Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-10-28
GREAT BRITAIN.

via Londonderry, October 18th, has arrived
off this point.
GREAT BRITAIN.
A meeting of the Atlantic Telegraph
Company has authorized an inc- ease of capi-
tai by one hundred and sixty thousand
shares OF So each.
Important Correspondence Between tile En-
glish and American Governments.
Important diplomatic correspondence be-
tween Mr.. Adams, the American Minister,
and Earl Russell, is published in the Lon
don Gazette, of the l1tl instant.
The correspondence begins with letter
from Minister Adams, dated the 18th of April
last, in which he calls the attention of Earl
Russell! to the official reports respecting the
ravages of the Shenandoah, and announces
that for the damages caused by such cruisers
his Government cannot avoid entailing the
responsibility upon Great Britain.
The reply of Earl Russell is dated May
4th. He says that the duties of Great Bri-
tain towards the United States are not mea.
surcd by the losses which the commerce of
the latter may have sustained. The question
is simply whether the Queens Government
have faithfully and honestly performed the
duties which international laws and their
own municipal laws imposed upon them.
The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated May 4th.
He says that the insurgents became bellige-
rents on the ocean solely by reason of the
facilities furnished in her Majcstys ports for
them to do so. He complains of the secret
sympathy of her Maestys officers in thp port
of Liverpool, and contends that after the in
formation which he supplied respecting the
Alabama, it was, by the fragrant negligence
of her Majesty's board of customs, that this
vessel, admitted to be intended for war pur-
poses, was suffered to depart from Liverpool
An interval of three months elapsed be-
tween the above letter and Earl Russell's
reply to it.
In response, Earl Russell proceeds to jus.
tily the course of her Maiesty's Government
in recognizing the belligerents, and reasons
are shown why there was extreme difficulty
in giving orders to exclude from British
ports vessels of war partly fitted up in the
United Kingdom.
A very important point is referred to in
this letter. Earl Russell notices statement
in letter from Mr.. Adams in 1868, as to the
Government of Washington being ready to
| refer these disputes to arbitration.
Earl Russell declines this offer, and says
it is question in the first place, whether
the Queens Government have acted in good
faith in maintaining their neutrality, and in
the second place, whether the law officers of
the Crown have correctly interpreted Brit
ish statute.
Earl Russell continues: "Thc Queens Go
vernment can refer neither OF these questions
to arbitration" The words used by him arc
as follows:
"lIer Majes.y's Government are the sole
guardians of their own honor. They cannot
admit they have acted with bad faith in
maintaining the neutrality they protesscd
The law officers of the Crown must be held
to be bette: interpreters of British statute
than any foreign Government can be pre-.
sumed to be. Her Majestys Government
must, therefore, decline to make reparation
and compensation for captures made by the
Alabama, or to refer the question to any
foreign State. Her Majesty's Government,
conceive that if they were TO act otherwise
they would endanger the position of ncu
trails in all future wars Her Majesty's Go.
vernmen. are, however, ready to consent to
the appointment of a commission, to which
shall be referred all claims arising during
the late civil war, which the two Powers
shall! agree to fer to the commissioners"
The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated the lStl
of September, and is very serious in its tone
Mr.. Adams considers that there is now NJ
dispute as to the fact that the recognition o
the South rs belligerents was such an act a!
was never done by one nation towards an
other in state of amity. lie charges tht
British Government with having acted with
out knowledge, and upon mere presumption
in assuming that the evidence of the block
ade OF the Southern States was imperfect
The blockade, he says, was the consequence
not the cause of British policy. He thinks
that the only excuse for the British Govern
ment is that its conduct was preciptate
He then intimates that if the doctrines anc
practices of the British Government are al
lowed to become the rule, the United State
will not be the greatest losers thereby.
Mr. Adams does not appear to think that
the proposal of Ear. Russell to refer tn
questions in dispute to commission, will
be accepted by the United States Govern
mcnt.
The Times and the Post are silent on th
correspondence
The Daily Ne'es says: "Besides the magni
tude of the questions affecting neutrals, tn
matters in dispute are closely connected
with the maintenance of friendly relation
between England anG America
The Star, in referring to the escape of tn
Alabama from England, remarks, there ma
perhaps be negligence, without such gros
CuiptDilllS us 10 TeHucT us llaDtc 1Or all Ill
damages which the escaped privateer perpe
trated. But if our views ON these question
should differ with those of the United States
and they should insist as peremptoriy upo
their claims as we upon our denial of re
sponsibility-whatt then1 Are we to run th
risk of rupture, rather than to consent t
arbitrationl
, THE FENIANs.
Arrests for Fenianism continued in Ere
land. Thirteen persons were committed 70
trial at Cork, on the 18th inst, and a mum
ber more had been committed in Dublin.
1t was reported that one of the Fenian
would become an informer and reveal tn
entire secrets of the organization.
The loss of the American ship Eagle Speed
t at the mouth of the Mulah river, after hay
ing been ashore, is confirmed. Two hundre
i aud sixty-fve coolies are missing.
/. AMERICAN SECURITIES.
. Satterthwaites circular of the evening c
the 1th inst. says.