These vessels, known as the El Mounassir and El Toussoon, and said to have been ordered of Messrs. Laird, of Birkenhead, by North America, M. Bravay, for the Egyptian government, were seized and No. 5, 1864. eventually purchased for Her Majesty's service. October 17, 1863. 18. CANTON, OR PAMPERO. Acknowledged and referred to treasury, home office, and admiralty, October 19. This vessel, which was being constructed in the Clyde, nominally as a merchant-ship for the China trade, was, after inquiry, and under the advice of the lord advocate, seized and tried. The Crown took judg ment by default, the case being undefended, and the vessel remained under seizure until the close of the war. (Lord Advocate, October 19, 1865.) 19. ALLEGED CONFEDERATE DEPOT AT BERMUDA. November 3, 1863. Acknowledged and referred to law-officers November 5, who reported (November 12) that there was no case for interference. Mr. Adams informed accordingly, November 27. November 28, 1863. 20. RAPPAHANNOCK. Acknowledged November 30; referred to home office, admiralty, treasury, and law-officers, November 29. [48] *This vessel, formerly Her Majesty's ship Victor, had been sold by the admiralty to Messrs. Coleman, in October, but without masts or sails. (From admiralty, October 24; to admiralty, October 24.) She sailed from Sheerness on the morning of the 25th of November in a very incomplete state, the riggers being still on board, and arrived at Calais on the 26th. These circumstances had already been reported when Mr. Adams's representation was received. Prosecution of Mr. Rumball. Mr. Rumball, the head of the outfitting and rigging department at Sheerness dock-yard, was prosecuted for his share in the transaction, but was acquitted on trial at the Queen's Bench on the 4th of February, 1865. He was, however, placed on half-pay. (To Mr. Adams, March 8, 1865.) Intended prosecution of Messrs. Anson and Brown. It was also intended to prosecute two other persons, seamen, for eugaging men to serve in the Rappahannock, under the name of the Scylla, but the prosecution was not carried out, the men having, it is believed, absconded. The Rappahannock remained at Calais until the conclusion of the war, when she was sold to a British firm and brought to England. 21. CONFEDERATE AGENCY AT LIVERPOOL. December 7, 1863. Acknowledged December 9; referred to law-officers December 9. H. Ex. 282, vol. iii-6 This was the case of Jones & Co., accused of enlisting men for confederate service. The law-officers advised that J. Jones and R. Highat and their clerk Wilding, and another person named Maltman, should be proceeded against. (Law-officers, December 12, 1863.) The home office accordingly proceeded against the two principals at the spring assizes; the case was removed by writ of certiorari to the Queen's Bench, where they were both convicted; but certain points were reserved for argument at the next term, and on the 23d of November, 1864, they were condemned to pay a fine of £50 each. December 29, 1863. 22. CAPTAIN CATOR. Acknowledged and referred to admiralty, December 30, 1863. This was a complaint that an officer in Her Majesty's navy had been engaged in running the blockade. The admiralty reported that they had no knowledge of it, and could not interfere. (December 31, 1863.) 23. NAVAL RESERVE MEN ENLISTED FOR FLORIDA AND January 11, 1864. GEORGIA. Acknowledged January 13; referred to home office, January 13. Three naval reserve men who were traced were struck off the list. (Admiralty, January 21.) 24. NAVAL RESERVE MEN IN ALABAMA. January 13, 1864. Acknowledged and referred to home office, January 14. Mr. Adams sent a list of nineteen men said to belong to naval reserve; but of this number, only three could be traced as actually belonging to it. (Admiralty, January 29, February 18.) February 22, 1864. 25. WILL O' THE WISP. Acknowledged and referred to colonial office, February 25. This vessel was said to be going to Bermuda to convey stores to the confederate government. No case appeared for interference. (Colonial office, May 16, 1864.) March 18, 1864. 26. AMPHION. Acknowledged and referred to home office, March 18. Said to be equipping for confederates. Law-officers reported that no case was made out. (Law-officers, March 31.) She was eventually sent to Copenhagen for sale as a merchant-ship. April 16, 1864. 27. HAWK. Acknowledged and referred to home office, lord advocate, and treasury, April 18. Supposed to be building at Renfrew for confederates; nominal owner, Mr. Begbie. The case had been already reported on by customs (Treasury, April 4,) and the papers sent to the lord advocate. On the 13th of April she left the Clyde without a register, and came to Greenhithe. The law-officers decided (April 26) that there was no evidence to warrant detention, and the treasury were so informed May 6. She proved to be a blockade-runner. (Home office, January 19, 1865.) [49] *28. ENLISTMENTS FOR THE RAPPAHANNOCK. April 16, 1864. Referred to law-officers, April 18. Four persons were charged with these enlistments, viz: Seymour, Cunningham, Buchanan, and Bradshaw. The law-officers recommended they should be prosecuted. (Law-officers, April 28.) The three first were proceeded against by home office. (Home office, July 18, 1864, August 16, 1864.) Seymour pleaded guilty, and was discharged on recognizances to appear when called upon; Cunningham was tried and convicted, and similarly discharged on recognizances of £150; Buchanan pleaded guilty, and was similarly sentenced; Bradshaw was not prosecuted. May 9, 1864. 