ALABAMA CLAIMS. 115 



tors, with a dissenting opinion from the British Ar- 

 bitrator. 



The Florida,, it will be remembered, was a steam 

 gun-boat, built at Liverpool by Miller & Sons, on 

 contract with the Confederate agent Bullock, for the 

 warlike use of the Confederates. Miller & Sons 

 falsely pretended that she was being built for the 

 Italian Government by arrangement with Messrs. 

 Thomas <fe Brothers of Liverpool and Palermo, one of 

 whom expressly and fraudulently confirmed the false 

 representation of Miller & Sons. The British Gov- 

 ernment, although repeatedly warned of the illegal 

 character of this vessel by the diplomatic and con- 

 sular authorities of the United States, shut its eyes 

 to the transparent falsehood and fraud of Miller & 

 Sons and of Thomas, and took no proper and suffi- 

 cient measures to investis-ate her character and to 

 prevent the violation of the laws of the kingdom. 

 She sailed from Liverjiool without obstruction, cleared 

 by the name of Oreto, unarmed, it is true, but ac- 

 companied by another vessel containing her arma- 

 ment, called the Baliama. 



The Oreto next makes her appearance at Nassau, 

 where she proceeded further to equij) and arm as a 

 man-ofwar. The naval authorities at Nassau were 

 unanimous in denouncing her illegal character, but 

 the civil authorities, perverted by their sympathies,, 

 could with difficulty be 2:)ersuaded to act against her. 

 When they did act, she was acquitted by the local 

 Admiralty Court, in the teeth of the facts and the 

 law, either corruptly, or with inexplicable ignorance 



