Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-02-25

1t will be remembered that the British overnment
at the instigaton of @. F. ADAMS Lncoln's Ministe
at London, and upon Information furnished By Lin
coins spies at Liverpool seized the steamship Aexan
dra then in the river Meey on the allegation that st
had been built and was to be fitted out as ship wa
for the service Of the Con States in contraven
tion OF the provisions of the Foreign Enlist tment Act
The case was tried before the chief Baron and jury
| The jury, under the direction of the chief Baron
found for the claimants of the vessel and against The
Government. The Government took an appeal to the
Court ot Exchtquer from this ruling of one of its
judges. This appeal came before the Court
during the last term. and it supposed thai
the decision would be given iu November. The srgu-
ments in the case were beard then on a motion for
trial The Court took time to consider its jndg.
ment which was pronounced on Monday, January ilth
the first day Of the present sesscD. The Chief Baron
adhered to bis former ruling. Mr. Baron BRAhWE the
senior Of the pusre judges agreed with him. Mr. Baron
CHANNEL dssented holding that the direction of the
Chief Baron to the jury had rot been satisfactory and
that this account trial ought to be granted The
junior OF the Court is Mr.. Baron Pigott Mr. Baron
Pigott was, when this case commenced at Liverpool
member of Parliament for the borough of Reading and
known to entertain opinions favourable to the govern
ment and opposed to the parties claiming the ship He
appointed Pendente lite, by the government, o.
the parties to the suit. His opinion gYea in fay
OF a trial but the Court was thus evenly dvid'
ed he being the junior according to custom withdrew
bis Judgment, and the rule for tlal refused
The effect of this decision will be to leave
the government at liberty to appeal to what is
called the Court Of Exchequer Chamber, where, in
this case the Judges of the bother courts (Qleens
Bench and Common Pleas will review the decision Of
the Court of Exchequer aud from them thefe lies a
farther appeal to the House of Lords 1t is pretty
certain that, whatever the decision, the Government
will not give up the vessel until it has exhausted all the
of chicanery, and interposed every yexatoD,
difficulty and delay that the ingenuity Of its legal
advisers can suggest 1t is not supposed that the
Euglish Government has any hopes of condemning
the Alexandria but by OBTAINING her, they eqnay serve
the purpose of SEWARD. They know that her release
this time would bring them insoent dispatches from
Washington, and they fancy that it might lead to a
declaration of war and therefore it is their policy to
postpone that event long possible. In this point
OF view the division of opinion in the Court of Exche
quer is just what they wanted aud planned to bring
about when they appointed MrsPIaorT to the fourth
seat on the Exchequer bench. 1t gives them good
cause for further appeal and 1t does not give them
ne trial, which would be final, aad would in all pro-
bability terminate in favor of the defendants the
claimants of the vessel, and against the Government.
The Inde1 does not charge even hint that Mr.
Baron Pigott Influenced in his opinion in any way
by political feeling. But it plainly intimates that
knowledge of his opinions this case then pending
before the Court of ExcheqTer mainly influential
with the ministry in causing his nomination to the
vacant place in that court
No English paper that we have seen appears to
entertain the opinion expressed by the Richmond
Whg which charges that Earl RUSSELL has been brbed
by the Lincoln Government. Considerable dissatsfac
tou no doubt exists in Eugland caused by the mean,
pettifogging course of the Administration, which is
consonant to the dealings OF the lowest sort of
attorneys than to the usage of great nations in import
ant causes of this character. Still to any questions
propounded in Parliament, RUSSELL or PALMERsToN
or any of their strikers will have the asufcent an
swer that the question is before the courts its ega
merits. Those who know anything of the resources of
legal chcanery and delay may form some idea of how
long it will stay there.
The steamship Advance got up to town this morning
ole 70 pordso