The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-14 00:00:00

THE PIOATHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1856,

196 do. Florida, 22c to 35c ; and 161 bales Sagna, on
private terms.

FREIGHTS . The market continues firm, with a fair business;
unengaged tonnage is scarce and wanted, particularly vessels
adapted to the West Tndia trade. The engagements to Liver-
pool, include 32 000 bushels wheat and corn, at 6;td to 7-$ll,
in bulk and ship's bags; 3,000 brie flour, 2s 9d; 1200
packages bacon, 200 brie sperm oil, and 140 tierces. Lard.
30s ;300 tierces beef, 4s; 500 brls turpentine, 3s; 1,500
hales cotton, id to 9-321; by the Atlantic sailing to-day,
400 tierces beef, Ge ; 200 boxes bacon, and 100 brls lard, 55s ;
and by the Canadian, 8,000 bushels wheat, 7FI, in ship's
bags; 2000 barrels flour, 2s 9.1; and 200 to 300 tierces,
Beef. 5s

EXCIIANG3 : The business in Foreign has been very light
at about previous rates. We quote bills on London 8Z- to
91 per cent. premium.

had sovereign rights, as well as municipal law, which were
entitled to its respect.
It is exceedingly to be regretted, that this international
aspect of the case was overlooked.
The information which has been laid before the Presi-
lent, has convinced him that the proceedings resorted to,
for the purpose of drawing recruits from this country for
the British Army, have been instigated and carried on by
the active agency of British officers, and that their par-
ticipation therein has involved them in the double offence
of infringinc, our laws, and violating our sovereign
territorial rights.
It there were sufficient reasons to believe that by skill-
fully interposing private persons as ostensible actors in
carrying out their arrangements, these officers have suc-
cessfully shielded themselves from the penalties of our
laws, still they, as well as their government, if they have
acted by its authority, are responsible as parties to a
nrocednre, which constitutes an international offence of
Ouch a grave character as cannot be passed unnoticed
by this government.
The question is not, whether that government has
authorised, or any of its officers have done. acts for which
'he punishment denounced by our laws can be inflicted ;
')ut whether they participated, in any form or manner, in
proceedings contrary to international law, or derogatory
to our national sovereignty.
The information in the possession of this government is
so well established by proof, and corroborated by so rnAny-
public acts, that the President feels warranted in present-
ing to the British government this conduct of her
Majesty's officers, as disrespectful to the United States
and incompatible with the friendly relations between the
two countries.

The course which the President would deem it proper
to take, towards the implicated officers within the United
States, depends, in some measure upon their relation to
their government in this matter. Lord Clarendon's note
of the 16th of July does not make it quite clear that her
Majesty's government is prepared to disavow the acts
complained of, and to throw the entire responsibility:of
them upon its officers and agent,.
The object of this note is to ascertain how far the acts
of the known and acknowledged agents of the British
government, done within the United States, in carrying
out this scheme of recruiting for the British army, have
been authorised or sanctioned by her Majesty's govern-
ment.

Under date of the 7th of Sept., 1855, Mr. Crampton
defers replying at length to the foregoing note, until "he
shall have been more fully put in possession of the views of
her Majesty's government in regard to all the matters to
which it refers." Mr. Crampton thus concludes :
I shall then do myself the honour of addressing to
you a further communication; and I confidently trust
that I shall be enabled altogether to remove the unfa-
vourable impression which has been created as to the
motives and conduct of her Majesty's government, and
their officers, including myself, in regard to this matter.

Writing to Mr. Buchanan on the Bth of Sept., 1855, Mr.
Marcy states that Mr. Crampton is personally impli-
cated in the transactions complained of, and he encloses
copies of a part of the proofs implicating her Britannic
Majesty's officers. He adds :
Lord Clarendon must have been misinformed as
to the actual state of things here, when he assured
you that the persons who had violated our neu-
trality lave-were self-constituted and: unauthorised
agents. If the British government choose to take pains to
ascertain what disposition has been made of the large
sums of money expended In carrying out the scheme of
enlistments in this country, it will find that a con-
siderable amount of it has gone into the hands of these
agents, and that it was paid to them for the purpose of
being expended in the United States, in raising recruits
for the British military service.

On the 28th Sept., 1855, Mr. Buchanan replies, trans-
mitting a note received by him from Lord Clarendon on
the preceding day. Referring to Mr. Crampton's note Of
the 7th instant, Mr. Buchanan says :-
1 doubt very much whether the confident trust ex-
pressed by him in this note to you of the 7th
instant will be realised, that after having been
more fully put into possession of the views of his
government he " shall be enabled altogether to remove
the unfavourable impression which has been created as to
the motives and conduct of her Majesty's Government and
their officers, including myself, in regard to this matter."
Lord Clarendon's note to me of yesterday renders it im-
probable that Mr. Crampton will receive any such
instructions ; and I doubt whether the expression of his
confident trust to this effect has received the approbation
of his lordship.

