Mr. Adams to Mr.
Seward.
No. 1137.]
Legation of the United States.
London,
January 25, 1866.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit a copy of a
written circular received from Lord Clarendon, dated the 20th instant,
requesting that information may be given to the British government in
cases therein described.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Page 60]
[Circular.]
Foreign Office,
January 20, 1866.
Sir: As it would be a very great
convenience to her Majesty’s government to have an assurance that
vessels evidently calculated for warlike purposes and alleged to be
building in the private ship-building yards of this country, on
account of foreign governments, are really intended for the service
of such governments, whereby all questions and suspicions in regard
to their possible destination would be obviated, I have the honor to
request that you will have the goodness to obtain from your
government authority to make known to her Majesty’s government, as
occasion may exist, the mere fact that any such vessels are
constructing or are ordered to be constructed in this country, on
its account.
You may safely give an assurance to your government, that the object
in seeking this information is not for the purpose of instituting
any inquiry or of exercising any influence or control in regard to
the orders which it may give for building ships of war in this
country, but solely that her Majesty’s government may know that any
such ships which may be in course of construction are really
destined for the service of a foreign power not at war with any
other foreign power friendly to her Majesty.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your
most obedient, humble servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Adams to Mr. Clarendon.
Legation of the United
States, London,
January 24, 1866.
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge
the reception of your circular of the 20th instant, requesting me to
obtain authority from my government to make known to her Majesty’s
government any case in which a vessel or vessels calculated for
warlike purposes may be building for the service of the United
States in the private ship-building yards of this country.
I shall take great pleasure in complying with your lordship’s desire,
by at once transmitting to my government, for its consideration, a
copy of your note.
I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest
consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your
lordship’s most obedient servant,
Right Honorable the Earl of Clarendon, &c.,
&c., &c.
