Star.
London, England, 1819-09-08 00:00:00

PROM TRW CALCUTTA JOURNAL.

Some Account of the Seizure of the Sitascrtmo, a ship under
Dutch Colours, by Captain Penvis, of his Majesty's Frigate
MAC ICI ',Mr, at the Isle of France.
The ship Shawfield, belonging to Messrs. Deans,
Scott, and Co. of Batavia, began to load rice in the
early part of December, on the north coast of Java.
Unfavourable circumstances kept her on the coast as
late as the beginning of March, when having taken
in her rice, she also.took in a quantity of teas, pep-
per, China-ware, Bcc. and sailed for the Isle of France,
under Dutch colours.
Previous to the restoration of the Island of Java to
the Government of Holland, the British Authorities
had granted British papers for the Shawfield, then
building ; but as the law of Great Britain prohibits
British subjects, residing as merchants in foreign
countries, from owning and navigating ships under
British colours, as considering them for the time to
be foreign, and not British merchants, a Dutch flag
was chosen for the vessel.
Under these circumstances the Shawfield proceeded
on her voyage, and anchored in the outer roads of
Port Louis, on the 29th day of April last. Previous
to her arrival the port was shut to foreign Hags, by
the expiration of the period fixed for in remaining
open by the Order of Council of Mardis, 1817. Ap-
plication was, however, made to the Government of
the Isle of France, for permission to enter and dig,
pose of the cargo, grounding the petition on the
tore of the cargo, which consisted principally of
rice, and on the nationality of the property.
Major-General Hall, Governor of the Colony, was
furnished with a copy of the manifest of the ship,
and having considered the application certainly with
attention, determined, after a few days, to grant it.
On sending his Deputy Secretary, S. Blain,-Esq. to
Captain Purvis, the senior Naval Officer there, to
have his consent and approbation of the measure,
previous to giving a final reply to the application,
Captain Purvis not only acquiesced in it, but went so
far as to say, that he was happy to have it in hil
power to oblige Captain Scott, with whom he had
been formerly acquainted at Malacca.
The cargo was accordingly entered, and foreign
duties were paid on every article of it which bore a
duty. The cargo was sold, the ship refitted, a re-
turn cargo put on board, outward duties paid at the
Custom-house, and the ship cleared out according
to the rules and regulations existing in the Public
Offices of the Colony ; the papers of the ship being
regularly signed by the Clerk of the Court of First
' Instance, by the Commissaries of Police, by the
Collector of Customs, by the Chief Secretary to Go-
vernment, and by the Harbour-master of the Port.
The ship got under weigh from Port Louis on the
afternoon of the 30th of June, and was proceeding
to sea. When she reached the outer-roads, she was
boarded by a boat belonging to the Magicienne, and
brought to a. anchor; by order of Captain Purvis,
who alleged That the vessel was liable to confiscation
for having committed a breach of the Navigation
Laws of Great Britain, and more particularly for
having contravened an Act of Parliament passed in
July,lBl7, for relaxing the Navigation Laws within
the Company's limits, so far as applicable to the
shipping of Native Powers within those limits.
Captain Purvis, having seized the ship, proceeded
to libel her in the Vice-Admiralty Court established
at Port Louis.—Mr. May, the Proctor, instigated
Captain Purvis to go further in the business than at
first appeared to have been his intention. From that
time to the present day, a term of more than six
months has elapsed and the affair is still lying in the
Admiralty Court, and when it will be decided is very
uncertain.

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