The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-26 00:00:00

FORTIFICATION OF THE AMERICAN

COAST.

Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, had replied
as follows to Mr. Secretary Seward's circular re-
specting the necessity of fortifying the coast and
lakes :

" Pennsylvania Executive Chamber,
Harrisburg, Nov. 2, 1861.
" received a few days since an envelope,
apparently from the Department of State at Wash-
ington, enclosing a slip from a newspaper, purport-
ing to be a copy of a letter from you to the Governor
of New York. This mode of communicating advice
by the Government of the United States to the
State authorities is so unusual that I am perhaps
not quite justified in assuming, as I do, that the
communication is authentic.
" I am glad to learn that the prospect of a distur-
bance of our amicable relations with foreign coun-
tries is now less serious than it has been at any
period during the course of the insurrection. The
duty of taking precautions against such disturbance
is appropriate to the Government of the United
States, and as, when the prospect was more serious,
it ,was not thought fit to invite to the subject the
attention of Congress, which had authority to make
suitable provision, I do not understand how the fact
that it is now less serious can afford a reason for
calling on individual States, which have no such
authority.
" What Congress has done or omitted you, of
course, must know, but it seems strange that gene-
ral appropriations for military purposes should
render lawful the expense of fortifying Washington,
Cincinnati, St. Louis, and other places, and yet that
the Government should falter under an apprehen-
sion of want of authority when the question is of
fortifying seaboard and lake ports.
"The regular Session of the Legislature of Penn-
sylvania, as you may be aware, will not commence
until more than a month after the next meeting of
Congress. When you assure me that the TIT
LUI Uctllet VS 110 NV ItSS serious than it has been

at any period since the insurrection began, I feel
that your letter would not justify me in calling a
special Session, and without action by the Legisla-
ture I have less authority to act than the Executive
of the United States, since the subject itself is
within the scope of the general Government, and is
not within that of a State Government.

"State Govei aments have recently (in conformity
with the spirit of the constitutional provisions in
regard to the militia) acted as agents of the general
Governme4, and in raising volunteers for the
general de ice, and in clothing, arming, equipping,
and supplying them ; but even in this matter, not, it
is believed, beyond their own people and territory.
" Some of the points important for the maritime
defence of Pennsylvania are situated in other States.
It could not, of course, be expected that the autho-
rities of this commonwealth should go into New
Jersey or Delaware to erect fortifications.
"If they are to be erected by the concurrent
action of the several States immediately concerned,
an agreement among them would be necessary to
determine what should be done, and what propor-
tion of the expense of doing it should be borne by
each.

" No such agreement could be lawfully made with-
out the action of the several State Legislatures, and
the constitution expressly prohibits its being made
at all without the assent of Congress.
" To defray the expenses of the proposed fortifi-
cations the State must, of course, resort to loans.

" The effect produced by the competition of a prin-
cipal with his own agents, has already been illus-
trated by the embarrassments attending that sys-
tem in the raising of volunteers, and in the procur-
ing of clothing and other supplies for them.
" To throw several of the States on the money
market in direct competition with the large loans
necessary to be made by the general Government,
especially under the discouraging influence which
the publication of your letter may have on public
credit, is an experiment which must lead to embar-
rassments similar in kind but probably even more
injurious.
" It is not doubted that provision for reimburse-
ment would be made by law, for Congress at its
last session promptly passed an Act providing for
the reimbursement of the expenses of the State in
raising, &c., volunteers for the defence of the
United States.

"For that defence Pennsylvania has, in propor-
tion to her population, furnished a larger and more
effective force, and at a greatly less expense than
any other State, and her people are now freely con-
tributing their money to the loans of the United
States.

" Under the abovementioned Act of Congress,
the Government of the United States, through its
proper department, agreed to pay at once to the
several States 40 per cent. of their expenditure, as
stated by their respective authorities, but this pay-
ment has thus far been withheld from Pennsylvania
for the reasons thus given—that she is so wealthy
a State and has expended so little money in pro-
portion to the large material aid which she has
furnished, that she can wait till a more convenient
season ; in other words, that the economy of her
Government and the liberality of her people afford
grounds for refusing to her the prompt, though
partial reimbursement which is made to other
States, and which she would. seem to have deserved
not less but rather more than they.
"In regard to the final settlement of these ac-
counts, I observe that a communication has already
been received (backed by a certificate of a person
holding a high official position at Washington),
setting forth the necessity that the agent for set-
tling them should possess an intimate knowledge
of all the laws and precedents applicable to such
cases to be found in the past history of the Govern-
ment, and adding that this knowledge, and proper
consultations with the accounting officers, will be
necessary to enable him to advise as to the best
mode of making up and proving the accounts, many
of which must otherwise be rejected by the ac-
counting officers.

