pose of annexing Canada and Mexico to the United States, and to inform you that I have transmitted a copy thereof to the Attorney General, whose early attention has been invited to the matter. 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 26, 1865. SIR: I will be very much obliged by your having the genuineness of my signature on the certificate appended to the enclosed papers relating to the Chesapeake case duly authenticated under the seal of your legation, and the papers returned to this department at your earliest convenience. 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 26, 1865. Sir F. Bruce presents his compliments to Mr. Hunter, and begs to return to him the documents relative to the Chesapeake, which were enclosed in Mr. Hunter's note of this day's date; the signature of Mr. Hunter having been duly certified by Sir F. Bruce. Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter. WASHINGTON, May 27, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a resolution* which has been forwarded to me from the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland, and which was passed at their last monthly meeting, with reference to the recent assassination of President Lincoln. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. W. HUNTER, &c., &c., &c. FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE. Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 27, 1865. SIR I have the honor to invite your attention to the enclosed copy of a despatch of the 9th instant from William T. Minor, esquire, the consul general * See Appendix, separate volume. of the United States at Havana, relative to a suspected slave-trading enterprise in which the Margarita Quintero, Elornea master, is suspected of being about to engage. I have put the United States attorney at New York upon his guard, with a view to proper proceedings should the vessel touch at New York, and the Secretary of the Navy has also been placed in possession of the facts given in the despatch. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient ser vant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &;. Mr. Minor to Mr. Hunter. CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SIR: A steamer under Mexican colors, and named Margarita Quintero, Elornea master, arrived at Matanzas, from Vera Cruz, on the 29th ultimo, and sailed again on the 1st instant. I am informed that she is the property of Don Julian Zulueta and Captain Eugenio Vinas, both notorious slave traders, and was fitted out at Vera Cruz for the African traffic in slaves. She came to Matanzas for orders, bringing on board Don Teburcio Audia, a partner of Zulueta, being cleared for New York, but some doubts are entertained that she has gone to New York. Audia will be the supercargo on the African voyage. It is possible, however, that she has actually visited New York to complete her outfit. Bonds were given at the customhouse in Vera Cruz. The above information has been obtained from a source which I consider reliable. tunately it was communicated to me only last evening. Unfor WILLIAM T. MINOR, Consul General. I have the honor to be, sir, with much respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM HUNTER, Acting Secretary of State, Washington. Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 29, 1865. MY DEAR SIR FREDERICK: I find, on turning to our files, that on the 22d instant instructions were addressed to Mr. Adams, in which he was requested to impart to Earl Russell the sense entertained by the government and people of the United States of the manifestations of sympathy and condolence conveyed to us in the despatches addressed by Earl Russell to you on the 28th of April and 6th instant, respectively. Believe me to be, my dear sir, very faithfully yours, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 29, 1865. SIR Referring to your communication of the 19th instant, relating to a scheme supposed to be on foot in Brooklyn, N. Y., to annex Canada and Mexico to the United States, I have now the honor to enclose a copy of a communication of this date, on the subject, from the Attorney General's office. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient ser vant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Ashton to Mr. Hunter. ATTORNEY GENERAL'S Office, SIR: I have the honor to enclose you herewith a copy of a letter addressed under the in struction of the attorney general to the United States attorney for the eastern district of New York, relative to the subject-matter of the communication of Sir Frederick Bruce to your department, dated the 19th instant. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary of State. J. HUBLEY ASHTON, Mr. Ashton to Mr. Silliman. ATTORNEY General's Office, SIR: I transmit you herewith a copy of a letter from Sir Frederick Bruce to the Acting Secretary of State, and by him referred to this office, giving certain information tending perhaps to show, in the language of the British minister, "an alleged project which has been set on foot in Brooklyn, New York, to annex Canada and Mexico to the United States." This information may lead you to make further inquiry on the subject of the supposed organization; and should you find that any parties within your district have brought or may bring themselves within the provisions of the statutes of the United States for the preservation of our neutrality, the attorney general confidently expects that you will institute against them prosecutions under these statutes. You will please communicate the contents of this letter and the enclosures to the marshal of your district, and if necessary also to the attorney of the United States for the southern district of New York. SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a despatch which I have received from the governor of Newfoundland, enclosing a resolution of the executive council of that colony with reference to the assassination of President Lincoln. