Mr. Mason to Earl Russell.—(Received July 30.)
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your lordship’s letter of July 25th instant, in which I am informed that her Majesty’s minister at Washington was not able to obtain the consent of the United States government to the passage of the Shannon through the blockade, for the purpose of delivering over to the authorities of the Confederate States a prisoner charged with murder, committed on board a confederate vessel-of-war. Your lordship further informs me that, for reasons stated in the letter, her Majesty’s government had reluctantly come to the conclusion that the prisoner ought not to be detained in custody by any British authority longer than might be necessary to dispose of him on shore; and that orders had accordingly been issued to that effect to the proper authorities at Bermuda, and to the British admiral on the North American station.
I shall send a copy of your lordship’s letter, by the first opportunity, to the secretary of state at Richmond, and can only anticipate the great regret with which the President of the Confederate States will learn that her Majesty’s government had deemed it proper to depart from its original purpose in regard to this prisoner, as the same had been communicated to him, under instructions from your lordship, by Mr. Moore, late British consul at Richmond.
I have, &c.,