The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-11 00:00:00

The Confederate Cruiser Shenandoah,

By the arrival of the Madras we have received
intelligence from Melbourne to the 23d of February.
The principal item of intelligence is an account of
the proceedings the Government of Victoria has
been compelled to take with regard to the Confede-
rate war steamer Shenandoah, which put into Hob-
son's Bay on January 25. It has been reported that
the vessel had actually been seized by the authori-
ties, but this is an exaggeration of the facts. In
consequence of information communicated to the
Government it felt justified inplacing a strict guard
of police at the slip on which the vessel was under-
going repair, to prevent any breach of neutrality by
the enlistment of British subjects. But the Go-
vernment did not intend to detain the ship, and as
soon as her repairs were completed she would pro-
ceed to sea. We give the details from the Australian
News of February 23 :
" The arrival of the Shenandoah on January 25
created much excitement in Melbourne, as it was
reported she was commanded by Capt. Semmes, of
the Alabama. This, however, is not the case ; the
name of her commander is Waddell. On receiving
his application for permission to remain in the har-
bour long enough to make some necessary repairs,
a Cabinet Council was held, at which it was decided
that the Shenandoah should be allowed to remain
till put in working order. She is a clipper-built
screw steamer of 700 tons, exclusive of the space
occupied by the engines, and of about 250 horse
power. She was built on the Clyde, which has
become famous for turning out blockade runners.
A wooden ship with iron frame, and iron masts and
yards, she was no doubt built for the work in which

she is now engaged, and for which she is admirably
adapted. Seen from the pier, the Shenandoah pre-
sents only the appearance of a smart, trimly set
boat—evidently a swift sailer ; but there is nothing
rakish about the craft, nor anything that would
rouse suspicion as to the pacific nature of her in-
tentions were she to steam unheralded among the
shipping of any port. The disguise could hardly
have been more complete or effectual. As the vessel
consumes her own smoke, it is not discoverable at a
distance that she has steam power ; and she might
easily be taken for a merchantman, as indeed she has
been by many a captured Federal ship. Among her
crew may be found representatives of almost every
European nation. The forecastle is a Babel of lan-
guages, no less than 14 tongues being spoken on
board. The officers, of course,_ are all Americans
of the South. The steamer had been placed on a
slip for repairs, which were proceeding rapidly, when,
on the 13th of February, the police magistrate at
Williamstown issued a warrant for the arrest of a
British subject, named Charley, charged with having
enlisted on board the Shenandoah. The officers of
the ship refused to allow the warrant to be executed.
In consequence of this refusal the Government
ordered all British subjects employed in the repairs
of the ship to cease working, and a guard o f
30 policemen was placed on the slip to see that the
Governor's order was obeyed. Their instructions
were not to interfere with or in any way coerce the
officers or men properly belonging to the vessel, but
to maintain among British subjects the strict neu-
trality of the port, and to prevent the slip beingused
during the suspension of the facilities previously
granted. What further action may be resorted to
will, of course, depend to a great extent upon the
course Captain Waddell may choose to adopt. The
steps taken by the Government thus far have been
in strict accordance with international law. It is
entirely a matter of grace on the part of a neutral
Power to allow a vessel belonging to a belligerent
Power to enter a port for repairs, or to take in
stores. This international privilege is conceded on
the one hand, and accepted on the other, on the dis-
tinct understanding that all the conditions of strict
neutrality will be honourably observed on the part
of the belligerent, and that, if anything is done by
him which is either a violation of international or
municipal law, the privilege that had been granted
may be suspended or absolutely withdrawn."
Rumours were current in Melbourne of a formal
seizure of the ship, and a collision between the police
and the crew. But nothing of the kind had occurred,
and the repairs were proceeding actively but quietly
up to the day the Madras sailed. The Shenandoah
had obtained a supply of provisions, and as soon as
she had taken her coal on board would proceed to
sea. The police had arrested four British subjects,
charged with enlisting on board the steamer, but
the inquiry into their case had not commenced.
In a sitting of the Assembly, Mr. M'Culloch, the
Chief Secretary, explained' that the guard had been
placed over the Shenandoah in consequence of Capt.
Waddell having denied that any men had joined
his ship since her arrival, and refused to give Up
the men named in the warrants as British subjects
who had unlawfully enlisted. lie added :
" I am sure it will be admitted that the Govern-
ment had taken the proper course to carry out and
support the intention of the British Parliament in
respect to the Foreign Enlistment Act, and the in-
tention of the proclamation of her Majesty with re-
spect to the observance of neutrality. There is no
doubt that this man Charley, for whom the warrant
was obtained, and of whom we were assured that
he was not on board, was in the uniform of the ship
.--on various occasions at all events. Now, it ap-
pears to me and to the Government that if anything
can be a violation of strict neutrality this is it. My
hon. colleague the Minister of Justice reminds me
that we have not yet proved that this man Charley
wore the uniform of the ship, but we have the state-

