The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-29

versally heaped on Its members, who not
elected to reform abuses, but to do just as their
predecessors had done, let the incoming city fathers
take a hint, and in their Legislative capacity make
effort to achieve something for the honor and credit
of the city. Now that an amended charter has
been adopted, it is to be hoped it will put things to
rights, and for ever stop the further progress of
obbng and corruption.
The CASE OF TIE LITTLE CRAFT, PEQUENA AWE
IIA-We never heard of more illiberal proceed
ing than that of the seizure, condemnation, confis-
cation, and sale of tie Spanish sloop Pequena Anne
liza. at the port of Key West, within short time
The circumstances connected with it are so novel,
that we think we are justified in stating them.
The little sloop is of the burden of only ten tons,
and is the smallest vessel that crossed the At
lantic. She started from Cadiz, in Spain, for La
yana. in the Island of Cuba and after various and
manifold vicissitudes, finally reached that port in
safety. The feat was one of daring, and its sue
cessful accomplishment may Justly b. considered a
heroic achievement. On the eighth of the present
month, this little vessel left Havana for Cardenas,
but was forced by stress of weather to seek the
port of Key West, in the State of Florida. Appre-
hending that, according to our navigation laws,
there might be some difficulty in obtaining the
gency, he obtained permission from the American
authorities to sell enough of the merchandise which
he had on board, to purchase food and pay for the
expense of putting his little craft in a seaworhy
condition again But this privilege was afterwards
denied to him; and in day or two after this de-
NAL, while the little craft lay disabled from the ee-
ments from prosecuting her voyage, she was seized
by the agents of the American government, and,
after tho regular proceedings were instituted, the
Pesuena Amelia was confscated and sold, Spa
niard becoming the purchaser.
This is certainly novel and exciting case. Our
laws prohibit any foreign trading vessel, of less
tonnage than thirty tons, from entering any harbor
in the United States. But here is a vessel driven
by stress of weather INTO one of our ports and be-
cause the Judge who tried the case may have
thought that the arrival of the little vessel at Key
West was premeditated, she was condemned and
sold A case of greater hardship never occurred
within our recollection. How should we feel if
one of our little craft of the burden of ten tons,
after successfully bufletting the pillows and storms
of the wild Atlantic, had finally reached port in
SPAIN Cadiz for instance, or been driven into some
other Spanish port by stress OF weather-how should
we feel if the gallant little vessel were lbeed,
demned, and sold for nfracton of the navigation
laws of Spain? Why, we would buster and talk
we would create an excitement from one end oil
the Union to the other, and denounce the authori-
ties that would so summarily dispose Of such an
extraordinary case Yet such is precisely the
dtion of this affair, only substituting Spain for the
United States; instead efan American vesselhaving
! been treated in this manner by the Spanish au-
thorties, a Spanish vessel, bearing the flag of her
country, and the only vessel of her size that
crossed the Atlantic, has been driven by stress of
weather into one of our ports and because she was
less than thirty tons in burden, she was thus sum-
marty disposed Of.
We trust that the general government will take a
most liberal and comprehensive and magnanimous
view of this matter. We sincerely hope that the
proceedings in the seizure, condemnation and sale
Of this gallant little craft, may be set aside, and
that the Pequena Amelia will not only be restored
to her enterprising captain, but that all his ex-
penses of detention and other damages which he
has sustained will be recompensed to him, and
that he will be permitted to 60 on his way re-
jocing.