The true Democrat., 1854-09-06
From the Portland Argus, Aug. 10. Another Cuban Outrage.

,,s svstem to the citizens of other nations, and soems especially anxious to visit upon Ameri- oor commerce the hatred which it feels towards American institutions. "A history" says MT. pnllou "of the commercial intercourse of our a;t;9ens with the island, would be history of ,,o+tv and also serious annoyanceS and grlev- p pooos to which they have been subjected for a snr;es of years by the Spanish officials increas- ;na in magnitude as the latter have witnessed +he forbearance and magnanimity of our gov comment Not an American merchant or cap- tain who has had dealings with Cuba, but could furnish his list of insults and outrages, some in the shape of illegal extortions and delays, oth- DTS merely gratuitous ebullitions of spite and malice" As most striking illustration of this Snanish practice of insult and robbery, we sub- ;on the particulars of case which has recent iv happened in connection with vessel from this port but which indicates so much mean ness and malignity and folly in the Cuban au- thorties. that we should almost deem it incredi- ble. if we had not received our knowledge of it from the most reliable sources The case is as follows
 About the middle of last February, the bark ,. B. Hamilton, of this port, (Thomas Means being master, and part owner,) arrived in Ha- vana frem New York, with a general cargo,
 
 time. the captain prepared his manifest, and delivered it to the boarding officer. Upon go- ing ashore however, to the house of his con- sgnee and comparing his bills of lading with his freight list, he found that in some few par ticulars, they disagreed and fearing that the errors might extend to his manifest and anx- ious to leave open no possible chance of diff cultv with the Island officials he repaired at once to the custom house, and asked to see his manifest. in order to correct it if 1t was wrong. But the Collector refused to give 1t to him; and with the usual insolence of his class, refused, also to give him any reason for detalning it. This was within three hours after the manifest had been delivered; and the custom house reg ulations of Cuba expressly provide that " dur ing the twelve hours. after having delivered the manifest, which are to commence from six o'clock in the morning until seven at night, the captain, supercargo, or consignee, can make any alteration he thinks proper necessary and for this purpose he will call on the Collec- tor, or, in his absence, on the commander of the custom house officers in service" Within this provision Captain Means had clearly brought himself He had called on the Collector: he had stated his purpose; he had asked for his manifest. But the Collector would not give it to him, and he had to leave the custom house without it. The "twelve hours," however, did not expire until the next day at 10 o'clock; and in the morning, with the clerk of his consig- nee, he renewed his application at the custom house. The Collector still refused him, until ten o'clock, and then the manifest was returned to him. Without leaving the custom house. and in a few minutes, he found the errors he looked for, and corrected them; but upon ten derng the corrected manifest to the proper off, cer, he was told that the twelve hours had ex- plred by twenty minutes, and that it could not be received! Thus, after having made it i'm possible for him to alter his manifest until af- ter the prescribed time the official cooly took advantage of his own wrong and left the cap- tain to be a victim of Cuban tyranny Of course the captain protested, but of course his protest did no good; aud in order to clear his vessel, his consignees were actually obliged to give heavy bond to secure the payment of any claims which might legally be adiudged against her. It was believed, however that from a case of such clear and manifest wrong on the part of the authorities, there could nev- CT result any serious trouble to the owners; but that the whole matter, probably, would be speedily and summarilv redressed To this end, proper statements were prepared, and trans mtted to the Captain General; and Captain
 
 out hearing of it. But, by late arrival the consignees of the vessel, (Messrs Drake & Co., have transmitted drafts on Mcssrs Jenness, Chase & Co.,, her agents, and part owners here, for the sum of six thousand and eightv-seven dollars, claims and thirteen hundred dollars, expenses, which they have been obliged to de- post in Havana, to await the further action of Cuban courts and authorities on this case!
 Tn this way thp tvrantc Of Cuha cook to profit by their own rascality, and hope to ex- tort from an American vessel, some new meas ures of pampering their depraved tastes and of paying the expenses of debauched and arbi- trarv government Here is a transaction free from all suspicion. The errors were made in drafting the manifest from fortv- nine bills of lading They consisted of the omission of some reams of paper, and a few headings (where the shocks to which they belonged were rightly entered, and in manifesting more barrels of pitch, rosin, &., than there were on board. The errors were both wavs-for and against the vessel-and there was no appear ance whatever of fraud. The correction was sought to be made at their earliest possible mo- ment, and according to Cuban rules, but the custom house would not permit it, until it was too late; and 1t now seeks to punish innocent men for delay which was wholly occasioned by itself We cannot believe that this attempt at extorton will be allowed to succeed Yet who can tell what delay may not occur, where the blow which is struck in Cuba can only be redressed in Madrid and where Spanish rapaci- ty and Spanish insolence have sv long run riot with impunity? Awaiting the slow adjustment of this case, the owners of the C. B. Hamilton are obliged to place beyond their reach and use large amount of money; and this, of itself, might work serious injury to persons less able than they are in the command of means. To doubt that their money will eventually be re- turned to them would be to anticipate an ex- tent of wrong in Cuba and degree of American submission which we are not prepared at present to believe in.
 We are no friends of flibustering movements or lawless expeditions of any kind; but surely every right minded man would rejoice if the Cuban people themselves would accomplish their independence and drive out from among them the pampered tyrants who now habitually op- press and rob them. If, in addition, this gem of the ocean could peacefully become part of our own Unon, with all her wonderous beauty and vast resources and cou1d tb,,c bo n, ad da to