29. GEORGIA AT LIVERPOOL. Acknowledged and referred to law-officers, May 10. This vessel, formerly the Virginia or Japan, (see No. 16,) arrived at Liverpool under confederate colors, and Mr. Adams complained of her reception in the character of a ship of war. It was, however, decided that she should be thus received. Soon afterward she was dismantled and sold to the British firm of Bates & Co., as a merchant-ship. Mr. Adams again complained (July 27, 1864) of her being refitted as a ship of war. This proved to be unfounded. Messrs. Bates sent her out to Portugal, but she was captured by the United States ship Niagara, off Lisbon, and taken to the United States as a prize. Customs notification against dismantling or selling belligerent ships in British ports. The circumstances of this case gave rise to the customs notification of the 11th of August, forbidding the ships of war of the belligerents in America from being dismantled or sold in British ports. May 28, 1864. 30. ENLISTMENTS FOR GEORGIA. Acknowledged June 1, and referred to home office June 1. Prosecution of Campbell. This was a complaint against a person named Campbell, of Liverpool. Under advice of law-officers, he was prosecuted by home office, (Home office, June, 16, 1864,) and pleaded guilty, and was discharged on recog nizances of £150 to appear when called upon. 31. SHENANDOAH, OR SEA KING. November 18, 1864. Acknowledged November 19. The case of this vessel had already been reported by Her Majesty's consul at Teneriffe. The Sea King, a merchant-vessel of an Indian Trading Company, was sent to Funchal, where she was met at Desertas, off Funchal, on the 20th of October, by the Laurel, Captain Corbett, with armament and crew. The transshipment took place there, and the Laurel returned to England, having touched at Funchal, on the 30th of October. Prosecution of Captain Corbett. The law-officers recommended the prosecution of Captain Corbett for his share in inducing men to ship on board the Shenandoah. The home office instituted proceedings accordingly, (Home office, December 2, 1864,) and the case stands for trial next terin. January 14, 1865. 32. CITY OF RICHMOND. Acknowledged January 16; referred to home office January 15, and to law-officers January 19. This vessel was engaged, as was stated, to carry the crew of the Florida, who had come to England from Brazil, from London to Nassau. The law-officers reported that no case was made out. (Law-officers, January 20, 1865.) 33. VIRGINIA AND LOUISA AND FANNY. January 30, 1865. Acknowledged and referred to treasury, February 1, 1865. No case was established, and they both proved to be blockade-runners, as reported by the governor of the Bahamas, who had been instructed to watch their proceedings. (Colonial office, April 19 and May 11, 1865.) February 7, 1865. 34. HERCULES AND AJAX. Acknowledged and referred to treasury and home offiee, February 1 and 9. Both vessels built in the Clyde. Ajax first proceeded to Ireland, and was detained at Queenstown by the mutiny of some of the crew, who declared she was for the confederate service. She was accordingly searched, but proved to be only fitted as a merchant-ship. The governor of the Bahamas was instructed [50] to watch her at *Nassau. On her arrival there she was again overhauled, but nothing suspicious discovered, and the governor reported that she was adapted, and, he believea, intended for a tugboat. The Hercules being still in the Clyde, inquiries were made by the cus toms there, who reported that she was undoubtedly a tug-boat, and a sister ship to the Ajax. Upon receiving this report it was proposed to prosecute the informant, Smith, for perjury, but it was found necessary, for that purpose, to produce the original affidavit, of which Mr. Adams had only sent a copy. Mr. Adams was, accordingly, written to for it on the 28th of June last, but nothing has since been done in the matter. Mr. Adams's representations may be divided into four classes: 1. Outfit of vessels for the confederate navy in British ports. 2. Reception of confederate war-vessels in British ports. 3. Enlistments for the confederate service. 4. Miscellaneous. Mr. Adams's representations. 1. Outfit of vessels for the confederate navy in British ports. 1. Outfit of vessels for the confederate It will be seen, from the foregoing statement, that Mr. Adams complained of no less than nineteen vessels, viz: navy in British ports. 1. Bermuda. 2. Oreto, or Florida. 3. Alabama. 4. Georgiana. 5. Phantom. 6. Southerner. 7. Alexandra. 8. Virginia, or Japan, (Georgia.) 9, 10. Iron-clads. 11. Canton, or Pampero. 12. Rappahannock. 13. Am phion. 14. Hawk. 15. Shenandoah, or Sea King. 16. Louisa And Fanny. Names of vessels complained of. 17. Virginia. 18. Hercules. 19. Ajax. Of these, five subsequently hoisted the confederate ensign: Oreto, or Florida. Alabama. Five vessels which were converted into ships of war. Virginia, or Japan. Rappahannock. Shenandoah. Oreto or Florida. The Oreto, or Florida, besides having been watched by the customs previously to her leaving England, was seized and tried at Nassau, and acquitted. She then ran into Mobile, took her armament on board, and through the negligence of the blockading ship, United States ship Oneida, (whose captain, Captain Preble, was dismissed the service in consequence,) succeeded in escaping, and issued on her career as a regularly commissioned ship of war, the Florida. This vessel, therefore, cannot be said to have been equipped or fitted out in a British port, nor can the British home or colonial authorities be accused of any want of activity with regard to her. Alabama. The Alabama, it is true, succeeded in escaping by a trick on the morning of the very day on which she would have been seized. Her armament was taken on board off Terceira, and her first recognition as a confederate war-vessel was in a French (Port Royal, Martinique) and not a British port. Virginia, or Japan. This vessel, it will have been observed, sailed before any information of her character had reached Her Virginia, or Japan, Majesty's government, and was, in fact, taking in her arma- (Georgia.) ment in French waters on the very day on which Mr. Adams's representation was dated. The same thing occurred with regard to the Rappahannock, which |