The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 21, 1863.

is a country where, though it has harbours in abundance,
circumstances beyond the control and discretion of the
Government of the day have so ordered it that there are
not in it any of those great naval establishments which, in
a considerable degree, contribute to the welfare and pros-
perity of the districts in which they are placed. (Hear,
hear.) Cannot my hon. friend—if he would only enlarge
his mind and liberate it from the narrow scope of considera-
tion by which he seems to be guided—can he not believe
that the Government,whose duty it is to watch equally over
the welfare of every part of the dominions of her Majesty,
may have been influenced (if there were presented to their
consideration an arrangement which was calculated in the
opinion of the Irish nation to contribute to their prosperity
and welfare, and which would, even with a view to the
whole United Kingdom, be useful and desirable) by
considerations of the same sort, and not by such a flimsy
hope as that of simply gaining support in this house. (Hear,
hear.) But they may indeed have thought that the best
chance of a Government obtaining support, not only in this
house but in the country, was to do the best they could to
promote the interests of the whole empire, including Ire-
land. (Hear, hear.) That was one of the main grounds on
which the Government thought it right to adopt the course
they have. My hon. friend has argued this question as if
no interests were concerned but those of Scotland and Liver-
pool. He has totally forgotten that Ireland is a part of the
United Kingd•.,m and has an interest in speedy communi-
cation and in getting its letters and goods transmitted across
the Atlantic, independent of considerations which attach
simply to the 'different ports of communication. (Hear,hear.)
For Irishmen to be compelled to come to England, if they
want to go to America, or to wait for their letters from
America until they are forwarded to them from England,
or to send their goods from Ireland to England for the pur-
pose of being transmitted across the Atlantic,is a great evil,
and any arrangement which gives them a more direct and
ready communication from the western part of Ireland
across the Atlantic must obviously be an advantage to Ire-
land, must tend to assist the development of the natural
resources of the country, and to increase the commercial
and, to a certain degree, the manufacturing prosperity of
the country. (Hear, hear.) These were the views the
Government took on the general question with respect to
this contract, which, if well carried out according to the en-
gagements offered by the contractors,would contribute to the
benefit of the Irish people. (Hear.) But there is another
consideration which could not fail to prey on the mind of
any Government who had to deal with the question, and
that is the consideration that the faith of one Government
had been pledged, and the faith of Parliament had been
pledged to a certain degree. A great number of Irish people
—l,BOO my hon. friend stated—had embarked their limi-
ted means, their all, in this enterprise. All this,
though no engagement may now exist, constituted some
claim on the present Government, who would not have acted
right in repudiating it, unless in the case of a great failure
on the part of the company to complete the conditions of
their contract. At first they did fail—(hear)—and no doubt
their contract was at an end, but the committee appointed
by this house recommended the company to the favourable
consideration of the Government, and we certainly did think
that if they should be able, by enlarged arrangements and
by getting more capital at their command, to fulfil the en-
gagements they offered to enter into, it would be fair to the
parties—to those of them whose only chance it was of mak-
ing good the money they had invested—to renew the con-
tract, from which they expected to derive some interest for
their money. That is the way in which the question at
present stands for their consideration. My hon. friend calls
on the house to do that which I think would be an act of
great cruelty and injustice—(hear)---to interpose and say
that the contract should not be renewed but should be ex-
tinguished. In that case, whatever chance these unhappy
1,800 people had of retrieving their losses, and deriving some
interest from their money, would be disappointed and their
ruin completed. With respect to those who have invested
their money in the enterprise, my hon. friend thinks he will
persuade this house to perform what I think an act of
cruelty and injustice. Ido not believe that this house will
do anything of the sort. (Hear.) I believe that this house
has a greater regard for political morality—(laughter)—
than my hon. friend seems to give it credit for. I think it
would be an act of political immorality and an arbitrary
act if, in consequence of an abstract proposal, which my
hon. friend is afraid to bring to the decision of the house,
and which he does not make the foundation of his second
resolution, the house were to call on the Government to
crush all the hopes which these unhappy contributors to
the enterprise may yet retain of realising the profits of their
investments, and were immediately to pass a resolution
putting an entire :end to this Galway contract. (Hear,
hear.) I say that if the company, whether consisting of
preference shareholders or ordinary shareholders, can make
good their engagements, I think that the good faith and
pledges given by Government in this house will lead the
house to negative the motion. (Cheers.)
Gen. UPTON, who spoke amidst loud calls for a division,
said that the establishment of the Galway and American line
of packets was much wanted, It would effect a great saving
of time in the Transatlantic voyages.
The house then divided. The numbers were—
For Mr. Baxter's motion .... 46
Against it
Majority against the motion
The announcement of the numbers was received with loud

