Case of the "Alexandra."

Encouraged by the immunity afforded by the decisions of Her Majesty's government, the insurgent agents in Great Britain began, said the Case of the United States, to extend their operations. Early in April 1863 a steamer called the Japan, but afterward known as the Georgia, left the Clyde with intent to depredate on the commerce of the United States. A small steamer called the Alar, belonging to a British subject, was dispatched with her armament and ammunition. They met off the French coast, and in twenty-four hours the guns and ammunition were transferred. In March 1863 a new gunboat, to be called the Alexandra, was launched at Liverpool. Proceedings were taken against her under the foreign-enlistment act, but, though her hostile character was clearly proved, the jury, under the construction of the law given by the court, promptly returned a verdict in her favor. The judge said that a neutral might "make a vessel and arm it, and then offer it for sale" to a belligerent; that, a fortiori, "if any man may build a vessel for the purpose of offering it to either of the belligerent powmay he not execute an order for it?" That "to 'equip' is 'to furnish with arms;'" "in the case of a ship especially, it is to furnish and complete with arms;" that "'equip,' 'furnish,' 'fit out,' or 'arm,' all mean precisely the same thing;" and he closed this branch of the case by saying, "the question is whether you think that this vessel was fitted. Armed she certainly was not, but was there an intention that she should be finished, fitted, or equipped in Liverpool? Because, gentlemen, I must say, it seems to me that the Alabama sailed away from Liverpool without any arms at all; merely a ship in ballast, unfurnished, unequipped, unprepared; and her arms were put in at Terceira, not a port in Her Majesty's dominions. The foreign-enlistment act is no more violated by that than by any other indifferent matter that might happen about a boat of any kind whatever." This ruling was not reversed, and stood as the law of England till after the close of the civil war.

ers,

At the time it was made, two ironclads, "Lairds' Ironclads." afterward known as "Lairds' ironclads," or “Lairds' rams," were in course of construction at Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool. The keel of one of them was laid in the stocks from which the Alabama had been launched. Notorious facts, showing their construction as Confederate men-of-war,

were communicated by Mr. Adams to Earl Russell on July 11, 1863, July 16, July 25, August 14, and September 3. In his note of September 3 Mr. Adams said that he had been directed "to describe the grave nature of the situation in which both countries must be placed in the event of an act of aggression committed against the government and the people of the United States by either of these formidable vessels." On the 4th of September he submitted evidence to show the preparation of one of the vessels for immediate departure. Late in the afternoon of the same day Mr. Adams received a note from Earl Russell, dated the 1st, saying: "Her Majesty's government are advised that they can not interfere in any way with these vessels." On the 5th Mr. Adams replied, expressing his "profound regret" at the conclusion at which Her Majesty's government had arrived, and added: "It would be superfluous in me to point out to your lordship that this is war." On the 8th of September Mr. Adams received a brief note in which it was stated that instructions had been issued which would prevent the departure of the two ironclads from Liverpool.

Cape Town.

About this time, said the Case of the United

The "Tuscaloosa" at States, an event took place at the Cape of Good Hope which tested afresh the purpose of Her Majesty's government to maintain its neutrality. In August 1863 the Alabama arrived at Cape Town, and was soon followed by the Tuscaloosa, a "prize" which she had captured off the coast of Brazil, and which she affected to treat as a tender. Though the Tuscaloosa had never been condemned, and still had on board her cargo of wool, and though she had on board only two guns, insufficient for any service other than that of slight defense, she was admitted and treated as a man-of-war. The British Government disapproved of this action and said that the most proper course would have been "to prohibit the exercise of any further control over the Tuscaloosa by the captors, and to retain that vessel under Her Majesty's control and jurisdiction until properly reclaimed by her original owners." These expressions were treated by the governor as a censure, and the Tuscaloosa having again come within the jurisdiction, he seized her and reported the facts to London. Her Majesty's government disavowed this act, and directed the governor, under "the peculiar circumstances of the case," to restore her "to the lieutenant of the Confederate States who lately commanded her; or, if he should have left the

Cape, then to retain her" till she might be handed over to someone possessing "authority from Captain Semmes, of the Alabama, or from the government of the Confederate States, to receive her."

Runners.

