the Prisoners or their friends.-
It is right that your Lordship should here be informed that when Captain Pitman seized the Spee off the Nagged Islands, he released the Junk, which she is accused of piratically seizing, and that although, under every exertion has been made by Mr. McConnel Merch to procure some of the Junk's crew for the purpose of being brought forward as evidence for the Prosecution, this efforts have proved ineffectual.
Under these circumstances, after consulting with the Attorney General, it was decided to bring the question to issue on the evidence that we had at our command.
The trial in the Admiralty Court, was held for this purpose on the 5th instant, the evidence for the Prosecution being -
1st Captain Pitman and others of Her Majesty's Ship "Childers" who had seen the Spee in the act of plundering the Junk, and who were present when nineteen of the Junk's Crew were found confined in the hold of the Spee".
2nd The Master of the Spee's confession and admission of his having captured the Junk because she was a pirate, and
3rd The Log Book of the Spee delivered to Captain Pitman by Cole the Master of that ship.
Enclosure A23 is the Attorney General's report of what took place at the opening of the Court, of Chief Justice Hulme's charge to the Jury and of his (Mr. Sterling's?) application to the Bench (to have the Jury directed to take into consideration the entry in the Spee's Log-Book relating to the case, and subsequently that the depositions of Chinghe, taken before