cheers.
THE MURDER OF MR. BRADDE LL.
Mr. WHITESIDE rose to call attention to the circum-
stances connected with the assassination of Mr. Braddell
in July last, in the town of Tipperary, and to ask for an
explanation of the conduct of the police, and of the course
taken by the Government in reference to that transaction,
He said that Mr. Braddell was in the back room of an hotel
in the town of Tipperary, when his bailiff, Hayes, an old
man, whom he had discharged and removed from his farm

in consequence of his son having been tried for murder and
acquitted, entered the room, and in the presence of another
bailiff named Moore, tendered his rent to Mr. Braddell, who
refused it, whereupon Hayes said, " Then take this," and
fired three shots, which took effect upon Mr. Braddell, who
died shortly afterwards without giving any account of what
occurred. Twenty minutes were suffered to elapse before
any alarm was given. Hayes was suffered to leave the

house unmolested. There were above a thousand police in

that district of Ireland, a large number of whom were in
the town, yet this murderer was suffered to walk off. Some
explanation was desirable from the Government as to the
conduct of the police in the matter.
Mr. BAGWELL expressed it as his belief that Hayes
had sailed for America from Cork immediately after the
murder, and condemned in the strongest manner the pre-
sent organisation of the Irish constabulary.
THE CASE OF MICHAEL O'CONNOR.

Mr. O'HARA called attention to the circumstances con-
nected with the prosecution of Michael O'Connor at the
last spring assizes for the county of Sligo for the abduction
of Elizabeth Davey, and also to the fact that no bill of in-
dictment was preferred against him for violently breaking
into the house, and that he was discharged with the nominal
punishment of entering into his own recognisance in the
sum of £lOO. The hon. member complained that so light
a punishment was calculated to bring the law into con-
tempt, and to load to dangerous results.
Sir R. PEEL said it appeared to him that this was a
case of rough courtship. (Laughter.) The parties were
engaged to be married, though resisted by their friends.
They were now married, and he hoped they were living
happily together. (Hear, hear.) He did not see that in what
had been done there had been any great infringement of the
law. With regard to the murder of Mr. Braddell, every at-
tempt had been made to apprehend the murderer, but up to
the present time without success. Everything had been
done to mislead the authorities relative to his whereabouts.
The Irish Government had done and were doing everything
in their power for the purpose of bringing the murderer
Hayes to justice, although up to the present time their efforts
had proved unavailing. It was his own impression that
Hayes was still concealed in some place in Ireland ; the
constabulary were constantly on the look out for him, and
he had that morning received a letter from Gen. Lanolin, in
which he expressed a hope that the police would yet find
him. But Hayes was not the only murderer who had suc-
ceeded in escaping the hands of justice. The parties impli-
cated in the murder of Lord Norbury, and more recently, in
the Kent and Waterloo-road murders, had baffled all efforts
to bring them to justice ; and this being so, and taking into
account all the circumstances of the case, he thought he was
justified in saying that the complaints against the Irish
constabulary were not well founded. The right hon. baronet,
in reply to a question put to him by an hon. member in the
early part of the evening, said it was net the intention of
Government, considering the difficulties of the question, to
introduce an Irish marriage bill in the present session, but
he hoped to be able to frame a measure on the subject next
session.

