Mr. Woodbury to Mr. Marcy.

BOSTON, June 13, 1855. SIR: A complaint was brought before me, some days since, against a German named Caufman, for violation of the neutrality laws of the United States, by "hiring or retaining certain persons to go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States, with intent to be enlisted in the service of a foreign prince, Queen Victoria." The disclosures in the investigation of this cause produced other complaints and arrests. An investigation of a week has led to the discovery of many important facts, which I conceive it my duty to communicate in a distinct shape to your department, that the government may adopt any action which it shall see fit.

The provincial government of Nova Scotia has commenced, some two months since, the organization of a foreign legion, destined to serve in the British army in the war now pending in Russia. A proclamation signed by the provincial secretary, L. M. Wilkins, announces that a bounty of $30, and a pay of $8 per month, will be given to every recruit. It further announces that shipmasters bringing to Halifax "poor men desirous of enlisting shall be paid their passages.

The Hon. Joseph Howe, of Nova Scotia, late secretary, and I believe at present one of the railroad commissioners, came to the United States a month or six weeks since, and organized the recruiting service for this legion.

From various disclosures, as well as testimony, I am induced to believe the organization to be as follows:

Two regiments have been organized-one with Polish officers, one with German officers. About three hundred recruits were in depôt at Halifax a fortnight ago; fifty have sailed since from this port to join. The instructions are to enlist no Irish. Germans are sought for. Major Weisse commands at the depôt. Baron Fonescan, Doctor Beale, and Lieutenant Zeimichi, are at Halifax also. The other officers are now in the States, engaged in the business of recruiting.

Information has been given me as to the details of the recruiting service, which I am inclined to credit.

New York has been the place where the enlistment has gone on most actively; Boston the shipping port for Halifax. Mr. Stanley, (a clerk, I believe, in the English consul's office,) and a Mr. Turnbull, are represented as having the organization of the financial department there.

Colonel Smolenski, a Pole, formerly captain in the Polish service, major in the Hungarian war, and in service in Belgium, but lately an engraver, 251 Broadway, room 11, is the chief military officer stationed there he speaks good English and French. Lieutenant Yesson, a German, and a Pole named Trietarky, (I write from the sound,)

are the other military officers. A Captain Carstensen, a Dane, was here, and has fled; is probably there. Lieutenant Thoman was here, and has fled; is probably there. The inferior agents are boardinghouse runners, intelligence-office keepers, &c. Jacoby resides in Christie street, office in Lewis street: Rosenbaum, 353 Greenwich, said to be chief enlisting agent.

The men gathered by these runners are sent on in squads of five to ten to Boston, their passages paid, and consigned to one of two or three German boarding-houses, where they are boarded until they can be shipped in a packet to Halifax.

Dr. Kieckbach, a German, has been, and Captain Sierewski, a Pole, Lieutenant Galitsky, alias Celagi, a Pole, are in charge here of the forwarding of men to Halifax. They pay the boarding-masters, and ship the men in the packets. There are two lines of packets from here to Halifax, and the agents of these lines have advanced the money to pay the charges in Boston, and get their pay and passagemoney on the arrival of the squads in Halifax. About fifty Germans have been rejected at Halifax, and most of them returned to New York.

The boarding-masters are allowed four dollars a head for the men they send down; two for the runner, two for themselves. Complaint is made by many of the Germans going down that they are given but $14, instead of the $30 bounty promised, and paid 4d. a day instead of the $8 per month, promised in the proclamation.

Recruiting agencies are said to be established at Portland, Philadelphia, and Buffalo, and officers have gone further west to establish others.

Major Platt, represented as being of Mount Air, Canada, and his son, Captain Platt, are probably in charge of this division.

A large number of other officers are spread over the States in this business, some of whose names I am informed of, others not; but their residences I cannot give. There are now in arrest, as witnesses here, about twelve men who have been brought thus far on their way to Halifax. They have seen none but the runners and the forwarding agent here. A gentleman who has been connected with all their business has given much information, and other has been obtained by close investigation.

The agent in Philadelphia is Mr. John Smith; the one in Buffalo, Dr. Aschenfeldt.

I presume these details are sufficient to enable you to form an opinion of the extent and character of the violation of our neutrality now being attempted by the authority of the English government. Since these investigations began here, two squads, of 6 or 8 each, sailed to Halifax, and then, learning of the departure of a packet, I communicated with the collector of the port, who directed a watch to be kept on her; a squad of 21 men were seen to march to her, and were carried off. The agents who accompanied them to the packet are known.

But few enlistments have taken place in Boston, as there are but a few thousand Germans who live here. Now that these arrests have been made here, the shipping port will probably be changed to Phila

delphia or New York, and soon, I presume, they will send their men to Canada as the safest route.

The district attorney has been absent from town for several days past, and in the conduct of these examinations has been represented by one of his assistants, who has performed with zeal and intelligence his proper duties. Except in the first case which came up, when we were not aware such important disclosures would be arrived at, I have not had the superior advantages of consultation with the United States attorney himself. Were he here, I should not undertake to give this information to the State Department, as it properly pertains to his official duty. Under the circumstances, however, I trust that neither the State Department nor the United States attorney will conceive that I am departing from propriety, or the respect due to them, in the course I have taken.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. LEVI WOODBURY, Commissioner Circuit Court U. S., District of Massachusetts. Hon. Wм. L. MARCY,

Secretary of State.

