Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-03-04
GREAT hRlrArrIL
THE ALABAMA AND THE STEA,IaRAAIs In
PARLIAMENT rssf a'te %

PARLIAMENT.
In the House of Lords on the llth February
inc Eitl of Derby ia asking Lord Russell l.
produce the correspondence between her Males
y's Government aud the United States In refer.
! epoe 70 The Alabama and other vessels built il
england FROM which the United States appre
hehded injury, said
"Ihe noble Lord had refused to lay on the Ia.
ole Tue correspondence with regard 10 the ram.
pui'' III the Mercy, on the ground that they were
now under judicial consideration. lie under
stood that the rams were detained by an order
OF ths Government in September, and that they
were seized In October. From that time to the
o'n reDruary no steps were taken to obtain u
Juuloial decision rs tn the Legality of the SEIZURE
on mat day, an information was nled which
might have been filed in October or November,
anu III that way the question might have been
Drought to an early issue. Since that informa-
llon was hled, he was informed that Messrs.
LalIu mad received an intimation that 1t was now
necessary to send out commission abroad four
months after the seizure for the purpose Of col.
lecilng evidence. lie thought the production OF
tne correspondence between England and the
United States on the subject Of these seizures
could have no sort of bearing upon the case
ABOUT to be brought before the courts, that case
being simply whether Messrs. laird had or had
not in constructing those vessels infringed the
-NN'~tPNA fhWo VI huBhuu. i1b LOfu
hussell lbat the papers he objected to produce
had already been made public 10 America, and
ialu before Congress. What he wanted to see
now was the English as we'll as the American
version. Earl Derby read copiOus extracts from
tue correspondence laid before Congress, and
said the impression il produced was that the
Government had been compelled by the menaces
ana pressure placed upon them by the United
states TO make concessions which they had re-
| fused Ia mi uta IN fha1 5l...-.
TO the correspondence in reference to the Alabama
aud the steam rame he wished also TO have a
copy laid before Parliament of any correspond
ehue thai may have taken place in reference to
the acts OF violence committed by American
cruisers upon English vessels. Auding to the
threat OF the American Government, IN dis
patch to Mr.. Adams. 10 follow such vessels as
the Alabama aud the Florida into British waters
and seize them, even if under the protection Of
the British dag, he said the dspatch although
not officially communicated TO her Maesty's
Government, had nevertheless been laid before
Congress, and it was expedient that we should
come TO thorough understanding with the
American Government on the subject
Earl Russell said the rams built at Birkenhead
had been seized because there was reason to be-
lleve that they were Intended for the service of
the Confederate States. When inquiries we're
first instituted by Government, il was alleged
fANt Wv NNooNAo Woho utiuk pullA upOh FTtuCu
account; but on communicating with the French
Ambassador at the Foreign Office, in France, ne
found that there was not the slightest ground for
that assertion, and there appeared to be small
reason 10 doubt that teey were intended for the
Confederate States. Her Majesty's Government
were extremely anxious that no sot of theirs
should giye countenanoe to such proceedings
with regard to the papers asked for by Lord
Derby, be was informed by the law officers of
hat hatu a fa.l
further inquiries and discussion, aUd that Gov
ernment would suffer from their case either par.
tally stated or altogether forestalled. He must,
therefore, still decline TO produce any papers in
reference to cases which were about to be brought
before proper legal tribunal. With regard to
the second question Of the noble Earl, if he would
give the names Of the cases to which he referred,
there was no objection to produce any cores
pondence that might have taken place upon them.
The subject then dropped.
MIR. Seymour Fitzgerald, in the House of Com
mons had ostpOned till the 23d February his
motion for copies of any papers or correspond
ence between the British and American Govern
ments relating TO the two iron-oads building by
Messrs. Laird brothers, and Of all correspond
ence between the various Government depart
ments or officials nnd Messrs Laird Brothers
relating to those vessels. 1t is understood that
the terms Of his motion will be considerably en-
present arrangements il is to be made, and that,
as thus modified, it will cover large aud inter-
esting field for discussion,
In the House Of Commons on the 18th, Lord
Cecil asked the Under Secretary for Foreign
Affair whether he intended to adhere to his
statement that no verbal Communication was
made by Mr.. Adams to Earl Russell Of the sub
stance of the dispatch addressed by MIR. Seward
TO Mr.. Adams, on the llth July, or whether he
desired to withdraw II.
MIR Layard said he had no desire 10 withdraw
the statement he had made, as no official or Ver-
bal communication had been made to Lord Rus
sell by MIR. Adams.
Mr.. Seymour Fitzgerald called attention to
the circumstances attending the capture Of GER
tain British vessels-the SptingbOk, the barque
Science captured at Matamoras, ship Margaret
and Jessie, and Saxon, captured within the ju
rifdicliOn OF the Colony of the Cape Of Good
Hope. lie gave Il detail Of The circumstances un-
der which the vessels in question were captured,
and with regard TO the murder Of one Of the
crew of the Saxon, by II Federal Lieutenant
lie declared that if all Earl Russell had done in
the matter had been to express an opinion to Mr.
Seward that tue offending officer ought to be put
upon his trial for murder, such conduct was ut
tery unworthy OF Great Britain. He concluded
by moving for the correspondence which had
taken place with the American Government Gu
the subject.
The Attorney General opposed the molten,
stating that the principles Of prize adjudication
in America were the same as in England, and
the disposition Of the Government very fair and
Just.
Lord Robert Cecil strongly supported Mr..
Fitzgerald, on The double ground that the prac-
tice Of refusing papers enabled Government un-
cOnsttuiiOnally to escape Parliamentary super
vision, and that the policy OF the Government
was obviously trucking one to strong Powers
and harsh and exciting one to weak Powers.
After general debate, in which the trucking
policy of Earl Russel was strongly denounced by
several speakers, Lord Palmerston appealed to
Mr. fitzgerald to withdraw his motion, and said
il was que to the Government Of the United
States TO say that they had invariably received
our applications in spirit Of equity and justice.
1t was also necessary TO refer to the case Of the
Trent TO show that where we had a strong ground
Of Iemonsrance justice had been dealt to us by
the Government of the United States. He
thought it was prtjudicial to the good under
standing which ought TO exist between two great
Powers to accuse a foreign Government OF acts
of which it had not been guilty aud to express
distrust of their equity, when nothing had oo-
CURED to justify such charges.
Sundry other speeches were made, but the re-
solution was finally Withdrawn.