Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Documenti italiani e americani
37
The consul of the United States kas c.alled on the Questore of Genoa to en-force the provisions of our treaty in these cases. The consul ìnforms me that The Questore expressed regret that our commerce should suffer, bui said that he does not wish to incur odium by interfering wilh Garibaldi movement; that if a deserter could be found alone and unprotected by others his arresi could be effected otherwise, he does not feel disposed to enforce it. The Consul adds that the Questore has at his di spositi on force sufficient to apprehend ten times the numbers ofthe deserters, bui lacks the disposinoti to talee the responsability, and that in the meantime our ship-otoners are suffering heavy pecuniary losses by the delay so occasioned.
Being well satisfied of the accuracy of these statements, it becomes my duty to cali Your Excellency's attention to this extraordinary state of things and to request that steps may be taken far a better observance of the provisions of the treaty between Sardinia and the United States hearing on the premises. I ask that sudi orders may be issued to the Questore of Genoa as may induce that officer to discharge his duty in these cases wilh greater energy and with less regard to circumstances which should in no toay off ed his action.
I am assured by the Consul that in no instance before these late deserlions have the Questore and police of Genoa ever failed to act with the most satisfac­tory promptness: and it cannot be doubted that they do nothing at present from want of witl and not of power.
W. L. Patterson a John M. Daniel
Genoa, Aug. 18, 1860.1)
Sir: In answer to your note of the 17th inst. I reply briefly as follows:
The deserters from American skips in this port, whose arrests I have inef-fectually requested of the Questore within the last ten days, are in number seventeen and are named and belonged to ships as follows:
Belonging to ship Rea! Duna master - Deserted Nolan Sinclair, John Dinmont, John Lewis.
To the ship H. R. Cooper Stevens master James Barry, Berry Holcum, W.m Morgan, Antonio Sianburg, John Money,
To the ship Express Frost master James Black, Ed. Smith, J. H. Jackson, W.m Chase, James McLaughlin, Geo. Meredith, R. Warning, Geo. Li scornò, H. B. Newell. [Patterson si lagna di non esser riuscito a farli arre­stare].
On the ISth eighl men deserted from EZ bui the Captain seeing how vain it was to seek to arresi deserters, being, too, on the instarli ofsailing, mode no application for their apprehension to me. Ali these men named above have departed for Sicily. They paraded the streets in the Sicilian uniform and insulted the masters of American vesseb with impunity.
I) Archivio Ambasciotn americana, 'Roma.