The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-21 00:00:00

THE CAPTURE OF TER STEAMER LURAN BY

TILE F.EDERJIL CRUISER.

The following is the copy of a letter from the
mate of the Labuan steamer :—" Ship Island, Feb.
14, 1862.—1 t is with regret that I have to announce
the seizure of the steamer Labuan, by the United
States' sloop of war Portsmouth, while lying off the
Rio Grande, loading cotton for Havana. This hap-
pened on the let of February, at four o'clock in the
afternoon. We saw the Portsmouth in the offing
during the forenoon, flying French colours, and
taking a prize schooner, but I thought we were safe,
as Captain Hamshaw told me that, in case we were
boarded by any man-of-war, to show them the
papers which he left. Captain Hamshaw went on
shore on the 27th January, and was detained on
shore by strong gales, which prevented him from
getting on board. About 4.30 the first lieutenant
came on board, and asked to see the ship's papers,
which I showed him. He afterwards looked down
the hold, and remarked theywere loaded with cotton,
asking at the same time where it was shipped. I
told him it was shipped from Matamoras. He re-
turned to his ship, and shortly after sent another
boat of officers and mien, who ordered me to get up
steam and shift our berth nearer the Portsmouth.
I did as required, on being given to understand that
they only wanted to.have the ship clear of their
guns. After shifeng our berth, I was ordered on
board. On my arrival on board the captain told
me that he considered that we were a lawful
prize—that we were taking in American cotton
in American waters. This I denied, and told
him that it was shipped in Matamoras, and that
we were in Mexican water s—our longitude, by a
G
number of observations, being 97.545 W., and our
latitude 25 55 N. He told me that it did not
matter ; he would send us to Ship Island to await
the commodore's decision. On my return on board
I found that there were on board at least forty
marines and sailors belonging° to the Portsmouth.
the 3rd Febru-
ill On Sunday they discharged the cargo of a prize
in chargee
schoonerea rn y ,
e took
f the allnt
ship, into
theu seamena
and
anden Mondayed the officer ies, engineer,
g ner
tand Mr.
ordered
to prepare to proceed to Ship Island. They took
all Ithe sprits, wine, ale, and porter on board the
Portsmouth. The captain of the Portsmouth then
cautioned me not to attempt to retake the ship,
until
til he i s off
as it would certainly end in our destruction. On
aNe York, to be tried by an
co
Tuesday, the 4th, at 3 a.m., we started on our voy-
age to Ship Island, where we arrived on the Bth,
n a cruise, and
comes, but we are
sure
tine
:dee findtwo e thatbem uses
sent
the
rent commodore
om i n
have
on board 439 bales
cotton. On oururt.
arrivalWe at
admiralty
New York I shall apply
to the consul, and act under his directions."—
Eastern Counties Herald.

'e
tgo
bait, az d
moryeeaearssili;,
tfoodrrythaneyd mend the
The fishermen marry Young
cct:flithers'l7(l:fliraet
prepare the tan.
Tas
h:
nets,hhe eei helpmate pm.
tfimoes
nahs te)pe:
vuta
toonntdthat
ehk :oo
otherchr hke charge
krdugi.
npes
doe oans fmot
fhs
the
Hots.
The cotton-nets,
aunsde, are less lirAle
are found to,
to injury by the dogfish. All the File_
Y yawls car.ry the
letters " S. at, (the abbreviation of Scarborough) on
In the year 1716 a bounty A
owuhtilcahs t havethos
those
oe
fe been
hemp,a b about td sevenry
their bows. of =`,'l. was given
on each barrel of fish caught in order: to encourage the
employment of apprentices ; but in
1836 the sum was
gradually reduced by Is. a year, Ilk til it finally ceased in
1839. The average value of fish taken in the year
i £20,000 to £27,000 ;
ranges from - n some years as much as
£2,000 have been paid to the Nor
,th. Eastern Railway for
its transport.—Once a Week. 1

