The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-12-15

| "Discontinuand1 nothing more nothing iess-
that ss oil events, was my present aim. General
Cass had the broad subject between himself and
Lord Napier, and was not authorized to NEEDLE
with that" He REQUIRED TO your admirable let.
tor OF 10th Of April last, lying before him, and
/ read number Of passages. He expressed his en-
tire assent with your positio 10 on inter national
law; on the iilegaIity Of visit or search, except
by conventional agreement, and seemed quite full
OF admiration for its ability. He attributed the
misconduct Of the British officers to the fact that
they were very young men, in gun boats. who had
been sent out there 10 December last by Sir Chas.
| Wood. = In ane we came to
an understanding His lord,hip then requested
| that. would convey to the American governmsnt
the conversation we had thus had. l declined
| doing 80, owing to its length and nrltifarious
| Character; but would feel obliged to him IL he
would himself make a minute of the conclusions
at which We had arrived. lie Immediately went
20 ms desk, and rapidly wrote the 'minute." of
*hicn sueion copy. It recognizes the sound.
| ness Of our inte. national ls on the right of
search, disoontinues the pract .ce az TO American
vessels, and in the interests of humanity, re-.
| eerves prop' al to negotiate at Washington in
order, II possible, TO devise some means of test.
ing the gennineness of the fisg, not iucons sstent
with the freedom OF commerce, nor disreIshed by
either nation. -
: l am necessarily much hurried in preparing this
dispatch. One thing have omitted Lord Maimes
bury positively declared that, after making every
inquiry, be could not find any admiralty orders 10
nave issued except the one of which he gave me
4 4
| TO be, sir, yonr most obedent servant,
~, G. NJ. DALLAS.
Hon. LEWIS CAss, Secretary of State
MINUTE OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN Ns. DALLAS AND
LORD MALaEsBuRY, JUNs s, 1858.
Her Msjesty's government are not prepared tn
Justify or excuse snch acts on the part of thsr
ofhcers as have been complained of by the United
states government, If they are truly reported.
Her malestys government recognizs the princi-
pies OF international law as laid down by General
Cass in his note of the 10th Of April and that no.
thing In the treaty Of 1912 superst les that law
Her MsJesty's government, however, think il
most Indispensable, ir tho interest of civilization
and the police OF the seas, that there should he
power OF verifying the nationality of the vesseI
suspected ON good grounds of carrying false CO.
lors.
Her Msjesty's government would wish to learn
from the United states government their views in
detail on this point. in the hope that some mutusI
arrangement, by way of proceedings to be execn.
ted by our respective officers, may be found effec
, tive without being offensive.
The French have lately proposed and laid down
; this one, viz -
Ta. boat may be sent alongside of suspected ship
and Dlcy ask for papers, tat not unless ptted board
the reSsci Such 'Sonr arrangement tcitt France
Lord Matmesoury has given Mr.. Dallas a COPY of
our Instructions to our officers. Pending our ne.
gotiations the above point, orders will be given
to discontinue search of Quilted States vessels.
MALMESBURY.
Subsequent to this interview Lord Malmes.
bury in q letter to Lord Napier says:
You will urge upon Gen. Cass to suggest to her
Asjssty's government some rule to which our
officers should mutually adhere under the "cir-
cunstances' which be describes ''as going far to
modify the complaint a nation would have right
TO make for willful violation ofits rights of sove.
reiguty"
The view taken of the question by Admiral
Hamlin. rs communicated to me short time ago
by the French Charge d'Affaires is, that in tins
of peace the right to ascertain the national char
&C ter of foreign merchant vessel should, except
under peculiar circumstances and urgent necessity
be restricted in it's exercise to compelling mer-
chant vessel to show its colors; that ia certain
| cases such vessel may be spoken with, avoiding
| however, any interruption ofiss eourse and that
in order to warrant boarding vessel under French
| eoors, the proceedings OF such vessel should be
such as TO sfford reasonable ground for suspicion
This, to q certain degree, Ia a security against
the fraudulent uss Of coors; and if her Maisstys
government do not consider it asi effective PRO-
cess 'as they conld wish should be exercised and
to which they would be ready reciprocally to sub.
ject the flag of Great Britain, it is at eas, safe.
guard agaisst tho occurrence OF such acts as the
United States government complain of, and re.
strcts the discretion Of officers within intellgible
| limits.
