The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-16 00:00:00

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, Feb. 16.—Wind this day at noon—Feet;
moderate breeze, and cloudy weather.
CARDIFF, Fob. 15.—Wind W.—A.rrivod—Contidencc,
from Santander. Sailed—Stebanhoatb, for Dab
Philip, for Now York—Ocean Icing, acrow steamer, for
Alexandria.
FALMOUTH, Feb. 16.—Wind N.W.Arrived—Relena,
from Rio Janeiro.
Orr MOUNT'S BAY, Feb. 16.--Arrivecl—Chdrlee Daven..
port, from Callao for Havre.
CLYDE, Feb. 16.—Wind N.W.—Arrived--Crown)
Mauritius.

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS— Last Evening,
The LORD CRANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack

at five o'clock.

_
THE SEIZURE OF THE RAMS AT BIRKEN-

HEAD.
Earl RUSSELL said the noble earl opposite, the other
evening, in remarks on the detention of the iron-
clads, referred to several despatches written to
Mr. Adams, and wished to know how far the opinions
and conduct of Government had been influenced by those
communications. He (Earl Russell) had been looking into
dates since that time, and how the conduct of Government
had been influenced by despatches dated the 4th and sth of
September may be gathered by the fact that on the 3d
of September ho (Earl Russell) came to the de-
termination to delay and prevent the departure
of the iron-clads at Birkenhead. On that day Mr. Laird
wrote to the Treasury on the subject of the detention of the
vessels, and he (Earl Russell) also found that from a pri-
vate letter of his:own, written from Scotland, that he
had taken the course he had already mentioned. That
being so, it was impossible that the determi-
nation of the Government could in the slightest
way have been influenced by anything Mr. Adams may
hava written on the 4th of September, Looking, however,
at the correspondence presented to the Government of the
United States, and more especially that part of it which
he had taken part in, he felt that had the language of Mr.
Adams been less temperate he should not have desisted
from the course he (Earl Russell) had adopted. It having
come to his knowledge that the iron-dads building at Bir-
kenhead were intended for the Confederates, it was his duty
to take steps to detain them, in order to obtain full evidence
as to their destination. The noble earl then read the cor-
respondence as published in the American papers in support
of what he had said, and concluded by stating that the
noble earl (Earl Derby) who had introduced the question
must have seen the explanation of the difficulty in the cor-
respondence itself. (Hoar, hear.)
The Earl of DERBY said that he had not seen the ex-
planation of the difficulty that presented itself to him, and
it only showed how much better it would be that such a cor-
respondence should be published authoritatively, (Hear.)
With respect to another part of the question, the noble earl
inquired whether Earl Russell had asked on the part of her
Majesty's Government an explanation from the United States
Government of the circumstances that a despatch written by
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams, to be communicated to the noble
earl, but which was not so communicated, had been actually
published and laid before the Congress as part of the corres-
pondenca between the United States and her Majesty's Go-
vernment.
Earl RUSSELL, in reply, said as he had apparently con-
cluded too hastily that the noble earl (Derby) had seen the
answer to the question he asked in the correspondence itself,
he wished to withdraw the remark. With regard to the last
question, he (Earl Russell) deemed that it was a wise course
to consider the despatches as received, and to perform that
duty with as much conciliation as possible. He believed
Mr. Adams had pursued that course, and he (Earl Russell)
had communicated to the noble earl opposite the views of
tha despatch in question, though not the substance of it.
(Hear, hear,)
After a few words in which Earl GRANVILLE and the
Marquis of CLaarnaca UDE joined, the subject dropped.