CO885-(10-11) — Page 878

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 885

11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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Captain Leslie Clark is also gone with 260 dollars sent him by the Pattisons, possibly a portion of the produce of the land warrants and of the sale of the "Free Library."

I have only to add that I have made inquiries as to the existence of the society or its agents in London, and have ascertained that the office in America Square is shut up, the house itself being the property of the Corporation of London; that the Pattisons left about 12 months ago, without paying their last half year's rent, and have not been heard of since, which so far corroborates Mr. Robinson's story and renders it probable that they are now in the United States.

the

Mr. Robinson's statement also corroborates, if corroboration were necessary, Despatch of the Governor of Trinidad of 10th March 1870, which was presented to Parliament, and is with the papers referred to me, and is consistent with the statements signed by Messrs. Barry, Lowe, and Hale appended thereto.

Under these circumstances, considering also that Mr. or Mrs. Pattison have left the country, I have not thought it necessary to wait the result of any further inquiries from the other surviving victims of this company or its agents.

I forward herewith the notice and circular letter (marked A), a memorandum, J. F. Pattison & Co. (marked C), and a letter written from Hamburg, 27th September 1867 (marked D), said to be in Mrs. Pattison's writing. Excepting for the purpose of evidence, should it at any future time be possible to proceed against these swindlers, these documents are useless, but as they were handed to me by Mr. Robinson with a request that I would return them I have to request that they may be preserved.

"The Emigrants Vade Mecum" (B), and the abridgment by J. Leslie Clark, also Bent herewith (E), I purchased at the publishers for the purpose of reference.

I am, &c.

The Secretary to the Treasury.

(Signed) A. K. STEPHENSON.

2877.

No. 693.

(BAHAMAB.)

QUEEN'S ADVOCATE to FOREIGN OFFICE.

Temple, March 20, 1871. MY LORD,

I AM honoured with your Lordship's commands, signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 8th instant, stating that he was directed to transmit to me the accompany- ing correspondence respecting the seizure of the British vessel "John Gray" off the coast of Cuba by a Spanish gunboat, and to request that I would take the same into my consideration and inform your Lordship whether the additional information contained therein is such as to lead me to modify or alter my opinion of the case as expressed in my Report of November 11 last. The previous papers were also enclosed for convenience of reference.

In obedience to your Lordship's commanda, I have the honour to

Report

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That it is to be regretted that your Lordship was not furnished in the first instance with the information now supplied in the papers from the British Vice-Consul at St. Jago de Cuba enclosed in the Colonial Office letter of February 28 last, from which it appears that the "John Gray" was furnished with a register, crew list, wrecking license, and a letter from her owner, all of which were before the Havana Prize Court, and upon the vessel's release were delivered up by the Court to Her Majesty's Vice-Consul. The only defect, therefore, in her papers which could well be alleged against her was that she had no clearance for a Cuban port, but this could be satisfactorily explained by her having on board a wrecking license indicating her occupation to be such as would not require her to clear for any port. Under these John Gray's" papers were such circumstances I am of opinion that the state of the that their inspection ought at once to have satisfied the Spanish authorities of the good faith of the master and crew of the vessel, and that there were no reasonable grounds for imprisoning them and for detaining them for so many months to await a formal examination before a Prize Committee.

As the vessel, however, had no national flag, and was in Spanish waters when sighted by the Spanish gunboat and endeavoured to avoid her, there may have been primá facie grounds for detaining and sending her into a Cuban port to have her papers examined. I cannot, therefore, advise your Lordship that the "John Gray" was wrong- fully detained by the Spanish cruiser in the first instance; but I think she was detained for an unreasonable length of time in the port of Baracoa, and if it could be established, which, however, seems only to have been assumed by the master and crew, that she had become wormeaten and unseaworthy from lying in the harbour of Baracoa for 80 many months, the owner of the vessel would have an equitable claim upon the Spanish Government for compensation on account of the loss of his vessel.

I have, &c. (Signed) TRAVERS TWISS.

The Earl Granville, &c. &c. &c.

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• See No. 672.

o 16978-983.

25.-5/46.

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