The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS.

Mr. LAYARD said the hen. member (Mr. Haliburton)
had with great propriety abstained from making any re-
marks upon that part of the subject which was still under
judicial inquiry. -With regard to the seizure of the vessel,
he had stated accurately what took place. It was well known
that some agents of the Confederate States took a passage
on board the Chesapeake, seized upon the captain and crow,
killed one of the officers, and wounded two others, and car-
ried off the vessel. They then took refuge in a harbour of
Nova Scotia. An American gunboat entered that harbour

and recaptured the vessel illegally and by force, As soon

as information was received in this country of what had
taken place the Government sent instructions to Lord Lyons
to ask for immediate explanation and redress. Ha might,
however, state that long before the instructions which were
sent to Lord Lyons were received, Mr. Seward, of his own
accord, having heard of the occurrence, made a communi-
cation to Lord Lyons, at first doubtful as to what the facts
really were; but when the facts were ascertained Mr. Se-
ward made a full apology, expressed his regret, and that
pert of the question terminated. Some time would elapse
before the papers would be ready, and as the country would
be anxious to receive information ou the subject, he would
read to the house Mr. Seward's dispatch and the answer to
it from the noble earl at the head of the Foreign-office.
"Department of State, Washington, Jan. 9, 1861.
"The uudersigaed Secretary of State of the United States
has the honour to present his respects to Right Hon. Lord
Lyons, accredited to this Government as the minister ple-
nipotentiary of her B.itannic Majesty, end to state that he
submitted to the President certain papers which were
placed in the hands of the undersigned by his lordship on
the 2d day of this mouth, end which are described as
follows :-1, Memorial of Susan Henry ; 2. Affidavit of
John E. Holt ; 3. Memorial of John E. Holt ; 4.
affidavit of John E. Holt ; 5, Provincial Secretary to Mayor
of Halifax, Dec. 19,1863 t 6, Mayor of Halifax to Provincial
Secretary, Dec. 19, 1863 ; 7, Same to same, Dec. 22, 1863 ;
8, City Marshal to Mayor of Halifax, Dec. 21, 1863 ; 9,
Police-constable Hutt to City Marshal, Dec. 21, 1863. The
undersigned is authorised, in the first place, to express to
his lordship his appreciation of the delicacy of the manner in
which his lordship has thus, without formal complaint,
brought to the notice of this Government the fact that the
commissioner and other officers of the United States steamer
Ella and Annie, in their recent visit at Halifax in pursuit
of pirates who had captured the American steamer Chesa-
peake and taken refuge within British jurisdiction directly
violated the sovereignty of her Majesty by the assumption
of power and authority in the name of the United States,
as well on board the said steamer Chesapeake as on board
the British schooner Investigator while within British
waters, without having obtained consent thereto of the
authorities of her Majesty's Government there or elsewhere.
The undersigned observes that in some of these papers it is
represented that the acts of power and authority referred to
were attended with circumstances of severity, rigour, and
insult to British subjects. The undersigned, however,
thinks that it sufficiently appears from the papers that the
rigour and severity elleged were not greater than were
necessary to secure the persons of the pirates in pursuit of
whom the officers complained of were engaged, end to deliver
them up to the British authorities of that place. efehopesthat
this view of the case may be taken by her Majesty's Govern-
ment. The undersigned would observe, in the nextplace,that
the Chesapeake and the prisoners were promptly delivered to
those authorities, in compliance with the instructions of this
department. The undersigned is further authorised to assure
her Majesty's Government, in the spirit of a former commu-
nication made by the undersigned to his lordship, relating to
the capture of the Chesapeake in British waters, that the
President disapproves and regrets the act of force, power,
and authority which was exercised by the officers of the
Ella and Annie, within British waters, on the occasion
mentioned, as a violation of the law of nations and of the
friendly relations existing between the two countries, so
greatly to the satisfaction of the United States and to the
advantage of both nations.
" The President has reason to believe that the proceed-
ings thus disapproved were taken by the officers concerned
under the influence of a patriotic and commendable zeal to
bring to deserved punishment outlaws who had offended
against the peace and dignity of both countries. Tho Presi-
dent, while ho recognises this circumstance as modifying
the character of the transaction, and mitigating the censure
to be bestowed upon it, nevertheless freely concedes that it
does not constitute a justification for the violation of the
sovereignty of Great Britain, which those officers have com-
mitted. He has, theref ore, directed that they shall be cen-
sured for this violation, and he will take such other means
as may be necessary to prevent a recurrence of the griev-
ances complained of. Fully determined to make all the
amends that are due to Great Britain in the premises, the
undersigned will await the consideration of her Majesty's
Government upon the case as it has now been submitted.
"The undersigned avails himself, Sec., Ste.,
(Signed) " WM. H. SEWARD."
" Foreign-office, Feb. 3, 1864.
"My Lord,—Your several dispatches of the numbers and
dates specified in the margin, respecting the case of the
Chesapeake, together with the papers which have been re-
ceived by the Secretary of State for the Colonies from the
Colonial authorities in North America, have been submitted
to the law officers of the Crown for their opinion on the dif-
ferent questions raised in them.
" The greater part of those questions have reference to
the administration of the law in the colonies ; and I need
not trouble your lordship with the view taken of them by
the law officers of the Crown.
" 'I he Secretary of State for the Colonies, t 6 whom I have
communicated the opinion of the law officers, will doubtless
give full instructions to the several colonial authorities. "
The readiness which Mr. Seward, in his first communi-
cation with your lordship, manifested to make all proper
and suitable reparation for the acts of the United Eltatee