Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-03-30


seizure of the Black Warrior, asas referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, 1 regret that the gentleman
from Louisiana should feel uneasy, in refer
ence to the motion which have just submit
ted. 1t is my design to occupy the floor for
few moments only. If could feel it consis-
tent with the duty which l owe to the people
and to this House the Presidents message of
last evening should remain uNdisturbed, as it
has been already referred. On hearing it read
last evening, l hoped that some political friend
of the present Administration, some member
recognized as such, would lave called the
attention Of the country to its extraordinary
character. Ii was not done. | trusted, If they
failed, that some leading gentleman who had
opposed the election of the present Executive,
would have done what had been neglected by
his friends. In that was also disappointed;
and i'll this extremity feel constrained myself
to detain the House with few remarks III re-
ference to its character.
The circumstances attending the case, so
far as we are informed, are few and simple in
their character An American steamer named
the Black Warrior (perhaps the name was
ominous) cleared from Mobile for New York,
via Havana. On her arrival, IN violation OF
truth, as is acknowledged by all the docu-
ments which we have received, in violation OF
the laws of Spain and the laws Of fair and
honest dealing, she was reported through her
accredited officer that she was IN ballast, when,
in fact. she had four hundred or five hundred
bales of cotton on board. In this there is
nothing extraordinary-no unusual. Ii
is frequently the case that steamboats, entering
foreign as well as our own ports violate our
own revenue laws, as well as those OF other
nations 1t appears that the lawsof Spain
render the commanding officer of o vessel
smuggling goods into that country liable to
ine and the goods to confscation. In this
there is nothing in the Spanish laws to distin-
guish them from our own or those of any
commercial nation. The laws are those OF
self protection. They are those by which the
revenues of the Government are secured.
Whenever ship enters the port of any nation,
she voluntarily subjects herself, her crew land
cargo to its laws. On the arrival of the Black
Warrior, the Spanish officers of the revenue
found these cotton bales on board, and they
were seized and held for trial; and il con-
demned, viii be confscated. In this there
was nothing unusual.
would call the attention of the House and
the country, to the fact that it is precisely the
same case in all its bearings which was pur-
sued by our authorities in regard to the Brit
on more than one occasion, been seized for
having goods on board in violation Of our rev.
enue laws. One was seized III New York,
precisely as the Black Warrior was seized. In
Boston, since we convened here, another in
stance occurred. They were seized, and those
| goods not mentioned in the manifest were
| confscated No voice has come from Old
! england in remonstrance. She has not called
on her Parliament to prepare for war. She
expects her citizens, who land in our ports, to
conform to TIE laws, and to the revenue sys-
| tenn which we have established | will here
say, however, that it is said, III some Of the
documents on this subject, that the British
steamers at Cuba have not bean subjected to
the Spanish law as the American steamer in
question has been. The statement is, how
ever, contradicted in the documents before us,
by our consul at Havana. He declares, that
on enquiry of the British consul, it has been
ascertained that the British steamers had been
subjected to the same scrutiny, examination,
and laws to which our steamer was subjected.
In this respect, we have received just the
same treatment as all other nations have re-
eeived, and are now receiving at the hands OF
tile Spanish Government i'll Cuba. Sailing
vessels of other nations have been seized and
their cargoes confscated, on this identical law
of Spain enforced in Cuba.
Sir, as before remarked, there rs nothing
to distinguish this case, so far as We are in
formed, from the ten thousand cases that oc-
cur from time to time, i'll our own ports, and
in the ports of every commercial nation i'll the
civilized world; yet, sir, this case has been re-
garded by the Executive, as calling for the ex-
traordinary attention of Congress, and the peo-
pie. Some gentlemen i'll this hall, seem to
have taken an interest in this case above all
Others To that we make no objection. The
resolution of the gentleman from Louisiana,
across the way, { Mr.. Perkins calling for this
information to be communicated, was most
cheerfully accorded by the unanimous consent
of the House. There is no man within the
sound of my voice, who opposed any objection.
1t was right and proper that all intelligence
on this subject, should be communicated to
us. The resolution went to the President,
and in response to that call for information,
we Yesterday received full and complete an
swer. l will read it, because there should be
no mistake in this business. The President
says:
SIN compliance with the resolution of the
House Of Representatives OF the 10th instant,
hereby transmit the report of the Secretary
of State, containing all the information re-
ceived at the Department in regard to the
seizure of the Black Warrior at Havana, on
the 2Sth ultimo.'
That is the first paragraph in the message Of
the President, in response to our resolution
1t is full and complete. 1t is to this extent,
in accordance with the universal practice of
this Government, from the earliest period
down to the present day. And here let me
say, that this is the first instance in the histo-
nv of Executive communications to the House,
SO far as my recollection extends, where a
President has travelled out Of the record, and
undertaken to obtrude his opinions on this
House, or dictate to this representative body
the course which they should pursue under
such circumstances.
Sir, call the attention of my friend, the
chairman of the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs, to this point. land, by the way, want
to say to my friend, Mr.. Bayly,l that it is
time he gave us that speech of his, which he
promised to deliver, for the purpose of show
ing my errors in regard to the Amistad case.
Some young friends in my district want topn-
derstand my errors, which he promised to
show, and have written to me for copies Of his
speech not yet delivered. Icould not furnish
them, but am waiting very anxiously for his
speech on that subject. This by way of cpl
sode.1
AS yet we have not heard from the Spanish
Government We know not what Justi6ca-
ton they will urge. Nor has the President
thought proper to wait for any excuse or jus
tifcation, but he addresses us, urging upon
our consideration other matters outside OF thus
seizure of the Black Warrior, and undertakes
to call up the indignation of this body, IN ref-
erence to transaction of ordinary character.
will read the next paragraph;