176 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



ments were, indeed, found against some inferior per 

 sons, but not against the responsible authors of the 

 loss and shame which the Alabama and the Florida 

 brought on Great Britain. Traces occasionally appear 

 in the journals of London of some discontent on the 

 part of tax-payers, who are now called on to respond 

 to the United States for the dishonorable gains of 

 the Lairds and the Millers. Expressions_of sentiment 

 in this respect appear in the recent debates in the 

 House of Commons. Indeed, if an account were taken 

 of the injury inflicted on the British people by the 

 actual losses in Confederate bonds purchased in Great 

 Britain, and the profits lost on bonds of the United 

 States not purchased there and sold instead in Ger 

 many ; the losses on British ships and cargoes cap 

 tured in attempting to run the blockade of Southern 

 ports ; the payment by the Government to the United 



instance, &quot; papers are presented to the Secretary of State by 

 the British Minister on the llth day of October, 1855, alleg 

 ing unlawful equipment in violation of neutrality by that ves 

 sel; the papers are sent to the Attorney-General on the 12th, 

 and on the same day orders are given by telegraph to embar 

 go the vessel, and are actually executed on the 13th at New 

 York. 



Mr. Fawcett has not without reason called the attention of 

 the House of Commons to this defect in the conduct of the law 

 business of the British Government. The reply that the At 

 torney or Solicitor General should be allowed to continue in 

 private business, in order to possess competent knowledge for 

 the conduct of the business of the Government, is quite pre 

 posterous; it would be just as reasonable to insist that the 

 Lord Chancellor or the Chief Justice of the Queen s Bench 

 must continue at the Bar. 



