The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-22 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN STEAMER IN PURSUIT

OF A BRITISH MAIL STEAMER.

(From the Seots»zog.)

A strange yet true story—showing how near this
country has been, and perhaps is, to a rupture with
the United States, or at least how very well dis-
posed our American friends are to bring about such
an event—reaches us to-day from sources to be
thoroughly relied on. The week before last our
Government received information that a United
States' war steamer had brought up in Southampton
Water, ostensibly for the purpose of re-fitting, but
under circumstances warranting the suspicion that
she had some other object in view. Subsequently
various circumstances, including the conversation
of some of her crew who had come ashore, led
to the discovery of the fact that her real
object was the seizure of the West India mail
steamer then due ! The United States cruiser
had been despatched in pursuit of the Nashville,
the vessel conveying the Confederate delegates sent
to this country, which had eluded the blockade.
The delegates succeeded in reaching Cuba, and
there got themselves conveyed on board one of the
British mail steamers. Their movements became
known to the commander of the pursuing vessel,
who took the remarkable step of running straight
over to the British coast, with the intention of
waylaying the mail steamer, and making capture
of her as a neutral vessel, carrying, in the delegates
and their credentials, " contraband of war."

Upon the assumption of these being the facts—
an assumption, it will easily be believed, not made
and proceeded on without inquiry and conside-
ration—the British war steamer Phaeton was
ordered to watch the American, and to protect
against her any vessel bearing the British flag.
As it happened, the American captain, perhaps
attracted by hospitalities after a stormy voyage,
remained in port for some days, and, then, putting
to sea, was met by a severe gale on the south coast,
which forced him to anchor at Calshot. The same
cause that stopped his cruise expedited the voyage

f the mail steamer which arrived two days before
her time, and passed into her port unconscious of
her danger. Comunications then took place be-
tween our Government and the American Minister,
in which the latter disclaimed any such inten-
tion as that imputed to the proceedings ;of the
United States steamer—or, rather, he disclaimed
any knowledge of the matter. At the same
time it was ascertained to be the opinion
of the law officers of the Crown, that,
according to the interpretation of the law as
laid down in former decisions, the relations of Bri-
tain to the American belligerents are perhaps such
that there might have been fair legal grounds for
the American cruiser seizing the mail steamer as
prize, even in British waters, if it could have been
shown that she knowingly harboured the persons
and property of enemies of the United States in the
shape of the delegates and their despatches. The
United States steamer has now departed; but is
supposed to be cruising off the Irish coast for pur-
poses similar to those which brought her to South-
ampton.

It cannot be necessary to point out the wanton
effensiveness and danger of the course understood
to have been adopted in this and perhaps similar
cases by the United States government. That go-
vernment is entitled to do all in its power to pre-
vent egress or ingress at its own ports, and the
ports of the Confederates ; but to leave these not
half guarded, and come across to British waters on
a roving commission to seize a British mail steamer
which had taken on board ;at a British port two
American passengerg and their portmanteaus, is an
act easy to be understood and not easy to be
endured. It indicates a desire not so much to pre-
vent the movements of American " rebels " as to
insult and provoke the Government and people of
this country.

WILLS AND BEQUESTS.

(From the Illustrated London News.)

The will and two codicils of the Right Hon. Sir
James Robert George Graham, Bart., M.P., P.C.,
G.C.8., &c., of Netherby Hall, Cumberland, and
46, Grosvenor-place, was proved in the principal
registry on the 12th inst. by the executors, Major
George Graham, Registrar• General, the testator's
brother, and James Laman, Esq., solicitor, Lin-
coln's-inn-fields. The personalty was sworn under
£35,000. This distinguished statesman has disposed
of his property entirely amongst his family. Sir
James made his will in 1858, being the year following
the decease of his wife Lady Graham. In 1860 and
1861 two codicils were added to it. Sir James has
devised to his eldest son, Sir Frederic Übric Graham,
Bart., all his real estates, and has left him also the
residue of his personal property. To his two other
sons and to his three daughters sums amounting to
£lO,OOO are left by will and settlement, his eldest
daughter taking the furniture and some other
effects at his town residence, Grosvenor-place. Sir
James has empowered his trustees to present to his
son, the Rev. Maline Reginald Graham, the next
avoidance to the living of Arthuret, Cumberland.
These gentlemen are also requested to inspect all Sir
James's official papers, correspondence, documents,
&c., and to destroy, preserve, or publish any, accord-
ing to their discretioß. To the executors legacies
of £2OO each are bequeathed.
The will of Henry Littledale, Esq., of Crick,
Northamptonshire, was proved in London on the
Bth inst. by the Rev. Charles L. Swainson, 8.D.,
Rural Dean, Rector of Crick, and C. H. Percival,
Esq., of Liverpool, merchant, the executors, the per-
sonalty being sworn under £7,000. This gentle-
man's will disposes of property of a mixed kind, in
some instances depending upon contingent circum-
stances. The testator has bequeathed to his mother,
who it appears was twice married, all his real and
personal property, and also any sums coming to his
estate under the wills both of his uncle, the late Sir
Joseph Littledale, and of his sister, Mrs. E. Bolton,
appointing his mother residuary legatee. Tho testa-
tor bequeath es to his half-brother, the Rey. C. L.
Swainson, a sum of £4,000 to which he (the testa-
tor) would be entitled on the decease of his mother;
and a further sum to which he is also entitled under
marriage settlement on her decease is bequeathed
to the testator's godson, Mr. George Henry Trench.
The will of Charles Tilt, Esq., of Perubridge-gar-
dens, Bayswater, which was proved' in London by the
executors, W. H. Dalton, George Gladstone, and the
testator's cousin, Benjamin B. Turner, Esqrs. was
sworn under £189,000 pet sonalty. Mr. Tilt
was a publisher of considerable prominence, and
carried on anextensive business for several years in
Fleet-street. His spirited enterprise resulted in
the realisation of a large fortune, which he has be-
queathed almost entirely to his daughter, his only
child. This lady is the wife of John Hall Gladstone,
Esq., and the property is bequeathed to her for life,
and on her decease to her husband for his life, and
ultimately to devolve to their children.

The official Gazette of '1 urin publishes a Ro3 al
decree reorganising the battalion of young men instituted at
Palermo by Gen. Garibaldi in June, 1860, under the name
of " Institut° Militare Garibaldi." By this decree the
battalion in question is to comprise 500 pupils, divided into
four companies, and is to be assimilated, as regards instruc-
tion, t) the battalion of soldiers' sons at Racconigi.
It is mentioned in the Manchester Guardian that
throughout the Lancashire cotton districts the spinners are
now generally making experiments with Indian cotton, and
that the opinions expressed of the result are various, but
that it is evident that, by a slight alteration in the
machinery, this cotton may bo made to enter, in various
proportions, into much higher numbers than has hitherto
been supposed likely,