16.31
6 42.31 15.42
7 43.47 14.12
8 45.45 (D.R.) 12.06
9 47.34 9.07
10 49.18 6.03
11 On this day the Alabama entered Cherbourg harbour.

No. III.

Mr. LAIRD'S SPEECH ON THE ALABAMA.

The following is a full report of Mr. Laird's speech in the
House of Commons on Friday night:--After the discussion that
has taken place about the Alabama, I shall not trouble the
house with many remarks. I can only say, from all I know
and all I have heard, that from the day the vessel was laid down
to her completion everything was open and above-board in this
country. (Cheers.) I also further say that the officers of the
Government had every facility afforded them for inspecting the
ship during the progress of building. When the officers came
to the builders they were shown the ship, and day after day the
customs officers were on board, as they were when she finally
left, and they declared there was nothing wrong. ("Hear,"
from Mr. Bright.) They only left her when the tug left, and
they were obliged to declare that she left Liverpool a perfectly
legitimate transaction. (Hear, hear.) One point has been
overlooked in this discussion. If a ship without guns and without
arms is a dangerous article, surely rifled guns and ammunition
of all sorts are equally--(cheers)--and even more dangerous. (Cheers.)
I have referred to the bills of entry in the custom houses of London
and Liverpool, and I find there have been vast shipments of implements
of war to the Northern States through the celebrated houses of Baring
and Co.--(loud cheers and laughter)--Brown, Shipley and Co., of Liverpool,
and a variety of other names, which I need not more particularly
mention, but whose Northern tendencies are well known to
this house. (Hear, hear.) If the member for Rochdale, or the
honourable member for Bradford, wishes to ascertain the extent
to which the Northern States of America have had supplies of
arms from this country, they have only to go to a gentleman
who, I am sure, will be ready to afford them every information,
and much more readily than he would to me or to any one else
calling upon him--the American consul in Liverpool. Before
that gentleman the manifest of every ship is laid, he has to give
an American pass to each v