The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-06-19
CdhFteEaaTe AGENTS N EscLlkD.


l Adams, on the 9th Of February, 1863,
''"us espy Of the '.intsrcspted correrpond.
o. ays' -, ema'at'pg from persona well known to
s,a..sn oMssfs OF the 80 called Confederate
conclosiveiy to oe ttat paPefs eefse Mpse
has 0esn paid in hsr own 80, i,esPact WnaseVef
ties 10 the neutrality dsslarsd h. y 'uesa tal
at the onisat Of these hossilitiss as. s 1naJesty
far as may be in their power, thsv ~na ~. !aat, 60
making hsr kingdom snbservient 70 ths;r Hns ~, on
pose Of conducting hostilities againrt sn : Fur
with which she is at peace. trust ma s.i1n On
permitted to add, that il my Governm.~, ne
could have teen induced in any wav 10 ini,ists =
similar operations within the limite of th;,
kingdom, l should have regarded 1t as vers
justly sutjsct to tn remonatrances which you
Lordahip aas been pleased 10 address 10 p'
on account of acts Of ncomparably smsiie
Significance.
On March 9. 1868, Earl Rassell replies ta
Mr. Adams that the intercepted correspond
snce had been considered by the law officer
/, Of the Cfown, and adcs:
have now TO state to You tina. this cores
pondence does not appear TO her Majssty
Government to contain any sufficient evidenc<
of"a system Of action in direct hostility K
the United States" on the part of any Of he
MsjesIy's subjects. 1t goes merely 80 show
that agents of thu e0-styied Confederate States
resident in this country, have received instruc
tions from their own Government to endeavo
to rass money on securities Of that Govern
mens in England, and to sDtsr iuto contract
for the purchase of munitions of war and fo
ths building of iron clad vessels But theH,
is no proof in these papers that the agents re
fsrred to have as yet brought themselves with
ia the reach Of any criminal law of the Unitet
! Kingdom. For even supposiDg that they have
! acted on t;,s;r Instructions, it 10 not contrary
/, to law for her Majasty's subjects 10 isnt
! money on securities, or cther+7iss, tc the
! persons administering the Governma ant Of the
!. Confederate Ssatas, ncr to 9sIl 10 thas Gov
ernmsat ordinary luoitions of war With
respect to the building IF iron clad steauo,
for either beliiserent GoverumeDt, xlthons d
this il clearly prohibited By ste Foreign E:i-
ist-:sut Act. her Msjssty'e Gcve,nnent do
not lind, IN this correspondence, Sufficient in
tualiy been done within this country which
could form mater for criminal prosecution.
Mr. Adams, on March ii, expresses his pro-
found regret at having to transmis to Mr.. Sew {.
ard Earl Russelrs reply, maintaining that the
acts referred to in the correspondence, the ap-
pointmsnt Of agents in this country to fit out
ships and raise money for the purpose, with
the appointment Of officers to auperin.end the
construction, showed deliberate attempt to
establish within the limits Of the kingdom a
syftem OF action in direct hostility to the Go.
vernnent Of the Uaited States"
Earl Russell, in reply, on April 2, refsrs to
American precedents
No longer ago than the Goth Of las. Novcra-
Der, IN answer to the renonstraaees of Mexi.
co again7t an alleged organized system in tho
Yn ID of atti i'm in thu {v,
which she is engaged with that Rspublic, but
in which the United States are neutral, Mr.
Seward replied by this among other citations,
(Mr. Webster to Mr.. Thompson y "As to ad-
vaEc ss, ioars, or donations of money to the
Government of Texas, or its citizens, the Mex.
ican Government hardly needs to be informed
that there is nothing uniaw full ~ this, 60 long
as Texas is st peace with the United States,
aud these are things which no Government I'm.
dertakes to restrain"
l- Xon are, withousdoabt. perfeetly aware that
many decieions OF tribunals in the Uniled
States fully sstablish that a iks exposition Of
the law as to munitions of war ana the sale Of
armed vsssels has been always maintained In
the United States when they " ere neutrals.
You do not state that the information which
you have communicated to me as to alleged
contracts for constructing war steamers, or the
proposed establishment Of naval officers to eu-
perintend them, would hs sufficient to found a
are probably aware that it would not suffice
for that purpose, and th;ro ia, therefore, no
reason why you should complain of my state
ment that the information which you had fur
nished would not suffice for ths like purpose
in England.
You ars not ignorant that agents have been
| employed, and munitions Of war Rave been
purchased, and that il is now sgaiu asserted
that her Majssty's subjects arc being recruited
for the purpos. Of aiding the Un'led States
against the 30 called Con federate States. Aud
90 far, it might bs urged, in vague aud popular
langu ,ge, by the Confederate States. "a we'll
rs by the United States as the other belligsrent,
as it was substantially urged by Mexico sgaiMst
the United States las. year, ''that there Is evil
dence of deliberate attempt to establish
within the limits of this kingdom system Of
action in direct hostility 10 their Governments"
! but the question really il, has thers beon any
! &C. done in England both contrary to the obli-
cations of neutrality as recognized by Great
Britain and the United States, and capable OF
being mads the subject Of o criminal proeecu
tioni l can only repeat that, In tas opinion
of her Majsssy's Government, no such set ia
specified IN the papers which you have sub
mitted 70 ms.
/ Osher precedents are also cited by Earl Ras
sell in The above Dispatch.
:, Eli Adams replies On April 9Th, also entera
iu.o tae satjecs, and admits that the sals OF
arms by the sabjeets Of neutral is Lot ualsw
full. bu5 maintains thss the easas 60 not stef
funher:
, 'rna case IL charged when beIiigsrert II
| shown to be taxing measures to establish :
kysism OF Operaiiols III neutral country
I; with the in,t mt to carry Oh SVar from i.s
ports, much in the saIna way that il would do
I if it could, from iss own territory wlen j,
appoints agsnts, residing in that country, fol
the purpose of borrowing moray TO be applied
to the ii ting ous of hostile armanents ia tooss
very ports; AID wi,eu it appoints and sends ou
ageots to superintsnd in thosa ports the Goa
sstustiog. eQUi.piny, and arang saiPz Of war
..s weli as the eniislns of the subjects OF tie
nsutyaI country, 10 iss10 forth sor this purpose
OF carryin INK on hosti.iies on the ocsAn.
These are the poiats 70 which desire TO cal
/ your Lordship's attention Ia tue intercepted
dispatches. 1 affirmed that they went 70 show
a system Of operations TO tae extent thus de
siEnatsd. did not affirm that thsy absolutely
proved the facts; but did mesu 10 bs undef
stood as affirming them to furnish stIong cor
robolative evidence to sustein all the ether
proof which have besn IN the practice ol
fasing before your Lorisniq for q long time
rass Of the abuses made Of her Majesty nsa
trail territory for the conduc. Of the war di
rectIy nom hsr ports, without the iotsIysItior
Of t,ms even for the vessels to gala the sem
biancs Of national character.
Earl Russell replies, on April y, thai no wa
unable 70 perceive that the principles main
tanned BY Mr.. AdAns applied to facts wiihia
ths cognizancs Of Her Msjsssy's Government.
and ON Auril 90 hs writes - follows on col
lateral subject: ..
Eoar.a. Oyrrcx, April 20.h, 1863