It would appear that there is no danger of the recapture of Mobile, the socalled Confederate States having no longer any army in the field in that district. The most urgent motive for the transport of the cotton thus disappears, and I therefore venture to hope that the claims of neutrals to cotton and other property may be taken into consideration and determined on the spot, so that the difficulty of ascertaining the ownership, and the delay occasioned by its removal to another port, may be avoided.

I may observe, further, that in all probability cotton purchased before the war may have been left there, for, owing to the blockade having been declared as soon as hostilities broke out, no opportunity was afforded of taking it away; and in estimating the neutrality of residents, this circumstance ought to have been taken into consideration.

The residents had no time allowed them to realize their property and take it out of the country, although the usages of modern war, and even the provisions of treaties, usually grant a sufficient term for the purpose to merchants who are resident in a state with which their country is involved in hostilities.

They were thus compelled to remain or to abandon their property.

It will not be amiss to point out, for the equitable consideration of the government of the United States, that the great majority of British residents in these cities are men of small means, living by a small retail trade.

Unable to leave, they were compelled by necessity to seek a livelihood by carrying on any trade open to them; and in the course of it, invested their gains in small parcels of cotton, brought to market by the neighboring country people, as the only safe investment amid the uncertainties to which the value of confederate currency was exposed.

It appears to me that it would be a very harsh proceeding to consider a trade of such a nature as inconsistent with a position of bona fide neutrality.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE.

Hon. WILLIAM HUNTER, Esq., Sc., &c., &c.

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter.

WASHINGTON, May 1, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a copy of the resolutions of the St. George's Benevolent Society of Cincinnati, with reference to the assassination of the late President. This document has been forwarded to me by her Majesty's consul at St. Louis.

I have also the honor, at the request of the secretary of the St. George's Society of the city of Madison, Wisconsin, to transmit to you a copy of the resolutions passed by that society on the same occasion, and to beg that you will have the goodness to cause the same to be communicated to the Hon. Mrs. Lincoln.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM HUNTER, &c,, &c., &c.

FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE.

[For enclosures see Appendix, separate volume.]

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 3, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st instant, in regard to the disposition of cotton at Mobile and in that vicinity which may

be claimed by British subjects, and, in reply, to inform you that I have submitted a copy of your note to the Secretary of War for his consideration. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st instant, which is accompanied by a copy of resolutions of the St. George's Benevolent Society of Cincinnati, expressive of their indignation of the diabolical act which deprived this government of its head, and of their sympathy with the people of the United States in this their national loss; also, a copy of resolutions adopted by the members of the St. George's Society of Madison, Wisconsin, which, in compliance with your request, will be communicated to the Hon. Mrs. Lincoln.

On behalf of the government and people of the United States, I will thank you to convey to the aforenamed societies an expression of their grateful sense of the sympathy and good feeling manifested in their resolutions.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary.

Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 3, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 28th of April, transmitting a copy of resolutions adopted by the inhabitants of Brockville, Canada West, at a meeting held on the 19th ultimo, expressive of their abhorrence and regret at the assassination of our lamented Chief Magistrate; also letters for the President of the United States and the Hon. Mrs. Lincoln, containing resolutions passed in the same spirit at a public meeting of the citizens of St. Thomas, Canada.

It will afford me much satisfaction to cause these generous and friendly resolutions of her Majesty's subjects to be conveyed to their destination.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary.

Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 6, 1865.

SIR: Referring to Mr. Burnley's note of the 18th ultimo, inviting my attention, at the instance of his excellency the governor of the Bahamas, to the movements in the roadstead off Matthew town of the United States ships-of-war in contravention of her Majesty's proclamation, I have the honor to inform you that it is stated in a letter of the 4th instant, from the Secretary of the Navy,

that upon receipt of the intelligence instructions were immediately forwarded to the senior commanding officer of the convoy fleet in the West Indies to conform in every respect to the requirements of the neutrality proclamation of Great Britain.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient

servant,

W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary.

Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c.

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter.

WASHINGTON, May 6, 1865.

SIR: At the request of the governor general of Canada, I have the honor to transmit to you, with a request that they may be forwarded to their respective destination, the following addresses and resolutions on the occasion of the assassination of the late President:

An address from the Board of Trade of the city of London, Canada West, to the President of the United States.

A copy of a resolution adopted by the corporation of the same city.

