Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-04-06
Seizure Of The B ack Warrior.


Another difficulty Of more than
ordinary magnitude |, between Spain
andthe United Stat es,I has developed
itself, in consequence ofthe illegal snd
insolent conduct of the Cuban Off
Gals On the lst d It., the us. mail
steamer. Black Wa Friar, was seized
while in the port Of Havana, in tic
name Of the Spanish government, foi
an alleged infringelheut Of The reye-
nue. laws. This rcs4 lei has run nearly
two years, between New York and
Mobile, touching regularly at la
vana on her way co ming and going
She has been allow ed to enter and
depart from Havana without report
ing her cargo to I'll e authorities d
that port for that cargo has always
been carried direct from New Yorl,
TO Mobile, or tie reE sa from Mobile
to New York The steamer has
never landed at Hay ana. nor received
on board at thht por It any commoli-
ties of commerce whatever : her sole
object in landing there having been
TO land or receive passengers. The
revenue authorities at Havana have
always perfectly understood this. =
On the morning Of the lst ult., as was
customary with this vessel, and all
other United States mail steamers
touching at Havana, with cargoes for
other ports, she entered at the Gus
tom house in ballast, although she
had 1000 bales of cotton on board,
that E3ere to be landed at New York.
Capt. Bulloch sent his manifest ao
cargo: IN Jal1as5-to the custom
house Shortly after, the govern
ment official came on board, and asked
Capt. B. if that was his correct re-
port lie replied that it was He
Their went to the custom house, W ben
the collector asked him if that Ivas
his manifest, to which he returned
the Same answer as before. lie now
suspected that plan had been laid
10 seize his ship for an Infringement
of the rev enue, and taking out his
wa tch remarked to he collector that
acforling 10 the Spanish laws he hali
yet three hours to amend his mani
fest. He compared his time with |
that of the collector, who at the same
moment agreed that there was time
to alter the report. Capt B. then
went on board his ship, and prepared
a correct manifest. But before the
three hours were up, the officers Of
The custom came on board and seized
The ship. Capt. Bullock Immediate
y hauled down his colors, and With {
lis officers, passengers, crew and mail {
vent on board the {. S. steamship /
Fulton, 1t. Com. Watson, abandon
ng the ship and cargo to the Span !
sh government. :
On the I'd, lighters were sent along |
ide of the Black Warrior, and she
Fas discharged of b er cargo The /
'ales Of cotton wer Subjected to :
igorous examinations, every one be- !
pg cut open, as if it was suspected g
hat they contained arms and NUM- ]
ions of war. r.
The guns Of Moro castle were
'ointed at the U. S. steamship Cor !
fin, as she went out-and the battle {
aents bristled with armed men. 5
The Havana correspondent of the &
Charleston Standard, writing under
late Of 2lst ult., b as the following
Interesting item:
at is stated that the court has de- Q
reed, that the cotton seizedon board
he Black Warrior shall be forfeited,
nd that fine of sixty thousand dol
ars shall be imposed upon the ship,
'ut that the Captain General, by :,
irtue of the powers reposed in him,
ad RENTED the entire sentence, ex- !
ept the payment of a fine of six !
thousand dollars! Wondrous gene :
osityL First, to detain illegally a .
hip, and intlict almost irreparable :
ljury, and then to say, pay me six =
thousand dollars and you may TAX e :.
our ship and her cargo. If Spain :
ere powerful nation, instead of