1895.] J-J-^ [Potts. 



"Rochdale, Jany. 30, '63. 

 " Dear Sir :— It is possible I may come down to see you to-morrow 

 morning if I can arrange it. 



"If I come I shall hope to see you between 10 and 12 o'clock—I must 

 return in the course of the afternoon. 



" Yours very Sincerely, 



"John Bright. 

 " Thos. H. Dudley, Esq., Liverpf)ol." 



"Private. 



"Rochdale, April 33, '63. 



" 3fi/ Dear Sir : — Thank you for the pamphlet. It makes me very angry 

 to read the cases of the Alabama and the 3Iaury. 



"I think Lord Russell will go on with the proceedings against the 

 Alexandra. Our Govt, is so much in favor of belligerents that it can- 

 not disregard those international obligations to which it attaches so much 

 importance. 



" They find it very difficult for the same reason to say anything against 

 the seizures made by your vessels. The owner of the Peterhoff* told me 

 that she was not a blockade runner, and had no contraband of war on 

 board. I hope if this be so, your prize court will soon liberate her. It 

 will be a great misfortune if any trouble arises out of any of the recent 

 seizures. 



"There is a special hostility to your Commodore or Admiral Wilkes 

 and he should be careful to keep within the law. I cannot be in the 

 House on Friday night. 1 am kept here at present by domestic affairs 

 and must leave the public to its fate. 



"There seems an increasing emigration to the States just now. Can 

 you tell me if an emigrant is, immediately on landing liable to the con- 

 scription, or only after a certain time of residence? Two men have just 

 come back here fearing the draft, and I suppose many are deterred from 

 going by fear of it. 



"If your Govt, were to offer a free passage to 50,000 people from Lan- 

 cashire, I think they might get them — they would be avenged on the cap- 



* The case of the Peterhoff is related in detail in Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia for 1863 

 under " Prize." She was captured by a United States vessel February 25, 1863, otf 

 the Island of St. Thomas. Upon her bills of lading she was bound "for off the Rig 

 Grande, Gulf of Mexico, to Matamoras." Her clearance was from London to Matamoras. 

 She left London early in January, 1863. Her registered owner was an English subject. 

 Her cargo was laden by a large number of shippers, all of them British subjects, with 

 the exception of one, who was a citizen of the United States and a resident of Texas at 

 the breaking out of the war, and was a passenger on the vessel. The portion represented 

 by this passenger was more in value than half the whole. 



It was shown by the character, of the army stores on board that they were " contraband 

 of war," that the bills of lading gave a false showing as to the vessel's destination. The 

 ship and entire cargo were therefore confiscated. 