An address from the inhabitants of the town of Galt, in Canada West, to the Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

A copy of resolutions adopted by a public meeting of the inhabitants of the towns of Berlin and Waterloo, Canada West.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM HUNTER, &c., &c., &c.

FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE.

[For enclosures see Appendix, separate volume.]

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 8, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 6th instant, transmitting an address from the Board of Trade of the city of London, Canada West, to the President of the United States; a copy of a resolution adopted by the corporation of the same city; an address from the inhabitants of the town of Galt, in Canada West, to Mr. Seward; a copy of resolutions adopted by a public meeting of the inhabitants of the towns of Berlin and Waterloo, Canada West-all of them having been inspired by the assassination of the late President, and expressing in becoming terms regret at the event, and sympathy with the afflicted family of the deceased, and with the people of the United States.

Thanking you for communicating to me these expressive utterances of friendly communities, I beg you to convey to their respective authors assurances of the grateful sense entertained by the government and people of the United States of the sensibility and sympathy thus evinced. I shall willingly carry out your wishes by forwarding the documents to their proper destinations.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary.

Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c, &c.

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 9, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 28th ultimo, transmitting three copies of resolutions adopted at a public meeting held in London, Canada, on receipt of the news of the assassination of President Lincoln, and a copy of a letter addressed to the governor general of Canada by the mayor of Woodstock, and the resolutions adopted by the citizens of that place on the same mournful occasion.

I will thank you to cause to be conveyed to the respective parties from which these manifestations of sympathy have emanated, assurances that they are gratefully accepted by the government and the people of the United States, and I shall not fail to give to the copies of the resolutions the direction indicated in

your note.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient

servant,

W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary.

Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c.

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter.

WASHINGTON, May 10, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to forward you the following documents, which have been transmitted to me from Canada and New Brunswick, and which have been called forth by the assassination of President Lincoln:

A resolution adopted by the council of the corporation of the city of Toronto, Canada.

A letter to the Hon. William H. Seward from the mayor of the city of Hamilton, Canada West, together with a copy of resolutions adopted by the corporation of that city.

Resolutions of the Grand Division Sons of Temperance, New Brunswick.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Hon. WILLIAM HUNTER, &c., &c., &c.

FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE.

[For enclosures see Appendix, separate volume. ]

Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 13, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 10th instant, with which you transmitted to me a resolution adopted by the council of the corporation of the city of Toronto, Canada; a letter to Mr. Seward from the mayor of the city of Hamilton, Canada West, together with a copy of resolutions adopted by the corporation of that city, and resolutions of the Grand Division Sons of Temperance, of New Brunswick, which communications and resolutions have been called forth by the assassination of President Lincoln, and the events attendant upon that atrocious act.

I must beg you to convey to the respected sources of these very acceptable expressions of sympathy the grateful acknowledgments of the government and people of the United States.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient ser

SIR: I am directed to call your attention to the fact that, pursuant to unofficial intelligence which has reached here, the insurgent ram Stonewall was recently anchored near the port of Nassau, after having captured at least one vessel of the United States on her way from Europe. According to another report, an United States schooner which had been captured by insurgents in Chesapeake bay had reached another British island, and, though her restitution was asked for by the United States consul there, the request was refused by the authorities.

Assuming this information to be correct, the President of the United States is of the opinion that the time has now arrived when this government must expect those foreign powers which have hitherto recognized the piratical cruisers of the insurgents as entitled to belligerent rights in their ports and on the high seas to withdraw that recognition, and no longer to extend countenance and protection to those plunderers and burners of vessels of the United States. He hopes, also, that you may be authorized, and may deem yourself warranted by your knowledge of the present condition of affairs in this country, to instruct or request those officers of her Majesty's colonial possessions adjacent to the United States to refuse to receive vessels flying the flag of the insurgents.

I am instructed to add, however, that while disclaiming all intention of offering any threat, if it should not be competent for you to adopt the measures referred to, and those authorities should continue to welcome and grant hospitality to the vessels of the insurgents, or should not at once be checked in that course by the authorities at home, this government will deem itself warranted and compelled, with all reasonable courtesies, to adopt any course by which those vessels may be prevented from continuing their piratical ravages upon the commerce of the United States.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Hon. Sir FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c.

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter.

WASHINGTON, May 16, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor, at the request of the governor of the Bahamas, to forward to you, for the information of the United States government, copies of the report and evidence in the case of the wreck of the United States schooner J. L. Gerrity, which was run ashore by her master on one of the Bahamas on the 5th of April, and to beg that you will have the goodness to communi