Dir. Dallas received from me q COPY of the Ad.
rliralty's general instruction 10 her Msiesty's
commanders, which appears to be entirely in &C.
cordanee with the principles of international Law
laid down. by General Caas in his note o. April 10;
and if he has not furnished General Cass with
COPY, your lordship will do so.
Her Msjesty's government, anxious to remove
all possible repetition OF the acts which appear TO
have caused much excitement in the United
States, aud which might if repeated at this mo.
ment, be detrimental to the good relations Of the
two countries, have sent further orders to the
officers commanding the Cube n squadron to dis
continue the search OF any vessels of the United
States until some arrangement, in the sense l
have pointed out, shall be made by your lordship
with the United States government, or declined on
their part
Should the government of the United States not
think fit TO adopt some mutual regulation by
which she officers Of both States shall be enabled
to verify the nationality of suspicious ship,
without. cHjnoe 10 lis crew or its country, her
Majssty's government will deeply regret that en-
opportunity has been lost to secure honOrsbly and
forever the two nations from those vexatious and
irritating controversies which are inevitable as
long as the letter OF international law Is made in
fexiby to override those measures which expsri-
ence aud common sense recommend es necessary
for the security of life and property on the high
seas.
In reply 20 this letter, Mr.. ass, in a comm uni.
cation to Mr.. Dallas, says:
The President is aware of the abuses to which
the fraudulent assumption Of the flag of one Power
by the citizens or subjects of another may :give
rse and he deeply regrets tha: the flag OF the
United States has ever been prosttuted to unwor-
tn ppt poses by such reprehensible proceeding.
At the time he entertains strong conviction
that the occasional abuse of the flag Of any nation
is evil far leEs to be deprecated than would be
the establishment OF preteusion liko this which
ia incompatible with tho freedom of the seas. But
while ayewng this conviction, he iBstructs me to
cav that the United States not less solcitous
than Great Britain that remedy should be fo1nd
for this false employment Of national coloTs, 10
which Lord Mslmesbury refers in Just terms of con-
den,nation and the President, though not prepared
to make any suggestions upon the subject, is yet
ready to receive any propositions which the British
govern ment may teel disposed to make, and to
slider them with an earnest hope that the object
may ha RafatY and aat tisfact1rilV attained
But while commu nicatir 3 TO his lordship these
favorable sentments of the President it 10 due to
the occasion to say that there grave difficulties
in the way of reconciling any kind of examina.
tion looking 70 the detention of vessels, with that
entire immunity which is 30 dear TO the people of
the United States aud important to all CONNER.
cal nations. 1t Is practical question wbose so-
luton requires mach cautious consideration and
all the assurance that can now be given by this
government il, that it shall be discussed with an
anEors desire that I. may be SO adjusted to pres
vent the evil TO be complained OF, while at the
same time the ocean shall be left free to the
chant vessels Of all nations, each maintaining its
own police without the Interference with others.
The United Ststos have enacted stringent and
comprahensi7e code of laws against the African
slave trade nni the President s authorized TO em-
rloy the narGi iorce of tia country in it. supprcs-
sion. Since the treaty Of 1G42, erd In conformity
With It's regr,s.ion', o aluadrou carving eighty
runs has been naintaiped 10 this eorvice upon the
coast ce Africa, md With Tesnlt, regret to say,
70 way commensurate With the loss of life and
property # ha, occasioned. The employment of
th,s squadron has. however. prevented such exer-
.iors from being made In other quarters Of the
world for tho repression Of this traffic rs would
ctherrIso have been undertaken, and which wonld
probably have proved far more eTsctral. And the
President is under the impression that II the
euesdr0n were withdrawn from the African coast
tho vessels composing 1t might bo ordered upon
service elsewhere to much better advantage in
the suppression of this criminal employment
And he is seriously considering the subject with
view TO determine whether IL is not advisable to
give the years notice provided for in the treaty of
ls42, with view to the abrogation OF tho Sth ar.
tlcle which creates obligation on the part OF
our respective governments to maintain these
souadrops of repression in the African seas.
TnE NKw HAVEN DIVORCE CAsE.-A new phrase