The note of Lord Clarendon referred to and transmitted
with the preceding note is dated the 27th Sept., 1855, and
in this his lordship says :—He had hoped from the
answer which he received from Mr. Buchanan on the ItAth
of July, that the explanations and assurances which he
had given on this subject in his note of the 16th of that
month would have proved as satisfactory to the govern-
ment of the United States as they appeared to be to Mr.
Buchanan.
Mr. Marcy, laying less stress than Mr. Buchanan did
neon the alleged infraction of the municipal laws of the
United States. dwells chiefly upon the point, which was
but slightly adverted to by Mr. Buchanan, of an assumed
disregard of the sovereign rights of the United States on
the part of the British authorities, or the agents employed
by them. •
Her Majesty's government have no reason to believe
that such has been the conduct of any persons in the
employment of her Majesty, and it is needless to say that
any person so employed would have departed no less from
the intentions of her Majesty's government by violating
international law, or by offering an affront to the
sovereignty of the United States, than by infringing the
municipal laws of the Union to which Mr. Buchanan
called the attention of the undersigned.
The British government is fully aware of the obligations
of international duties, and is no less mindful of those
obligations than is the government of the United States.
Bat as this subject has been mooted by Mr. Marcy, her
government cannot refrain from some few

INla.jest

remarks respecting it.
The United States profess neutrality in the present war
between the Western Powers and Russia; but have no
acts been done within the United States, by citizens
thereof, which accord little with the spirit of neutrality'
Have not arms and 'ammunition, and warlike stores of
various kinds, been sent in large quantities from the
United States for the service of Russia ? Have not plots
been openly avowed, and conspiracies entered into with-
out disguise or hindrance, in various parts of the Union to
take advantage of the war in which Great Britain is
engaged, and to seize the opportunity for promoting insur-
rection in her Majesty's dominions, and the invasion
thereof by an armed force proceeding from the United
States ?
Her Majesty's government have been silent on these
matters, which they did not consider indicative of the
general feelings of the American people.
But her Majesty's government think themselves entitled
to claim the same merit forsincerity of purpose, and
uprightness of condu?t, which they readily allow to the
government of the United States, and to expect that their
assurance should be received.

Under date of the 28th September. 1855, Mr. Buchanan
acknowledges
ttlle receipt of the preceding note in which
he make any observations upon it, or to
~
forbears
o
interfere in any manner, with the correspondence com-
mCernamceptaotn,Waas heshlngton between Mr. Marcy and Mr.
has received no instructions which
would warrant him in so doing."

In a communication dated October Ist, 1855. Mr.
Marcy transmits to Mr. Buchanan, the report of the
trialt of n v
shows
ilertsoldiers for a violation of the neutrality laws, by
for the British Army, adding that the
m o
that " Mr. Crampton and several other
enlistingt
es
British officials, are deeply implicated in the transaction."
fle adds that subsequent developments show that Lord
Clarendon was misinformed as to the true state of the
case."

Fk.m the next despatch addressed by Mr. Buchanan
to Mr. Marcy, under date of the 3rd October, 1855, we
extract the following
The alleged agency of Mr. Crampton in the recruit-
ment of British soldiers within the limits of the United
States, presents a serious aspect.
It is remarked that Lord Clarendon, in his note to
myself of the 27th ultimo, while commenting on your note
of the sth September, to Mr. Crampton, should have been
totally silent in regard to that gentleman, after wh it you
had said respecting his conduct.
I cannot but regard as offensive, the remark of his lord-
ship on " the extraordinary measures which," he alleges,
"have been adopted in various parts of the Union, to
obtain evidence against her Majesty's servants, or their
agents, by practices sometimes resorted to under despotic
institutions, but which are disdained by all free and
enlightened governments ; " though he would doubtless
say, these were not intended to apply in an offensive
sense to the American government. Ile probably alludes
to occurrences at Cincinnati and other places.
If arms and ammunition, and warlike stores of various
kinds, have been sent in large quantities from the United
States for the service of Russia, as his lordship alleges,
this is nothing more than our citizens had a right to do,
subject to the risk under the law of contraband. Similar
articles have been sent from the United States to Great
Britain in large quantities.
The " plots " to which his lordship refers, relate chiefly
I presume, (for I do not know) to the proceedings and
address of the Massachusetts Irish Emigrant Aid
Society at Boston, on the 14th of August. These were
republished in the London Times on the llth of Sept. ;
and you will find an editorial, on this subject, on the fol-
lowing day.

I --
Oaf the 30th Oct., 1855, Mr. Buchanan informs Mr,

Marcy