The Case of the United States now resumed Confederate Blockade the history of army purchases and blockade running. On the 3d of November 1863 Mr. Adams laid before Earl Russell new proofs to show the establishment at Bermuda of an insurgent depot of naval stores. On the 27th Earl Russell answered that Her Majesty's government did not consider that it could properly interfere in the matter. Other representations to the same effect were made by Mr. Adams, who closed the discussion by calling Earl Russell's attention to the condition exacted from all vessels in trade with the insurgent ports, that one-half of the tonnage of each vessel might be employed by the Confederate govern ment for its own use both on the outward and homeward voyage; to which Earl Russell replied that, admitting all the facts stated to be true, there was nothing in them worthy of attention, since Her Majesty's subjects were "entitled by international law to carry on the operations of commerce equally with both belligerents, subject to the capture of their vessels and to no other penalty." Evidence was again and again laid before Earl Russell to show that these blockade runners were, in fact, transports of the insurgents, carrying their funds for Liverpool, and bringing back arms and munitions of war, and that the operations of these vessels were clearly within the terms of the foreign-enlistment act. On the 15th of March 1865 Mr. Adams complained of this matter for the last time. The United States steamer San Jacinto, having been wrecked on the Bahamas, and her officers and crew having found shelter at Nassau, the American man-of-war Honduras was sent there for the purpose of paying in coin the claims for salvage. The United States consul in vain asked permission for the Honduras to enter the port, although the Confederate cruiser Florida had, less than six months before, remained eleven days at Bermuda, and taken on board a full supply of coal. Mr. Adams stated to Earl Russell that this incident had made a painful impression in the United States, especially as there was not a day during the month in which it happened when thirty-five vessels engaged in breaking the blockade were not to be seen flaunting their contraband flags in that port. Neither had its

hospitality been restricted to that "hybrid class" of British ships running its illegal ventures on joint account with the insurgent authorities in the United States. The Chameleon, before known as the Tallahassee, and still earlier as a British steamer fitted out from London to play the part of a privateer out of Wilmington, was lying at that very time in Nassau, relieved, indeed, of her guns, but still retaining all the attributes of her hostile occupation; and only a few days earlier the steamer Laurel had reappeared at Nassau, after assuming the name of the Confederate States, and had not only been received there, but commissioned with a post mail to a port of Her Majesty's Kingdom.

Careers of the Confederate Cruisers.

In the fifth chapter the Case of the United States completed the discussion of the matters "wherein Great Britain failed to perform its duties as a neutral," by tracing the origin and career of each of the "Confederate cruisers," the Sumter; the Nashville; the Florida and her tenders, the Clarence, the Tacony, and the Archer; the Alabama and her tender the Tuscaloosa ; the Georgia; the Tallahassee, or the Olustee; the Chickamauga; and the Shenandoah. The facts in these cases and the arguments upon them are discussed in the Digest.

Question of Damages.

The sixth and last chapter of the American Case is entitled: "The tribunal should award a sum in gross to the United States." The claims of the United States were classified as follows:

"1. The claims for direct losses growing out of the destruction of vessels and their cargoes by the insurgent cruisers. "2. The national expenditures in pursuit of those cruisers. "3. The loss in the transfer of the American commercial marine to the British flag.

"4. The enhanced payments of insurance.

"5. The prolongation of the war and the addition of a large sum to the cost of the war and the suppression of the rebellion."

The claims for direct losses were subdivided into:

"1. Claims for destruction of vessels and property of the Government of the United States.

"2. Claims for the destruction of vessels and property under the flag of the United States.

"3. Claims for damages or injuries to persons, growing out of the destruction of each class of vessels."

The government vessels destroyed were of two classes, those under the charge of the Treasury Department and those under the charge of the Navy Department. Evidence was presented to enable the tribunal to determine the amount of damage which should be awarded for the destruction of vessels or property, whether of the government or of private persons. A detailed statement was presented of the amount of the national expenditures in pursuit of the Confederate cruisers. The total amount of the claims submitted, so far as they were definitely estimated, was $26,101,907.31, exclusive of interest. This sum was composed of two principal items, $7,080,478.70, representing the expenses incurred by the United States in fitting out vessels to cruise for the Alabama and other Confederate cruisers, and $19,021,428.61, representing the amount claimed for the seizure, detention, and destruction of vessels by those cruisers. The latter item included claims for increased war premiums.

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Of the "national" or "indirect" claims no estimate was made. A statement by Mr. Cobden in the House of Commons, in 1864, was brought to the attention of the tribunal, to show the losses suffered by the United States in the transfer of the American commercial marine to the British flag. And it was said to be "impossible for the United States to determine," and perhaps impossible for anyone to estimate with accuracy, the vast injuries which these cruisers caused in prolonging the war." By the battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 the ag gressive force of the insurrection on land was crushed. Thereafter its only hope lay in prolonging a defense until, by the continuance of the permitted violations of British neutrality by the insurgents, the United States should become involved in a war with Great Britain." In pursuance of this policy the Confederate authorities "withdrew their military forces within the lines of Richmond, and poured money into Bullock's hands to keep afloat and increase his British-built navy, and to send it into the most distant seas in pursuit of the merchant marine of the United States."

On the amounts which should be allowed in respect of the several losses and injuries complained of, the American Case asked for interest to the day when the award was payable by the terms of the treaty-twelve months after the date of the award. The rate of interest asked for was 7 per cent, the legal rate in New York, and July 1, 1863, was suggested as an "average day" from which the interest should be computed.