Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward
Sir: In accordance with the intention expressed in my dispatch No. 1562, of the 25th of March, I yesterday succeeded in obtaining an interview with Lord Stanley on the subject of the proposal to negotiate an expatriation. But his lordship did little more than confirm my report of his unofficial conversation the other day as it was given to you in that dispatch. The law officers of the Crown have been changed often since the accession of this ministry; so that these are yet new to their duties, and they have had much occupation in other subjects, so that I scarcely anticipate any very rapid response in a case like this, which must be admitted to be full of difficulties and embarrassments. Indeed Lord Stanley intimated that as the existing commission appointed to consider and report upon the state of international law was now ready to report and be discharged, it was not unlikely that some of the persons constituting it might be selected to form a new commission to report on this subject, also.
At the same time that Lord Stanley gave me this information he expressed his own disposition to co-operate in any plan to bring these questions to a settlement as soon as possible. Meanwhile the state of things in Ireland is becoming so much more settled that the few prisoners will probably be liberated without a trial. Lord Stanley told me that Colonel Nagle would be brought to trial at Dublin in the course of next month. I shall not be surprised if even that attempt should be abandoned, in case no further disturbances take place.
The debate now going on in the House of Commons on the [Page 186] disendowment of the Irish established church and the evident favor which the proposal meets with, is now absorbing the attention of the Roman Catholic clergy, and inducing a disposition on their part to co-operate in the restoration of quiet in the disturbed district. It seems as if the cohesion of the ministry was already endangered by it. But the experience of the last year has made people wary of predicting anything from outside appearances.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.