Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward.
Sir: A British schooner, the Clyde, was captured in the month of April last by the United States ship Sonora, and sent into Key West for adjudication. It has been reported to her Majesty’s government that the cause of the seizure of this vessel was a suspicion that she had confederate property on board; and as this, if true, would seem to bespeak an intention to depart from the principle now generally established with respect to enemy’s goods found in neutral bottoms, [Page 688] her Majesty’s government deem it important that no time should be lost in asking for explanations from the government of the United States.
Her Majesty’s government are aware that the United States government has not bound itself by a declaration in writing to adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Paris, but the doctrines professed of old by the United States government on the subject, as well as the assurances recently given, have necessarily been taken by neutral powers as constituting a formal announcement that those principles would be acted upon by the United States during the present war.
Her Majesty’s government have, consequently, instructed me not to wait for the decision of the prize court in the case of the Clyde, but to represent at once to you that her Majesty’s government feel that they should have reason to complain if, after what has passed, these principles were disregarded by the United States cruisers or in the United States prize courts, without some reasonable notice of an intention to depart from the understanding which was supposed to have been established.
Her Majesty’s government consider it the more necessary to call the attention of the United States government to this matter without loss of time, because it appears by a report recently received by them from the British vice-consul at Key West that the prize court at that place does intend to decree the confiscation of goods taken on board the neutral vessel Clyde if they shall appear to be enemy’s property.
I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.