contained a draft drawn by Mr. William Mure on the Royal Bank at Liverpool; another a very important family paper.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

LYONS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 5, 1862.

Right Honorable Lord LYONS, &c.

MY LORD: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st instant calling my attention to a certain sum of money belonging to Mr. Rutson Maury which was confiscated by order of the district court of the United States for the northern district of Ohio.

In reply I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a packet of letters addressed to Mr. Maury with an accompanying list of the same, and to state than when on the 4th ultimo I informed Mr. Maury that the U. S. district attorney had been to discontinue proceedings against the money in question and to remit the amount to him I was under the impression that the cause was still pending in the court, but it having been disposed of by judgment of confiscation it is not in the power of the Executive to interpose in the matter.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, your lordship's obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Case of Mason, Slidell, Macfarland and Eustis.

These notorious individuals [James M. Mason and John Slidell], one late a Senator of the United States from the State of Louisiana and the other holding the same position from the State of Virginia, violated their oaths in the incipient stages of the rebellion, being among the original conspirators in working up the stupendous scheme of treason. They plungel into active and open rebellion the moment their respective power to injure the Government by secret treachery had been exhausted by the course of events. They sought and obtained pretended commissions from the rebel government as commissioners or ministers plenipotentiary to the Government of France and Great Britain and sailed by a roundabout course for their respective theaters of duty under such pretended appointment. In the course of said voyage on the 8th day of November, 1861, they were found by Captain Wilkes, of the U. S. war steamer San Jacinto, on board the British mail steamer Trent and by him arrested on board the said mail steamer, taken on board the said San Jacinto and brought to the United States and lodged in Fort Warren for safe-keeping. The British Government claimed that the arrest of these malefactors on the Trent under the British flag was a violation of neutral rights and requested that they be surrendered. This claim was acknowledged by the United States to be just, and the request founded thereon was therefore acceded to. The prisoners were placed on board a British man-of-war pursuant to arrangements with the British minister on the 1st day of January, 1862.

George Eustis, private secretary to the rebel commissioner, John Slidell, was captured by Captain Wilkes, of the San Jacinto, near the West Indies on board the English steamer Trent November 8, 1861. He arrived in Boston Harbor November 24 and was committed to Fort