The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-08

honorable
10 the very thing he said he would not do-nameil
10 rehearse our TO the House and In the
absence OF Materials he at the same time tries 10 per-
ssihde the House Lord Russell and the government
acted on grounds not warranted by law and under the
anfuence q representations almost OF menacing tone
made by Mr.. Adams. The House will excuse me II lo
low honorable rond into the statement he has made
First Of AZ to Jake up he commencement o. the matter,
nth Of July Mr.. Adams Lord Russell let
ter, reos afiJ N affair % b. Of Craze importance and
s9g nmentt iulfi their professions Of neutrality
ana execute the law by preventing the departure OF ihe
vessels in question: ask the House whether any person
could blame Mr. Adams or tho Of any for
e,gn nation for urging matter oil that description 10
the pressing and serious manner on the atteon OF
che government (Hear, her.) In this the mat
ter pressnely urged by the minister OF the foreign
country most Interested In it, his belief turned out 10
be correct and we because has expressions may IN
certain instances oprstep that mofs,aion eohtch might
BE- desirable, to deviate inch from dong our own
duty or in any way abstain from redeemin our own pro-
Gessions OF honest neutrality? (Hea, hear) what would
n 80 II the United States TO whom we applied
TO ENFORCE their foregn Enlistment act during the war
Russia had turned round and said that they would
mot eatorce il because was Great bral Una. asked
be dore should we have thought such course con-
istent with tue dignity Of that country ana Win us pro-
iessions OF reutai.tyl Undoubtedly the right OF
foreign state by proceedings OF that description
60 represent injury and to call friendly Power to
enforce and observe the oil neutrality
and uenure 10 s1y The duty OF Gt IosDsr not
scpping the limits Of ITS laws, but acting fully firmly
boldly and courageousy up to the extent OF those limits,
TO attend to the representations made to it, and
Go put It's laws in force. (Hear, hear.) What
WIS this case? here are ships OF that
the view taken Court OF Exchequer. the
OF the Alexandra BY one at all events of the judges
not in favor OF the crown, are intended for the Con
ing capable Of dong most extensive mischief, the
moment they passed beyond the limits OF our waters 10
the United States If directed against the commerce OF
that country The OF the ships pa and
known. and the only question was whether they were
intended rs Mr. Adams believes. for the Confederate
government. What the course taken by her Ma
jestys government? They required such evidence as
would Justify them in acting, AZ would pruduce convc.
zion OF the truth Of the facts alleged and they could
produce Of Justice The dispositions forwarded
20 the government, though containing some matter
capable Of being produced in court Of justice,
contained that was not capable OF being pro
duced aud the whole 1t did not appear TO the gov
vernment proper to treat vessels liable consca
tion. That decision announced 10 Mr. Adams the
LIST OF September. II is said, however that Mr. Adams
tho Sd september repeated his instances, and that
4h order given detain these vessels,
20 prevent them leaving the port OF Liverpool That
order however not the result OF decision adopted
by the after the receipt OF Mr. Adams letter
OF the Sd OF September but Of decision arrived at pre-
viously The honorable gentleman asks whether any
Information reached Lord Russell in the meantime.
That is just the thing we do not mean TO tell the
honorable eenemau-(hear, hear)-but he may be sure
that the government have grounds for what they DO
(llear hear.) They themselves during the whole
period actively prosecuting inquiries, and information
reached th. government which determined the
measures they took at every stage and every
step. (Iear The honorable gentleman asks
what right the government had to dctain the ships.
say boldly tho OF the country that the govern
mcnt, their responsibility, detained them. They
prosecuting inquiries which, though imperfect left
the mind Of the government strong for be-
evus that the result might prove that these ships
wore intended Tor an Illegal purpose that they LETT
tho country the law would be violated and great injury
done friendly Power The government did not seize
the sht6 but their responsibility took care that
tho law should not be evadcd until the whole inquiry
would be brought to q conclusion and the government
would know whether the inquiry would result In afford
ing grounds for sezng the ships not II any other
great crime mischief were IN progress, could IL
be doubted that the government would be JUST.
