§ THE EARL OF DERBYThere is another Question which I should like to put to the noble Earl, but, as I have given him no notice, I will either take his answer now, or repeat my Question on Thursday. The noble Earl, by the command of Her Majesty, has laid various papers on the table of the House, and, among others, the Correspondence with the Government of the Federal States of America on the subject of the Alabama. I have seen elsewhere that a considerable amount of correspondence has taken place upon an analogous subject—namely, the remonstrances made as to injuries apprehended or sustained by American commerce from vessels sailing from British ports. I wish to know, whether the Government are prepared to lay upon the table that correspondence as well as the despatches relating to the Alabama; and, further, whether they are prepared to produce any correspondence containing representations on the part of the Government of the apparent violation of the law by American cruisers in enforcing their rights, and also with respect to some very curious decisions which have been given by the Prize Courts of the United States?
§ EARL RUSSELLl can answer that Question better on Thursday; but if the noble Earl refers to any discussions with the American Government about the ironclads at Birkenhead, I can only say that as that matter is about to be brought before a court of law, I shall object to produce that correspondence. As the noble Earl has raised that question, I may mention that on the first night of the Session he referred to a despatch of the American Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, and expressed a hope that I had answered that despatch in becoming terms. Now, at the moment I did not remember having seen any such despatch: I find since that it was a despatch written by Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams, but Mr. Adams never thought proper to lay that despatch before me; and therefore I was spared the difficulty and the pain of giving an appropriate answer to it.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYI presume that it has now been laid before the noble Earl—because I see that a reference is made by Mr. Adams to the noble Earl as having received towards the latter end of August an answer to several despatches, among which he includes the despatch of 311 July 11, to which I referred. He could hardly have received such an answer if the despatch had not been presented.
§ EARL RUSSELLI certainly do not find among the papers the despatch of July 11, and Mr. Adams informed me expressly that he had received that despatch and did not hand it to me. That being so, I should not do so useless a thing as endeavour to get up a wrangle with Mr. Adams on a despatch which was never presented.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYMy reason for asking the question is, that the whole correspondence appears to have been laid before Congress.