Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-16

little if any thing to sink them into an act oil open
and direct piracy. -,
The undersigned has now the honor to inform Mr..
Stevenson that the more particular hiorhauoh wnen
has been furnished TO Her Aajestys Government, as
to this vessel places the question in very d'iieFent
lirht from that in which il has been presented to the
Government of the u S.; and the undersigned trusts
that the following statement will satisfy MI Stevenson
that, although the vessel herself, beng iiput' ns'
not have been intended actually 10 convey negroes
from the coast OF Africa, yet she was in reality the pro-
perty of Spanish slave dealer, and was employed by
him for the purposes of slave trade
The papers found on board this vessel by the COM
ma nder Of the Foresler,' showed that the 9th Of
January $780, bill of sale prepared at tie ltaya-
ma by Mr. j. A. Smith, the Vice Consul of the United
States at that port setting forth that permanent Anne
rican register NO 49, had been granted to the brig
"Mary," of Philadelphia, on the 18th OF June, lo3I,
and that the brig at that time owned by Joseph
Snowden, Of Philadelphia, and was commanded by }.
II. Haven.
Joseph j. Snowden, the original owner, then gave
power OF attorney and substitution TO Charles snow
den who again nominated Pedro Manegat, tue notor-
Gus slave dealer, but who described in that docu,
ment merely merchant at the Havana 10 sen anu
tranfers the "Mary. :,
Eight days afterwards, Pedro Manegat professcdly
sold the "Mary" 10 person named Pedro Sebatc, oil
New Orleans, who, the Cd OF May, appointed as her
master Charles Snowden, the same person who, three
months before had named Pedro Manegat rs his agent
to sell the Aary; and the 18th OF June Pedro Sa-
bate replaced Snowden by appointing David Iom'nson
TO the command.
This Pedro Manegat, the pretended seller, but real
purchaser Of the Mary, is the same individual VINO,
in like manner, owned the following nomnally Ameri-
can vessels, namely, the "Hyperion,' which lett the
Havana in December, 1898, American vessel, and
was afterwards condemned the Spanish schooner
slsabel;" the schooner "Ha2ard, which was detained
and enormously released in February, 1885, under cr-
cumstances similar to those which mark the case OF
tt,a g md fha condemned
Spanish property-whch lastnamed vessel, Pedro Ma.
mega had only employed, as he did the "Mary, name
y carry goods for the purchase of slaves TO agents
on the coast
The Spanish master, Thomas Escheverria, and a
Spanish crew, were shipped on board the "Alary as
passengers, among them were several individuals who
were recognised as having been formerly captured in
slave himself having been master
of the Spanish schooner "Norma, when that vessel
was captured with 234 slaves board The ships ar
tcles forth that the engaged 10 navigate
the "Mary from the port of Havana to the Gallinas
rhcrcrer else The master may direct.
In two OF three papers which the master, Darid Tom
aSon, produced TO prove his American citizenship, he
a styled Pills y. Touiimcrty and in the third p. r.
7omliason while in the log, enclosed in Mr.. Steven
son $ no!c, he is called Capt. Thomson
The clearance and bills Of ladng show that the own
ers Of the cargo Blanche d Carvetho, Pedro Mar
,inez Il Co. Pedro Manegat, and Thomas Escheverrla,
the Spanish captain, oil well known slave traders; and
the consignces Tomas Rodriguez Baron, Ignacio Z.
Rolo and Theodore Canot of the Gallinas, long and
we'll known TO the naval officers poyed i'll suppress
Ing the slave trade The Coast factors for the pur
chase and shipment of slaves.
Thus the papers produced TO the captain Of the Fo-
roster by TomIinson, were of themselves sufficient 10
show that this of the then frequent cases IN
which the flag Of the United States had been frnudu
lentiy assumed; and all doubt removed as to the
real character Of the undertaking which the vessel
was employed, when, further search, there were
nd I'd of hor Wo
kles large water guers, and slave decktlie latter
being noted as shipped -"Is. .s dissemination of fva
hundred feet of lumber.
Under these circumstances, the undersigned IS OF
opinion that the commander of Her Majesty ship
"Forester" was fully justified in considering the Ma
ry to be Spanish vessel and, consequently, IN tax
ing her before the British and Spanish court; and, ac
cordnrly when the British commissioners reported to
Her Najes,ys Government that the judges had refused
TO allow the "Mary" 10 be lbeed in that court, under
the impression that The mere fact OF her having the
American flag hosted should have protected her from
visitation and search by British cruiser, the British
commissioners were told that there was in the opinion
of Her Mejesty's Government, to suppose TINT
the "Nary" was Spanish, and not an American yes
SELL and that the Judges ought therefore, to have ul-
lowed her 10 be libeed in the British and Spanish
court; for that, although British ships of war are not
authorized 10 visit and search American vessels on the
high seas yet if vessel which there gond reason to
suppose is in reality Spanish property is captured and
brought into port in which mixed British and Spa
nish court is sitting, the commissioners may properly
Investigate the case; and, upon suhcent proof being
adduced the Spanish character of the vessel, and
of her having been guilty Of breach of the treaty be-
tween Grea: Britain and Spain for the suppression Of
The slave tcde the court may condemn her, notmith-
standing that she sailing under tho American flag,
and had American papers on board.
With respec, to the general question OF the search Of
vessels under the American flag by British cruisers the
undersigned begs to refer Mr.. Stevenson TO his other
ote of this days date relative to the of the "Su
SAN in which the undersigned has fully, and he hopes
satisfactorily replied to the representations made by
Mr. Stevenson that subject.
The undersigned begs to return to MT. Stevenson
the log kept by John Hutton, while acting as mate on
board the ssMary and avals himself of this occasion
to renew TO Mr. Stevenson the Of his dstn
guished consideration. loN.
Lord Paiuersion 10 Mr.. S,ertnson.
FOREIGN OFFICE, Aug. 81, lS4l.
The undersigned, Her Majestys Principal Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs, has the honor to acknow
ledre the receipt OF the note from Mr. Stevenson, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister fenlpotentiafy IRON the
United States at this Court, dated the 18th August,
S40 reply to the note of the undersigned dated the
23d April 1870 on the subject Of complaint made by
the American Government against an officer in CON-
mand of Her Maestys brig "Grccian, for having
boarded the American merchant ship "susan, when
off the light OF Cape Frio in the month OF April, 1880
The undersigned begs leave 10 state to Mr. Steven
son. in reply 10 the remarks contained in his last note,
that Her Majesty's Government do not pretend that
Her Maestys naval officers have ony right to search
American merchantmen, met with in time of peace at
sea; and fin some few such merchantmen have
been searched when suspected of having been engaged
in slave trade this has been done solely because The
British officer who made the search imagined that he
was acting in conformity with the wishes of the United
States Government in endeavoring to hand to tho
United States tribunals ships and citizens of the Union
found engaged in fragrant violation OF the law OF the
Union.
Such things, however, will not happen again, be-
cause orders have been given which will prevent their
recurrence.
But there is essential and fundamental difference
between searching vessel and examining her papers
to see whether she illegally provided with documents
emitting her to the ofany country and espee
ally of the country whose flag she may have hoisted at
the time For though, by common parlance, the word
"Aag is used to express the test of nationality, and
though according to that acceptutIon OF the word her
Maiestys Government admit that British cruisers are
not entitled time of peace, to search merchant YES
sells sailing under the American flag, yet her Majesty