ned in taking steps to prevent the evasion
inves;iaati,n until The COMPLETION o, the inourys In
criminal case know that is an ordinary course to 60
before magistrate and some information n taken OF
most imperfect character to justify the accuseds COM
initial TO prison for trial, the prisoner being remanded
from time to time That course cannot be adopted in
" Of vessels OF this description. The law
gives for Opposition cheers land there
fore It is that the government, on their Dun
acted determining that hat had taken
piace oh regard TO hs Alabama should take place
sota respect these ships CHEERS That they should not
p,, a.. @ 1f % eyr 2 that we're the
unu the nqury in progress should be SO far brought
70 a conclusion as 70 enable the government to
Judge whether the ships were intended for innocent
distraction in the world between dotaiuing the yes
seizng them for the latter the mover would
do unless such evidence would justify the seizure.
In point fact this detention has been neither
loss the builders that the ships
under tho surveillance Of the government and that
from the river the on their own responsible
n.y. would take measures to prevent It. Practically this
made during the time no difference because the ships
were incomplete, and the moment had been
reached when according to the statement OF tho builder
they were nctua stopped Or detained before tho seizure
Mr. Hamilton OF the Treasury that the ships not
be allowed to leave the hersey until either satisfac.
tory evidence OF their destination was obtained, or
the inquiries which had been commenced were
brought to termination OF course. II any salts.
factory nation could be Afforded showing that they
had an innocent and lawful destination, that all
which tho governments could by possibility aim at o. de-
sire But " Information Of that kind could be giveu,
the government were that the inquiries which
they were making should bs brought to legitimate
conclusion that IL might DO seen whether those INQUIRIES
al In mt
for the C,nfederates and that in the meantime they
would the ends Of justice TO be baied by the
sudden removal OF the ships from the river. (Hear
hear Messrs Laird had early intmation OF this deter
mination. About the same time the note which they
had heard quoted written to hessrs. Laird pnak-
ing inquiry who the owner or the person repre-.
senting himself to be the owner. | nust ask the
n will then appear to have been written upon the dcation
OF Messrs Laird themselves. They bad given the Custom
House agent 20 understand that although they would
they quite prepared to answer It, Nothing was
desired by the government than to receive salts
factory Information which by possibility might show the
destination o the ships to be lawful aud might put
aud 70 the whole question Accordingly they wrote that
they had been informed Messrs Laird had the nforma
ton ready give and that Information would be
acceptable Then Messrs. Laird mention the OF the
French gentleman who has been referred to-M. Bra.
yayapd stale that he is the owner OF the ships The
next objection is that duriua this period the govern
msnt were willing TO have been purchasers o. the yes
during the period when they had not evidence on
which they would have been justified in seizing
the shits II Is during that period that inquiries
in progress and while those inquiries incomplete.
venture TO say that course liberal could not
well have been taken than this. (Chcers) The govern
cnt did wish enforce the forfeiture valuable
property against ndiv duas If IL be true, they said
that private French gentleman 10 Specializing two
ships OF this descripon-f he is dealer large
rams must be presumed that rs he IL not bellgerent
he must wish 10 se them TO some another. (Hear
hear Either on the ground tht Messrs. Laird or NJ.
Bravay might be under some delusion To what the
Law OF England permitted strange as II might
that IL real tond fde speculation in steam
by private French gentleman having intention
send them the Confederate States they would be
quite edy and might be easy solution Of the mat
Ter to sell them To the British government They not
obliged se Thorn 70 the government but what harm
there could be 10 Offering TO prove their good faith
customer, am unable TO SEQ CLEAR. hear.1 The next
passage OF the correspondence 10 which my honorable
FRIEND referred Lord Russes letor 10 Mr. Adams
tho llth Of September 1888 Here must be stated that
She government as read the letter had been perfectly
satisfied that there truth in the representation
that the ships were the Egyptian government,
because inquries had made which did indeed show