The London Association, having completed its top-heavy
organization, was content with that act and showed no life. The first
move by the Association was planned to be made in connection with the
_Alexandra_ case when, as was expected, the Exchequer Court should
render a decision against the Government's right to detain her. On
January 8, 1864, Lindsay wrote to Mason that he had arranged for the
public launching of the Association "next week," that he had again seen
the Chief Baron who assured him the Court would decide "that the
Government is entirely wrong":
"I told him that if the judgment was clear, and if the
Government persisted in proceeding further, that our
Association (which he was pleased to learn had been formed)
would take up the matter in Parliament and out of it, for if
we had no right to seize these ships, it was most unjust that
we should detain them by raising legal quibbles for the
purpose of keeping them here till the time arrived when the
South might not require them. I think public opinion will go
with us on this point, for John Bull--with all his
failings--loves fair play[1149]."
It is apparent from the language used by Lindsay that he was
thinking of the Laird Rams and other ships fully as much as of the
_Alexandra_[1150], and hoped much from an attack on the Government's
policy in detaining Southern vessels.
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