I, Daniel Conolly, of 17 Temple Buildings, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, porter, make oath and say as follows: About three weeks after my son, Benjamin Conolly, sailed in the steamer Japan, I received a letter through the post-office from Messrs. Jones & Co., 28 Chapel street, Liverpool, requesting me to call at their office, as my son Benjamin had sent £9 for me, and desiring me to call for the money. I called at Jones's office the day after I received the note, and saw a gentleman with a mustache, and showed him the letter, when he paid me the money, a £5 note and £4 in gold, and I signed a large sheet of paper containing the names of many persons. I signed under my son's name. I believe this paper was.a list of the crew of the Japan. The note had the name Jones & Co. written on the back of it. I got the note changed in Dale street. The gentleman. took the letter from me and put it on the file. (Signed) Sworn at Liverpool, &c., 30th November, 1863, before me, DANIEL CONOLLY. J. PEARSON, A Commissioner to Administer Oaths in Chancery in England.. [Inclosure 13 in No. 31.] Deposition of Eliza Conolly. I, Eliza Conolly, of 17 Temple Buildings, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, spinster, make oath and say as follows: On the 27th day of November instant I called at Mr. Jones's office, 28 Chapel street, Liverpool, to inquire whether he could tell me where I could find my brother, Benjamin Conolly, who had joined the steamer Japan, when I saw a gentleman with a mustache, and asked him if that office was Mr. Jones's, when he said it was. I then asked him whether he could tell me if my brother, Benjamin Conolly, had joined his ship any day this week, when he said he had not; and then he asked me what was my reason for inquiring, when I replied that I was his sister, and thought it very strange that he had not written to us, and I also told him that my brother had promised to leave my father half-pay. I then told him that my brother had left home between 6 and 7 o'clock on the morning of Monday last to join his ship, when the gentleman said he knew that he had, and that he had sent one of his clerks down to the Havre steamer to see him and Glassbrook on board, and that they got £3 each from his clerk, and then they both bolted. He then called an elderly gentleman, and said to him that I was inquiring for those two vagabonds who had ran away on Monday. He then asked me whether I knew Glassbrook, when I replied that I did not; and he said I had better go to Glassbrook's house and see if my brother was there. I asked for Glassbrook's address, and he began to write it down, when the elderly gentleman stopped him and said he was not to give it to me. (Signed) ELIZA CONOLLY. Sworn at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, this 30th day of November, 1863,. before me, (Signed) J. PEARSON, A Commissioner to Administer Oaths in Chancery in England. No. 32. Earl Russell to Mr. Adams. FOREIGN OFFICE, December 9, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, inclosing a copy of a letter from the United States consul at Liverpool, covering a number of depositions, which, you state, [440] all go to establish, in the clearest manner, the existence *of a regular office at Liverpool for the enlistment and payment of British subjects for the purpose of carrying on war against the Government and people of the United States. And I have the honor to state to you that these papers shall be considered by Her Majesty's government. I am, &c., (Signed) RUSSELL. The law-officers ties should be prose cuted. No. 33. The law-officers of the Crown to Earl Russell. [Immediate.] LINCOLN'S INN, December 12, 1863. (Received December 12.) MY LORD: We are honored with your lordship's commands signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 9th instant, stating that he advise that the par was directed by your lordship to transmit to us a letter from Mr. Adams, inclosing a copy of a letter from the United States consul, at Liverpool, covering a number of depositions, all going, as Mr. Adams states, to establish in the clearest manner the existence of a regular office at Liverpool for the enlistment and payment of British subjects, for the purpose of carrying on war against the Government and people of the United States; and to request that we would take these papers into our consideration and report to your lordship our opinion thereupon. In obedience to your lordship's