The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-01

The Immigrant ships AT New Orle'ns'
The New Orleans CTsscent, in the following arti-
Gle, details some of the circumstances under which
the President acted, in renting portion OF the
penalties incurred in the cases OF the Blanche ana
the Ottilla
'Some weeks since there arrived tins poH Two
omigrant ships, with more passengers than the
American law allows, and with vast amount OF
disease and suffering. A strong ieehng OF lndlg-
nation was at once excited The federal officers
took prompt. measures to enforce the American
law and the British consul was equally prompt 10
collecting the testimony for a prosecution oI the
guilty parties in Liverpool. Indictments were az
once presented against the masters oi the blanche
and the Ottilla, and the ships seized By our law
a certain space is allowed for eac passenger, and
for each passenger over that llmt mere ls q pen
atty Of fifty dollars against tho master, and inn
prisonment. Where the number excee9s twenty,
the ship itself liable to forfeiture. The In
the case of the Otilla some seventy. Ia the
case of the Blanche, one hundred aud twenty. The
penalties have been paid in both cases, and the
President has RENTED the forfeiture Of the ships
Now that the first outbnrst Of indignation has
passed away, and the country is in condluon 10
hear and Judge, we think the course OF the Presl-
dent will be Justified.
Though the two ships are usually spoken OF IN
connection, yet they owned by different per-
sons and are 10 be Judged individually. They are
both British ships; the Blanche Is owned by ship
carpenter Of New Brunswick; the Otilla by ship
master who has invested all his earnings Tor years
in trade between Liverpool and New Orleans.
forfeiture of the ships ruins two hard working men,
innocent of any crime themselves. By the British
laws all children under one year are not counted,
aud all under fourteen treated as hall passen-
eers Our law only omits the infants, and all over
a year old are counted as full persons. The Oulla
took her passengers according to the British stat
ute, counting two for one OF the children between
and fourteen years. After the ship was ialry at
sea twelve found concealed on board. Were
these thrown out and the British rule adopted, the
passengers would not exceed the limit In the
case of the Blanche, the passenger factors, who e
licensed officers under oath and bond, procured a
false aud perj,ued certificate Of Measurement, which
passed the custom house at Liverpool. The pas
sengers were received in accordance with this GER
tihcate and the British law. In both cases the
owners were not in Liverpool and had no cognl-
zance of the number on board. Nor did they ben
eft by the excess, as the ships were chartered at
round sum, and not by the head
1.-THE sickness on the Blanche was owing TO the
passeng ers themselves, who absolutely refused TO
obey the orders OF the master, and chose to lie In
their filth, thus engendering the pestilence which
swept off so many The excitement in Liverpool
is intense; not against the innocent and suffering
owners, but against the passenger factors, and
their periured measurer The British authorities
have commenced prosecutions against them, and
they will be severely punished.
''In this country the fines have been paid. Ihls,
OF itself, is a large sum SO, 000-far more than
any profits on the voyage, and will be a severe
puniehment on the master and owners. The Pres
dent has, under full knowledge of all these cir
cumstancos, RENTED the forieitures OF the shlps
and thus saved from ruin two worthy, industrious
men, whose life earnings forfeited by the viii
lany and perjury OF others The statement we
make ON tho highest authority. Neither we, nor
the great mass of our people, have any national
antpathies to crafty by the unnecessary PUNISH
ment and ruin of English mechanics and ship mas
ters The object of the law ia gained by the severe
fine; the attention of the British authorities has
been awakened, and we certain that every effort
will be made to prevent the infraction of the law
of both countries