" These circumstances lead me to express the
hope that the next provision by Congress for the
reimbursement of the States may be so arranged
that some faith may be reposed in the accounting
departments of the several States, and that (at least
in cases where the amount claimed is so small in
comparison with the services rendered, and with
what they would have cost the United States di-
rectly, as to exclude the possibility of extravagance
or prodigality) the actual expenditure made by the
States may be refunded to them without the neces-
sity of resettling and revouching the accounts under
such formidable conditions,
" On the whole, I suggest that the best mode of
attaining the end which you propose would be for
the general Government itself to immediately un-
dertake the fulfilment of its own duties in this re-
gard, in which it will proye, if neepagtry, the

prompt, earnest, and zealous aid of the Government
and people of this Commonwealth.
"If, however, this course should not be assented
to, then I have to say that Pennsylvania, in anY
way that may be required, will give her last man
and her last dollar to quell domestic treason or dri"e
back foreign invasion, and will leave to a more
quiet season the discussion and decision of the vari-
ous questions that may arise from steps that have
been taken during the existing crisis.
"In case, therefore, the general Government
should persist in the plan which you suggest, I beg
that the President will, as you propose, forthwith
send proper agents of that Government to Harris-
burg, to confer with me on the position and Ow
ratter of the necessary fortifications, so that no
delay may occur in adopting proper measures for
their construction.

" Very respectfully your obedient servant,
" A. G. CURTIN.
" Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State,
Washington, D. C."

711 E CONFEDERATE STEAMER NASD

VILLE.

SOUTHA MPTON, MONDAY.
An application of a somewhat novel character in
connection with this case was made to the borough
magistrates, sitting in petty sessions at the Guild-
hall, this morning. The magistrates on the bench
were Captain Engledue (who acted as chairman in
the absence of the Mayor, who had gone to London
on public business), Colonel Stretton, Messrs. J•
Lobb, E. Palk, and J. H. Cooksey. Captain Nei",
son, of the late Harvey Birch, who was accompanied
by Mr. Pearcey, jun., of the firm of Oliverson, Lane,
and Pearcey, solicitors, of London, applied for
search warrant, with the view of recovering frot
the Nashville steamer his chronometer, barometer,
and ship's papers, which were taken on board tha:
vessel at the time of the capture, and before his shli
was set on fire. Previous to the formal application
being made, Mr. Pearcey handed to the Chairman
a letter from the Lord Mayor of London, stating,
that a similar application had been made to biro at
the NI ansion-house, but that he had thought it
duty to pass the matter over to the authorities a'
Southampton, at which port the Nashville had
called and still remained. His Lordship informed
Captain Nelson that had the Nashville been lying,
in any of the London docks he should have grantee'
the application.
Mr. Pearcey, for the captain, questioned the
legality of the commission under which Captain
Pegram, the commander of the Nashville, had acted.
The Chairman said he had seen the commissitn
which was that of a lieutenant in the navy, and 1'
was quite correct.
Mr. J. S. Eldridge, the magistrates' clerk, pointed
out that a warrant could only be granted in a ease
where goods were supposed to be kept from felons'
ous intent.
The Chairman said the applicant knew very Wel!
what the Nashville was when he hoisted the Fedora
flag on board his ship.

captain Nelson admitted this to be true.
The Chairman said it was a recognised fact that
an opponent had a right to take aßything he these
under such circumstances as existed in this case'
After a very brief conversation between the parties,
the whole proceedings not occupying many minutes,
the Chairman said that the magistrates were unani-
mously of opinion that the application could not be
granted, and Capt. Nelson was referred to the Sec-
retary of State.
Capt. Pegram returned from London this even'
in g, accompanied by Mr. Yancey, one of the Southern
Commissioners, and the latter gentleman returns 0,
London again to-morrow. Mr. Yancey states the"
it has been intimated to him through a third POI
that the Nashville is recognised by the British o°'
vernment as a national vessel, and that sho will ,v
be
allowed the right to refit and repair, as was tl'
case with the James Adger, so as to exercise a Rer'
feet neutrality between the two contending parties'
We believe the necessary arrangements are mad:
for the Nashville to go into graving dock on Wed-
nesday, in consequence of her having been ashore.