New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-04
THE IRISH SUSPECTS.
EARL GRANVILLE TO Mr.. WEST.

WASHINGTON, May 3.-The following letter from
Lord Granville to Minister West, which is embraced
IN the correspondence regarding Irsh-American
suspects published in London, has been furnished
by the Department of State:
FOREIGN OFFICE, April Q, 1882
SIR: With reference to my dispatch, No. 80 OF
the 31st ut., have now to inform YOU that Her
MaJestys Government have carefully considered
the representations that have been made to them
by Mr.; Lowell on the part of Government OF the
United States concerning the arrest and lmprlson-
ment OF certain American citizens In Ireland ana
the hope expressed by the President that the Amer
lean citizens, so detained, may be brought to an
early trial.
The persons al present detained in prison IN Ire
land under the provisions of the Protection of Person
and Property act of 1891 have been. and are, all of
them either ordinarily resident in Ireland or pc sons
who have visited Ireland under the present circum-
stances of that country, and TO whom full knOwl-
edge OF those circumstances, and of the laws passed
III lne last session OF Parliament TO arm the Govern
ment there with extraordinary powers, must be im-
putci. In the use of these extraordinary powers,
10r the purpose OF preventing incentives to outrage
ana crime. and breaches of public order In Ireland,
no general distinction can be made between those
persons for the time being in Ireland who may have
come there from the United States any other for
elgn cOuI try in which they may have rights of ctl
Zenshp and others, nor have Her Majesty's Govern
ment generally any means of knowing whether such
persons are native lrshfen who have not re-
nounced tlcr British nationality, or Irish emgrans
who may have obtained rights of citizenship in the
United states or elsewhere.
The statute of last session, under which
those pr 'Oners ere detained, was passed like
all other acts for the suspension of the haheas cor
pus, whether IN England or in the United Statesl
under circumstances of exceptional political neces
sty for the express purpose of superseding and dis
peusing with trial and the reference Ill the first
clause Of the act to the authority of the Lord Lieu
tenant OF Ireland was not for the purpose OF en-
abling him to direct trial (which could only take
place upon charge regularly made in the ordinary
course of lawl out for the contrary purpose.
The British Legislature III passing that act de-
CIaTgl tnp necessity such StlSDeuSlOu OF frldl
under cert ain circumstances. This necessity applies
within those conditions alike TO aliens and to British
subjects IN Ireland; and Her Majestys Government
are compelled 10 consider that the necessity winch
led TO The passing of the act still subssts:
1t is impossible either for Her Majestys Govern
ment or FOR the Government OF the United states 10
be ignorant that the present disorders III Ireland
have been and are still to great extent tOmented
by Irish emigrants in the United States and by
subscriptions OF money and publications hostile to
to British rule proceeding from that source. As You
are aware, Her Majestys Government found 1t
necessary last year to address friendly representa-
ton on this subject to the Government of the
United States and Her Majesty's Government can
not doubt that the President and his Ministers must
be dcsr0us of dlscOuTaging all such proceedings to
the best OF their power. Under such circumstances
it is obvious that the efforts of Her Maestys Gov
ernment and OF the British Parliament Tor the vim
dIcatios of Law and the restoration of order in
Ireland would be liable to be frustrated if aliens
in Ireland Whatsoever nationality they might
claim were III any respect treated as exempt from
the operation of laws which Parliament has found
it necessary 10 enact for that purpose, from the
extraordinary powers conferred upon the executive
Government of ireland by those laws.
The principle that III such cases no distinction
can be made in favor Of aliens was maintained by
the Government of the Unit States on the suspcn-
sion OF the habeas corpus act III the Northern states
during the civil war. On that occasion complaints
having been made of arbitrary aud illegal arrests
Of certain British subjects, Mr. Seward, IN note
dated the l4th October, 1861, to Lord Lyons, then
her Majesty's Minister at ashington, after yindi
eating the legality of the proceedings complained of
expressed himself as follows:
III every case subjects Of Her Majesty residing in the
United state and under their protection are treated
during tLe present trouble IN the same manner and with
ho gruat or less figor than American citizens.
Subsequently, in 1865, when the habeas corpus
act was suspended in Ireland correspondence took
place between the two Governments as to the right
of Irlsll-Dorn natuIaIZed citizens OF America then
soivurnImg in Ireland to America protection That
particular ques, ION has SINCE been disposed or Oy
the naturalization act, 1870, whereby BRITISH SUBJ
iects becoming voluntarily naturlllZed IN foreign
stale orfc. their British nationality. BUT the f0l-
loving extract from n dispatch dated the 10Th of
March, 1866, addressed by Mr.. seward 10 MI
Auam- then Minister of the United States III Lon
DON and pubIIshed III the dlplomaiic c0IIespohG-
ence presented to Congress with the Presidents
me ssaee for that year, deserves particular no
tice as the views oT Her MaJcsiys Government
in relation the treatment Oh American clllLeHs
durinp the present trOuDl, In Ireland In those H.
structlons Mr.. seward used the following Ian
guage: A.. ,o - o,,. rrshhorn
natraised cltileis VINO sojourning or travel
ling in ireland will DO arrested upon complaints IN Sc
dtiuus proceedings II may also be expected that so0
Nm vim be thus accused Will be innocent, while others
viii be gully. The situation viii for dine necessarily
becOme lncOnYeHent ana embarrassing. know OF no
way IN winch you meet 1t more properly than by
pursung tne course which yOn have Indicated
Americans, whether native-bOrn or natvralized owe
submission the laws in Great Britain as British
subjects, while residing there and enjoying tho pro-
of ths principle to British subjects who sojournug
or travelling tine United StAtcs during the late reoeSn
In uriher dispatch, dated the oth June, 1866,
Mr.. Seward instructed ME- Adams
To suggest Lord Clarendon the expedency OF the
crcsc OF clcmcncy to the eXten at least OF releasing
the American citizens, native or naturalzed who
are In confinement, upon the condition OF their return
ing to the United states
Asno difference of opinion would appear to exist
with respect the principles clearly enumerated
IN the extracts above cited. her MaJcstys Govern
ment are in some doubt as to whetheTStey have
Government of the United states found their pres
seut representations in OF those American cti
zcus IN ireland who nave brought themselves under
the operation Of the Protection Oh Person ana Prop
erty act and il Is unnecessary 10 pursue the subject
further at present.
only desire to add that the Imprisonment of sus-
pects under the act is not measure of punishment,
but of prevention. The lrisn Government have IN
many instances released prisoners upon reasona-
bic beilef that 1t could be done without risk to the
pubic safety, and l need hardly say that Her
Malestys Government are not deslrous OF OBTAINING
unnecessarily IN prison any persons from whom no
danger TO tue public peace Is to he apprehended.
They will therefore be prepared to consider the
circumstances ol any citizen of the United States
now detained who may be wiling 10 engage 1Ortn-
with to leave the United Kingdom.
have to instruct you to READ this dispatch TO MI
Fr,liughuysen and to leave II copy of 1t with him
if Le snvuld 30 desire. | am, &c, GRANVILLE.
WHY THE DISPATCH WAS MADE ~ BLlC.
IBY TELgGRAPH TO rHE rRIBUSEl
WASHINGTON, May 3.-Secretary Frelinghuysen
said tonight with regard to Earl Granvlles dis
patch that the Department was informed that 1t
was about being telegraphed from London, aud it
was therefore given out by the Department as a
matter of accommodation to the press 1t would
not have been gwen out under other circumstances
before reached Congress. The Secretary OF state
is preparing and VIII soon send to Congress
probably this week-under the call that has been
made ell telegrams and c0rreepondence on Doth