaration of Edward Lawrence has been made, and whose true signature and notarial seal are subscribed and affixed, is a notary public, duly authorized, admitted, and sworn, residing and practicing in Liverpool, duly authorized to receive such declaration. Given under my hand and seal of office, at Liverpool, on the 17th day of November, and [SEAL.] year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. THOMAS H. DUDLEY. On this the 16th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1864, before me, William Henry Fletcher, notary public by royal authority, duly admitted, sworn, and enrolled, dwelling and practicing in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in England, personally and voluntarily came and appeared Edward Lawrence, of Liverpool aforesaid, merchant, and did solemnly and sincerely say and declare as follows: That he then was a natural-born subject of her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, and the owner of the paddle-steamship Night Hawk, of Liverpool, which ship was registered in his own name in the register of shipping at the custom-house at Liverpool, and that the document hereto annexed, signed by the registrar of the said port, and sealed with the seal of her Majesty's customs, was an official and true copy of such register; and he did further say and declare that, at the time when the said steamship last sailed from the port of Liverpool, in the month of August last, she was in charge of Captain N. Smiley, a British subject, who was duly appointed by him the master thereof. EDWARD LAWRENCE. In faith and testimony whereof, I, the said notary, have caused the said copy register to be hereunto annexed, and the said appearer to subscribe his name to these presents, and I have also hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal notarial this 16th day of [SEAL.] November aforesaid. W. HENRY FLETCHER, Notary Public. Form No. 19.-Copy register. Official number of ship, 50,296. Name of ship, Night Hawk. Port number, 353. Port of registry, Liverpool. British or foreign, British built. Whether a sailing or steamship; if steam, how propelled? Steamer, paddle. Where built? Preston, in the county of Lancaster. When built? In 1864. Number of decks, one; number of masts, two; rigged, schooner; stern, square; build, clench; gallery, none; head, none; framework, iron. Measurements.-Length, from the forepart of the stem, under the bowsprit, to the aft-side of the head of the stern-post, 245 feet tenths. Main breadth to outside of plank, 26 feet 8 tenths. Depth of hold, from tonnage deck to ceiling at midships, 12 feet 2 tenths. Additional particulars for steamer. Deduction for space required for propelling power, 199.96 tons. Length of engine-room, if measured, 65 feet 3 tenths. Number of engines, two. Combined power, (estimated horsepower,) one hundred and eighty. Names, residence, and description of the owners, and number of shares held by each owner. Edward Lawrence, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, merchant CUSTOM HOUSE, Liverpool, November 15, 1864. 64 I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the particulars and ownership of the vessel Night Hawk, of the port of Liverpool. Registry dated August 24, 1864. [Customs, November 15, 1864, Liverpool.] W. G. STEWART, Registrar. N. B.-To be addressed in an envelope to the chief registrar of shipping, custom-house, London. No. 219.-Copy of register for transmission to chief registrar of shipping. Mr. Seward to Mr. Burnley. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 6, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Lord Lyons's note of the 5th instant, informing me of his intended departure from Washington, on leave of absence, to recruit his health, and recommending you to me as her Majesty's chargé d'affaires in the interim. While profoundly regretting the cause which occasions his lordship's absence, I shall be happy to correspond with you upon matters which may require the attention of this department or that of her Majesty's legation. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir,. . your obedient servant, J. HUME BURNLEY, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 9.] [Communicated by the British Legation.] FOREIGN OFFICE, December 7, 1864. MY LORD: The crime of trading in human beings has been for many years branded by. the reprobation of all civilized nations. Still the atrocious traffic subists, and many persons flourish on the gains they have derived from that polluted source. Her Majesty's government, contemplating, on the one hand, with satisfaction the unanimous abhorrence which the crime inspires, and, on the other hand, with pain and disgust the slavetrading speculations which still subist, have come to the conclusion that no measure would be so effectual to put a stop to these wicked acts as the punishment of all persons who can be proved to be guilty of carrying slaves across the sea. Her Majesty's government, therefore, invite the government of the United States to consider whether it would not be practicable, honorable, and humane 1st. To make a general declaration, that the governments who are parties to it denounce the slave trade as piracy. 2d. That the aforesaid governments should propose to their legislatures to affix the penalties of piracy already existing in their laws-provided, only, that the penalty in this case be that of death-to all persons, being subjects or citizens of one of the contracting powers, who shall be convicted in a court which takes cognizance of piracy, of being concerned in carrying human beings across the sea for the purpose of sale, or for the purpose of serving as slaves, in any country or colony in the world. I am, &c., LORD LYONS, &c., &c., &c. [Communicated by the British Legation.] RUSSELL. FOREIGN OFFICE, December 8, 1864. MY LORD: I transmit herewith, for your information, a copy of a despatch from her Majesty's consul at Tenerifte, stating the circumstances under which the steamship Sea King has come into the possession of officers of the Confederate States. I have at the same time to acquaint you that her Majesty's government took immediate steps, on the arrival in England of the men referred to in Mr. Consul Grathan's despatch, who had formed part of the crew of the Sea King, to make an investigation into the circumstances of the case, and that under the advice of the law officers of the Crown her Majesty's government have given directions that Captain Corbett shall be prosecuted for violation of the foreign enlistment act. I am, with great truth and regard, my lord, your lordship's most obedient, humble servant, RUSSELL. Right Hon. LORD LYONS, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward. WASHINGTON, December 8, 1864. SIR: Her Majesty's government have attentively considered the note which you did me the honor to forward to me on the 24th August, relative to the coal seized at Angra Pequeña, by the commander of the United States steamer Vanderbilt, and it becomes my duty to lay before you the views of my government on this subject. It appears to her Majesty's government in the first place that there in no justification at present shown for the assumption, as stated in your above-mentioned note, that the coals in question were in fact deposited at the place from whence they were taken for the use of the navigators of the Alabama. Her Majesty's government have (with very good reason) denied that any intention on the part of the British owners of those goods to sell them to the navigators of the Alabama would, if it were established, constitute a legal ground or the seizure of those goods, while remaining British property, by a United States |