6449.
| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
חוייך!
C.O. 885
Reference :-
11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAFERINGT
↑
t
No. 568.
(ВАНАМАН.)
LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE.
MY LORD,
Temple, June 3, 1869. We are honoured with your Lordship's commands, signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 3rd instant, stating that with reference to our Report" respecting the case of the British steamer "Salvador" at Nassau, which is embodied in the enclosed copy of a letter to the Admiralty, by which Department the case was first brought to your Lordship's notice, he was directed to transmit to us a copy of a Despatch from the Governor of Nassau, enclosing the Report of the Attorney General of the Colony on the case, the substance of which alone was contained in Captain McCrea's Despatch, which was also enclosed, and Mr. Hammond was pleased to state that as the mail for the Bahamas is despatched this evening your Lordship would be glad, if possible, to apprize Earl Granville, in time to act upon the information by that opportunity, whether the reasons given by the Attorney General in any way modify the opinion which we gave on the general tenour of his Report given by Captain McCrea.
In obedience to your Lordship's commands, we have the honour to
Report
That there appears to us evidence that some persons are (in the words of section 2 of the Foreign Enlistment Act) in one of Her Majesty's Colonies procuring persons to be employed, &c. in the service of the Cuban insurgents; and that the "Salvador" has on board some such persons (whether British subjects or not is immaterial) so procured and who are departing from Her Majesty's dominions with the intent of enlisting, &c. (within section 5). Of course an information to this effect would be required, but an information could be obtained if the authorities at Nassau are in earnest. In such cases some responsibility and some risk of failure to establish a legal case must be incurred. We continue to be of opinion that the vessel should be
detained.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Clarendon,
&c.
&o.
&c.
We have, &c. (Signed)
R. P. COLLIER. J. D. COLERIDGE. TRAVERS TWISS.
The Solicitor General entirely concurs in the enclosed Report, but he desires to add for himself (being unable from want of time and because of the Attorney General's engagement in the House of Commons to consult him and the Queen's Advocate) that in his opinion the warlike force of the vessel having been, as he understands, augmented, there is quite sufficient reason for detaining her by an act of State sovereignty, even independently of the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act. The ship, if an armed ship, augmenting her force in British waters, belongs to persons who break our law. In such a case I am of opinion that acts of sovereign force are justifiable to detain the vessel.
(Signed) J. D. COLERIDGE.
D 16278.----368. $5.-5/88.
* No. 566,