The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-05 00:00:00

THE ENLISTM2NT QUESTION,

The correspondencP, relating tO the conduct of Mr.
Crampton, the Brirish minister at Washington, has been
laid before pa►:liament. A despatch from the Earl of
Clarendon tr, Mr. Dallas, dated Foreign Office, April 30,
es the correspondence, from which we make the

1856, do'

follow=ing extracts, which show the precise 'situation in
w}':ich the dispute between the tWO countries at present
stands :

"The real questions at it-sue between her Majesty's
govertm'ent and that of the United States are, whether the
British government ordered or contemplated any violation
of the neutrality laws of the United States ; whether if the

British government did not order or contemplate such
violation, those laws were nevertheless violated by p-rsons
acting with the authority or approbation of the British
government ; and, lastly, whether, if any vi elation of the
law of the United States did take place, sufficient satisfaction
has been givon by the government of that country,
"In regard to the first point, the British government
neither ordered nor contemTlat,A any violation whatever
of the laws of the Milted States, but, on the contrary
issued the most positive and rep-ated orders that those laws
should not be infringed by any person acting under their

iutbnrity

"Tnrjegard to the second point, Mr. Marey.alleges that,

notwithstanding the orders of the British government,
officers and agents of that government did within the United
_ _

States do things which were. a violation of the neutrality
laws of the United States, Old Mr. Marcy specifically makes
this charge against her Majesty's consuls at Cincinnati,

Philadelnii;a, and New York

" With respect to Mr. Crampton, the undersigned has to
s'a'e that Mr. Crampton positively and distinctly denies the
charge brought against him; he declares that he' never
hired, or retained, or engaged a single person within the
United States for the service of her Majesty, and that he
never countenanced or encouraged any violation of the law

of the United States. The charge brought agAnst Mr.
Crampton is mainly founded upon evidence given by
Strobel on the trial of Herz, and on the so-called conies.

inn of Hertz himself. One of these p?rsons Strobel, was,

in conscuence of his misconduct, dismissed from employ-
ment by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, at Ilali-

fox, atid -afterwards applied to Mr. Crampton, and en-
deavoured to extort money from him by a threat, which was

of course disregarded. The undersigned has the honour to
transmit, as inclosures to this note, documents which suf-
ficiently prove that both Strobel and Hertz are wholly
unworthy of credit. It is impossible for her Mjesty's
government to set the assertions for such men as these
aszainQt the declaration of Mr. Crampton, a man of unques-
tionable honour. _

" The undersigned must, indeed, remark that the whole
proceeding, in regard to the trial of Hertz, was of such a
nature, that while her Majesty's minister and her Majesty's
consuls might be, and indeed were, inculpated by
the evidenca of unscrupulous witnesses, that minister and
those consuls had not any means or any opportunity of
rebutting the charges which were thus incidentally and
indirectly brought against them.
" With regard to her Majesty's consuls at Cincinnati,
Philadelphia, and New York, they all equally deny the
charges which have been brought against them, and they
declare filet they have in noway whatever infringed the laws
of the Untied States..._

" With respect to Mr. Rowcroft, her Majesty's consul at
Cincinnati, the undersigned has to observe that legal pro-
ceedings against that gentleman ar e still pending. As to
the origin, character, and nature of those proceedings, the
undersigned might have much to say ' • but, as they are still
pending, he abstains from doing so. He must, however, be
permitted to remark, that it would, at all events, be incon-
sistent with the plainest principle of justice to assume as
established, charges which are still the subject matter of
judicial investigation.
" The accusation against Mr. Mathew, her Majesty's
consul at Philadelphia, rests entirely upon assertions made
by flerlz. Those assertions are positively denied by Mr.
Mathew, and her Majesty's government can scarcely believe
that the government of the United States, with the know.
ledge which it will have obtained of the character of Hertz,
will hesitate to concur with the government of her Majesty
in giving credit to Mr. Mathew.
" With respect to Mr. Barclay, her Majesty's consul ri,t,
New York, he declares that he neither favoured the all ged
recruiting, nor participated in it, nor was informed of the
hirinw, retaining, or engaging any man for that ourpose.
" Her Majesty's government cannot but ace ,-,pt the denial
of those gent'emen as more worthy of belicii than the asser-
tions and evidence of such men as Hert:. and Strobel.
" Rut Mr. Marcy considers that the conduct of Mr. Bar-
clay in the affair of the barque NI awry ought to be an addi-
tional reason why her Majesty's government should rec,li
him. 'Eldon this' the undersigned must observe that Mr.
Barclay received information e,n oath, from persons in the
service of the United States, I.eading to the belief that the
harrine Maury was fittin, out with designs hostile to
British interes!s, and P,
'variance with the neutrali'y laws
of the United S'ate:« It was Mr. Barclay's bounden duty
to communicat, that information without delay to her
Maj sty's rr:rniwn. at Washington. Mr. Barclay did so,
and his :street action in the matter was then at an end. Mr.
~ton submitted this information to the proper authori-
es of the United States in order that they might determine
'what proceedings, if any, it might be right to take there-
upon. 'the officers of the United States considered the
prima facie case against the Maury to be sufficient to call
for proceedings on their part. such prec edings were
accordingly instituted by them, and not by Mr. Barclay,
whose conduct in regard to the Maury was in strict per-
lorm ince of his duty, and received the approval of her
Majesty's government.
" With regard to the last point, the undersigned must
refer to the offers of satisfaction, and to the explanation;
already made, and to the repeated expression of sincere
regret of her Majesty's government, if, contrary to
their intentions, and to their reiterated directions, there
has been any infringement of the laws of the United
States.
" The undersigned has now had the satisfaction of com-
municating to the government of the United States the
statements and declarations of her Majesty's minister at
Washington, and of her Majesty's consuls at Cincinnati,
?hiladelphia, and New York, as to the conduct imputed to
hem.

" The government of the United States had been led to
suppose that the law and the sovereign rights of the United
Statei had not been respected by her Majesty's govern-
ment, and relying upon evidenee deemed to be trustworthy,
they believed that that law and those rights had been in-
fringed by British agent. If such had been the case, the
government of the United States would have been entitled
to demand, and her Majesty's government would not have
hesitated to afford, the most ample satisfaction, for no dis-
credit can attach to the frank admission and complete repa-
ration of an unquestionable wrong. Her Majesty's govern-
ment, however, unequivocally disclaim any intention either
to infringe the law, or to disregard the policy, or not to
respect the sovereign rights of the United States, and the
government of the United States will now, for the first
time, learn that her Majesty's misnister at Washington, and
her Majesty's consuls at New York, Philadelphia, and Cin-
cinnati, solemnly affirm that they have not committed any
of the acts that have been imputed to them. The govern-
ment of the United States will now, also for the first time,
have an opportunity of weighing the declarations of four
gentlemen of unimpeached honour and integrity against
evidence upon which no reliance ought to be placed. The
undersigned cannot but express the earnest hope of her
Majesty's government that these explanations and assu-
rances may prove satisfactory to the government of the
United States, and effectually remove any misapprehension
which may have hitherto existed ; and he cannot doubt that
such a result will afford as much pleasure to the govern-
ment of the -United States as to that of her Majesty, by
putting an end to a difference which has been deeply
regretted by her Majesty's government; for there are no
two countries which are bound by stronger ties or by higher
considerations than the United States and Great Britain, to
maintain unbroken the relations of perfect cordiality and
friendship.—The undersigned, &
(Signed)