meat of various persons that such was the case,and
I have no doubt but further information will be re-
ceived on the point. In the meantime the Govern-

ment have obtained what they really desired to ob-
tain in the first instance—that all the persons who

joined the ship illegally should be removed from the
vessel. That having been done, we have removed
the suspension of leave to her Majesty's sub-
jects to carry out repairs, and to assist the vessel off
the slip. Captain Waddell will, of course, be
ordered to remove from this port at the very earliest
possible date."

=2,
The ship Rinaldo, belonging to Messrs. Liston,
Young, and Co., is stated to have arrived at Calcutta from
London, per telegram received yesterday morning of date
the 6th inst.
TIIE NEW ITALIAN LOAN.—The //cilia of thd sth
says :—" The loan appears to have been finally
conceded to Baron Rothschild, one half at the rate of 59 per
cent., the other is thrown open to public subscription. This
accounts to a certain extent for the rise in our funds. No-
thing certain isknown as to the rate for the public subscrip-
tion ; but the Government will probably notify the same to
us as soon as Baron Rothschild will have somewhat raised
the Italian credit. The action for libel brought by Sig-
nor Sella against the responsible editor of the Monarchia
haliaita will come off on Thursday, the 13th inst.°

The Iron Trade,

WOLVERHAMPTON, Monday.
This morning the several ironmaking firms in the
Wolverhampton district each received a note from
the Mayor of this town (Mr. J. Ford) enclosing the
resolution passed by the puddlers at their meeting
on Saturday, declining to resume work till they had
obtained a pledge from their masters that a Code of
rules and a court of arbitration should be estab-
lished for the settlement of future disputes. The
Mayor's note requested the masters to meet a depu-
tation of the men and himself at the Town-hall, on
Tuesday forenoon, and his Worship desired that the
firms addressed would reply as to their willingness
or otherwise to be present. It is the Mayor's in-
tention to be supported during the proposed inter-
view by the presence of the Town Clerk of the
borough (Mr. E. J. Hayes).
To-day the men held another meeting at the Horse
and Jockey, where they assembled on Saturday.
The deputation reported that they had been very
favourably received by the Mayor, who wished
them to resume work and allow the arbitration
matter to be settled after they had gone in. But
they said that they understood the feeling of the
meeting to be strong against any such step until
the masters had at least given them a promise that
a court of arbitration should be established. His
Worship then consented to call the masters together
at the Town Hall on Tuesday, at 11 o'clock, and
asked them to let him know if that time would be
suitable to the men.
The meeting now replied in the affirmative, ap-
pointed the deputation to meet the masters to-
morrow, and sent word to the Mayor that the hour
and day suggested would quite meet the views of
the men.

How far the determination of the Scotch iron-
masters not to submit the question in dispute be-
tween them and their men to arbitration will in-
fluence the masters in South Staffordshire remains
to be seen.

Throughout the extensive Brierly-hill district
work is generally being resumed by the puddlers
to-night. At Messrs. Brown and Freer's, how-
ever, there is a little hitch with the forge rollers,
who want a slight increase upon their former remu-
neration. The claim is based upon a state of things
which is understood to be peculiar to the operations
of the firm named, and therefore of only limited
importance. Messrs. Brown and Freer have
offered to meet their men halfway, and it is believed
that if not upon this, yet, upon some other arrange-
ment, the slight difficulty described will be soon ad-
justed. At both the forges of the Earl of Dudley
at Round Oak all the puddling furnaces have been
" got up," and the country thereabouts no longer
presents the sabbatic aspect by which five weeks it
has been distinguished.
The two blast furnaces at Capon-fields, belonging
to Messrs. Bagnall, are again at work, and those of
Messrs. Grazebrook and Aston will be soon " on."
The statements that union men are resuming work
in North Staffordshire is discredited by the Execu-

tive at Brierly-hill, who announce a confident ex-
pectation that assistance will now be forthcoming
from unionists in South Staffordshire and other
parts of the kingdom in amount sufficient to enable
the North Staffordshire men to remain out till they
obtain their old rate of wages. The Executive em-
phatically deny that any proposition was made, and
consequently, that it was not rejected, at the meet-

ing at Brierly-hill that the men should demand an
advance of I.s. a ton. They believe that if the men
resume work and increase the funds of the union ap-
plicable to emigration and other purposes, the time
will soon arrive when they will be able to make the
application for a rise in their wages with more pro-
bability of success than at present is likely without
a longer struggle than they are now prepared to re-
commend.

