required by Her Majesty's Government for the seizure of Mr. Mason and Mr. Slidell and their secretaries on board the royal mail steamer Trent.

I waited on Mr. Seward this afternoon at the State Department and acquainted him in general terms with the tenor of that dispatch. I stated in particular-as possible in your lodrdship's words-that the only redresse which could satisfy Her Majesty's Government and Her Majesty's people would be the immediate delivery of the prisoners to me in order that they might again be placed under British protection, and moreover a suitable apology for the aggression which had been committed. I added that Her Majesty's Government hoped that the Government of the United States would of its own accord offer this reparation; that it was in order to facilitate such an arrangement that I had come to him without any written demand or even any written paper at all in my hand; that if there was a prospect of attaining this object I was willingto be guided to by him as to the conduct on my part which would render its attainment most easy.

Mr. Seward received my communication seriously and with dignity but without any manifestations of dissatisfation. Some further conversation nesued in consequence of questions put by him with a view to ascertain the exact character of the dispatch. At the conclusion he asked me to give him to-morrow to consider the question and to communicate with the President. On the day after he should be said be ready to express an opinion with respect to the communication I had made. In the meantime he begged me to be assured that he was very sensible of the friendly and conciliatory manner in which I had made it.

I have, &c.

LYONS.

NEW YORK, December 19, 1861.

Dr. J. S. DASHIELL, Washington.

MY DEAR SIR: I wish I had time, as I have not, to write you a letter. But in lieu thereof I send you the accompanying slip cut from The London Times of the 30th of November. Being in the form of a communication it will be apt to escape the attention of Mr. Seward should he see the paper at all. I think he will be glad to see it and I therefore send it to you to be given to him or not as you may think best. The writing at the head of the article gives it an importance in my eyes which it would not possess otherwise, the memorandum being made by the gentleman who sends me the paper, who with me is very high authority for every opinion he express. He is connected with the English press and knows everybody and everything. He is connected with the English press and knows everything.

Yours, faithfully,

D. H. ADLEY.

[Inclosure.]

This is important as to substance and autorship.

TEMPLE, November 29, [1861].

EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

SIR: When so momentous a question as that of a war between England and the Northern States of America I in the balance I think you will be disposed to give publicity indifferently to every view in which the matter can possibly present itself. I venture therefore to request permission to offer a few observations on the critical question of the extent of the reparation which the English Government are entitled to demand at the hands of the Washington Cabinet.