Montreal, where the trial for commitment for extradition is now progressing. A letter from Honorable I. I. N. Abbott, the leading counsel for the prisoners, dated Montreal 28th of October, says to me:

We (prisoners' counsel) all think it quite clear that the facts will not justify a commitment for extradition under the law as it stands, and we conceive the strength of our position to consist in the documents we hold establishing the authority might be make more explicit than it is in so far as regards the particular acts complained of, and I presume the Confederate Government will consider it to be their duty to recognize officially the acts of Lieutenant Young and his party, and will find means to convey such recognition to the prisoners here in such a form as can be proven before our courts. If this were accompanied or followed by a demand upon our Government that the prisoners be set at liberty I think a good effect would be produced, although probably the application wound not be received by the authorities. There will be at least a fortnight's time, and probably more, expended in the examination of witnesses, so that there will be plenty of time for anything that may be thought advisable to be done in behalf of the prisoners.

I met Mr. Young at Halifax on my way here in May last. He showed me letters from men whom I knew by reputation to be true friends of States' rights, and therefore of Southern independence, vouching for his integrity as a man, his piety as a Christian, and his loyalty as a soldier of the South. After satisfying me that his heart was with us in our struggle, and that he had suffered imprisonment for many months as a solider of the C. S. Army, from which he had escaped, he developed his plans for retaliating some of the injuries and outrages inflicted upon the South. I thought them feasible and fully warranted by the law of nations, and therefore recommended him and his plans to the Secretary of War. He was sent back by the Secretary of War with a commission as second lieutenant to execute his plans and purposes, but to report to Honorable --- and myself. We prevented his achieving or attempting what I am sure he could have done, for reasons which may be fully explained hereafter. Finally, disappointed in his original purpose and in all the subsequent enterprises projected, he proposed to return to the Confederate States via Halifax, but passing through the New England States.and burning some towns and robbing them of whatever he could convert to the use of the Confederate Government. This I approved as justifiable retaliation. He attempted to burn the town of Saint Albans, Vt., and would have succeeded but for the failure of the chemical preparations with which he was armed. Believing the town was already fired in several places and must be destroyed, he then robbed the banks of all the funds he could find, amounting to more than $200,000. That he was not prompted by selfish or mercenary motives, and that he is an honest man, a true-soldier, and patriot, and no one who knows him will question his title to this character. He assured me, before going on the raid, that his efforts would be to destroy towns and farm houses, not to plunder or rob, but, he said, if after firing a town he was he could take funds from a bank or any house which might inflict injury on the enemy and benefit his own Government he would do so. He added most emphatically that whatever he took should be turned over to the Government or its representatives in foreign lands.

My instructions to him, oft repeated, were "to destroy whatever was valuable; not to stop to rob, but it, after firing a town, he could seize and carry of money or Treasury or bank notes, he might do so, upon condition that they were delivered to the proper authorities of the Confederate States." That they were not delivered according to his promise