grounded his remarks upon the report of two engineer offi-
cers, appointed by Lord Herbert to inquire into the neces-
sity of erecting defences for the protection of the harbour.
Assurances had been given more than once to the Mayor of
Yarmouth that batteries would be erected if land was ob-
tained for the purpose ; but although the land had been
purchased, and was in the possession of the Government,
the batteries had not been erected.
After a few words from Sir H. WILLOUGHB Y, corn-
plaining of the course adopted by the Government of taking
a supply on a Friday night, the motion was agreed to, and
the house went into committee of supply on
THE ARMY ESTIMATES.
On the vote of £321,884 for the volunteer service,
Sir G. LEWIS said there was a distinct understanding
when the change was made that the Government should be
at liberty to go into Committee of Supply on Friday night
if time permitted, and he certainly never had heard that it
was too late at 10 o'clock to proceed with Government busi-
ness. Frequently on Mondays and Thursda)s there were
motions which prevented the house going into Committee
of Supply before that hour. With regard to this vote, there
was an increase in it of £199,000, which was based on the
recommendation of the Royal Commission. After careful
investigation, they reported that the Volunteer force had
arrived at a point when a large part of it might fall to
pieces if it did not receive some Government support.
(Hear, hear.) He did not quite understand the meaning
of that cheer, but any one who referred to the history of
former Volunteer movements—that of 1801, for instance—
would see that the country came to the assistance of the
Volunteers at a much earlier period, and to a much greater
extent. (Hear, hear.) The Commissioner proposed that each
Volunteer regiment should receive a grant to be applied to
certain definite purposes, calculated on the principle of a
capitation grant. The sum was not to be paid to each indi-
vidual, but in the aggregate to the adjutant, who was to dis-
burse it and account to the War-office. It was proposed
that the amount should be 20s. for each man in all regi-
ments except the Artillery, who had passed a certain scale
of drill, and 108. for each man in addition who had passed
a certain course of military instruction. The Artillery
were to have 30s, each. The Government was, he thought,
upon the whole justified in making the proposal; and the
charge for the Volunteer force was, he believed, the only
head under which a real increase in the Army Estimates
for the present year would be found.
Lord LOVAINE moved that the vote be reduced by
£154,676, the amount of the capitation grant, contending
that the expenditure upon the Volunteers, which had
mounted up from £Bo,ooo—the sum granted in the first year
of their existence —to £321,000 in the present year, had
began to assume extravagant proportions. It was, in his
opinion, quite time that the House of Commons should
refuse its assent to so large an expenditure in the case of
a body of men who performed no regular duties for the
money; who, as had been stated on the best authority, could
not be called out in the event of any social disturbance to
aid in the maintenance of order with arms in their hands ;
and whose arms were, as he had seen by statements in the
public press, sometimes actually a source of danger. In
moving the reduction of the vote, he must not be under-
stood as seeking to impugn in any way the spirit of the
volunteers, or to maintain that as a demonstration of the
warlike feeling of the country they had not produced a
good effect on foreign nations. He at the same time, now
that all apprehension of invasion had passed away, and that
no danger appeared to threaten the country, must ask hon.
gentlemen, especially those who sat below the gangway
on the Ministerial side of the house, to join with him in
pressing upon the attention of the Government the expe-
diency of calling on those corps as far as possible to main •
tain themselves.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS was astonished to hear the noble
lord complain of an expenditure of £321,000 upon 160,000
men, while there were £14,000,000 asked for in connexion
with the maintenance of the regular army, which numbered
only 148,000 men. For his own part, he thought the vote
for the volunteers constituted the most economical portion
of the expenditure embraced in the Estimates. (Hear,
hear.)
Colonel BARTTELOT said that the Royal Commission
of which he was a member, came to the conclusion that in
order to maintain the numbers and efficiency of the volun-
teers it was necessary that they should receive some assist-
ance from the State. The estimate proposed was a very
moderate one, and the expenditure of this sum would se-
cure to the country, in case of need, the services of 120,000
men, not five per cent. of whom would enlist in the army,
navy, or militia. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. H. LEWIS considered this one of the most economi-
cal votes which had been proposed to the committee—(hear,
hear)—but suggested that in another year it might be de-
sirable to diminish the number of adjutants, and apply the
sum saved from their pay to other objects.
Sir G. BOWYER said that the speech of the noble lord
would be received with dissent by all classes. (Hear, hear.)
A body of men who made such sacrifices for the country as
the Volunteers had done deserved to be assisted by the
State. (Hear, hear.)
Colonel DUNNE fully admitted the patriotism of the
Volunteers, which appeared to be valued at 20s. per head. (A
laugh.) He believed Volunteers would be quite as ready to
fight the enemies of their country as soldiers could be, but
the virtues of the force were civil—not military. The great
value of the movement was that it taught the people how to
assemble in masses in case of invasion. (Hear, hear.) In
the meantime men were not made soldiers by clothing them
in suits of blotting-paper, arming them with old muskets,
or teaching them to take up four times as much ground as
soldiers would do. (Laughter.) When the report of this
debate reached Ireland some surprise would be felt at the
facility with which money had been voted for the purposes
of the Volunteer force after the fuss made about so small a
sum as the Galway Subsidy. (Hear.)
Colonel NORTH asked whether it was not worth £1 a-

head to instil military ideas into men who, in case of inva-
sion, would admittedly be relied upon as soldiers. (Hear,
hear.) The bounty would not be received by the Volunteers
themselves, but was mainly intended to overcome the diffi-
culty of bringing members of administrative battalions
together in rural districts—a difficulty which was exceed-
ingly great when they had to travel 30 or 40 miles to attend
drill. Without discussing the amount of room required by

a Volunteer battalion to move in, he maintained that the

aptitude exhibited in learning their drill and the precision
with which their movements were executed were astonish-
ing—(hear, hear)—and it was impossible for any old
soldier to refuse them his admiration. As to making
them perfectly disciplined soldiers, that could only be
done by the continuous discipline of the barrack yard ;
and if the amount of time requisite for that purpose
were demanded at their hands it would be necessary to
pay, not £300,000, but £3,000,000. To the Volunteers their

