The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-24 00:00:00

7HE ALABAMA.

The following extracts from the official corre-
spondence respecting the Alabama are taken from
the. American pope's:—

. .
MR. ADAMS TO EARL RUSSELL, JUNE 23, 1862,

I am now under the painful necessity of appris-
ing your lordship that a new and still more power-
ful war steamer is nearly ready for departure from
the port of Liverpool on the same errand. This
vessel has been built and launched from the dock-
yard of persons, one of whom is now sitting as a
member of the House of Commons, and is fitting out
for the especial and manifest object of carrying on
hostilities by sea. It is about to be commanded by
one of the insurgent agents, the same who sailed in
the Oreto. The parties engaged in the enterprise
are parsons well known at Liverpool to be agents
and officers of the insurgents in the United States
the nature and extent of whose labours are well
explained in the copy of an intercepted letter of one
of them, which _I received from my government
some days ago, and which I had the honour to place
in your lordship's hand on Thursday last.
I now ask permission to transmit, for your con-
sideration, a letter addressed to me by the Consul
of the United States at Liverpool, in confirmation
of the statements here submitted, and to solicit such
action as may tend either to stop the projected ex-
pedition, or to establish the fact that its purpose is
not inimical to the people of the United States.
MR. COLLIER'S OPINION.

The accompanying copy of a statement submitted
by the American Consul in Liverpool to her Ma-
jesty's Collector of Customs there, will furnish all
the information which has at present been obtained
relative to the fitting out of a vessel intended to be
used as a privateer for the purposes of the Confe-
derate States of America. It is believed that the
vessel is now nearly ready.
The American government are desirous of taking
immediate steps, under the Foreign Enlistment
Act, 59 Geo. 111., cap. 69, to seize the ship and get
her condemned.
Mr. Collier, Queen's Counsel, is requested to advise
as to the proper course of proceeding under the
circumstances.
Western Circuit, Winchester, July 16, 1862.
I think the evidence almost conclusive that the
vessel in question is being fitted out by the Messrs.
Laird as a privateer for the use of the Confederate
government, in contravention of the provisions of
the Foreign Enlistment Act, 59 Geo. 111., cap. 69.
As the matter is represented to me to be urgent, I
advise that the principal officer of the custo ns at
Liverpool be immediately applied to, under 59 Geo.
111., cap. 67, to exercise the powers conferred on
him by that section to seize the vessel, with a view
to her condemnation, an indemnity being given to
him if he requires it. It would be proper at the
same time to lay a statement of the fact before the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, coupled with
a request that her Majesty's government would
direct the vessel to be seized, or ratify her seizure
if it has been made. If the matter were not urgent
I should advise no other steps being taken until it
was known whether or not the government thought
fit to interfere, but inasmuch as the government
might not unreasonably take some little time to de-
termine what course to pursue, during which time
the vessel might escape, I advise the more prompt
remedy. R. P. COLLIER.
FURTHER OPINION OF MR. COLLIER.

Temple, July 23, 1862.
I have perused the above affidavits, and I am of
opinion that the collector of customs would be jus-
tified in detaining the vessel. Indeed I should think
it his duty to detain her, and that if, after the ap-
plication which has been made to him, supported-
by the evidence which has been laid before me, he
allows the vessel to leave Liverpool he will incur a
heavy responsibility—a responsibility of which the
Board of Customs, under whose direction he appears
to be acting, must take their share. It appears
difficult to make out a stronger case of infringement
of the Foreign Enlistment Act, which, if not en-
forced on this occasion is little better than a dead
letter. It well deserves serious consideration
whether, if the vessel be allowed to escape, the Fe-
deral government would not have serious grounds
of remonstrance. R. P. COLLIER.
MR. SQUARRY TO BOARD OF CUSTOMS.

London, July 23, 1862.
Referring to an application which I made on be-
half of the United States Government, under the in-
structions of their consul at Liverpool, to the collec-
tor of customs at Liverpool, on Monday last, for
detention, under the provisions of the Act 59 Geo.
111., cap. 69, of a steam gunboat built by Messrs.
Laird and Co., at Birkenhead, and which, there is
no doubt, is intended for the Confederate States, to
be used as a vessel of war against the United States
Government, I beg now to enclose two affidavits
which reached me this morning from Liverpool, one
made by John Robert Taylor and the other by Ed-
ward Roberts, and which furnish additional proof
of the character of the vessel in question.
I also enclose a case which has been submitted to
Mr, Collier, Q.C., with his opinion thereon.
I learned this morning from Mr. O'Dowd that
instructions were forwarded yesterday to the collec-
tor at Liverpool not to exercise the powers of the
act in this instance, it being considered that the
facts disclosed in the affidavits made before him
were not sufficient to justify the collector in seizing
the vessel. _ _

_ .
On behalf of the Government of the United
States I now respectfully request that this matter,
which I need not point out to you involves conse-
quences of the gravest possible description, may be
considered by the Board of Excise on the further
eviJence now adduced.

The gunboat now lies in Birkenhead docks ready
for sea in all respects, with a crew of 50 men on
board. She may sail at any time.
MR. ADAMS TO MR. SEWARD, JULY 31, 1862.
• . . . In spite of all my efforts and remon-
strances, which as yet wait the opinion of the law
officers of the Crown, I received on the 29th inst.,
from Mr. Dudley, the consul at Liverpool, the
news that she sailed without register or clearance
from that port on that day.

MR. ADAMS TO MR. SEWARD, AUG. 1, 1862.
. 2. I read to his lordship the substance
of your despatches, Nos. 281 and 299, respecting
the use made of the Island of Nassau by the
rebels, and the fitting out of the gunboats Oreto
and 290. His lordship first took up the case of
of 290, and remarked that a delay in determining
upon it bad most unexpectedly been caused by the
sudden development of a malady of the Queen's
Advocate, Sir John D. Harding, totally incapaci-
tating him for the transaction of business. This had
made it necessary to call in other parties, whose
opinion had been at last given for the detention of
the gunboat, but before the order got down to Liver-
pool the vessel was gone. He should, however,
a directions to have her stopped if she went, as
thew as
attabatle, to Nassau. I said I was aware that
as off, but I did not say, what I my-
self have little
was occasioned by
of, that her sudden departure
a notion, obtained somehow or
other, that trociii7
expreilarooeeding was impending. I
Added an
wtenhaof satisfaction that the law
oeicers of the Cro
:seen their way to such an
opinion, and that it
to do
the disposition of her
Majesty's Government
In this
to check
this outrageous abuse.
connection I begged
to ask if he had any information
pro-
ceedings had at Nassau in theea7spfecting the
the Oreto. I
bad seen a statement in the newspapers additional
effect
tpatch No.
under
the
to the information contained in
281, which I Pad read to him, to the
Oreto had been actually stopped and put
guns of her Majesty's ship the Greyhound. et the
I hoped
this was true, for I thought the effect of such a
proceeding would be very favourably viewed in
America. His lordship replied that he had received
0) information on the subject beyond what I had
re:erred to, which came from the America ainsn news
the
-
pape.vs. ith regard to the complaint agt
Island of Nassau, he could only say that he had re-
ceived, a short time since, a letter, signed by many
commercial people in Liverpool and elsewhere, re-
monstrating against the virtual blockade of th
at
a
island by United States war vessels, and the su
jection of many innocent British ships to the inconn
venie.nces of detention and search as if engaged i
illegitimate trade. To this representation he had
written a reply, stating that however much the