The new American Tax Bill, prepared by the
Committee appointed for the purpose by the House
of Representatives at Washington, will probably,
owing to the extent to which it is destined to
operate on nearly every branch of domestic and
trading expenditure, constitute a subject of lengthy
debate, and receive many alterations to conciliate
local and political influences before it becomes law.
After that date great interest will attach to the
practical reports that may be received every quar-
ter from the army of collectors and excisemen to be
called into existence. Among the items is one that
seems to impose a duty of 3 per cent, ad valorem on
all manufactures not otherwise specified; but this
possibly requires explanation, since it would place
every branch of occupation in the Republic under
excise supervision, or afford a temptation for false
swearing, if the returns are to be accepted on oath,
which it may be feared would soon become serious.
The duty on gas will, perhaps, be inveighed against
in the terms formerly employed to denounce our
extinct window-tax ; but, if oils of all kinds are
likewise to be subject to duty, the imposition is re-
quisite for a fair adjustment. The excise to be
levied on paper generally will amount to about is.
3d. sterling per cwt., but on the description used
for bank-notes it will be £1 per cwt. A large con-
sumption of the latter must be calculated upon to
make it worth while to establish a distinction. The
duty of sd. per barrel on flour, unless the ireubh-
some system of drawbacks is to be constantly in
operation, will, of course, act as an advantage to
the foreign flour trade of France and other com-
peting countries. In the same manner the duty
on slaughtered animals will affect the provision
trade. Under the system of licenses every dealer
and shopkeeper will be included. The income-tax,
which was formerly proposed to extend only to in-
comes above £l6O, will now be enforced down to
£l2O, leaving still a good margin of democratic ex-
emption. The stamp duties are apparently to be
multitudinous, especially if, as is stated, they are to
be employed not merely on legal, but on " all kinds
of commercial papers," besides telegraphic messages
and express parcels. The figures subjoined are all
reduced from dollars and cents, to sterling :
Spirituous liquors, per gallon, 72d; ale and beer
per barrel, 4s; tobacco, stem or leaf, per lb., 1-1 d;
ditto, manufactured, 2-0 per lb additional ; ditto,
cigars, 2,4 d, sd, or 10d per lb additional, according
to value; lard and linseed oil, burning fluid, and
coal oil, per gallon, 24-d; refined coal oil, sd; gas,
per 1,000 feet, is; bank-note paper, per lb, 23-d ;
printing ditto, per lb, 3 mills; soap, per lb, 5 mills;
salt, per cwt, 2d ; leather, sole, per lb, 31-d ; ditto,
upper, per lb, Id ; flour, per barrel, 6d ; all other
manufactures, 3 per cent. ad valorem; railroad
passengers, 2 mills per mile of travel; commutation
tickets, 3 per cent. ; steamboat travel, 1 mill per
mile; omnibuses, ferry-boats, and horse railroads, 3
per cent. on gross receipts from passengers ; adver-
tisements, 5 per cent. on amount of receipts an-
nually; carriages, annually, 4s to £2, according to
value; gold watches, 4s; silver ditto, 2s ; gold
plate, per ounce, 2s ; silver plate, per ounce, 4d;
billiard tables, ; slaughtered cattle, per head, 2s ;
hogs, ditto, sd; sheep, ditto, 21-d.
Licenses—Bankers, £2O; auctioneers, £4; whole-
sale dealers, £l6 ; retail ditto in liquors, £4 ; retail
ditto in goods, £2 ; pawnbrokers, £lO ; rectifiers,
£2O ; brewers, £lO ; hotels, inns, and taverns, ac-
cording to rental, rising gradually from £1 to £4O;
eating-houses, £2 ; commercial brokers, £4 ; thea-
tres, £2O; circuses, £10; bowling alleys, each
alley, £1; wholesale pedlars, £10; other ditto,
from £1 to £4; coal oil distillers, £4.
Income Tax—Three per cent. on all incomes over
£l2O.

Legacy Duties—Legacies and distributive shares
of personal property from one to five per cent., ac-
cording to the degrees of relationship.
Stamp Duties on all kinds of legal and commer-
cial papers, all patent medicines, telegraphic mes-
sages, and all goods by express.