time was money, and he believed they cheerfully sacrificed
as much of it as was consistent with other engagements, for
frequently the men were not their own masters. They were
an honourable force, and one that it was a pleasure to com-
mand. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. SHELLEY said there had been no falling off in the
payments from enrolled members, but the public had ceased
to give subscriptions as freely as they used. The question
was whether it was worth while to pay the sum proposed in
order to retain 150,000 menns part of the permanent defences
of the country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. DILLWYN said the volunteer force found favour
with members below the gangway because it was the cheapest
and most efficient organisation for defensive purposes which
had yet been proposed.
Mr. BUXTON was happy to say that in the battalion he
commanded, consisting entirely of working men, there was
as much zeal as ever. Since it had become known that the
Government grant would enable the corps to reduce its ex-
penses 170 recruits had joined its ranks. He felt grateful to
the Government for having proposed a measure without
which it would have been impossible for the force to keep
together.
Mr. JACKSON explained that in the case of the riot at
Birkenhead, to which allusion had been made, the volun-
teers were told that it was not their place to come forward
as volunteers to put down the disturbance, but as citizens';
and lest any of their arms might fall into the hands of the
rioters the nipples of the guns were removed.
Mr. ADDINGTON thought the efficiency of the volun-
teer force was greatly exaggerated. There were not more
than 50,000 thoroughly efficient volunteers in the kingdom.
The volunteer force in the country districts fell far short of
the efficiency which might be seen in the volunteers of the
towns. It was incumbent on the Government to see that
the money voted by Parliament was spent in making them
really efficient.
Sir G. C. LEWIS said he thought the objections which
had been made to the volunteer force and its efficiency had
been satisfactorily answered. (Hear.) If it were assumed
that the regular force available for the service of the coun-
try did not amount to much more than 40,000 bayonets, it

was impossible to conceive a more efficient auxiliary body

at less expense than the volunteer force. (Hear, hear.,
With regard to the number of volunteers, he had it on

On the vote of £956,365 for the manufacturing depart-
ments,
Sir G. LEWIS observed that there was a large de-
crease under this head as compared with last year. A
short time since the contract with the Elswick Factory
was terminated, in consequence of the inability of the
Government to supply the company with a sufficient amount
of orders to render the works profitable. The diminution
of orders was due to the fact that while the present ordnance
experiments were going on the Government did not like to
proceed with the manufacture of cannon at a rapid rate. By
the terms of their contract with the Elswick Company they
were bound to make compensation if the works were not
profitable, and under these circumstances they deemed it
better to pay the forfeit and put an end to the contract.
Sir W. Armstrong had thereupon resigned his post as
head of the Ordnance Department, because he wished to be
perfectly free from all connexion with the Government and
to devote himself entirely to the Elswick factory. This
change would necessitate a revision of the existing ar-
rangements in the department, and an opportunity would
be afforded of correcting certain abuses of the old system.
It was a most important question whether the Government
should maintain manufactories of its own or employ con-
tractors. n discussing that question some confusion arose
from the application of abstract principles of political
economy to circumstances where they required some modi-
fication. In general the Government could not employ con •
tractors with advantage unless the article to be produced
was one for which there was a natural demand, and which
was required not merely by the Government but by the
general public. Clothing, for instance, came under that
category. In the case of iron ordnance, however, there
was no general demand. No one wanted that commodity,
except our own or perhaps a foreign Government. The con-
sequence was that, if a contractor undertook to supply the
Government with guns, it was necessary to enter into a
special contract, either to take a certain quantity of guns
in the course of the year, or to advance a sum for plant and
fixed expenses, or else in some other manner to maintain
the contractor in his special manufacture. Thus, a contrac-
tor producing an article for which there was no general de-
mand became almost a Government manufacturer, end
would scarcely be considered in the light of a free and inde-
pendent contractor. On the other hand, articles like cloth-
ing, in proportion as they admitted of verification by in-
spection, might be supplied by private manufactztre. There
was an exception in the case of shoes, since soles might be
filled up with an inferior article and might not be quite
solid. The practice, therefore, was to cut up one or two pairs
here and there to see if the soles were perfectly made. As a
general rule, however, articles for which there was a natu-
ral demand and which admitted of being verifiel by in-
spection ought almost invariably to be supplied by con-
tractors. Where, on the contrary, the article was one for
which there was no natural demand, and one of which the
Government were the exclusive purchasers, and where
also the in spection could not be verified, a Government
fac ory was more economical and advantageous than
a supply by contractors. If this principle were sound,
the house would see that the factory at Woolwich had not

