Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-30
AitN!u0nr Enq01l11.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCT. .oS 1SG
TILE PACuA,S. RAMS.


Egyp:, is 10 be allowed to tako away TWO
steam rams, which, it seems, have bacEs built
at Liverpool for that enlightened pntenyare.-
Under the influence of sbme strange halluci-
nation, Mr.. Adams, the Yankee Minister at
London, has got the fixed idea that these two
rams are in fact intended for the Navy Of this
Confederate Government. r. hat evidence OF
this intention he may have in hand, we cannot
yet affirm: all that has yet to be produced in
an English Court of Justice. He may posi-
bly, found his case upon the consideration that
it is extremely reasonable and naturaffor the
Confederatcs to get vessels Of. this kind built
that no Government III the world has such
urgent nael 0f the like. lie may also urge
upon the Court, through his lawyers, the gen
eral nctoric;y Of the fact, aud the frequency
with which these ships sre termed, both Ill
England and in Nankcedom, the ''rebcl
rams" As Tor Mr.. Laird, the builder Of the
ships, lie is said To know nothing of the Con
tederate Governments; he has had an order IN
build two rams, perhaps from a French house,
aad, being en- cnterprising and Industrious
shipwrisht, he has filed the ORDER but, when
questioned about it in the House Of Com
mons, of which he is member, lie said he
understood the vessels were for the service OF
the Pacha Of Egypt Or Emperor of China.
NV the two rams lie under seizare by or
der of the British Government: TO abide .
trial before the courts: and on the hull Of each
is branded the Queens broad arrow" The
trial is going 70 be an interesting ono, to all the
parties concerned-excert possibly the Pacha
himself. Unless British courts have altogeth-
er reversed ard suh;crted the ordinary rules
cr evidence. il will not do for Mr. Adams
lawyers to rest their case upon tho fact that the
Confsderacy does nosturgcu,lT need war-shirs
Of this sort and thst itwould be unaccollntaply
stolid and improv;dcnt if it did not try to have
such built. Neither can The court admit q.
evidence. VIC presume, that New York news
rapers, and some British ones, hare habitaaliy
called the things "iebal rams" That does
~. amount to public notoriety of a'tact, but
only OF an imputa,i II. No doubt the Yankee
advocates will produce bold and able witness-
o., good and approved swearars but unless
they have something stronger than inference
and newspaper notoriety to produce, the court
will be obliged, on this part OF the case, to de-
side against them, and let his Hishncss have
his vessels.
Then comes anothcr branch OF the case
supposins it proved that these rams ia'o in
fact. been built on Confederate account, are
theT vessels Of such character that IN allow
them to leave an Engli-h port without their
armament, would be 4 breach OF the Foreign
Enlistment Let. That act provides again It
British subjects fitting ont armed ezpadi-
.ions whether military or naval, against 3
friendly power. 1t does. not hinder. we find;
tens of thousands Of men setting out from
England or ireland for tEc Federal States,
and scores Of thousands OF rifles and muskets
from being sent also-but in other ships
whish arms arc to be put into the hands II
those mon TO fight against the Coniederates.--
1t rnlv prohibits an armed ship Of wa, or al
organized body of troops from setting forth
frofn England 70 ic used against E friendly
nation. Now Earl Russell has, in his late
,pcsoa, most Kindly suggested to 'ir. Adams
lawyers how they are to bring the rams with
in the act: it is by urging the argument thai
such vessels as these. even WITHOUT guns, are
instruments of war: that inasmuch ne they
have bea'; or spur, they are already in ther'-
sclves . weapon and an armament, and q
complete naval expedition, if they have but
hremen and engineers. Here ere delicate
points Of law and evidence, which cannot fail
to receive eluodatiOn from the able argu-
ments of counsel.
But. in addition TO the nero question oflaw
aud fact, there are certain political consldsra-
tions, which-if we had not SO profound 4
reverence for the illustriou, independence oi
British courts as we liavc-would seem to us
rather likely to influence the result. For ez-
ample, the danger Of war with the United
States. 1t is not that Great Britain fears the
prowe-s of the United States, being quite able,
in fact, to lombard every Yankee port to ASHES
and to blow the whole Yankee navy quickly
out-of the water it is not that :; but it would
ny no means suit the policy Of England at pre-
sent to disturb the present happy condition Of
affairs in which Yankee merchantmen are fast
disappearing from the ocean, and to let loose
by war with that ration,) q swarm Of priva-
teers TO prey upon her own commerce. Eng
land might, indeed, lay New York and Boston
in ashes; but, in doing so, she would be
burning up much Of her own property; She
would he leaving h:ndreds of millions OF
stocks belonging to her subjects to be sontis
Gated. and her own ships upon all seas would
have to run the gauntlet Of steam feet Of
privatears. Therefore. sic must keep up at
least the appearance Of q most conscientious
neutrality" her onc.sided way and VIC
incline to think that. on this ground alone,
the venerable judges will find law to detaln
the Pacha's rams.
There is another consideration also which
will not be overlooked: steanl-rams are not
suizers, like the Alabama and Georgia
They could be Of no service in carrying out
tho great British policy &C DESTROYING rivals
shipping ard tr,fic--thcy could be only usa-
full in such business as raising blockade
and relieving a besiegcd seaport; in. Other
words, they would be Of no use to England,
but only to their owner, the Pacha Of Egypt.
Ifit.werc n case Of fast steamships, with bows
ike ras.r, able to :i:n down, or run away
from an eneIny, as occasion might require, we
do confess VIC should hare much stronger
hopcs'that the law would appear plain to the
venerable Judges in the Pacha's favor.