With equal emphasis the Executive repudiate the
receipt from the Gateshead executive of any offer
encouraging them to recommend a demand through-
out • South Staffordshire of the same terms as those
for which the North Staffordshire men are now stand-

ing out. Neither Mr. Kane nor any one else be-
longing to the Gateshead Executive had made
such an offer ;.but they repeat that Mr. Kane did send
to them to say that if the masters should persist in
the lock-out then that the members of the Gates-

head Union would consent to being levied for the
support of the South Staffordshire men while they
were thus deprived of work, if they should require
it. The withdrawal of the lock-out has, however,

obviated any necessity for such a levy ; and the let

ter yet lies unreplied to.

RAILWAY II EI LIGE NICE.

GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
on Friday at Aberdeen, Mr. J. Duncan in the chair.
The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, said it
must have been a disappointment to the ordinary
shareholders, and to the shareholders of the B stock
to find that the former were to get no dividend and
the B to receive only a very modified one for the
past half-year. The company had had a long time
of prosperity, and now they were getting a rub the
other way. He trusted, however, that it would be
but temporary, and leave no permanent impression.
In the corresponding period ending January, 1864,
there was a balance availablefor dividend of £28,000,
and in the same period ending the 31st of January,
1863, there was a balance of £35,000, but the avail-
able balance for the half-year ending the 31st Jan.
last had been reduced to £19,000. In January,
1862, the company hadno competition. The whole
traffic from the north passed over it to Aberdeen,
but now, by means of the Highland line, they were
deprived of the through traffic between Inverness and
the south. For the half-year ending Jan., 1863, the
passengers travelling by the Great North of Scot-
land Railway produced a revenue for that half-year
of £19,500, but the return for the past half exhibited
a revenue for passengers of only £16,000, showing
a decrease of £3,500. They had at the former period
the conveyance of the mails, but the Inverness and
Perth line beingthe most direct one the Government
had adopted that route, giving them that portion of
the mails which went directly through to Inverness,
and the Great North of Scotland had now only the
limited 'portion of the mails which applied to the dis-
trict through which their line passed. In 1863 they
received for the mails £3,671, and now they only
got £1,187, being a diminution of £2,484 upon mails
alone in the half-year. The goods traffic showed a
diminution of £832, being £23,047 against £23,879.
The diminution on the traffic had been £7,050 for
the half-year, or £14,000 for the year upon the
whole traffic, as compared with what it was in 1863.
There was also a deficiency in the available sum for
interest and dividends, owing to the former practice
of taking credit forinterest on investments in branch
lines which had been opened for traffic but which
had not become productive. This amounted to be-
tween £5,000 and £6,000 for interest in the corre-
sponding period, but which had been discontinued
in the past half-year. This, taken together with the
diminution of traffic hementioned, made a difference
or deficiency for the past half-year of £12,000 or
£13,000 as compared with corresponding periods.
The amount expended on the main line was about
£l,ooo,ooo,while the company had subscribed to and
expended on branch lines £500,000, or one third of
the total capital. There weremany of those branches
unproductive, but at the same time several of them
brought a considerable amount of traffic on the main
line. The total amount of traffic on the main line
and branches was about £85,000 per annum, of
which £29,000 was for branches alone, and that, he
thought, justified the directors in having so far laid
out the company's money on the construction of
those branches. The directors were bound to protect
the district from invasion by other companies, and ,

it was evident that some of those branches were
purely protective. Every project had been laid be-
fore the shareholders, and were from time to time
sanctioned by them. He recommended a reduction
in the rates on the line for passengers with a view to
augment the receipts, and thereby enable the directors
again to pay dividends to the ordinary shareholders.
He had no fear of the result of such a policy, and
he thought they should go ahead in that respect,
particularly as the raising of the rates on portions