ams was clearly disappointed and thought that the result of the debate
was "rather to undo in the popular mind the effect of Lord Russell's
speech than to confirm it[1002]." He and his English advisers were very
uneasy, not knowing whether to trust to Russell's intimations of more
active governmental efforts, or to accept the conclusion that his advice
had been rejected by Palmerston[1003]. Possibly if less anxious and
alarmed they would have read more clearly between the lines of
parliamentary utterances and have understood that their failure to hurry
the Government into public announcement of a new policy was no proof
that old policy would be continued. Disappointed at the result in
Parliament, they forgot that the real pressure on Government was coming
from an American declaration of an intention to issue privateers unless
something were done to satisfy that country. Certainly Russell was
unmoved by the debate for on April 3 he wrote to Palmerston:

"The conduct of the gentlemen who have contracted for the
ironclads at Birkenhead is so very suspicious that I have
thought it necessary to direct that they should be detained.
The Attorney-General has been consulted and concurs in the
measure, as one of policy, though not of strict law.

"We shall thus test the law, and if we have to pay damages we
have satisfied the opinion which prevails here as well as in
America that this kind of neutral hostility should not be
allowed to go on without some attempt to stop it[1004]."

Two days later, on April 5, the _Alexandra_, a vessel being equipped to
join the _Alabama_ as a commerce destroyer, was seized on the ground
that she was about to violate the Enlistment Act and a new policy, at
least to make a test case in law, was thereby made public. In fact, on
March 30, but three days after the debate of March 27, the case of the
_Alexandra_ had been taken up by Russell, referred to the law officers
on March 31, and approved by them for seizure on April 4[1005]. Public
meetings were quickly organized in support of the Government's action,
as that in Manchester on April 6, when six thousand people applauded the
seizure of the _Alexandra_, demanded vigorous prosecution of the Lairds
and others, and urged governmental activity to prevent any further
ship-building for the South[1006].

On April 7, Russell wrote to Lyons:

"The orders given to watch, and stop when evidence can be