commands, we have taken these papers into our consideration, and have the honor to report: That the depositions transmitted by Mr. Adams disclose a systematic violation of the foreign enlistment act, which, in our opinion, calls for decisive measures on the part of Her Majesty's government. We think that a strong case is established (if unanswered) against two at least of the partners of the firm of Jones & Co., viz, W. Jones and M. Hyatt, and against one of their clerks, named Wilding. We do not collect clearly from the depositions whether Mr. Bold, the other partner, is identified as taking part in any of the transactions spoken to, nor whether a case can be made out against another clerk, who is referred to, but not by name. We advise, that charges be preferred before a justice, in the manner prescribed by the fourth section of the foreign enlistment act, against Jones, Hyatt, and Wilding, for engaging or endeavoring to engage to enlist, &c., or to go, or agree to go, or embark, &c., for the purpose or with intent to be enlisted, &c., Stanley, Conolly, and Glassbrook, in violation of the second section of the act. We think it advisable that a charge should also be preferred against them of a conspiracy to violate that section of the act. Under this charge, anything said or done by any of them in pursuance of a common criminal design will be admissible in evidence, and the mode of proof may be facilitated. These observations apply also to Bold, and the other clerk, if proof can be obtained against them. We understand that Barrett, who is described as the ship's yeoman, is still on board her. We have to observe, that the facts disclosed in the depositions fur nish additional grounds to those already existing for strong remonstrance to the confederate government, on account of the systematic violation of our neutrality by their agents in this country. We have, &c., ROUNDELL PALMER. ROBERT PHILLIMORE.. No. 34. Consul Hamond to Earl Granville. CHERBOURG, October 10, 1871. (Received October 12.) At Brest. MY LORD: In conformity with your lordship's instructions in your dispatch of the 28th ultimo, I have the honor to transmit [441] herewith a report of the proceedings of the *Georgia at this port. I have annexed to it extracts from the newspapers, and I have collected all the information which I could obtain upon the subject. I have, &c., (Signed) HORACE HAMOND. 1 [Inclosure 1 in No. 34.] Report by Consul Hamond as to the movements of the Georgia at Cherbourg in October, 1863.. The confederate cruiser Georgia, reported to be of 800 tons and 200 horse-power, with 5 guns, under the command of Captain Maury, arrived in Cherbourg Roads on the 28th of October, 1863, from Teneriffe. After being anchored a short time in the roads, date uncertain, this vessel went into the dock-yard for repairs, which she was still undergoing on the 21st of November; but on the 2d of December she had again come into the roads, being reported as one of the ships of war which stood the furious gale of that day. The confederate cruiser was admitted into the dock-yard as a "ship of war," by order of the minister of marine; and her repairs were made by the dock-yard workmen, in one of the docks of the Napoleon III basin, and were paid by her commander, Captain Maury, at the usual rate of man-of-war's work, instead of being charged 25 per cent. extra, which is the charge on ships other than men-of-war. The repairs were inconsiderable, the total amount paid for them, including materials and work, being only 3,141 francs 78 centimes, little more than £125 sterling. Neither stores nor coals were supplied by the dock-yard. The Georgia left the roads on the 16th of February, 1864, under the command of Captain Evans; her late commander, Captain Maury, being prevented by the state of his health from continuing the command. What course the Georgia took after leaving the French coast seems to be quite unknown at this port. HORACE HAMOND. [Inclosure 2 in No. 34.] Extracts from the "Phare de la Manche." OCTOBER 29, 1863. La corvette de guerre Américaine confédérée la Georgia, Commandant Maury, a mouillé sur notre rade hier, 28 Octobre, à midi, venant de Ténériffe, d'où elle est partie le 18 de ce mois. Ce batiment de 800 tonneaux de jauge et de la force nominale de 200 · chevaux-vapeur, a 100 hommes d'équipage, et porte canons. La Georgia va de ravitailler à Cherbourg, et y prendre du combustible. NOVEMBER 21, 1863. La corvette Américaine Georgia est dans