Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward.
My Dear Sir: On the 30th of April I sent you an affidavit, which seemed to show quite clearly that the five men lately belonging to the British vessel Don, who were still detained at the county jail, in Ludlow street, New York, were British subjects. They were, nevertheless, still in prison on the day before yesterday, and are, I suppose, in prison still.
I understand that the charge made for board in this jail is exorbitant, and that there are other minor grievances which might be noted. I cannot, indeed, conceive that it is proper to send neutrals, taken on board a neutral vessel, seized for breach of blockade, to a common jail at all. It is undoubtedly unjustifiable to detain them anywhere simply as a punishment. As to any statements which may have been made throwing doubt on the nationality of the five men still in [Page 605] confinement, I need hardly remind you of the false statements which were made to the Navy Department respecting Mr. Steele, the master of the Banshee, and which had the effect of prolonging his imprisonment for about a fortnight.
If there be any reasons for doubting that the five men of the Don now in Ludlow street jail, are British subjects, I beg that they may be communicated to me. If there be no such reasons, I do hope that orders will be sent this very day to release them.
The evils which result from the order of the United States government to detain British subjects captured on board neutral vessels as prisoners become every day more painfully apparent, and cause me so much anxiety that I cannot help being importunate on the subject.
Believe me to be, my dear sir, your very faithful, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.