Proposed American Military visit to England.
--Company E, of the Ninth Regiment of New York, has raised $10,000 towards $30,000, the sum necessary to carry them to England and back. The company authorized a letter to be written to Lord Palmerston, asking if an American volunteer company bearing arms would be permitted to land in England, and to this letter the following reply has been received: 10 Downing St.,London, Oct. 12, 1860.
Sir
--I have the honor to acknowledge, by desire of Lord Palmerston, the receipt of your communication of the 31st August last.
Lord Palmerston directs me, in reply, to inform you that her Majesty's government, as well as the whole British nation, would feel very great pleasure at a friendly visit from any portion of the people of the United States, but that it would not be consistent with the laws of the United Kingdom that a body of armed men, organized as a military body, and not being subjects of the British Sovereign, should land in the United Kingdom and move about therein.
Lord Palmerston, however, would remark that if any of the member of the corps which you mention were to come over to England in the summer of next year, bringing with them their rifles, for the purpose of entering into competition at the annual rifle shooting meeting, there can be no doubt that they would be most heartily welcomed.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant. Sir
