The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-23 00:00:00

ENGLAND AND SANTO DOMINGO.

The Epocn of the 18th makes the following
announcement relative to the asserted recognition
of the Santo Domingo insurgents as belligerents by
England :
In consequence of the effect produced upon the public
mind by this announcement, Sir John Crampton, the Eng-
lish ambassador at this court, felt bound to request sepia-
natioes from his government upon a matter in which be
was without official instructions. Earl Russell lost no time
in replying, sod hie 'despatch reached the English
representative yesterday evening at the same
time that the first Secretary of State received
the despatches from our Minister Plenipotentiary
in London, previously announced by telegraph to the
Spanish cabinet. These despatches contained ample details
of all that had occurred. On account of certain questions
arising from events that have taken place in cmsequenee of
the blockade of the Dominican coasts by the Spanish squa-
dron, the English government considered it necessary to take
the opinion of the legal advisers of the crown, fol-
lowing its prectic• in all matters of the kind.
Their opinion was f►vourable in • certain manner
to the recognition of the Dominicans as belligerents,
Spain being bound, according to their view, by the mari-
time law laid down in the treaty of Paris, to maintain •
real and effective blockade of all the points of the island
where she undertook to prevent the entry of supplies
destined for the rebels. Earl Russell communicated this
opinion to our representative *in London, who in his turn
considered it urgently necessary to acquaint the Spanish
government with the same. 'recce the origin of a news which
having come to the knowledge of; the telegraphic agents of
various periodicals in this city, was transmitted by them with
the urgency which its importance dictated, although the
want of the details above mentioned caused some exaggers-
ion in their communications. The reply of Earl Russell to
the English ambassador could not be expressed in more
satisfactory terms. The English minister confirmed the
explanations given by Senor Comyn ; and wishing to give •
proof of the feiendly attitude of England in questions so
greatly affecting the prestige of our country, be authorised
the English ambassador to acquaint be Spanish cabinet with
his determination to indefinitely postpone any act which
might be considered hostile, or as tending to exercise soy
sort of influence in the settlement of our interior affairs.
We, who cannot be accused of being ardent admirers of the
English policy, have satisfaction in declaring that its conduct
in the present circumstances has been worthy of • greet
power, and therefore merits our most sincere eulogies.

DEPREDATIONS OF THE CONFEDERATE
CRUISER SEIENANDUAH.

The Shipping and Movantik G,l:Ate of yesterday
says :

Our readers have not forgotten the circumstantial contra-
diction given by some of our Liverpool contemporaries to
the st►tement which appeared in these columns respecting
the departure of the steamer Sea King from London to sail
under the Confederate flag. The Sea King, as entering the
Confederate service, became the Shenandoah, and we are
enabled to report something more respecting her movements.
The Shenandoah arpears to have employed her time to some
purpose. Advices received this day from Bahia report the
arrival there of a Daniab vessel with the crews of no lees
than five Federal vessels,all of which hail been captured and
destroyed by the Shenandoah, under the command of Cap-
tain Wardell. The names of these vessels are—the Elena,
of Maine ; the E. Godfrey. of Boston ; the Kate Prince, the
Charter Oak, and the Sumo. We take it that this report
establishes the fact that the Sea King is not only a Con-
federate cruiser, bet that she is likely to rival, if not aut.
pun, the Alabama in hamming the commove of the
Northern Staten