undergone any unjustifiable enlargement, and that the Go-
vernment would be better supplied by its own factory in this
instance than by employing contractors. (Hear.)
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said that the question raised by
the Secretary at War was rather too important to be raised
and discussed at half-past 11 at night. (Hear, hear.) He
had given notice of a motion for reducing the grant to these
establishments, and should propose a small reduction in the
present vote to enable the committee to consider the effect
of the Government manufactures upon the public expendi-
ture. He agreed in the principle that there were certain ar-
ticles which it was desirable to produce by Government fac-
tories. But it was well Parliament should know how this
source of Government expenditure was increasing. Previous
to the amalgamation of the War-office with the Ordnance
this expenditure was very small. It had, however, gone on
gradually increasing from about £15,000 in 1855, until it
was now about £30,000. The present vote was considerably
reduced since last year, but there had been no reduction in
the establishments. It appeared that Sir W. Armstrong had
wisely retired from a position inconsistent with his other
pursuits, and his retirement left perfectly open the question
of the reduction of the establishment with which that gen •
tleman had been connected. Did the right hon. gentleman
propose to appoint another person in his place, and, if so, on
what terms ? Were the committee aware of the immense
expenditure employed for wages and stores in the manufac-
tories supplying the army and navy? During the last
two years the items of wages and stores for the army

and navy amounted to not less than £16,120,000. In the
present year there was a considerable reduction in the stores,
but no reduction in the establishments, and that was the

point to which he wished to direct the attention of the Com-
mittee, If they meant to reduce the stores, they should
act on the same principle, and reduce the establishments as
well. The witnesses who gave their evidence before the
Committee on Military Organisation, and who were likely
to form a sound opinion, thought we had carried this
system of manufacturing too far. Sir B. Hawes was
in favour of relying more on private enterprise, and less on
public establishments, and did not believe that the contract
system had had a fair trial. The house had not the accounts
of the store branches and the manufacturing branches be-
fore it. Without that information, and particularly without
balance-sheets, it was impossible for them to know what
they were about when voting these large sums. (Hear,
hear.) Messrs. Anderson and Arbuthnot, well-known gen
tlemen, whose evidence was conclusive on matters of
finance, stated that the system was entirely unsatisfactory
in the store branch. The late Lord Herbert admitted that
proper financial control was wanting; and there could be no
doubt that the accounts were faulty and unsound both in
the store and the manufacturing departments. Unless they
took stock and knew the prices of the articles so as to be
able to tell whether they cost more than those produced by
private manufacturers, the basis of any correct system of
accounts must be entirely wanting, and they must be left,
as Mr. Anderson said, on these points "very much in the
dark." He did not wish to make any violent change, but
was for a moderate limitation of these establishments. His
complaint against the system was that it did not give them
the cost. He should like to know the expense of the artillery
and gun factory for the last two years. The accounts were
rao ically faulty, and the same remark applied to some extent
to the gun-carriage department. But the foundation of the
whole, the valuation of the store, was a perfect blank at the
time when Capt. Gordon gave his evidence. What he now
proposed was that a small reduction should be made upon
the sum of £35,871 for the nine establishments embraced
within this vote. He would therefore move that that
amount be diminished by £2,000; and if he received sup-
port he would divide the committee. At all events, before
they were called upon to agree to this large vote the right
hon. gentleman ought to afford them some explanations of
the system carried on in these establishments.
Colonel DUN NE said there were many kinds of stores
which ought to be taken from private contractors, but there
were certain special articles which Government alone could
produce. Among the latter might be mentioned gun-car-
riages, but he saw no reason why clothing should be made
exclusively in Government factories. Our public establish-
ments were becoming too big, and he thought they might
be reduce with advantage.
Sir J. FERGUSSON concluded that there had been an
enormous excess in the estimates last year, or there could
not be such a reduction this year. He warned the committee
against the expense of what the right hon. baronet called a
new subject of inspection.
Sir G. C. LE WIS did not contemplate any great increase
for the purposes of inspection. There would be a saving on
the salary of Sir W. Armatrong. He begged to move that
the chairman report progress. (Hear, hear.)
The house resumed.
Sir G. C. LEWIS obtained leave to bring in a bill to
abolish the office of Secretary at War.
The bill was brought in and read a first time.
The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned at half-past twelve.

Capture and Destruction of three American
Vessels by the Alabama,

SOUTHAMPTON, March 20.

About half-past 12 o'clock this morning a Cowes!
pilot-boat arrived in the river with 37 men and
officers of the American ships Golden Eagle, Olive
Jane, and the schooner Palmetto, which had been
captured and burned by the Confederate steamer
Alabama, Captain Semmes.
The officers and crews of the said ships were
taken from on board the American ship Washington,
by the pilot-boat, about 30 miles south of the Isle of
Wight, and were landed here, and taken charge of
by the United States Consul at this port, Captain
Britton, who has kindly furnished copies of the fol-
lowing reports, as lodged with him by Captains
Swift, KaHock, and Seland:—

" Report of the capture and burning of the ship
Golden Eagle, E. A. Swift master, by the Con-
federate steamer Alabama, in lat. 29.17 N., long.

