The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-05 00:00:00

BRITISH TRADE WITH THE BAHAMAS.

The following correspondence bas passed between
a body of shipowners in Liverpool and the Foreign_
office :

" To HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF

STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

" The humble memorial of the undersigned British
merchants and shipowners showeth,—
" That your memorialists view with considerable
anxiety and apprehension the hostile attitude at
present assumed by Federal cruisers in the Bahama
waters. These cruisers are now blockading the
British port of Nassau as if it were a Confederate
port, and are making prize of British vessels sail-
ing from one British port to another with British
goods, though such vessels are perfectly innocent
of any attempt to run the blockade. If such a vio-
lation of international rights be passed over by her
Majesty's Government very disastrous consequences
will ensue to your memorialists and other merchants
and shipowners trading in those waters. Many
British vessels fitted out for sea with British car-
goes for Nassau are now deterred from sailing in
apprehension of seizure ; for, though it may be
clearly proved that such seizure is unjustifiable,
your memorialists have no confidence in the admi-
nistration of justice in the Federal Prize Courts, or
in the' prospect of being compensated for the injury
inflicted. The confidence of mercantile men in the
sanctity of the British flag is already so much
shaken that underwriters are demanding 10 per
cent. premium for insuring from risk of capture
British goods in British bottoms, sailing from one
British port to another. Your memorialists, there-
fore, pray that steps may be taken by her Majesty's
Government to protect British shipping in the
Bahama waters, and to put a check on the unwar-
rantable seizures so repeatedly perpetrated by the
Federal cruisers. And your memorialists will ever
pray, &c."
(Signed by 40 shipowners.)

"Foreign-office, July 5, 1862.
" Sir,—l am directed by Earl Russell to acknow-
ledge the receipt of your letter of the 2d inst., en-
closing a memorial from certain British merchants
and shipowners at Liverpool, in which they state
they view with considerable anxiety and apprehen-
sion the hostile attitude assumed by Federal
cruisers in the Bahama waters, and the memorial-
ists pray that steps may be taken by her Majesty's
Government to protect British shipping in those
waters, and put a check on the seizures so repeat-
edly made by the Federal cruisers. lam to state
to you, in reply, that it is alleged, on the other
band, by Mr. Seward and Mr. Adams, that ships
have been sent from this country to America with
a fixed purpose to run the blockade ; that high
premiums of insurance have been paid with this
view ; and that arms and ammunition have been
thus conveyed to the Southern States to enable
them to carry on the war. Lord Russell was
unable either to deny the truth of those allegations
or to prosecute to conviction the parties engaged in
those transactions. But he cannot be surprised that
the cruisers of the United States should watch with
vigilance a port which is said to be the great en-
trepot of this commerce. Her Majesty's Govern-
ment have no reason to doubt the equity and ad-
herence to legal requirement of the United States'
Prize Courts. But he is aware that many vessels ,
are subject to harsh treatment, and that, if cap-
tured, the loss to the merchant is far from being
compensated, even by a favourable decision in a
Prize Court. The true remedy would be that the
merchants and shipowners of Liverpool should re-
frain from this species of trade. It exposes inno-
cent commerce to vexatious detention and search
by American cruisers ; it produces irritation and
ill-will on the part of the population f
Northern States of America ; it is contrary to the
spirit of her Majesty's proclamation the
; and
poses the British name to suspicions
of bdaditfaieth,
to which neither her Majesty's Government nor
the great body of the nation are justly obnoxious.
It is true, indeed, the supplies
of arms and ammu-
nition have been sent to the
Federals equally in
contravention of that neutrality
jesty has proclaimed. I which her Ma-
t is true, also, that the
Federals obtain more f
of which they stand' freely and more easily
_tdheat
rates had command ofliineed. But if the C f
no doubt,
the sea
watch as vi it nßri-
tishthey would,
-I LI 115, and capture as readily,
vessels g •
going to New York as the Federals now
watch Charleston and capture vessels seeking to
break the blockade. There can be no doubt
that the watchfulness exercised by Federal cruisers
to prevent supplies reaching the Confederates by
sea will occasionally lead to vexatious visits of
merchant ships not any pursuit to
engaged in
which the Federals can properly object. 'Phis,
however, is an evil to which war on the ocean is
liable to expose neutral commerce, and her Ma-
jesty's Government have done all they can fairly
do ; that is to say, urged the Federal Government
to enjoin upon their naval
()ulcers greater caution
in the exercise of their belligerent rights. Her
Majesty's Government, having
represented to the
United States' Government every case in which
they were justified in
interfering, have only fur-
-1 ther to observe that it is the duty of her Majesty's
subjects to conform to her Majesty's proclamation,
and abstain from furnishing to either belligeren t