Mr. McKeon to Mr. Marcy.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,

U. S. District Attorney's Office, June 18, 1855.

SIR: I have the honor to enclose an affidavit made by Morris Kieckbach, before George W. Morton, esq., one of the commissioners of the United States.

It relates to the means made use of by the colonial government of Nova Scotia to retain men within the jurisdiction of the United States, to proceed to Halifax, there to be entered or enlisted as soldiers of the Queen of Great Britain.

I have the honor to remain, with great respect, your obedient servant, JOHN MCKEON, U. S. District Attorney.

Hon. W. L. MARCY,

Secretary of State.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, SS:

I, Morris Kieckbach, of No. 206 Canal street, physician, do swear that, about five months since, deponent arrived at this city from Brazils, and, at the instance of several families, went to Montreal, there to settle as a physician and surgeon. At Montreal deponent heard that the British government was about to form a foreign legion to go

into the service on the continent, and that the authorized agent of the government was then at Boston. I then went to Boston, and found Colonel Smolenski and Captain Carstensen. Smolenski was to raise a Polish regiment, and Captain Carstensen was to have a command in the battalion of Germans raised by Major Weisse. Smolenski introduced me to the honorable Joseph Howe, in Boston. He boarded at the Tremont House. This was about the 26th to the 28th of April last, or perhaps a day or two later. Mr. Howe declared himself to be the agent of the colonial government of Nova Scotia, and acknowledged me as staff or regimental surgeon to the Polish officers' regiment under Smolenski, and at the same time this deponent was engaged as the representative and agent, in lieu of Smolenski, at Boston. This deponent's duty, as such agent, was to receive the persons who had been enlisted and sent to Boston, to bring them into boarding-houses, ship them to Halifax, pay their debts, receive money from Clark, Jones, & Co., for account of Howe, and to pay $4 a head for each man to the agent who had enlisted them. I acted as such agent to the 18th May. I drew $327, Captain Carstensen $949, and Colonel Smolenski $465. Some of the men-say about 50 of 200 that I had sent had been rejected at Halifax, who reproached me for having inveigled them. I then went myself to Halifax. I there received permission from Governor le Marchant and Messrs. Howe and McDonald to visit Melville island, which is used as a depot for these men. I found there about 200 soldiers, who were very discontented. There was another house in Boston which paid agents' fees, viz: Sprague, Soulé, & Co.

I represented to Governor le Marchant that the men were discontented, and he promised to see them satisfied. He referred me to Mr. Crampton, the British minister at Washington, who was to refund me what I had advanced out of my own funds, and to arrange with him about the further organization. He said that he (the governor) had no further power; that the Home Office had transferred it to Mr. Crampton. I was told I would find Mr. Crampton at Washington, or at the British consulate of Mr. Grattan, in Boston, between the 5th and 15th June. Not finding Mr. Crampton there, I spoke to Mr. Grattan, who also referred me to Mr. Crampton, and said that he would not be in Boston. I then went to New York, and spoke to Vice Consul Stanley, British vice consul at New York. Mr. Stanley told me he heard and read that there was a warrant out against him; that there were many spies about, and that he had no order to pay me; and when I spoke to him about Mr. Crampton, he said that all my business with Crampton must come through him.

Sworn to before me, June 18, 1855.

Dr. M. KIECKBACH.

GEORGE W. MORTON,

United States Commissioner.

THE SEIZURE OF THE BARQUE MAURY.

Report of the Committee of the New York Chamber of Commerce, November 27, 1855.

The committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce to ascertain and report the facts connected with the late seizure of the American barque "Maury," on the information of Mr. Barclay, her Majesty's consul at New York, respectfully submit, for the information of the chamber, the following documents:

No. 1. Mr. Hunter, Assistant Secretary of State, to Attorney General, October 12, 1855.

No. 2. Telegraphic despatch from Attorney General to United States attorney, New York, October 12, 1855.

No. 3. Attorney General to Secretary of State, October 12, 1855. No. 4. United States attorney, New York, to her Britannic Majesty's consul, October 13, 1855.

No. 5. Same to collector of port, October 13, 1855.

No. 6. Attorney General to United States attorney, New York, October 13, 1855.

No. 7. Her Britannic Majesty's envoy, &c., to Secretary of State, with four affidavits, October 11, 1855.

No. 8. United States attorney, New York, to Charles Edwards, esq., October 16, 1855.

No. 9. Deputy surveyor of port to United States attorney, New York, October 15, 1855.

No. 10. Inspectors of customs to surveyor of port, October 15, 1855. No. 11. United States attorney, New York, to Attorney General, October 17, 1855.

No. 12. Same to United States marshal, October 17, 1855.

No. 13. United States marshal to United States attorney, October 19, 1855.

No. 14. Messrs. Low to same, October 18, 1855.

No. 15. Charles Edwards, esq., to same, October 19, 1855.

No. 16. United States attorney, New York, to Attorney General, October 19, 1855.

No. 17. Attorney General to Secretary of State, October 19, 1855. No. 18. Same to United States attorney, New York, October 22, 1855.

No. 19. Same to Secretary of State, October 22, 1855.

No. 20. United States attorney, New York, to Attorney General, October 20, 1855.