45,15 W,

" The Golden Eagle was on her passage from I
Howland's Island for New Orleans, with a full
cargo of guano, about 1,200 tons. At 10 a.m. on
the 21st ult., the Golden Eagle on the starboard
tack by the wind, saw a sail off the port bow,
standing towards us by the wind. At 11 a.m. spoke
with the barque Olive Jane, of Boston, for New
York. At 11 a.m. made the sail on the port bow
to be a gunboat, saw her smoke pipe, distance some
six miles ; soon after the steamer fired two blank
guns, the Confederate flag at her peak, and tucked
ship heading as ourselves, the wind being very
light at this Lime, the ship going about four miles I
per hour; the steamer soon took in sail, and steamed
direct for my ship; soon after meridian she fired a
shot at us, falling short of the ship. About 1.15
p.m. the steamer fired again, the shot pat sing very
close ahead of the ship. About 1.30 p.m. the
Alabama preparing to give us another shot, we
brought the maintopsail to the mast ; an armed
boat's crew boarded and took possession of my ship.
The Alabama now started in pursuit of the Olive
Jane, now distant some ten miles, came up with,
took, and set fire to the barque about four p.m. At
six p.m. the Alabama returned to my ship, and I
was ordered on board with all the ship's papers.
After examination of myself and papers by Captain
Semmes, he gave his first lieutenant orders for the
plunder and burning of my ship. They took off
all the ship's papers and log-book and whatever they
wanted from the ship ; also all my private property
(except a few of my clothes), such as chronometer,
two sextants, glasses, charts, books, in fact, all of
my nautical instruments were taken from me. My
officers and crew were allowed to take one small
clothes-bag with them. On my arrivsl on board the
Alabama my officers and crew were put in irons, and
remained on deck while on board. My baggage, and
that of my officers and crew, was searched, and I was
taken below and ray person searched, and what little
money I had with me, 157 dollars, taken from me.
I was allowed to mess and sleep with the petty offi-
cers in the steerage; by them I was treated very
courteously. At 9 p.m. the Golden Eagle was set
on fire, and at 8 a.m. on the 22d February she went
down. The steamer lay near the burning ship all
night. On the 27th the Alabama gave chase to a
ship ; after firing two blank guns and one shot, the
ship hove to. An armed boat's crew went on board
and took possession of the ship, which proved to be
the ship Washington, of New York, from Callao for
Antwerp. Captain White came on board of the
Alabama. After an examination of his papers, and
ascertaining the fact that as his cargo was English
property they dared not burn his ship, Capt. White
was compelled to give a ransom bond of 60,000 dol-
lars, and take all the prisoners from the Alabama,
39 all told. I was on board the Alabama six days.
Two of my crew joined the pirates and remained on
board.

(Signed) " E. A. SWIFT.
" Master of the late ship Golden Eagle."
"Report of the capture of the schooner Palmetto,
of Trenton, 0. H. Seland, master, by the Con-
federate steamer Alabama. Capt gyred and burned
Feb. 3, 1863, in lat. 27.2, long. 66.09.
" The Palmetto was on her voyage from New York
for Porto Rico. At 1 p.m., made a sail bearing
south-west. I was steering at that time W.S.W.,
with the wind to the southward. At about 1.30
p.m. I saw that she was a gunboat standing directly
for us. At 2 p.m. saw her set United State colours,
and immediately fire a gun, and then set her Con-
federate flag. I then hove to, the steamer sent an
armed crew on board and took charge of my vessel
and ordered me to take all of my ship's papers and
go on board of the Alabama, to be examined by
Captain Semmes, and after Captain Semmes had
examined all of my papers, be gave orders to the
first lieutenant to take out what provisions would
be necessary, and then to set fire to the vessel.

And in the meantime they allowed me to take
one small trunk full of my clothes, and each of
my crew a clothes-bag of clothes, and to return
on board of the Alabama. When we got on
board they put my mate and crew in irons, and
ordered me to mess in the steerage with the petty
officers. The officers of the Alabama took all my
nautical instruments, such as chronometer, qua-
drants, glasses, charts, &c. About 8 p.m., after
they had takes all they wanted from the vessel,
they set fire to her. The Alabama then went on her
way, spoke and boarded a number of foreign vessels,
and, on the 21st February, fell in with and cap-
tured two American vessels—the ship Golden Eagle,
of New Bedford, and the barque Olive Jane, of
Boston. They were both burnt. On the 27th of
February the Alabama gave chase to a ship which
proved to be the Washington, of New York, from
Chincha Islands, bound to Antwerp. At 3 p.m.
the Alabama fired two guns, the ship not heaving
to, they fired a shot, which came close to the ship.
The ship hove to, and was boarded by a boat from
the Alabama. The captain came on board, and
was obliged to give a ransom bond of 50,000 dols.,
and to take on board all of the Alabama's prisoners,
including my crew, and the crew of the two vessels
above mentioned. We were all transferred on board
the ship Washington, where we were kindly re-
ceived by the captain."