une forme de radoub du basin Napoleon III, ou l'on visite sa coque. DECEMBER 10, 1863. Georgia reported among the ships of war that weathered the storm in the roads on the 2d of December, 1863. FEBRUARY 13, 1864. Le steamer de guerre confédérée Georgia, Captain Maury, qui était à Cherbourg depuis près de quatre mois, est partie de notre rade cette nuit à midi. 442] *No. 35. Acting Consul De Gernon to Earl Granville. [Extract.] BORDEAUX, November 13, 1871. (Received November 15.) The vessel arrived at Pauillac, the boarding station of this port, on the 25th of March, 1864, and was reported as in want of repairs for her steam-machinery, and of provisions. She was allowed to keep her gunpowder on board, on condition of mooring at Lormont, an anchorage a little distance below Bordeaux. At Bordeaux, Her machinery having been surveyed, and certified to require a fortnight for its repair, she was given that time to remain at Lormont. She remained at anchor, however, until the 28th of April, notwithstanding the orders of the authorities to the commander to go to sea previously. She was supplied with coals and provisions, and is stated to have sailed in a complete state of repair. The authorization of the commissary of marine was required before any goods were allowed to be put on board. No. 36. Consul Sir A. Perrier to Earl Russell. BREST, January 5, 1864. (Received January 9.) MY LORD: I have the honor to inclose a copy of a dispatch which I have this day written to his excellency Earl Cowley, on the shipped on board at subject of British seamen embarking on board of the con English seamen Brest. federate corvette Florida. I have, &c., (Signed) ANTHY. PERRIER. BREST, January 5, 1864. MY LORD: I have the honor to report to your excellency that the American viceconsul, resident at this port, called upon me yesterday, to communicate a letter from his consul at Havre, directing him to use his exertions with the French authorities to prevent some English seamen, now on their way from Havre to Cherbourg and Brest, from shipping on board of the confederate ship of war Florida, and also desiring him to engage the British consul at Brest, to whom the British consul at Havre had telegraphed on the subject, to concur in this object. I had received that morning a letter from Consul Featherstonhaugh, a copy of which is inclosed. I replied to the American vice-consul that, not having received any instructions on this subject from your excellency, I would not interfere; but if any British subjects about to embark, either on board of Federal or confederate ships, should come in my way (which is not probable, passports being no longer required for British subjects to travel in France,) I should not fail to warn them of the penalties they would incur by entering a foreign service without permission from Her Majesty's government. I have, &c., ANTHY. PERRIER. [Inclosure 2 in No. 36.] Consul Featherstonhaugh to Consul Sir A. Perrier. HAVRE, January 1, 1864. MY DEAR SIR: Twenty seamen, some of them royal naval reserves, have arrived here from Liverpool, and embarked immediately in the Caen steamer, intending to take the rail there, some for Cherbourg, some for Brest, to join the Florida and Georgia, confederate war steamers, at those ports. I have written to Consul Hamond, [443] and have *suggested to him to convene these men, and read the Queen's proclamation, 13th May, 1861, to them, of which, perhaps, they are ignorant. As he may not be able to do anything to prevent them joining, I have written to Lord Cowley, who, perhaps, will be able to strengthen His hand. Yours, &c., G. W. FEATHERSTONHAUGH. P. S.-A naval reserve seaman, named Charles Maltman, is the Liverpool confederate agent, and accompanies these men. Richardson, Robert Broadway, Edward Folke, R. N. R., George King, R. N. R., - Some of them are named as follows: Edward G. W. F. No. 37. Mr. Adams to Earl Russell. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, January 11, 1864. (Received January 12.) Further evidence submitted by Mr. Ada.ns. MY LORD: I have the honor to submit to your consideration the copies of a letter from Mr. Dudley, consul of the United States at Liverpool, and of the depositions of Thomas Matthews, going most clearly to establish the proof of the agency of Messrs. Jones & Co. in enlisting and paying British subjects in this kingdom to carry on war against the United States. I have, &c., CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. |