Star.
London, England, 1820-02-26 00:00:00

BRITISII PRISONERS IN TENERITIPII.

Mr. HUME rose to move for certain Papers rela.
tive to the case of the Captain and crew of the ship
Charles, of Aberdeen, who have, for two and twenty
months, been immured in a Spanish prison, at fort.
9t. Philippe, in the Island of Tenerife. The Hon.
Member stated, that he had abstained from any pre-
mature introduction of the subject, with the expecta-
tion that some satisfactory result might, before now,
have followed from certain steps taken in the matter
by the Secretary of State, and the British Ainbassa-
dor at the Court of Madrid. He had, therefore, de-
ferred calling the attention of the House to the sub-
ject, although he had in his possession a letter, re-
ceived seven months ago, from the Captain of the
vessel and his fellow-sutferers, complaining of au un-
just and cruel confinement of fourteen months, un•
der an accusation of the atrocious clime of murder,
without any prospect of obtaining a fair trial, or of
being liberated. They also complained of the loss
of all their property, without any cause of seizure,
and prayed, through the intervention of the British
Parliament, for justice and redress. He then went,',
at some length, into the narrative cf the case, the
principal facts of which wore the following :—The
vessel in, question had taken in a cargo of wines at
Teneriffe, in the month of March, 1818. The Spa-•
nish pilot, who was taken on hoard for the purpose of
clearing out of the harbour, became ill soon after,
and, finally, threw himself overboard in a fit of insa-
nity. The ship came to her moorings ; the Captain
informed the Governor of the fatality. Ile was im
'mediately apprehended, and thrown into priSou ; and
afterwards the Mate and crew were also arrested.—
The ship was taken forcible possession of. She af•
terwards left her moorings, was wrecked, and the
property seized as Dloits of the Admiralty. In the
meantime the prisoners were kept in close confine-
ment. The examinations were secret, and even the
• British Consul, Sir Stewart Bruce, was, for a long
time, refused access to them. ,The property lost was.
valued at more than nineteen hundred pounds, to
which five hundre4 were to be added for loss of time,
making the whole upwards of . two thousand four
hundred pounds. The Hon. Nlember took occasion
to compliment the British Consul for the humane and
zealous part which he had acted in this melancholy
affair, and read a letter fions him to the Secretary. Of
State on the transaction, which letter. contaiostd an
allusion to the case of a Captain Clarke, of the City
of Dublin, who had been fourteen :moths impri-
soned in the same Island. He (Mr. Hume) under-
stood that this was not the first or second instance of
similar acts of rigour and oppression committed by
the Governor of Tenerife, upon British subjects.—
lie spoke in terms of approbation of the conduct of
the Secretary if State, who had sent a very strong
dispatch, relative to the transaction, to the Court of
Madrid, and concluded by moving—." That ast
humble Address be presented to his Majesty, pray-
Ang that he would order to be laid before the House
Copiesof Pretests which had been model?), the Cap-
tain and crew of the Charles. in 1815, and by the
British Consul '; and also Copies of all the Letters
addressed by him, or the Captain, to the Secretary of
State ; and the Instructions to the British Ambassa
dor at the Court 'of Madrid, relative to the seizure
and imprisonment."
Lord CASTLEREAGH was of opinion that the
lien. Gentleman had done no more than his duty
in mentioning the subject in the House, under the
circumstances in which he was placed. He was
willing to give him credit for the laudable forbear-
ance which he had shown, haying the letter so long
in his possession ; but he objected to the motion, be
cause the proceedings were yetincomplete. He had re-
ceived a reply from the Court of. Madrid to the dis-
patch upset the subject, which gave a distinct assur-
ance of the anxiety whkh that Court entertained to
do ample justice. He..(Lord Castlereagh) felt that
the case was one in which there was much hardship;

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