New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-13

cen csn,ur,d by Spanish ship OF war doriugA the
vow age che W. uld have been jntpy condemn d hs
,rize for bsviDg been engaged in traffic prohibited
~ the law Of nations. But Judge Story ssid there
was nothing their law, or in the law Of ma
ions that forbid their citizens selling vessels "a
we'll munitions Of war TO foreign nations that II
Was commercial Transaction, which no naiion wa
round 10 prohibit, aud II oDlv exposed the persons
Engaged in il TO the penalty Of conscaton and sup
posing, therefore, that the voyage had been lot oon
erciAl purposes, and supporting that ts sale 70 w..
BueoOs Ayres Government for wari'Re pnrP
was bona fde, there was no infrsc,ion Of in~r
national law. Another case was the DE Suino .,y
That was In 1892. In that case Tho oocsripo -
lao down that the defendant, who was ao0ae. Il
the Foreign Enlistment act, wa o"h .n
TO an acquttal If these facts sbooid appear tom
tie ship. which was equipped ut and sent on. "oa'
BALTIMORE. went TO the West Indies, there ". Nv
present intention 70 employ the vessel 10 pIiVoe
bu, that be intended when he equippee ner " ~
the West Indies with view 70 raise Idnus W equP
her as privateer. II was held thas mere must 10
q clear original intention, and NOS one 'as' was Von'
dtIoual and that the authorities were not author,
;z.d 10 detain vessel unless circumstance rendered
n nrobable that such vessel was Intended 10 be
employed by the owner TO commit boeiiiios
against some power al peace with the Uniso
States He referred to those authorities Tor
the purpove OF showing how grouDdless were
The complaints which the United States Govern
ment had made. The United States Government
ere entitled doubt TO approach our Government,
and TO cay, "You have allowed violation Of inter
ational law which may be injurious 20 us Here Is
a case in which you have done this, and we sre
ready 10 offer you evidence" The sole ground OF
complaint would be this that the government them.
selves directly or Indirectly, were concerned In t-
ting out ships against tho United States. Bot when
IL was mere matter of indiyiduas doing that which
by international law they would be Justified In do
ing then the utmost extent Of the right which The
l.,, s,a b
to administer our law In the same manner as We
should administer suy law 10 our own subjects.
Well, that he would undertake TO say The govern.
ment bad always been anxious 10 do. His honora-
lie friend had said that The Alabama was not the
first ship that went out but that there vas the Ore
TO- She went ont on the Did Of March, and 1t was
only on the same day that q conversation took
place between Mr.. Adams and Lord Russell, which
might have led w her detention IL she had not gone
WHAT had taken place On the 18Th Of February
the fret and only information on the subject
was communicated to our government by MIR.
Adams, when be stated case which clearly called
for inquiry; and accordingly the Commits
sioners Of Customs were directed to mike inquiry
which they did, and on the 22d of February they
stated the circumstances. There was nothing TO
dscredt the statement they made, which tended TO
show that she was going, or ~ all events repre-.
seuted to be going to Italy, and not TO the United
States There was not sciDtills OF evidence to the
there was no case whatever to justify detention,
nothing amounting TO q suspicion. Well, the OrotO
slipped out. And then what happsnedl Why the
evidence Of her departure and tue statement by Mr.
Adams made It possible that she was intended FOR
the service Of the Confederate States and that our
Government had been imposed upon, and they in-
mediately sent out orders 70 Naassu, where she WAS
taking in stores aud although IL very QUESTION:
BILE indeed whether the evidence Sufficient, yet
the Oreto was ,eizsd, which showed good fAi,o.
But what was the result Whv that she WAS tried
aud acquitted. Wish regard 10 the Alabsma the
maternal facts were these: On the 23i VI Jupe Mr.
Adams first called the attention Of the Government
10 information he had received about the building o.
tue Alabama. Tue Government again directed he
commissioners OF Customs 10 make inquiries Ou
the LIST Of July the Commissioners made their report
and they sad 1t perfectly evident that The chip
was ship Of war, that it was reported and believed
she built for foreign Government, but that the
builders would give no information about hsr dos
tination and they Lad other Trustworthy evidence
on that point. Well. they could not do anything
without more evidence. Let the Honse Remainder
the judgment he had just referred " Of Dir. Justice
Storey. Had there been no more than that, tie
seizure would have been totally illegal She nigh
DC ship OF war, and yet be legitimate article Of
Commerce. Well, Of course Lord Russell communi
Gated TO Mr. Adams the report Of the Commissioner.
OF Customs and he asked him IL he could furnish
evidence touching this vessel Nov tho dV,eramcr.'
had been accused of unreasonable delay: but Wal
thero ever a moro unjust.abd unworthy accusation
MIR. Ada nss first Information was gu the sd OF
June. The day on which Lord Russell seu, 70 the
Commissioners Of Gus Oms was the 9TH Of July. How
long did Mr.. Adams take to get the evidence From
the 4th Of July TO the 2lst-a penod Of IL days; and
be did not complete his evidence till the I'D, OIL
which day he transmitted two depositions. He had
nisled the House. Mr. Adams did not complete the
evidence till the 24h and the letter with which be
sent the dispositions was not received till the 26th %
hat le a INA he han tha
ment till the 26tb. In the meantime no had the
opinion OF tho honorable and learned member for
Plymouth Mr. Collier. On the l6tb, the day Of the
dale OF that opinion. what did Mr.. Collier state
That there was a case for suspicion. Then the
evidence being complete, 10 visa laid before Mr.
Collier, and no thought there was case Sufficient
10 detain the vesse. But be wished the House 10
understand that there was in the evidence great
mass Of hearsay evidence which was good for moth
ing. or the ak dispositions transmitted on the 22d
Of July, only one was good for anything. and ttat
was tho evidence OF person named Passmorc,
which, IN his opinion, was sufficient to prove the
material facts. Two moro wero sent on tho 4th,
and resolved by Lord Russell on the 10Th. The
26th was on Saturday. On the 29.o he opinion of
the law officers OF the Crown was given, and on the
ssme day telegram WA sent 10 stop the vsssel
honorable friend hsd referred 10 the case of the
Maary. In which the United States, during the war
with Russia, enforced their Foreign Enlistment got.
Far be 1t FROM him TO say that the Americans did
not act with good faith in the war. but II the facts
were examined it would appear that We did nothing
Ia the case Of the Alabama which was not exactly
parallel with what was done by the Americans In
the case Of the Maury. What were the dates there
Information given by the British Consul Of cir
cumstaDoes which he founded his belief that this
was q ship of war intended for tho Russian service
on the 18th Of October, 1855. That information
was accompanied with evidence which raised q
yrimo facte case to the ship being fitted out as
ship OF war, but it only spoke Of belief us to her
destination. lie could only say that that
had been the node oil proceeding there
but he could not say that because the
United States considered themselves warranted
ia acting Oh q statement Of belief as TO doe,ina.