" Report of the capture and burning of the barque
Olive Jane of Boston, Robert Kallock, master, by
the piratical steamer Alabama, February 21st,
1863, lat. 29.17, long. 45.30.
" The Otive Jane was on her way from Bordeaux
for New York with 130 tons of Ft such cargo on
board. At 11 a.m. saw a sail to the northwest
steering direct for us. At the same time spoke
ship Golden Eagle, of New Bedford, from How-
land's Islar.d bound to Cork. About 12 noon saw a
sail in sight, a steamship, with the Confederate flag
at her peak. In a few moments saw her fire guns
to heave the ship to. She then got up steam and
took in her sail, and steamed direct for the ship.
The wind being very light she soon gained up
with the ship. About 2 p.m. saw them board
the ship, and then square away and made all
sail, steering direct for my vessel, the wind being
so very light that I could use no resistance, but
kept on my course. At 3 p.m. the Alabama com-
menced to fire blank guns, and in a short time came
up alongside of us, and sent an armed crew on board

and took charge of my ship, and ordered me to take
all my ship's papers and to repair on board the
Alabama to be examined by Capt. Semmes, and after
he had examined my papers, he told me that it would
be better for the Confederate Government to pay for
what French goods I had on board than for him not
to burn my barque. He then gave orders to the
first lieutenant for the plunder and burning of my

ship, and to allow me 15 minutes to go onboard and
get one small trunk full of my clothes, and to allow
my officers and crew to take with them one bag of
clothes each, and to be sure we took nothing more.
The officers of the Alabama took all my nautical
instruments, such as my barometer, chronometer,
sextants, glasses, and all my books, charts, ship
papers, and ensign. They plundered the cabin of
such things as they wanted, then immediately set
fire to the vessel. When we got on board the
Alabama, the officers and crew were all put in irons
and kept on deck during our stay on board. I was
conducted down into the steerage, where they
searched my person, and took what money I had
about me. I was then permitted to mess and sleep
with the petty officers, where my accommodations
were very limited. About six p.m. they brought
Capt. Swift, who was treated the same as myself.

We were on board the Alabama six days. On the
27th of February the Alab +ma gave chase to a ship,
which proved to be the ship Washington, of New
York, from Callao, bound for Antwerp. About
three p.m., they came up within gun-shot of the
ship and fired two blanks ; the ship not heaving to,
they fired a shot, which came very near to the ship,
which then hove to, and was boarded by an armed
crew from the Alabama. The captain came on board,
and was obliged to give a ransom bond of 50,000
tons, and take on board all the Alabama's prisoners,
including my crew and the crews of the Golden
Eagle and schooner Palmetto. We were then all
compelled to sign a parole, and then all transferred
to the ship Washington, where we received a hearty
welcome from Capt. White.

(Signed) "ROBERT KALLOCK, late Maeter
of the barque Olive Jane."

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT BLACKWALL.

