No. 22. City and County of New York, ss. John N. Cornell, policeman of the eleventh district of this city, acting as dockmaster, being duly sworn, doth depose and say: That in September last he was applied to, by the person acting as mate of the three-masted schooner or ship "Maury," then launched about one week from the shipyard of Roosevelt, Joice, & Co., to give said vessel a berth at the foot of Stanton street, East river. That this deponent gave said vessel a berth, and was in the habit of seeing her every day whilst she lay at that berth. This deponent further says, his particular attention was called to said vessel by some cartmen telling him that they had seen cannon going on board, and asked this deponent if he knew what it meant. This deponent was then invited by the mate to go on board, which he did, and was shown by the said mate several cannon in the hold, and some small-arms in the cabin, and said mate at the same time remarked to mechanics working on board. that he supposed there was a vessel of war waiting outside for us, and here was an officer on board (alluding to this deponent) ready to take possession of the vessel. And this deponent further says, that in reply to an inquiry made of the said mate, he said he had shipped on board the "Maury" to go to the China seas, but that he had a damned queer cargo to go there. And this deponent, from these circumstances, and from what he had seen, had his suspicions excited that all was not right, and so stated in general conversation in his family, and in the presence of his son, John T. Cornell, a law student or clerk in the law office of Charles Edwards, esq., attorney at law, 35 Pine street, this city. A few days after this conversation in the family of this deponent, his son told this deponent that his employer, Mr. Edwards, would like to see him; and one or two days thereafter he repaired to the office of said Edwards, and in reply to his inquiries, and at his request, narrated the above circumstances; the said Edwards at the same time telling this deponent that some person, a stranger to him, had made to him similar statements. And this deponent further says, that said Edwards stated that the person who had been his informant told him that it was designed to fit out the "Maury" as a Russian privateer, for the purpose of capturing one of the Cunard English steamers, and asked this deponent to make an affidavit of what he had seen and heard of this vessel, and all other particulars relating to her or her equipment; but that this deponent should first get some person who was better acquainted with vessels, also to go on board and see what he could, as combative, particularly whether the vessel looked like a vessel of war. And this deponent further says, that said Edwards told him that if he, this deponent, could be the means of detecting this movement, and it should turn out that the vessel was being fitted out for such a purpose, this deponent would receive a large reward. This deponent then returned to the station-house, and informed Lieutenant Craft of the circumstances, knowing that said Craft had been a ship carpenter by profession, and was a judge of vessels. Said Craft consented to go on board and look at the "Maury," and did go on board and make examinations. And this deponent further says, that he and said Craft, a few days afterwards, went down to the office of said Charles Edwards, at whose request both this deponent and Craft went to the office of the United States district attorney, to make oath to the affidavits in the premises, which had been previously drawn up by said Edwards in his own office. And this deponent further says, that at the office of the district attorney he was presented to John McKeon, esq., to whom he stated the whole matter, and who, after reading this deponent's affidavit, stated that it was very suspicious, and that he thought there was enough to seize the vessel, and informed this deponent that, if there could be sufficient evidence obtained to seize the vessel, this deponent "would make a good thing of it." And this deponent further says, that about one or two weeks after this, his son, John T., informed him that the owners, Messrs. Low, had explained everything satisfactorily to Mr. Edwards, and that the "Maury" had been allowed to sail. JOHN N. CORNELL. Sworn before me, this 23d November, 1855. FERNANDO WOOD, Mayor. William D. Craft, lieutenant of the 11th district police, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is the person alluded to in the deposition above made by John N. Cornell, and that the said deposition is true, of his own knowledge, so far as it refers to this deponent going on board of the "Maury" at his request, and making an affidavit at the office of Mr. Charles Edwards, at the request of said Edwards. And this deponent further says, that his suspicions were somewhat excited as to the character of the "Maury," from her model, her rig, the armament on board, and the general rumor as to Russian pri vateers. Sworn to this 23d November, 1855, before me. WM. D. CRAFT. FERNANDO WOOD, Mayor. A resolution of the Senate of the 28th instant, calling for information relative to any proposition submitted to the United States government by that of Great Britain, to refer the difference between the two governments of the construction of the treaty of July 4, 1850, to arbi tration. FEBRUARY 29, 1856.-Read and ordered to be printed, and that 10,000 additional copies be printed, 1,000 of which shall be for the use of the State Department. To the Senate of the United States: I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying papers, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of yesterday. FRANKLIN PIERCE. WASHINGTON, February 29, 1856. To the President of the United States: The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the Senate of yesterday, requesting the President, if in his opinion it be not incompatible with the public interest, to inform that body "whether any offer has been made by the government of Great Britain to the government of the United States to refer to the arbitrament of some friendly power, or otherwise, the questions in difference between the two governments, upon the construction of the convention of 4th July, [19th April,] 1850, with any correspondence touching or concerning such proposed arbitration," has the honor to lay before the President the papers mentioned in the subjoined list, which contain all the information in this department called for by the resolution. All which is respectfully submitted. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 29, 1856. W. L. MARCY. List of papers accompanying the report of the Secretary of State to the President, of the 29th of February 1856. Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Marcy, (extract,) November 21, 1854. [No. 49.] * Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Marcy. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, * * * * SIR: In the course of the conversation, he intimated that it might be desirable to have the opinion of a third power on the true construction of the convention. To this I playfully observed that it would now be difficult to find an impartial umpire, as they had gone to war with our arbitrator, the Emperor of Russia. This was, however, but a mere intimation on his part. I then urged upon him, as strongly as I could, the reasons which I thought ought to induce the British government to relinquish the Bay islands to Honduras. He replied, that these islands were not of the least value to Great Britain, and the only question with them was whether the national honor did not forbid this course. According to the appointment mentioned in my last despatch, I met Lord Clarendon yesterday afternoon at the Foreign Office. * * * * * * * |