Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-05-23
AMERICAN SUSPECTS.
Correspondence Between State Depart-
ment and Minister Lowell.

WASHINGTON, May 90.
The President this afternoon sent to the
House documents3 concerning Imprisonment
of American citizens in Ireland in which are
given the correspondence between State De-
partment and Minister Lowell, on the sub
Ject which has passed since last report was
transmitted to the House. Secretary FIRE.
linghuysen April 10, instructed Lowell to
urge upon Lord Granville the release of the
remaining prisoners without further question,
to which Lowell responded that he thought it
impossible to secure their release except upon
condition of their leaving the country not to
return, as long as exceptional legislation was
force.
April 2lst Lowell cabled that the Irish
Secretary would release FIVE persons, exclud-
ing Canon for the present, about whose cit
izenship there was some doubt. on the con-
dition they would return to the United States,
and that he had answered that he was in
structed not to consent to any conditions.
In previous instructions Lowell had been
authorized, by the Secretary of State, if re-
quisite, to draw on the Department of State
for 5000 per man for all such American cit
liens as might be released and might need
means of reaching home. In the same tele-
gram of April 2lst, Lowell said he would
cease the suspects to be informed that each
should receive f40 on release and promise to
return.
On the ODD of April the Secretary of State
cabled Lowell that he was right in his dis.
claimer OF authority to consent to the condit-
ions imposed upon the release of the prison.
ers. He was also told that the authority to
draw money had been given him in case of
need, in order that persons released might
have means to reach their homes; that the
government could properly do this but it
could not authorize money to be offered to
induce persons to leave, but nevertheless
any expense he had already incurred would
be recognized.
On the 2Sth of April Lowell renortcd nv
cable that the money offered had been drawn
in all cases; that ma honey was undecided
and the other four prisoners would not ac-
cept the release offered on the condition of
return to the United States.
The Secretary of State encloses copy of
the instructions from Granville to West
handed to the Secretary by West, under in
structions, and also copy of the instructions
from this department to Lowell, dated April
18th.
In letter from Minister Lowell. dated
May }. he reports an interview with Forster
in which he says: 81 assented that he should
try an experiment of offering release to all
so-called American suspects on condition of
theH gong BACK within reasonable time to
the country they claim to have adopted, but
distinctly informed him that 1 was not au-
thor.zed by my government to accent any,
thing less than an unconditional liberation.
On my part promised to have the prisoners
informed, on my own responsibility alone.
that, in case they should be released, forty
pound sterling should be at the disposal of
each to pay their passage across the At antic.
accordingly instructed Barrows and Wood.
consuls respectively at Dublin and Belfast,
and Finsley, consular agent at Limerick, to
visit the prisoners and make known the offer.
Mclnery and Sclattery were allowed three
days to consider whether they would accept
or not. Others, o. Mahoney, Erophy Gan
non and McSweenery refused to be liberated
on any terms whatever. Whose advice or
orders they were acting under is a matter
very probable to conjecture