Late on Thursday night or early yesterday morning an
affray of a most desperate and sanguinary character, and
which lasted for several hours, took place ou board the hulk
Venus, lying in the river off Blackwall-stairs, resulting, it
is believed, in the deaths of two officers andseveral soldiers,
besides serious it not fatal injuries to a large number of the
crew of the Peruvian corvette Arica. For some time past
the Arica has been lying in the West India dock, fitting
out. On her arrival in the river the crew were transferred
to the Venus hulk They numbered about 160 men, of
whom it is understood, 90 were soldiers. They were under
the command of Gapt. Gaspar Ecurrae. It appears that on
Thursday the soldiers were allowed to go on shore, and a
number of them availed themselves of this privilege to get
intoxicated, and upon returning to the hulk at night they
contrived to smuggle a quantity of liquor on board. A
scene of disorder and riot soon ensued, and the soldiers re-
fused to obey the orders of their officers. Thelatter, finding
that all their efforts to enforce discipline were without avail,
called out the sailor s to secure the most disorderly, and to
clear the decks. This apparently roused the soldiers to
frenzy, and they resisted with fury. A fearful affray en-
sued over nearly the whole ship. The sailors were armed
with muskets and bayonets, but were, it would seem, with-
out ammunition. Whether the soldiers were possessed of
their side-arms we have been unable to ascertain, but it is
asserted that they made use of all the weapons they could
lay their hands on, The tumult and disorder on the main-
deck were fearful, the soldiers, maddened with drink, en-
deavouring to overpower the sailors; but the latter, by the
free use of the bayonet, drove them down between decks.
Here a kind of hand-to-hand struggle took place, and the
soldiers for a length of time managed to prevent the
sailors following them. At this juncture Captain
Ecurrae, who happened to be at his lodgings ashore, was
sent for, and he speedily arrived. The fight still con-
tinued, and the sailors were openly defied and kept at
bay. The captain, with drawn cutlass, dashed down
amongst the mutineers, and the sailors followed. A ter-
rible encounter arose, and the yells and shrieks of the
excited and drunken men could be heard up and down
the river. For some time it was difficult to say which side
would prevail, and it was no doubt during this dreadful
period of the contest that one of the officers, Ensign Fran-
cisco Vidal, was thrown overboard and perished. It is
feared that others also, who are reported to be missing, met
with a similar fate. The glass and framework of the pot-
holes were broken out, and the weaker of the combatants
were seen to scramble ever the side of the vessel into the
boats alongside. This state of things continued until
towards daybreak, when the soldiers were somewhat over-
powered,although the uproar was by no means silenced.
When order had been partially restored, and some of the
ringleaders secured and placed under a guard, an examina-
tion took place of the deck, when it was discovered that
two soldiers were lying dead, and several others seriously
if not mortally wounded, In the cabin were found the re-
mains of a young midshipman named Guardia Marina, who
had died while the fight was at its height. It appears that
he had been unwell, and it is believed that the extraordi-
nary-excitement consequent on the fearful scene around
him brought on his death. The two soldiers who were
killed were named Pablo Vasquez, 25 years of age, and
Simon Garcia, 24. Both had received bayonet wounds,
and one of them had sustained a fearful blow on the head,
apparently from the butt end of a musket. The three
wounded soldiers were discovered to be seriously injured
with punctured wounds over the head and chest. The doc-
tor attached to the ship, Don Manuel Gastaneta, was 800/1
in attendance on them, but owing to the dreadful confusion
that prevailed, it was difficult to administer aid.
Shortly after daybreak the report of the fearful occur-
rence spread through Blackwell and the neighbouring dis-
tricts, and hundreds congregated on the river banks to
view the scene of the painful event. The Thames police at
once put themselves into communication with Captain
Ecurrae, and measures wete taken for the greater security
of the ringleaders. '1 he Peruvian Minister and Consul
were apprised of the outbreak, and they immediately re-
paired to the ship and ins. ituted an inquiry into the cir-
cumstances. In the course of yesterday Dr. Brownfield,
the surgeon to the police of the district, was required to
visit the ship to see the dead and wounded men, and advise
the medical officer of the vessel as to tha treatmen of the
sufferers. Hopeless accounts are given as to the state of
two of the wounded.
The last report from the ship states that the men had
become calmed down, but most stringent measures had to
be taken to prevent a renewal of the outbreak.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

I,

LIVERPOOL—MAI:ten 20.

At this day's market there was only a small attendance of
the town and country trade, and wheat met a slow de-
mand, buyers being exceedingly shy, the advance of ld per
cental established in the interim was lost, and quotations
cannot now be called higher than on Friday last. Flour
was not improved in demand, and prices irregular. Indian
corn dull, and 6d per qr lower. Oats and oatmeal quiet.
Beans scarce, with a ready sale at 2s to 2s 6d per qr on the
week. Barley and peas each is per qr cheaper.

WAKEFIELD-MARCH 20.

The wheat trade ruled steady to-day, and prices were
fully as high as last week. Where an advance is asked it
checks the sale. In other articles there was no material
alteration in price.

Averages for the week :
Wheat 1,797 qrs., at 47s 61c1
8ar1ey......... 668
Rye — —s Od

Beans
Peas

Oats 136

. . 2Ls 61c1

EXETER-MARCH 20.

Wheat, white.. 6s 3d to 6s 4d I Barley.. 4s 3d to 4s 6d
Ditto red .6s Od to 68 3d Oats .........2s 9d to 3s Od
Flour, fine, 36s to 375; seconds, 34s to 35s per sack.
CATTLE.

Fat beef, p sc., 10s0d to 10s9d Ewes, per lb ....51d to 61c1
Pork carcases, 7s 6d to 8s 6d Wethers, d 0...., 6td to 7d
Lamb, p 1b.......--d to d Fat calves, do ...61c1 told.
_ _

Rough fat, .3id per lb.

STAMFORD-MARCH 20.

New wheat, 48s to —s—red, 43s to 45s per 36 stone.
Barley, malting, 36s to 40s ; grinding, 32s to 33s per qr.
Oats, ,22s to 25s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 43s to —s per
qr. ; new, 38s to —s.

COAL 1%
Prioes of Coal per Ton at
a. d.

ARKET.
the close of the market.

Byass's Bebside West
Hartley ...16 0
Carway and Duffryn
Malting , 19 6
Wylam 16 0
Lambert's West Hart-

s. d.

Davison's West Hart-
ley.. l5 0

Walls End.

ley l5 0 !
Hastings Hartley l5 0
Holywell l6 0
l'antield Moor Butes 12 3 )
alker Primrose 11 6
Ships at market

Kelloe
South Kelloe. l7 6
Haswell .. lB 3
Hetton lB 0
Heugh Halt 16 6
Cassop l7 6
Shincliffe 16 6
It. 10. Aold. 8.

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