The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-10 00:00:00

10, 1858.

trust, therefore, that your FaceSem will have the good-
ness to state to me, for the information of my Govern-
ment, whether the Sardinian Go%ernment is of opinion
that the Cagliari was voluntarily sin rendered by the master,
or whether it will be contended that she was seized by the
Neapolitan frigates beyond the limits of the territorial
jurisdiction of Naples.--I have,
(Signed) J. HUDSON.
SIB. J. HUDSON TO COUNT CAVOUB.

Turin, Jan. 5, 185 S.
Sir,—Her Majesty's Government having had under their
considela..ion the proceedings taken by the Neapolitan
Government, in the case of the Cagliari steamer, with
reference to the detention of two British subjects found
on board that vessel, I have been instructed to acquaint
your Excellency that her Majesty's Government are dis-
posed to object to those procee dogs on the ground that
the Neapolitan vessels of war had no right to pursue the
Cagliari, and to capture her beyond Neapolitan territorial
jurisd.ctit n.
In the opinion of her Majesty's Government, a ship of
war of one country has no jurisdiction over a merchant
vessel of another country on the high sea. She is entitled
to demand the production of papers to prove nationality,
but if that character is established the ship of war has no
right to interfere, unless the merchantman should be
caught in the actual commission at the time of an act of
piracy.
_ _ _

But no such act was committed at the time by the
Cagliari; she was peacefully punning her vo3age, and, for
anything the Neapolitan ships knew, was returning to
Genoa.

It is true that the captain and crew are stated to have
been on their way to Naples, with the view of voluntarily
surrendering themselves and their vessel to the Neapolitan
authorities; but it appears to her Majesty's Government
that it would be a mockery and an abuse of terms to say
that those men voluntarily surrendered themselves to the
two Neapolitan frigates, which had fired to bring the
Cagliari to, and which were prepared of course to sink
her if she did not surrender.

I trust, therefore, that your Eteelleney will have the
goodness to state to me, for the information of my Govern-
ment, whether the Sardinian Government is of opinion
that the Cagliari was voluntarily surrendered by the master,
or whether it will be contended that she was seized by the
Neapolitan frigates beyond the limits of the territorial
jurisdiction of Naples.—l have, de.
(Signed) JAMES HUDSON.
MR. ERSKINE TO SIR J. HUDSON.

Turin, March 15,1858.

Sir,--In compliance with your directions I have com-
pared the draft of your ncte to Count Cavour, of the sth
of January last, with the note itself, and I deeply regret
to find that a very material alteration was made by me
in the wording of the first paragraph of that draft.
To the best of my recollection the Earl of Clarendon's
despatch of the 29th of December last was sent into the
Chancery, with a minute in your handwriting in these
words : " Address note putting this question."
A draft note was accordingly prepared by me, and sub-
mitted to you for approval. The draft so approved by you
states

I have been instructed to ask your Excellency whether
the Sardinian Government mean to object, Jec.," whereas,
in the note itself, I substituted the words, " I huve been
instructed to acquaint your Excellency that her Majesty's
Government are disposed to object to those proceed-

it.r, dm"
Yon will perhaps have experienced the difficulty of
literally transcribing a paper of your own composition, and
I can only in this why account for the alteration which
onurrel.

On taking the note to you for signature you were, doubt-
less, under the impression that yon were signing a note
in precisely the same words as those used in the draft, and
pr3bably did not read the note with sufficient attention to
notice the alteration I had made.

Whatever blame is due for this most unfortunate blunder
most be borne by me exclusively. You will not, I truer,
hesitate to explain to the Earl of Malmesbury that you
did not knowingly employ an expression implying that the
British Government were "disposed to olject" (to that
of Naples) " to the proceedings taken in the cue of the
. .

IN hat I probably meant to say (but this is scarcely to
the purpose),' was thsc " her Majesty's Government are
of opinion that the Neapolitan vessels of war had no right,
3.7 c.," that is to say, that they take objection to the capture,
but not that they pledge themselves to urge that objection
upon the Neapolitan Government, and this latter is
evidently the interpretation given to your commudication
in Count Cavour's note of the Bth of January
have, &c., (Signed) E. M. ERSKINE.

THE EARL OF MALMESBURY TO SILL J. HUDSON.