New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-07
BRITISH ENLIsTUENTs.

BRITISH ENLIsTuENTs.
We publish elsewhere in our columns to-day the
report Of an arbitrament between her Britinnic
Msjesty's Consul at this port and mercantile hrn
in this city, with whom the British representative
has been having little dealing in the passenger
line. II seems that when the British agents here
were chin deep in the enlistment business, antlel-
psting a hourshing trade in recruits, they made
large preparations for their transportation to Hall
fax. The crop Of recruits failing quite unexpect-
edIy. the British representative found himself with
more ship room on hand than he had any occasion
for. The parties with whom he had contracted to
send Lis sodiery over sea to the Noya-Scotan rem
devious, accordingly came down upon her Britain
mic Maiest,'s Consul. Mr.. Barclay, with their bills
ac9in.t II for damages; to dispose of which, the
Consul proposed TO quietly leave the question
70 r. fer es. The result ~as that NJ Barclay was
nulcted in the sum of : 800 for the transportation
t, Halifax Of men who could not be got to 60 to
that inviting quarter Of her Msjestys dominiOns
In this purely business transaction of course
there was, according to Lord Clarendon, nothing
that sayored of an infrsctOn of our laws against
enlis,ments of men for foreign military service Mr..
BARCLAY. or Mr.. Hone, or whoever did the work,
merely proposed 10 enter into the forward ng bus
mess 10 some slight extent and to furnish free
tickets to such gentlemen Of a rowing turn of mind
as could be persuaded 10 take look at the soil aud
climate Of NOya-Scotia Once there, if they
should an1iousy Dc sire TO 90 on TO the Crlmea,
they were to be furnished with free ticket TO that
peninsula also. But of course these gentlemen OF
rowing turn of mi,d were under no obligation to
do otherwise than follow their innate impulses the
moment they were Landed in Halifax We can hard
ly conceive of more generous and genial act on
the part o. a British official than TO get up such an
agreeable excursion party as this on wholly gra-
tutous basis. We think if the Consul had been
little less quiet in bis operations, and had let people
generally know what going on he might have
Rad bis bertbs filed, thus avoiding the necessity Of
paving bis 81 500 for nothing
But the truth is that the whole thing was bungled
from the beginning. Whenever we get a glimpse
behind the screen Of secresy which has hidden the
various plans Of her Maesty's officials, we see one
and another specimen of shocking bad manage
mint We think if Mr. Barclay had taken some
cute Yankee into his confidence, that he and Mr..
Howe and their cOnfederates would have shOne
more resplendently in their reports and financial
exhibits TO the home Government than now appears
TO be the case. II must be in such Improbable
chaferng as is disclosed in this arbitration, that
that SlG0, 900 spoken of by Mr.. Roebuck was sunk.
Tie next time, We presume, her Majesty's Ministers
will be little smarter.
1t strikes us as partaking much Of the character
Of the ludicrous so far regards Mr.. Barclay, to
find his secrets thus brought 10 light, showing him
up as most industriously violating our neutrality
laws, while he was all ready 10 make such pro-
digious ado over the harmless bark Maury, aud in
the guise Of Injured innocence rushing to the Gov
eminent at Washington for protection and redress
No doubt the Consul must have thought himself
extremely cunning in doing up his own little viola
tions OF our municipal statutes and national terri
tory in such a way as to escape conviction and
even suspicion, while he was 30 vigorously and
vrtuously severe upon the mere suspicion OF like
peccadlllo on the part Of mercantile house in the
city. Mr. Barclay was alarmingly anxious to pre-
serve the neutrality laws of the United States
while their violation smelled in the least of al
vantage to Russia; but he shows himself able to
90 all lengths in violating them himself, when it is
the Allies that are to profit thereby.
This exposure is particularly interesting in the
present condition of affairs. 1t comes at an op-
perfume moment 10 fortify the action Of our Gov
eminent touching one of the gentlemen who have
been implicated in the enlistment question. 1t
gives an extra cInch to nail well driven and Sc
cured before. At the same time, it is an ilustra-
ton of that very common kind Of virtue which is
outraged beyond measure at acts that the con-
demner himself would be the very first to commit
when temptation and opportunity cOnspired to Sc
duce and OyerpOwer his conscientious scruples.