The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-24 00:00:00

PORTUGAL

LISBON, SuLT 23.

The ceremony of laying the keels of two new
corvettes took place to-day at the Royal Arsenal.
The King came expressly from Mafia to be preaeui
on the occasion.

DENMARK.
COPENHAGEN, JULY 23.

The government has issued orders for the election
of Deputies to supply the places of the 24 members
of the Schleswig Diet who have resigned. The
ni.w members are to appear at the Diet by the
30th inst.

--
The King of Sweden left this city yesterday
evening. The King of Denmark accompanied Lis
Swedish majesty to Elsinore, where the euabarca-
tion took place.

MR. LLIRD AND THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.

The following letter was prevented on a point of
form from being read by Mr. Cobden in the house
Y :
Navy Department, Weehiegton, May 19, 1863.
Hon. Clients Sorwart.—Dear Sir,—You invite my at.
Wallop to the speech of Mr. John Laird, delivered in the
&Web House of Commons on the 27th Much, in which he
represents that the Secretary of the Navy made application
to him, through an agent or agents, to build vessels for the
Government of the United States.

Mr. Laird remarks :—" Now I will go a step further about
the Northern States. In 1861, just after the war broke out,
a friend of mine, whom I have known for many years, was
over here, and came to see me with the view of getting
reseals built in this country for the American Government—
the Northern Government. Its *genre in this country made
inquiry," Ito.
Is ls not improbable that Mr. Lard and hie friend may
have interchanged view, on the subject of building vessels
for the United Suites ma a private money-making transac
tiou ; but it is not true that any application to build a vessel
for this government was ever made to that gentleman, directly
or indirectly, by myself or any agent of the Navy Depart-
ment. No person or persons have been employed by me as
aviator ageote, or been authorised by the Navy Department
or by the American Government to make miplicatioo to Mr.
Laird or to the firm of which he is • member, or to say other
-perms or firm abroad, to build a reseal or vessels for the Go-
vernmeut of the United States or for the navy of the United
States.
I remember applications were made to me at the beginning
of the rebellion by persons professing to be the agents of
English or foreign firms to procure vowels to be built for
this Government, and I have an indistinct remembratmethcit
this department wax importuned by more than one person
on behalf of the Messrs. Laird, and very probably they, like
others, presented plane and solicited our views; but I
pursued a uniform and undeviating policy in regard to each
and all of those applications, declining in every instance any
proposition to build, or procure to be built, reseals for our
navy abroad.
When, therefore, Mr. Laird stated or intimated in the
House of Commons that any agent of the Secretary of the
American Navy, or of the Navy Department, approached
him " with a view of getting reseals built in this country
(Great Britain) for the American Government," he stated
what was not true. I have never, at any time, bad such
purpose in view, and consequently I have never authorised
soy person to act an my agent, or an the agent of the Navy
Department, or of the American Government, to procure
vessels to be built without the limits of the United Stake.
—I am, ray respectfully,
Gismos Wilma, Secretary of the Navy.