The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-21 00:00:00

The Seizure of the Peterhof'.

77, Cornhill, E.C., London, April 20, 1863.
Messrs. Bennett and Wake present their compli-
ments to the Editor of The Sun and beg to enclose
the correspondence relating to the seizure of the
steamship Peterhoff, and also the Sea Queen steamer
about to sail for Matamoros.

77, Cornlaill, E.C., April 10, 1863.
The Right Hon. the Earl Russell, K.G., Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs.
My Lord,—We, the merchants and brokers inte-
rested in the cargo and crew of the steamship Peter-
hoff, have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your lordship's letter of the 3d inst., addressed to
Mr. G. P. Harding and others.

with which her Majesty's
While ,thanking your lordship for the prompti-
tudeacted in this matter, we are desirous of requesting
your lordship's attention to our position as explained
Government has
by the letter in question.
When sending the Peterhoff from the port of Lon-
don, we fulfilled every formality demanded by the
law, and satisfied every requirement of mercantile
custom. The legal nature of the voyage being thus
established, we respectfully submit to your lordship
that we are entitled to the protection of her Majes-
ty's Government in the prosecution of our ordinary
commerce.

But your lordship informs us by your letter that
it is the right of a belligerent to capture all vessels
reasonably suspected ;" and again " whenever such
cause of capture is alleged the case cannot be with-
drawn from the consideration of the prize courts."

We do not seek to avoid the operation of the right
of search, but we contend that what we have done
excludes any reasonable doubt or suspicion. If after
alllegal and commercial formalities have been duly
fulfilled, our vessel going to Matamoras (a neutral
port), may notwithstanding be legally seized and
detained by a belligerent on a mere allegation of
suspicion, then any British vessel, whatever her des-
tination or cargo, is liable to such seizure and de-
tention, and a belligerent has the right, whenever it
suits his convenience, to interrupt, harass, and
practically stop our trading with any neutral port
he pleases. This position, resulting from the opinion
communicated in the letter of your lordship, is one
we are unwilling to accept as final, inasmuch as it
mplearcceys theof t
hwehdoilsecrceotimomn eorrciendwcretion of the officersof the empire at the
of any belligerent Power.
This renders it necessary that we should further
inform your lordship that some of us have large in-
terests in the Sea Queen, now loaded and lying in
the port of London, and also in other vessels under
engagement to follow the Peterhoff to Matamoras.
Mr. Bennett, of the undersigned firm of Bennett
and Wake, through whom the line has been estab-
lished, is now at that port, awaiting the anticipated
arrival of the Peterhoff, and arranging for the
reception and despatch of this and succeed-
ing steamers. We earnestly solicit the protec-
tion of her Majesty's Government for these vessels.
Their capture and detention, and the consequent in-
terruption to our commerce, would produce far more
serious loss than could be compensated by any da,
mages hereafter to be awarded.

We are desirous of acting on any suggestion which
your lordship may be good enough to make in order
to more completely satisfy the authorities of the
lawful nature of our operations; but we believe
ourselves entitled to protection, and earnesty beg
your lordship's favourable attention to this subject.
Already are we called up al to pay largely increased
rates of assurance in consequence of the opinion an-
nounced in your lordship's letter. and the imme-
diate result must be to embarrass and materially
diminish the extent of our operations.

There is another consequence ultimately arising
which we approach with regret, but we think it
our duty to inform your lordship that vessels of a
neighbouring nation have been observed to pass the
American cruisers unchallenged,and that a tendency
has been already shown to divert this stream of
commerce from our ports, and to seek under the
French flag that protection which has hitherto been
found under that of our own country. We respect-
fully solicit the honour of an interview, in order
that we may more completely explain to your lord-
ship the extent to which our commercial interests
are affected by the vexatious interruption to which
we are subject, and in the hope of obtaining from
your lordship some protection in our future opera-
tions.—We have the honour to remain, my Lord,
your lordship's most obedient and humble servants,
(Signed) G. P. HARDING,
J. J. BENNETT AND WAKE,
AND OTHERS.

77, Cornhill, E.C., April 11, 1863.
The Right Hon. the Earl Russell, K.G., Secretary

of State for Foreign Affairs.
My Lord,—We have the honour to enclose a list
of vessels advertised in the New York Shipping
and Commercial Zug of the 18th, 21st, and 25th
March last, to sail for the port of Matamoras.
We desire to call the attention of your lordship
to the fact of merchant vessels being allowed to
clear from the port of New York for this destina-
tion, while British vessels (as the Peterhoff
steamer) are seized and detained when engaged in
the legal prosecution of the same voyage. This
would seem to imply a desire on the part of the
Federal Government to retain for its own subjects
the monopoly of this trade.
We respectfully submit to your lordship that the
advertisements in question, taken in connection
with the late proceedings of Admiral Wilkes, esta-
blish the flagrant injustice of the acts of that officer.
—We have the honour to remain, my Lord, your
lordship's most obedient and very humble servants,
(Signed) JAMES J. BENNETT and WAKE.

Names of vessels advertised in the New York
Shipping and Commercial Last for 18th, 21st, and
25th March, as loading for Matamoras :
Steamer ...Tubal Cain.
Ship
Barque Salem.
Schooners Antelope and Tiptop.

Foreign Office, April 15, 1863.
Earl Russell presents his compliments to Mr.
Harding, and with reference to the letter from him-
self and other merchants interested in the case of
the Peterhof', will be happy to receive them at this
office to-morrow the 16th, at three o'clock p.m.

hilel'hEon.Co.u'r of submitting to
April 17, 1863.
My Lord,—Wne C
hht
your lordship yesterday, our reasons for soliciting
the interference of her Majesty's Government to
afford some protection for the steamship Sea Queen,
now 15 ing at Falmouth, and detained by the owners
oard n
in consequence of the capture of the Peterhoff. It
is not necessary for us to dilate on the inconveni-
ence and loss arising to us merchants, whose goods
are on board the Sea Queen, by such a detention
and stopping of our legal trade. We, therefore, re-
spectfully suggest to your lordship that the presence
of a mail agent on the vessel would offer a guarantee
to the Federal authorities that the vessel would
proceed to the port for which she was cleared ; and
we earnestly solicit of your lordship the appoint-
ment of such an official. Should our request meet
with the approbation of your lordship, we are pre-
pared ourselves to support any charge arising from
such appointment.—WS have the honour to remain,
my lord, your lordships most obedient servants,
(Signed) JAMES J. BENNETT and NV.' -
The Right Hon. Earl Russell,i KG ' .
Secretary of State fo' ner Majesty's
_- oreign Affairs.

Foreign Office, April 18, 1863.
*Aentlemen,—l have laid before Earl Russell your