New-York tribune., 1871-04-29

nrav upon American commerce. and, before the rights
Tins conferred were withdrawn, nearly $40 American
ships had been captured and more tan 'Oo hau peen
ut uuder the British 1ag. Tbs was the direct result
Ipdrecy one Of the most I'm porant OF American lhdus
tries received blow from which, after six years Of
ncace and general prosperity, have not begun to re-
cover and tho Rebels encouraged and strength
ened that they able to prolong Tie war at great
cost 20 the United states, OF blood and treasure BY
the PROCLAMATION, TOO, England gave up the power
which She afterward pro!esscdt to desire Of stopping
these ouraces on the sea. Indeed from what said
in Gobate within less than week after the proc!ama
ton would be Led 10 conclude that its only object
to convert piracy into privaoorng, and to protect
British subjects in their work Of destroying the property
OF citizens OF friendly nation. Lord Chelmsford, in the
House of Lords Ciay 16, 1s6l) said:
"f the Southern CoufedeIaey had not been recognized
by us as belgerent power any EngnSn,man ,a a,t 9
them by fitting out prvatcer against the Federa uoN
ernment IoOa,ld be gully Of piracy"
Lord Derby, in a speech made during the same debate
said
The Northern States must not re allowed TO enter
law 10 convert pyatcerng into piracy ana Ilslo
With death Tee pn%Shmsnt SIN uGHsr ,,d srch ond NOT
be viewed with mdiiterence,' DC.
Under tho proclamation passengers who had over
powered the captain and crew Of United States man
steamer had destroyed the vessel and had then landed
in British port, protected from punishment Dc
cause the leader exhibited Confederate commission
The diplomatic correspondence Of this Government Is
fun Of remOnstrances against the course OF Great Britain
-remonstTances against allowing the Rebel pna'es "
escape; against their entertainment in BrlllSh lVi
while American ships of war were Only a'o"oN -
strcted entrance with irritating conditions ana against
the loose and negligent manner in when une inensu
laws were enforced. But these remohSranccS "oi0Vi
no avail. 49,
Rcfore reviewing the negotiations that have taken
place between tie United states ana Great bri'al' q
brief history OF the BritiS0uit and equipped cruisers
will No Of interest. The Florida, the Alabama, the
Georgia and the Shenandoah were each Dut anu
eouipped in British ports The Alexandra, the ram
pero and Iairds were built Tor the keDes' Dut
were never allowed 10 escape.
THE FLORIDA.
The Florida was an iron steam gunboat, built at
LIVERPOOL by Miller sons OstenSby for Messrs IhOnas
Brothers Of Palermo on the 18th Of February, 1852, be-
fore she was completed Mr.. Dudley, the American Con-
sui at Liverpool informed Mr. Adams Of her true char
acer that he had the best evidence from many sources
that she was intended the Confederacy Mr. Adams
communicated the information to Lord Russell and nine
days afterward received in reply the report OF Comns-
oner Of Customs describing the Oreto 0he name under
which the Florida built. In this report IT was SET
forth that she pierced for four guns and aS cd'med
to have been built for the Italian Government From this
time until the Oreto left port Mr. Adams was constantly
urging the British Government to enforce its neutrality
laws He acquainted Earl Russell with hundred cir
cumstances all of which went 10 prove that she was IN
tended for the Rebels he gave list OF some
of her officers, who arrived from the SOuth
and were known belong ~ the Confederate navy as
they had worn their uniforms while on the voyage 10
England; he him reports from Wilmington, N Cp
that several war vessels were building in England Ior
the Rebels and he made most solemn protest. In the
name of the President of the United States against the
,oicv of Great Britain, which 20 "sufer their good
faith TO be violated by disposed persons within the
borlers In this protest he added, that the people VI
the United States convinced that nearly all OF
The assistance that is obtained abroad by the per
a-afu he Government,
enables bem to continue the struggle, comes from the
Kingdom of Great Britain and its dependencieS But
though the true destination Of the Oreto was notorious
all over Liverpool, Lord Russell could hnd no GROUNDS
for doubling the legality OF her voyage anu sho was
allowed to depart.
AT Nassau the first port to which the OretO went she
was seized by Capt Hickey of the Brth ship Grey
hound Capt Hickey in his affidavit testified: found
her in every respect fitted vessel precisely the
same as vessels Of similar class in Her Maestys Navy
found guns board Of her. . Magazine,
sherooms and light rooms entirely at variance with
the fittings Of merchant ships She had no aecomno-
daton whatever for the sowage of cargo only sto"age
for provisions and stores" &c. Judge John Campoeh
Lees I'm the Admiralty Court of the Bahamas now
ever ouotine the testimony of Capt Hickey ruled
"Capt Hickleys evidence TO the constructions and
fittings of the vessel should consider conclusive even
had there been other; but that construction ana nose
dftngs ore made not here b in England, and Of "hd'
erer nature ey may De- do not subject the reSset TO Jor
fD,f,,rs here" 1t requires legal training TO
discover the fallacy OF this ruling 1t amounts
IN this il crime against English law Is
committed in Liverpool, and the crlminal escapes
10 Nassau or to any other English port the authorities
there have nc Jurisdiction even though the PROOF o gt
ia overwhelming The rulings Of Judge Lees on other
onts are equally ridiculous 1t is needless TO say that
fbe reto was released She then went directly TO Green
KEY another British island, and there took on Doard
ens and stores from a schooner sent by Confederate
agent Al Nassau hOs:ed the Confederate fag changed
her name 10 the Florida and then started On her course
Of destruction. In February, 1868, she again visited
nassau and her officers were Hospitality received
by the British authorities. In direct violation OF
the British law which provides that no snip
ofwar or privateer Of either belligerent shall
he allowed TO take in coal provisions at any British
port except what may be sufficient to take her 10 he
nearest port her country she was allowed 10 put
I'm 100 tuns Of coal in violation OF tie pro
vision that this privilege Of coang shall not be accorded
to the same vessel again any British port within three
months, she allowed to take another full supply oi
coal Barbados in spite of the protests Of the Ane
can Consul Only few months before this, the united
States steamer Dacotah was only permitted to take on
board at oey tuns of COAL and that only on
written agreement that within ten days after leaving
she oOud not be cruising Wita Upe HeS o. any tSta"d
Of he Bahama Government"
The Florida continued pirate, until in October
1864 she seized the habor of Bahia by the steamer
Wachusetts. During this time she had destroyed 80
American vessels and bonded four Others The amount
of claims on account vessels and cargoes destroyed by
her IA more than 3OOO,0OO
THE ALABAMA
The case against the Alabama was much stronger tsn
that AGAINST the Florida. She built by Laird Co.,
AT Birkenhead opposite Liverpool. Mr. Adams sent TO
Lord Russell the most overwhelming evidence that she
was intended for the Confederate service Earl Russell
referred the letter Of Mr. Adams to the Commissioner OF
Iot4 rfpd I