§ MR. GREGORYsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether any Despatches have been received from the Governor of the Bahamas relating to the capture, by United States Cruisers, of vessels sailing under the British flag; and, if so, whether 243 he has any objection to produce them; and whether any complaints have been made by the Governor of the Bahamas of the blockade, by United States Cruisers, of the port of Nassau? He also wished to know, in case of such Despatches having been received, whether they have been submitted to the Law Officers of the Crown; and if so, whether they have pronounced any opinion upon the question at issue?
§ MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDsaid, before the hon. Gentleman answered the question, he hoped he would be kind enough to say whether he has communicated to the department of the Admiralty of this country, or to the Government of the Bahamas, any information in reference to the capture of the Bermuda, and whether that vessel was captured in British waters.
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, that Despatches had been received from the Governor of the Bahamas, but the Government could not produce them at that moment, as the correspondence on the subject was still going on. The case of the Bermuda was one of those referred to in the Despatches. The circumstances attending the capture of the Bermuda and other vessels had been referred to the Law Officers of the Crown, but they had not as yet pronounced an opinion upon the matter. The Government had received no information as to anything that could be called a blockade of the port of Nassau. The Governor of the Bahamas reported that American cruisers had stopped certain vessels, on the ground of their intention to run the blockade of the American ports.