The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-10-15

fssto exposing the conduct of the President of the
Letters from Jalisco state that on the retirement
from Lagos of the troops of Senior Portillo, that
town pronounced adhesion to the plan proclaimed
on the Goth Of July last.
We find nothing further in the papers that throws
any light upon affairs in the capital.
The steamer Crescent City and the Cuban
Authorities.
The New Orleans Picayune of the 7th instant
publishes the following circumstantal account OF
the difficulty between Captain Porter of the steam
ship Crescent City and the authorities of the leland
Of Cuba at Havana:
The United States mail steamship Crescent City,
Lieut.. D. d. Porter, U. s N, commanding, ar
rived at this port last evening from New York. via
Havana, in eight days. She brings the mails and
one hundred and sixty passengers, Of which sixty
five are from Havana. She also brings the Havana
mails This ia owing to the Havana authorities
not having allowed any communication between
ordered the vessel to with the mails and pas.
sengers on board. This conduct, it 10 supposed.
arose from the presence Of Mr.. Smith, the purser
on board the Crescent City. 80; ...1
As the Crescent City approached the port. the
captain thereof met her the mouth of the
and made motions to her not to enter. These we're
disregnrded, and the steamer stood in. The cap
tain Of the port then ordered Captain Porter YER
Captain Porter disobeyed this order, az 1t was
blowing half gale of wind at the time, and he
thought it q useless waste Of time to remain out
side the harbor. The steamer accordingly pro.
ceeded to her anchorage, having refused to take a
pilot, the wind was blowing too hard to stop the
ship for that purpose.
After the steamer was anchored, the captain of
the port came alongside, and asked why che had
not stopped outside Of the harbor when he had
given the order Captain Porter replied that 1t was
not fit place to stop q ship under the circumstan
ces, as he would be riskng his vessel by so doing
He bad therefore refused to obey the order given.
nyos,, 1al for o<o
"'articles." When the captain of the port ascer-
tanned that Mr.. Smiths name was on them, he in
formed Captain Porter that the captain general
ordered the Crescent City to sea Immediately.
passengers were landed, the responsibility Of not
landing them were assumed by the Spanish au-
thorities. He was told by the captain Of the port
that the passengers for Havana would have to 20
to sea with the steamer. but the officer from the
post Office said he would take the mails. Captain
Porter refused to deliver the mails until it was de-
cidcd whether the steamer was to go to sea not
Captain Porter informed the captain of the port
made a formal protest to the captain general
against such treatment. The captain of the port
consented to take IL and present it to the captain
general.
In half an hour the protest was returned. The
captain general refused to receive any communi.
cation direct from Captain Porter. but said he
would receive it through the American Consul.
The protest was accordingly sent to the Acting
Consul, Mr.. Morciand.
During this time the shore boats and those Of the
various port officers were lowering around the
chip at diatanoe, awaiting the final reSlt. After
sunset the captain of the port came alongside and
informed Captain Porter that as the protest had to
be sent some distance TO reach the consul, it was
too late to answer it that night. The ship was
therefore ordered to proceed TO sea. -.
"You refuse, then, to receive the mails and pas
sengers3' said the captain. "No communications
of any kind allowed }" said che captain of the port
Captain Porter, having done all that was neces.
sary, and finding no prospect Of getting rid Of his
passengers, besides having laid his protest in the
matter before the Spanish government and left the
responsibility of this outrage with them, put to
sea. The authorities sent him pilot, which he
refused to receive, and at seven O'Clock passed the
Moro on her way out. The Spanish officer, Don
Gullamo Chacon, who conducted this business
behaved throughout with great courtesy and po-
liteness, exhibiting no feeling, but showing evil
IDENTIFY that be had an unpleasant duty to perform.
The following is Captain Porter's protest:
"Wbereas, the Spanish authorities in Cuba have
issued an order TO prevent the entrance Of the
United States mail steamship Crescent City into
the port Of Havana, to which the said steamship
10 bound in the pursuit of her legitimate business.
no offence having been committed on the coast Of
Cuba against the laws of Spain by the officers or
crew Of said vessel, and the said order being in
direct contrayention Of tho treaty between the two
countries, do therefore strongly protest, in the
name OF the United States Mail Steamship Com
pnny, whose interest represent, and also In the
name of the Government of the United States,
whose oiucer am, against proceeding 30 arpl.
trary. ~.
1.-The Spanish authorities in Cuba, for the extra
ordinary course taken by them, profess to hold the
United States Mail Steamship Company res ponsi-
bic for newspaper articles published in the United
States, and which are alleged to have been written
by the purser OF the Crescent City.
at has been distinctly declared by me, though
no such declaration was called for my part,
that Mr.. Smith, the purser, had no agency in com
posing or publishing any sue articles. ! protest
against the United States Mail Steamship Compa-
ny being held responsible for the publication Of
any articles in the newspapers Of the United States,
IA ouch matters are wholly beyond the control Of
the said company, as well as Of the officers Of the
ships connected Herewith. H.. ...p.'s .
1.-THE press Of the United States Acknowledges
no direct censorship from any quarter whatsoever,
and is answerabie only to the laws Of the Govern
ment. protest against an American citizen and
an officer of this ship being held responsible for
such publications, and being treated with personal
disrespect Such conduct is unworthy of nation
that Processes to have attained the highest degree
Of civilization. E..... .... l--,.', -, ,
81 protest against the non. admission Of this ship
int, the harbor Of Havana, as il is deep injury to
the United States Mail Steamship Company, who
are thereby disabled from complying with thci r
contract TO the Government Of the United States,
and which company have already received most
serious injuries from the hands of the Spani gov
eminent BY having their ships driven out Of the
harbor OF Havana. Respectfully submitted.
DAVID D. PORTER, Lieut. U. g. NAVY,
Commanding o. s. Mail Steamship Crescent City.
Ito the Authorities Of Cuba.
"OcTosRR 2, 1852. ..
On the ooh ultimo, the steamship, when of Gun
Key Light, fell In with the ships General Dunlap
and Deyonshirc, and three or four ships in COM
pany. whose names could not be asceriained. They
were all standing for Salt Key Bank, with ten
knot breeze. - =,