Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-09-30

france. SPAN, Denmark, and America !;
and protecting the same by his maiesty's
ships, for money, which he shared, and
regularly ceived, thereby becoming an
accessory In this criminal breach of duty.
LIN August 1907, admiral Cochrane, with
number of the. ships of his squadron,
sailed for Halifax, to be out of the reach of
me hurricanes, during the season. In No
va Scotia he possessed an estate, which be-
ing plentifully stocked with horned cattle,
mules, &c. and the said admiral being a
great adept in the useful science of p1r-
serage, he saw, on this occasion, mach ciea.
en- than when in chase of the French squad
ron OF st. Thomas for he found out, and
that without Council of war, that the sup
plying OF the navy would prove an excel
lent market for his commodity and there
by getting the start of the graziers of Nova
Scotia, he commanded his purser to buy of
him, IN his grazing capacity, large guam
tity of bullOcks, with which, after having
fully stocked his fleet, he sailed for the
West Indies where, probably, they were
charged to the commissioners for victual-
ling his majesty's navy, at an advanced
price whereby the admiral managed to
reap the additional profits arising from the
freight, saving of insurance, besides the
difference of the market and the course of
exchange. We can assure the reader.
continues the author, from our own person.
al knowledge, that sir Alexander Coch-
rane employed his majesty's ship Bellcisle
Ell guns, to all intents and purposes, as
mule, cattle ship, and smuggler'-as we
saw him land, and sell mules from on
board said ship,the Belleisle then at anchor
at TOrtola, without any entry being made
OF the same at the custom house for which
offence the said ship, the Belleisle, would
have been liable to seizure, had the pusil.
luminous officers of the custom-house of
iortola understood their duty and dared
to execute it. The author then quotes the
18th British article of war, in note, to
prove that it is forbidden (under the PEN
atty ofbeing cashiered, and forever after
rendered incapable to serve in any place
or office in the naval service of his males
ty, his heirs or successors) for any officer
An the navy to receive or permit to be re-
ceiVed on board his ship, any goods or
merchandise whatsoever, other than for
the sole use of the said ship or vessel /; ex-
cept gold, silver and Jewels, and EXCEPT
goods OF merchandise shipwrecked, &c.
In autumn, 1907, the author saw with his
own eyes, sir Alexander Cochrane pur-
chase large quantity of duck and sheet
ing, through the interference of person OF
the name ofJOhn Carruthers, whom he had
constituted kings butcher, or contractor
Tor the supply offresh beef for the use OF
his majesty's ships, when in the port of
Tortola. This person conspired with the
mid admiral I'm oriu x-n,,rhar,
payment in bills of exchange from the pur
ser of the Belleisle, drawn on the victual-
ling board, purpOrting to be for so much
fresh beef supplied when, in fact, no such
beef at all had been supplied and the
same was done by the command and
contrivance of the said admiral, for
the purpose of defrauding the said commits
sioners for victualling his maiesty's navy.
and the public at large.
Sir Alexander Cochrane had. by this
time amassed large fortune, partly by
straight, partly by crooked means, as we
have seen, without being in the least satia-
ted. He already possessed an estate in
Nova Scotia, another at Bermuda, and al
third in Trinidad. After having exposed
his incapacity and unfitness for command.
Oii oSSOuht VI biS tAhilullJ N'dFdTlCe NIllCf
he displayed, we will now, therefore, saws
our author add, and substantiate an in
stance of great cruelty and oppression,
originating in felony, murder, & robbery 4
not in the figurative, bat in the direct sense
Of the word, as Mr.. Wilberforce and Mr..
Brougham, the great advocates of humane
ty, expressed themselves. The fruits of
all these crimes, sir Alexander Cochrane
appropriated to himself, by concentrating
in him the profits arising from such crimi-
nal transactions, and all the guilt and re-
sponsibility attached to such felony, MUIR
der and robbery.
Sir Alexander took, illegally, possession
'sf, and appropriated to himself large
number of negroes, about 600, who had
been captured on board of two American
slave ships, namely, the brig Amadea.
Johnston, master, and the schooner Nancy.
Vidal, master, which had been carried into
The port of Tortola by some British ships
Of war, and condemned under the act sub
JcctiDg slaves, taken as prize, to condem-
nation for the use of his majesty, for GER
lain special ends and purposes, namely, the
males to be drafted into the army and ma
Wy, and the females and children to be
bound out as apprentices to some useful
trade for Ia years.
Ala-oaIo-