Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
Sir: In obedience to your instructions contained in despatch No. 454, I called the attention of Lord Russell, in my conference of Saturday, to the reply made by him to my note of the 20th of November last, claiming reparation for the damage done by No. 290, and security against any repetition of the same in future. I observed that my government had not yet authorized me to say anything in regard to the answer on the first point; but with respect to the second, his lordship’s suggestion of possible amendments to the enlistment laws in order to make them more effective had been favorably received. Although the law of the United States was considered as of very sufficient vigor, the government were not unwilling to consider propositions to improve upon it.
To that end I had been directed to ask whether any such had yet been matured by her Majesty’s ministers; if so, I should be happy to receive and to transmit them to Washington. His lordship, repeating my remark that my government considered its present enlistment law as sufficiently effective, then added that since his note was written the subject had been considered in the cabinet, and the lord chancellor had expressed the same opinion of the British law. Under these circumstances he did not see that he could have any change to propose.
I replied that I should report this answer to my government. What explanation [Page 132] the government was ready to give for its utter failure to execute a law confessed to be effective did not then appear.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.