Information of the self same nature with that laid before you by the Spanish minister was communicated to me by one of the thousand tongues of rumor; but in each instance it was proved to be fallacious. On one occasion I was informed that a certain Spaniard had been busily employed in making up uniforms for officers and men connected with the expedition. He was brought before the grand jury and questioned; and it was found, after strict interrogation, that he had on one occasion during the last winter altered a frock coat for General Lopez; and this was all, absolutely all, that the Spanish tailor had ever done. towards fitting out the expedition. That there have been, and may now be, men in this city who were engaged in the enterprise against Cuba which recently started from New Orleans, may be true enough; but they cannot be tried here, because their offences were not committed in this district; nor is there in my possession any evidence under which I can act as a prosecuting officer, to charge any individual with a violation of the act of 1818. If the Spanish minister can name the guilty parties who are liable to be tried here, and will furnish the names of witnesses by whom I can sustain my charges, I will lay each case before a special grand jury at the earliest moment when it can be done, having no disposition to evade any part of my official duty. If Mr. Macias has been engaged in fitting out an expedition from Washington, he must be sent there for trial. If Mr. Hernandez sailed from New Orleans, and was wounded at Cardenas, he must be tried either in the district into which he was "first brought," or in that where he com. mitted the offence. New York is not one of these. Carr, Miller, and Bagley, according to the Spanish minister's own statement, are now beyond my jurisdiction, and the munitions of war all sold. The steamer Fanny may be a "very suspicious character," and as such I will keep an eye upon her; but I have no information which will justify her arrest at present. In one word, sir, I will do my best to carry out your instructions; and the Spanish minister well knows that I have not been slow to obey them when justified by circumstances and sustained by evidence. With very great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. JOHN M. CLAYTON, J. PRESCOTT HALL, United States Attorney. Secretary of State, Washington. Secretary of State to J. Prescott Hall, United States district attorney, New York. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 7, 1850. SIR: There seems to be good reason for believing that certain persons in the city of New York are now planning and setting on foot, or attempting to set on foot, another expedition against Cuba. It is represented that they meet nightly for drill and exercise, and to concert means of action; but we have not learned the place of meeting. General Lopez iş in that city; and, by watching his movements, their place of rendezvous might probably be discovered. A young gentleman by the name of Kendall, who has been in the city, perhaps residing there, but is now, I believe, at Hanover, New Hampshire, on a visit, has been applied to by some of the persons engaged in this affair; and, if he could be found, would doubtless be able to give some information. The President wishes you to make immediate and strict inquiry into the truth of the suggestions which I have stated; aud, if anything shall be discovered clearly bringing any individuals within the penalty of the law, that you will cause such individuals to be immediately arrested. All necessary expenses incurred in pursuing the inquiry will be defrayed by this department. It would be very well that Lopez himself should be arrested, if sufficient proof against him can be obtained. You will consider this communication as official and confidential.. Yours, respectfully, J. PRESCOTT HALL, Esq., DANIEL WEBSTER. Attorney of the U. S. for Southern district of New York. Mr. Calderon to Mr. Webster. [Translation.] SPANISH LEGATION IN WASHINGTON, The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, complying, as he has hitherto done, with the requirements of his duty, has the honor to enclose to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States an exact copy of an official communication he has just received from the Spanish consul in New Orleans, under date of the 2d instant, in relation to the criminal conduct of those persons who are again intent upon invading the island of Cuba. The undersigned begs to direct the attention of the honorable Secretary of State to the infamous calumnies which the pirate Lopez is promulgating in order to accomplish his purposes, and has no doubt but that he will adopt such measures as may appear to him expedient for ascertaining the facts mentioned by the consul, which are certainly of the utmost importance. The undersigued avails himself, with pleasure, of this occasion to renew to the Hon. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State of the United States, the assurances of his highest and most distinguished consideration. Hon. DANIEL Webster, A. CALDERON DE LA BARCA. Secretary of State of the United States of America, &c. &c. [Translation.] CONSULATE OF SPAIN IN NEW ORLEANS, MOST EXCELLENT SIR: My last communication to was dated the 21st of last month, and marked No. 24. none from your excellency since. October 2, 1850. your excellency I have received The unrelenting enemies of our peace have been openly at work within the last few days in making preparations for starting a new expedition, which, as my private informants assure me, will be got under way towards the latter end of this month, under the leadership of General Quitman, with the traitor Narciso Lopez as second in command. The latter left this place on Saturday the 28th of last month, in company with Loño Lainé, and three other individuals, who are to form part of the aforesaid expedition, with the intention of going to Gainesville, where they are to meet and confer with Quitman, who is expected to come down from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Lopez persists in his plan of not taking more than one thousand men with him; and they are waiting for the arrival at this port of a steamer which they have hired in New York for the purpose. They have a stock of three hundred muskets at Key West, which they managed to subtract from those which the government authorities of that place received when the Cardenas expedition took refuge in that port after being routed. Lopez has shown a letter from Mr. Webster, in which the Secretary of State appears to lend himself to this infamous