The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-21
AN AMERICAN
ARREsTED BY THE AUEHoRrTIEs
or Great RFIIRln-RspOrt Of the SeCre.
tAFy OF Stale ON the Case OF
Michael BOytOn Recently
Arrested In ireland.

4 WASHINGTON, May 2O.-The report OF
the Secretary OF State in the case OF
Michael P. BoYton, is addressed to the
President and reviews the correspondence
which passed between Boyton, Minister
Lowell and Consul Blrrows, 1t sets forth
the following facts:
Boyton was one OF the defendants or
traversers In the state prosecutions at
Dublin, which were held in December
and January last, and was proceeded
against in common with prominent mem.
berH oil Parliament from Ireland and otti.
GERS Of the Irish Land League The
proceedings was terminated on the 25th Of
January, 1881.
In this trial no claim oil American ciLi.
zenship was presented In behalf OF Boy.
ton. Boyton, however, visited the United
States Consulate at Dublin In November,
1880, and procured passport Issued him
BY the State Department, under date OF
November 10Th, 1865, requesting iLs wise,
BaTToWs, Consul, there under msappre.
hension Of his official duty In the premises
declined to attach the required viseo thS
ground that Boyton was one Of the trayer.
sers In pending State trial, aud o. ksd the
department 10 instruct him as r.
his course In case Boyton Ghould
apply 10 him for protection as an Ameri.
can citizen, The Department snswsred.
postponig instructions a. to any further an.
piicalion he light make for protection un-
u the case should arse, but approving
BArrows' refusal to grant Wise, not on the
ground on which BSrrows had alleged,
but because Of the long standing OF exeCu.
tion OF the order requiring that the pass.
port must he renewed at the end Of two
years. The Assistant Secretary OF State
Rlso stated to the Consul that Boyion ap-
peared by the records oil the Department
to be q native born citizen OF the
United States, having been born in
the State Of New York. Fairly in February
last Boyton made application to tho Con.
sui at Dublin for o new passport, which
application, under the rules, was trans.
mltled with the old passport TO the United
States legation at London. In bis letter
ol communication 10 Minister Lowell,
Consul Barrows conveyed the impression
that the department had approved his
refusal 10 attach his wise 10 the passport
on the ground that Boyton was one OF the
trAversers at the state trial, Whereupou
Lowell asked for the correspondence In
the case, and at the same time suggest cd
that Boyton direct his application
70 the Legation. Barrows sent to Lowell, In
Theby, the correspondence had with the
Department., and mentioned the cir
cumetance that Boyton had told him
that he was not q native born citizen of
the United States, having been born In
Ireland and taken to America when ia
child. On the I'd Of March last the British
Parliament passed the measure known 90
the Coercion Act" Under that statute
Q warrant for the arrest OF Michael p, Boy.
ton, OF Kildare, was Issued and Boyton
was arrested on the 18th OF March.
He OF opCs telegraphed to Minister
Lowell. demanding protection from
the United States. Minister Lowell
then had several interviews with the Brit
ish Secretary for Foreign Affairs In regard
to Boyton's complaint, and also instructed
BaTrows to visit the prisoner and obtain
proofin regard to his American citizen.
ship, and Il the fact OF such citizenship
was fully asCertained, to take energetic
steps for his protection. Barrows visited
Boyton end received from him ClrCum.
stantial declaration that be was born In
Ireland 10 ls40, his father emigrated 10 the
United States in 1859 and that he the
youngest Boyton) served In the U. $.
Navy In 1854 65. Thereupon Minister
Lowell endeAvored 10 remove doubt Bug.
gested by the discrepancy between Boy
toms statement and tho Slate Department
record In the matter Of his application for
passport, and to that end wrote directly
to Boyton asking an explanation. Boyton
replied bya verbal statement 10 Consul
Barows denying the record In regard to bis
passport, alleging his tsther's full naturali.
cation while he was minor, but without
aBsigning the date for that ROt, and reaa.
setting bis claim 10 American citizenship.