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. W. HUNTER, &c., &c., &c. FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE. Governor Grave to Sir F. Bruce. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, Newfoundland, May 15, 1865. SIR: The intimate commercial intercourse and cordial relations which have existed be tween this colony and the people of the United States have caused the intelligence of the assassination of President Lincoln to be received with deep concern and indignation by the community, and a very general desire has been manifested to convey the expression of their sympathy on this lamentable occasion to the government of the United States. As the colonial legislature is not at this time in session, the executive council have, there fore, requested me to forward to you the enclosed resolution, which I shall be obliged to you to communicate to the government of the United States if you should see no objection to this SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 19th instant, informing me, at the instance of Earl Russell, that the labors of the fishery commission would probably be completed by the 1st of March, 1866, the time of the termination of the reciprocity treaty, and that the climate and circumstances have heretofore prevented the commissioners from prosecuting the work with that despatch which they would have desired. In reply, I have the honor to inform you that the department is aware of the difficulties which have existed, and it feels assured, by the statement of Mr. Howe, that he will employ every opportunity to accomplish the end for which the commission was organized. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient ser SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 19th instant, which is accompanied by the following documents, originating upon the assassination of President Lincoln, and the attempt upon the lives of the Hon. William H. Seward and Mr. Frederick W. Seward: 1. Address from the ministers comprising the annual conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in Canada; transmitted by the governor general of Canada. 2. A copy of a despatch from the governor of the Bahamas, forwarding resolutions of the legislative council and house of assembly of the colony, with a copy of the governor's message to both houses. 3. A letter aud minute of resolutions from the council of the borough of Liverpool, England, presented by the mayor of that city. I shall, with much satisfaction, cause these resolutions, so expressive of the sympathy and regard of her Majesty's subjects, to be forwarded to their respective destinations, and I must avail myself of your kind intervention for the conveyance to the honored sources from which they respectively came the grateful acknowledgments of this government. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient-servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Hon. SIR FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, Sr., &c., &c. Mr. Hunter to Sir F. Bruce. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 31, 1865. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 19th instant, transmitting a resolution which was adopted at a meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Sheffield on the 1st instant, and presided over by the mayor of that city, expressive of their condemnation of the assassination of the late President, and of their sympathy with the government and people of the United States in this great national bereavement. I will thank you, with the permission of her Majesty's government, to convey to the inhabitants of the borough of Sheffield, through their chief magistrate, the high appreciation in which their manifestations of sympathy and good will on this sad occasion are held by this government and people. 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, June 1, 1865. SIR: At the request of the mayor of Southport, Lancashire, England, I have the honor to forward to you, for the United States government and for Mrs. Lincoln, copies of resolutions* passed at a public meeting of the inhabitants of that town, expressive of the deep regret and indignation which the recent lamentable events in the United States have occasioned. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. W. HUNTER, &c., &c., &c. FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE. Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter. WASHINGTON, June 1, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 29th ultimo, enclosing copy of a communication from the Attorney General's office, relative to a scheme alleged to be on foot in Brooklyn for invading Canada and Mexico, and to thank the government of the United States for the inquiry ordered, without delay, into the proceedings complained of. I have directed her Britannic Majesty's consul at New York to furnish Mr. Silliman with such information as he possesses in the premises. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Hon. W. HUNTER, &c., &c., &c. FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE. Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter. WASHINGTON, June 1, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 30th ultimo, informing me that the cases of E. W. Pratt and Robert Green, late of the "City of Richmond," will receive the early attention of the State Department. Her Majesty's consul at New York has forwarded to me the enclosed duly authenticated affidavits of the chief engineer, boatswain, and four others of the crew of the above vessel, in support of Mr. Pratt's assertion that he objected to the alteration of the ship's course after passing Nahant. I beg that due consideration will be given to the statements in these affidavits, *See Appendix, separate volume. |