cargo of sugar from Havana, and Golden Rocket, which was burnt by her off the coast of Cuba. The Sumter landed eight of her prisoners here in a destitute condition; but a contribution has been raised here for their benefit, sufficient to supply their immediate wants, and I will take care that they are provided for till an opportunity offers to ship them to the States. The Sumter remained here till the 5th instant, and was allowed to supply herself with coals and other necessary outfits. The British flag was hoisted on the government flag-staff for her arrival, and the officers of the British war vessel "Cadmus" appeared to be on amicable terms with those of the Sumter. The merchant who supplied the Sumter with coals did it with the consent and approval of our attorney general. Being a loyal American, I consider it my duty to send you these informations, as there has been no consul of our nation in this island for many months. SIR: I transmit a copy of an intercepted letter of the 30th of July last, from John P. Baldwin, of Richmond, Virginia, to Henry Adderley, at Nassau, New Providence, relative to the shipment of arms and powder from that place for the use of the insurgents in this country. The existing British statute for the prevention of armed expeditions against countries at peace with Great Britain is understood to be similar to our act of Congress of the 5th of April, 1818. Proceedings like that referred to in the letter of Baldwin, however, afford us special reason to expect legislation on the part of the British government of the character of our act of 1838, referred to in my instruction to you of the 7th instant, numbered 83. It may be, however, that the British executive government now has the power to prevent the exportation of contraband of war from British colonies near the United States for the use of the insurgents in the south. Should this be the fact, you will bring the subject to the attention of Lord Russell, and request that proper instructions in regard to it may be given to the colonial authorities. I am, sir, your obedient servant, CHARLES F. ADAMS, Esq. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Baldwin to Mr. Adderley. RICHMOND, Virginia, July 30, 1861. MY DEAR ADDERLEY: The secretary of the navy of the Confederate States of America has ordered from England, to be shipped to Nassau, a quantity of arms and powder. I have recommended them to be consigned to you, and I have to ask of you, as a favor to me, to take good care of them. I will be with you soon, and will expect your aid in transhipping the same. I must request you to regard this as a confidential communication, and will explain the reasons when we meet. You need not write me at all on the subject. Hoping soon to see you, I remain your friend, HENRY ADDERLEY, Esq., Nassau, N. P., Bahamas. JNO. P. BALDWIN. Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 86.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 11, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of August 23d has been received. The inefficiency of the British laws to prevent violations of our rights is deeply to be regretted. We shall necessarily be obliged to exercise vigilance in detecting the unlawful character and objects of British vessels approaching our coasts, which will not be pleasant to the government whose flag they will be perverting to such unfriendly uses. SIR: I now have the honor to transmit copies of two notes received yesterday from Lord Russell, in answer to my notes of the 3d of September, transmitting to him the bag of Mr. Bunch. It appears from one of them that Mr. Bunch has been acting under secret instructions, which are only now acknowledged because they have come to light, and that his granting a safe conduct to an emissary of secession, charged with treasonable papers, is no objection to his neutral character in the eyes of his employers. With regard to the question presented in the other note, it is satisfactory to me, at least in so far as it devolves all responsibility for the further treatment of the question into more capable hands. I transmit also a copy of my reply. SIR: I received, with some surprise, from Lord Lyons an intimation that a sealed bag, directed by one of her Majesty's consuls to her Majesty's secretary of state, had been seized and detained by order of the Secretary of State of the United States. It seems to have been suspected that her Majesty's consul had inserted in his official bag, and covered with his official seal, the correspondence of the enemies of the government of the United States now engaged in open hostilities against them. Had her Majesty's consul so acted he would have, no doubt, been guilty of a grave breach of his duty both towards his own government and that of the United States; but I am happy to say there does not appear, on opening the bag at the foreign office, to be any ground for such a suspicion. Her Majesty's government were advised that the suspension of the conveyance by post of letters from British subjects between the northern and the southern States, was a contravention of the treaty on this subject contracted by the two governments. Her Majesty's government have been unwilling to press this view on the United States; but this stoppage of the post has occasioned great inconvenience to individuals, and I enclose a copy of a note from Mr. Bunch to the under secretary of foreign affairs, showing the mode in which he has endeavored to palliate the evil by enclosing pri vate letters in his consular bag. I shall address any further communication I may have to make on this subject to Lord Lyons. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c. RUSSELL. CHARLESTON, August 5, 1861. Mr. Bunch presents his compliments to her Majesty's under secretary of state for foreign affairs, and takes leave to enclose to him herewith certain letters which are intended for the post. They are principally letters of servants, governesses, &c., (British subjects,) which, owing to the discontinuance of the post, they are unable to send in any other way. Some also contain dividends, the property of British subjects, which they could scarcely receive without Mr. Bunch's intervention. Mr. Bunch hopes that there is no irregularity in this proceeding. No expense of postage is incurred by the foreign office, as the bag in which the letters are contained goes by a private hand to Liverpool. Her Majesty's UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOREIGN OFFICE, September 9, 1861. The undersigned, her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, has received a communication from Mr. Adams, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States at this court, dated the 3d instant, giving some information regarding the conduct of Mr. Bunch, her Majesty's consul at Charleston, in the United States, and requesting, on the part of the government of the United States, that Mr. Bunch may at once be removed from his office. The undersigned will, without hesitation, state to Mr. Adams that in pursuance of an agreement between the British and French governments, Mr. Bunch was instructed to communicate to the persons exercising authority in the so Confederate States, the desire of those governments, that the 1 second, third, and fourth articles of the declaration of Paris should be observed by those States in the prosecution of the hostilities in which they were engaged. Mr. Adams will observe that the commerce of Great Britain and France is deeply interested in the maintenance of the articles providing that the flag covers the goods, and that the goods of a neutral taken on board a belligerent ship are not liable to condemnation. Mr. Bunch, therefore, in what he has done in this matter, has acted in obedience to the instructions of his government, who accept the responsibility of his proceedings so far as they are known to the foreign department, and who cannot remove him from his office for having obeyed his instructions. But when it is stated in a letter from some person not named, that the first step to the recognition of the southern States by Great Britain has been taken, the undersigned has to decline all responsibility for such state ment. Her Majesty's government have already recognized the belligerent character of the southern States, and they will continue to consider them as belligerents. But her Majesty's government have not recognized, and are not prepared to recognize the so-called Confederate States as a separate and independent State. The undersigned requests Mr. Adams to accept the assurance of his highest consideration. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c. RUSSELL. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the reception this day of two notes from the right honorable Earl Russel, her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, both dated the 9th of September, and both in reply to notes addressed to his lordship by the undersigned on the 3d instant, touching the case of Mr. Bunch, her Majesty's consul at Charleston, and the mode of transmission of his despatches. The undersigned has the honor to inform his lordship that copies of these notes will be transmitted by the next steamer for the consideration of the government of the United States. The undersigned requests Earl Russell to accept the assurance of his highest consideration. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. Right Honorable EARL RUSSELL, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 88.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 14, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of August 30 (No. 34) has just been received. Your note to Lord John Russell, which accompanies it, is approved. My despatch to you, (No. 83,) under the date of the 7th instant, will have reached you before this communication can arrive. You will have learned from that paper that your course, as now made known to me, was anticipated by the President, and that he had already directed that the negotiation for our adhesion to the declaration of the congress of Paris should be suspended. It is due to the British government to say that the letter of Lord John Russell to Mr. Edwards, upon Dominican affairs, to which you refer, and a copy of which you enclose, was read to me by Lord Lyons, pursuant to instructions from Lord Russell. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 89.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 14, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of August 30 (No. 35) has been received. regret with you that the administration of the laws of Great Britain is such as to render comparatively ineffectual your efforts to defeat there the designs of parties in that country injurious to the United States, I have great pleasure in saying that the information we receive from you concerning them is often very valuable, and enables us to put our own authorities here in a way of vigilant surveillance which promises good results. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. [Confidential.] No. 95.] DEPARTMENT OF State, Washington, September 25, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of September 7 (No. 39) has just been received. Your review of the correspondence between us and the British government since you entered upon your mission is quite satisfactory, and we have every reason to be content with the details as with the results. The time which has elapsed since the insurgents made their first unnatural appeal to the sympathies and aid of foreign powers for the overthrow of our government has been sufficient to draw out all their strength and exhaust in some measure their passion. On the other hand, the strength of the Union manifests itself with constant augmentation. Every day brings two thousand men and some new ship-of-war into activity, and the insurrection, already, is finding itself obliged to provide for a long and merely defensive contest, desolating the States which should constitute the new confederacy, while the loyal States remain prosperous and happy. I think that Great Britain will soon be able to see, what she has hitherto been unwilling to see, that, if she, like ourselves, seeks peace and prosperity |