Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I had a conference with Lord Russell at the foreign office on Saturday last, the first object of which was to show him a copy of the President’s answer to the Manchester address, before sending it agreeably to the suggestion made in your despatch No. 452. He read it, and expressed himself gratified with the compliment conveyed in submitting it to him.
I seized the opportunity to speak to him upon the subject of the capitulation of the Scheldt dues, as I was instructed to do by your despatches (No. 436 and 437) of the 30th of December and 2d of January. I ought to observe that I had previously received a visit from M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian minister at this court, who came apparently under the impression that I was empowered to complete the negotiation on the part of the United States. He gave me the information respecting the assent of the British government, not merely to the principle but to the detail of the compensation, which he had supposed to be all that was necessary to secure a similar proceeding on my part. I explained the [Page 128] extent of my authority by reading to him your despatches. I promised him, however, that I would at once obtain from Lord Russell his official confirmation of the facts he had stated to me, and report them to you. This was accordingly done in the present conference. His lordship, after having been reminded by me of the way in which the matter had been left between us at our meeting on the 9th of May last, explained the terms on which the agreement had been made between the British government and Belgium. Assuming the gross sum of compensation to Holland to be thirty-six millions of francs, I think I understood him to say that he had agreed to a contribution of about six or seven millions in the ratio of the British commerce. But accuracy in the precise sum is of little importance in this despatch, as all that you desired to know from this court was the fact of an arrangement. Mr. Van de Weyer during his visit read to me a part of a despatch from his government, which, applying the same rule of proportion to the commerce of the United States, made their share somewhere about a million and a half of francs, payable 1st of April, 1864, I think. He promised to send me a note of the particulars, but he has not yet done it. Neither have I thought it necessary to ask it, because the negotiation will now undoubtedly resume its natural and direct channel. I understood Lord Russell to say that Belgium was to act without regard to the contingency of obtaining these contributions from other powers.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.