No. 298.
Mr. Moran to Mr. Fish.

No. 452.]

Sir: General Schenck, in his No. 569, of the 18th instant, reported to you the resignation of the Gladstone ministry and the formation of a new government by Mr. Disraeli. The majority of the new ministers received their seals of office at Windsor on Saturday, the 21st instant, and with few exceptions the cabinet offices were filled up that day. There has been the usual delay in selecting persons for the minor offices, such as the under-secretaryships, but this work will soon be accomplished and the organization be completed in all its parts.

The following are the names of the members of the new cabinet so far as at present known: Mr. Disraeli, first lord of the treasury; Lord Cairns, lord chancellor; Duke of Richmond, lord president of council; Lord Malmesbury, lord privy seal; Lord Derby, foreign affairs; Lord Salisbury, India; Lord Carnarvon, the colonies; Mr. Gathorne Hardy, war; Mr. B. A. Cruss, home; Mr. Ward Hunt, admiralty; Sir Stafford Northcote, chancellor of exchequer; Lord John Manners, postmaster-general.

On the 21st instant, Lord Granville communicated the fact of his resignation of the office of principal secretary of state for foreign affairs to the legation in a note addressed to General Schenck, and the same day Lord Derby announced his accession to that post. I inclose copies of these letters and of my replies dated the 22d instant.

In accordance with the invitation in Lord Derby’s note of Saturday, lie formally received the heads of the various embassies and legations now in London, at the foreign office at 3 p.m. yesterday. My interview was of short duration, and his lordship was courteous and friendly. I told him that I had no special business to bring to his notice. The only thing in my mind was a report which you had sent to General Schenck, from the consul of the United States at Tripoli, about the slave-trade which has, until recently at least, been carried on between that place and the Levant ports of Turkey and Egypt via Malta.

[Page 498]

I stated that General Schenck had brought this to Lord Granville’s notice informally in July last. His lordship expressed surprise at the existence of such a traffic; but said that he would be glad to receive any information on the subject I might be pleased to communicate to him.

He described the civil government of Malta as being in a measure locally independent, and the island as being merely a military station; but promised to look into the matter after receiving a note from me in regard to it.

* * * * * * *

I am, &c.,

BENJAMIN MORAN.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 452.]

Earl Granville to General Schenck.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept my resignation of the office of Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confer the seals of that department upon the Earl of Derby.

I have, &c.,

GRANVILLE.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 452.]

Mr. Moran to Earl Granville.

My Lord: In the absence of his excellency General Schenck, who sailed from Liverpool yesterday for the United States, on leave for three months, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship’s note of the 21st instant, announcing that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept your resignation of the office of Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confer the seals of that department upon the Earl of Derby.

At this moment, in closing the term of official intercourse which I as the occasional head of this legation during the last three years and upward have had the honor to hold with your lordship, I cannot withhold the expression of my high sense of the friendship, promptness, and courtesy by which that intercourse on your part has been uniformly distinguished. And I feel sure that General Schenck would express the same sense of your lordship’s urbanity were he here to acknowledge the receipt of your above-mentioned note.

I have, &c.,

BENJAMIN MORAN.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 452.]

The Earl of Derby to General Schenck.

Sir: I have the honor to acquaint you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept Lord Granville’s resignation of the office of Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confide to me the seals of that department.

I shall be happy to receive you at this office on Tuesday the 24th instant, at 3 o’clock, in order to confer with you on any business upon which you may have received instructions from your Government.

I have, &c.,

DERBY.
[Page 499]
[Inclosure 4 in No. 452.]

Mr. Moran to the Earl of Derby.

My Lord: In the absence of his excellency General Schenck, who left Liverpool yesterday for the United States, to be away three months, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship’s note to him of the 21st instant, stating that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept Lord Granville’s resignation of the office of Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confide the seals of that department to your lordship.

To this communication is appended an intimation that your lordship will be ready to receive General Schenck at the foreign office on Tuesday the 24th instant, at 3 o’clock, in order to confer with him on any business upon which he may have received instructions from his Government.

As chargé d’affaires ad int. in the absence of his excellency General Schenck, I beg to offer my felicitations upon this act of Her Majesty, and to express the readiness with which I shall be prepared to meet your lordship at the time and for the purpose designated.

I have, &c.,

BENJAMIN MORAN.