5024. Mr. _W. Patten_.] But in those cases which you mention, you had not the slightest doubt in the world that they would have been condemned if they had not American papers on board?--Certainly they would, with the exception of one case, which seemed to be a sort of experimental seizure: it was known that almost every vessel on the coast under the American flag, at that time was a Spanish vessel in disguise; and this vessel seems to have been seized in the hope that the captain and officers might be able to prove, by some evidence found on board, that she was really Spanish; but though we had access to the papers, we found nothing that would have condemned her if she had been prosecuted in the court; there was a deficiency of papers on board; the captain, perhaps had either destroyed them or concealed them, and we could not get at the proof that would have enabled us to condemn her as being a Spanish vessel; but none of the cases I speak of were prosecuted; I would not allow them to be libelled in court. 5025. So that those cases do not appear upon the records of the court?--No; but I took the opportunity of examining the papers, and sending home all the particulars to the Foreign-office, and the papers are copied in the Parliamentary Returns. 5026. Mr. _Forster_.] Will those seizures be matter of complaint on the part of the owners?--I do not know that any of those seizures have been matter of complaint; some of the seizures made subsequently have been. 5027. Seizures of vessels belonging to the United States?--Yes; but none of those that came before me have been made matter of complaint. 5028. Are you aware that there are several cases of condemnation that have been the subject of remonstrance with the British Government by the United States?--I believe the whole of them are. 5029. _Chairman._] You have not heard that they complain of vessels being brought in for condemnation to Sierra Leone which you did not allow to be libelled in court?--No, except as regards the general right which was exercised. There has been no complaint with respect to a particular vessel, so far as I know; but complaints have been made of the right which was exercised by cruizers on the coast to board any American vessel and search it. 5030. Mr. _Aldam_.] Has the practice of the court been changed since your time?--Yes, it was changed the day that I left; there was an American vessel waiting at Sierra Leone for adjudication the day I left, and the officer suspecting, that if presented to me, I should refuse her in the same way as I had done the others, detained her till I left, and she was condemned by my successor under orders from Lord Palmerston. 5031. Then the orders from Lord Palmerston changed the practice of the court?--Yes. 5032. Do you know the nature of those orders?--The orders appear in the printed correspondence.