Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-14
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.


The MARQUIS or CLAERIcARDE called attention to the
seizure Of British yesses in the West Indies by American
cruisers. ssssgt ~
The first case to which no alluded the Dolphin.
greater outrage property greater insult to the Br
tsh flag he said could not be Imagined il the accounts
were. as he presumed, eorrect.at Nth
The Dolphin was Liverpool ship She sailed for Mas
sau with papers showing clearly that she legitimate
trader to Nassau having orders to touch at Madeira ard
ST. Thomas. As she coming out Of st. Thomass she
was seized aud sent to an American court prize.
The crew placed board the ship which seized her
and no effort was made put them ashore either Anne
rican or British soil until her Msjesiys ship Nile had left
the port Of ST. Thomas when they taken to and put
on Danish ground Supposing there was any pretextl
which there was pot-or the seizure of tie Dolphin. it
was gross irreguarity not put the or shore,
either on American English SOIL speedily pors-
BILE; and was fair inference that the America capan
waed the departure Of her Msjrsys shipofaar, b rv
inc that if the matter became known outrage Of that
character would not pass unavenged. ~
The Marquis wished to know whether any official init
nation had been received of the seizure Of the Dnph,
a d what had BEEN done BY her Majesgs Governmo in
the matter The Of the Poterhof and the Adrla
were similar. He urged that these could not be
overlooked as isolated acts. They showed prtdeter-
mined policy on the part of the United States Govern
mont and it must be recoeced that they took place
der the orders Of Admiral Wilkes officer notorious for
his hostility towards England
The Marquis also wistei TO know what Govern
intended to take wi regard to the assumption OF
Mr. Adams to grant ccrt flea es TO British vessels trading
neutral ports and referring to the case OF the Sea
Queen insisted that Government ought not TO have wi
drawn the mail Il her Ma-sys Government did not dare
to send mails into those sea-, il merchants did
venture to send their ships tn thugs hal to THE
that Commodore Wilkes Admiral Dupont might hoist
broom the masthead and boast that he had driven Bril-
fish trade and British ships from these coasts Sirce he
came down to the House he had had newspaper the
Mercantile and Shipping GAZETTE, put into his hands which
Invited attention the following advertisement for the
de character Of which it proessed to be ready to
v0uch: WANTED French vessel TO load for goad Eng
sh Island in the West Ind ed. Apply to latham & CO..
Sc that We had come to this, that own merchants
trading to the West Indies advertised FIR French ships
because they knew French ships protected aid Eng
lien lehips not Strong renforcements ought to be
sent to the West India station with orders TO the Admiral
If that station TO protect British interests 1t in the
interest Of peace Ind Of British commerce. which al
ready suffering greatly from the arbitrary effects OF the
American cruisers that he advocated such course.
SPEECH OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
My noble friend has made very speech upon this
subj ct, and would be perfectly jus flied II the points
which he alluded had been facts aud were not, for the
mort part assumed by him TO be facts For Instance, h
that various vessels had been condemned by the
prz- courtthe Adea, The Petrhof, and others That,
certainly is unknown to me- because III, ugh the Adea
has been condemned by the prize court at Key West
appeal has been madei and With regard TO he Peerhuf
have that any such event has taken place
Hear, hear. f9N
For my own part, instead of proceeding OH sssump-
ons have thought my duty, in the grave and respon
sble position which bold nos to proceed in any of those
to the facts that could be procured and ia the
place without referring to the law officers OF the Grown
in order know The character e. be attached to those
facts have thought it right proceed matters
Of such difficulty without taking soundngs at every step
That has been my in the varons to which
my noble friend has referred Hear, hear.l
having received the reports with regard to that vessel
refer those eports to the law officers of the Grown and
what they say is that there does not appear from the
papers that there prma facie ground seizure;
they do not probable for her capture but
they add there may be facts unknown to aud unknown
to them with respect to the master of that vessel which
may have afforded sufficient grounds fer sending the vessel
prize court But they say that two evident violations
Of neural rights have taken place with regard to that
sell They state that the vessel which took the Dolphin
had made of neutral port for the purpose of watch
ing British merchant vessels and that the Dol
phn left the port she Immediately pursued ard when
she had passed beyond the three miles of of the
neutral Power she seized by this United Stale. vessel
of There another point upon which hey gay there
is great reason for c0mpainnamey the taking apart of
the out OF the vessel and landing them afterwards
upon neutral territory With regard to these two
they say there cannot be doubt that her Mestys Gov
ernmen have right to complain and dinghy having
this day received their report which is dateu yesterday
shall mms dately by the next ma bring those matters
Of complaint under the notice OF the United States Cow
ernment Hear
My noble friend says that this impunity which the Uni
ted States have affected to claim owing neglect
of outrages which have taken place the uar of the
United states Now with regard to that particular point
which the law officers have overwhelmingly, the
neutral of port-tbe placing there Of beige-
rent vessels to watch neutral and pursue her mme
datey after her departure. of that kind took place
last year with respect to the Tuscorora 1t immed
atey brought to the attention Of the United States Govern
they laid down rules by which such conduct should
be permitted and said that tho officer who bad
mtted the oe CO. it could be shown that he had done
so, ,hould be censured.
Then again. complain that in certain there
searches With respect TO that they say that vessel
was to be seized without search. They l,y it down;
That when that Wis ia made the vessel then be
seized without search carefully made far render IL
nabe TO believe that she engaged in carr
violating the blockade If it shall a. pear that ia
actually bouod and passing from friendly socslled
neutral to another and bouuo proceeding
port In the possession of the insurgents he
not be lawfully seized
Now that lie the rule which the United States Secretary
Of State has laid down for the guidance of Secretary of
tho Navy and Of the United Sites navy itself Well
then t is not fair to that ia case where the rule
b apparently violated The United States aio not able to
show that the vessel that has been zed was proceed
log from neutral port 10 mother but that she
proceeding to port Of the begereut States while appa
ntly on her way TO neutral port That is which
the law Ulcers OF the Grown ray frequently Even
supposng that Admiral Wilkes aud otaer Ulcers have si
lated thee rules, we have to that rpar
alton will not be giv'n in conformity with the rules the
United States Themselves laid down. do not think then
it is convenrntI will ray more think il tends to 10
errupt the friendly elsuns between the two uaions
you have report Of outrage to say that the
Government of friendly people will act conlravenon
OF the law of Dations; that they to commit IN
ofeuce and that they will refuse reparatnn On the con-
tray bound Ia either that ERE were some
fncs known to which will show TINT The act was