project. I give no credence whatever to such villanous assumption, being persuaded that it is a vile imposition, resorted to for the purpose of deceiving the mass of ignorant men, and to inspire them with confidence, by proving to them, through the medium of a thousand stratagems, that the general government gives them countenance. If the abundance of money which, within these few days, has been reported to be in circulation in these parts, should turn out to be really on hand, then there would undoubtedly be a most serious cause of alarm. Mr. Calderon to Mr. Webster. [Translation.] SPANISH LEGATION IN WASHINGTON, The undersigned deemed it proper to transmit to the Most Excellent. Captain General of the island of Cuba the note which the Hon. Secretary of State of the United States did him the honor of addressing him, when he enclosed to him, among other papers, a copy of the circular which had been addressed, under the same date, to the United States marshals, dis trict attorneys, and collectors throughout the country, directing them to use all the power appertaining to their respective stations in order to cause the laws of the country to be respected, and to put down the first attempt to violate the same of which either of them might have any cognizance, and the tendency of which should be to disturb the peace, by forcibly invading the possessions of a friendly nation. The assurances contained in the aforesaid note of the Hon. Daniel Webster, and strengthened by the circular above mentioned, have inspired the Captain General of the island of Cuba with that degree of confidence which was to be expected, according to what his Excellency has communicated officially to the undersigned, of which the following is a copy: "In consequence of this, (the note and circular above mentioned,) and notwithstanding that the adventurers and conspirators still adhere to their plan of getting up a third expedition, yet, finding in the explanations of the Secretary of State a guarantee that the American government will give them no countenance and protection, I have issued a proclamation ordering the siege which I had established on the 19th of May to be raised, and the bodies of armed troops from the neighborhood to disperse for the present, their services being no longer required." The undersigned, being convinced that the Most Excellent President of the republic will be gratified to know what implicit confidence these given. assurances, and the measures adopted by his excellency's orders, have imparted to the Captain General of the island of Cuba, as they will unquestionably impart to ner Catholic Majesty and her government, takes much pleasure in making the Hon. Daniel Webster acquainted with the fact. In making this communication, he is also prompted by a desire to dissipate the erroneous impressions which the calumnious and wicked asser tions of certain newspapers are producing, by seeking to represent the policy of the Captain General as influenced by motives as false as they are absurd. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew to the Hon. Daniel Webster the assurances of his distinguished consideration. Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, A. CALDERON DE LA BARCA. Secretary of State of the U. S. of America. Mr. Calderon to Mr. Webster. [Translation.] SPANISH LAGATION IN WASHINGTON, In addition to what the undersigned had the honor of communicating to the Hon. Secretary of State of the United States under date of the 10th instant, in transmitting to him a copy of a report from the Spanish consul in New Orleans, he finds himself again obliged, to day, to engage his attention, by stating to him, very briefly, what that functionary has communicated to the undersigned, under date of the 4th instant. The substance of this communication is, firstly, that the adventurers who have been planning a new piratical expedition against Cuba are displaying extraordinary activity in order to accomplish their object before the reinforcements which the government of her Catholic Majesty has despatched over can reach that island; secondly, that the point of rendezvous on this occasion is a small village near the lake Borgne, which has recently been designated Zainsville, and that at another point in the State of Mississippi there are already assembled from 600 to 700 men among those enlisted for the contemplated invasion of the territory of her Catholic Majesty; and thirdly, that the steamer Mary Burke was being freighted with provisions, and that the M. A. Moore had been chartered by Lopez for the sum of $400 for the first trip and conveyance of the men whom she is to receive at various points. The undersigned brings these details to the knowledge of the Hon. Daniel Webster with a view to their being communicated, as they undoubtedly will be, to the Most Excellent President of the republic, in order that such orders may be issued, with his consent, as may be deemed expedient, for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of the circumstances alluded to, and of preventing the execution of schemes fraught with hostile intentions against a friendly nation. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew to the Hon. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State of the United States, the assurance of his most distinguished consideration. Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, A. CALDERON DE LA BARCA. Secretary of State of the U. S., &c., &c. The Acting Secretary of State to Mr. Calderon. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 4, 1850. SIR: I have the honor to communicate here with a copy of a letter from the district attorney of the United States for the eastern district of Louisiana, dated the 24th ultimo, in answer to instructions from this department of the 15th of the same month, a copy of which is also enclosed. You will perceive that Mr. L. Hunton, after diligent and searching inquiries into the statements made by the consul of her Catholic Majesty, has found no evidence whatever of renewed attempts to organize, within his district, a military expedition against the island of Cuba. I am, sir, with distinguished consideration, your obedient servant, W. S. DERRICK, Acting Secretary. William S. Derrick, acting Secretary of State, to Logan Hunton, United States district attorney, New Orleans. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 15, 1850. SIR: I have the honor to transmit, enclosed, copies of two notes from the Spanish minister near this government-one of the 10th, the other of the 14th instant; both communicating to this department information re |