The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-15

That Il appears to this meeting that The time has ar
when the bondhoders have choice but to apply
to Her haestys government to ss such measures for
of aggression British property by foreign State Il
being evident that, whether foreign State unlAwfuly
ithholds from them the produce Of securities which Il
has solennty hypoecated to them, the violence and H.
legality the proceeding the same, and its conse
That this meeting does Therefore request the Commit
zee Of Spanish American Bondhoders respectfully to So
ct az Her Naiestys government Nch aid and support
in obtaining Justice the government of Venezuela
would be afforded in any other Of wrong committed
BY foreign state against the property OF British SUD-
jects.
Now, we have no doubt that the British gov
eminent will efectually enforce the claims
of English creditors and, indeed, it seems that
measures have already been adopted to that
effect. Our citizens, too, have claims against
the government of Venezuela, and some of them
of quite seriouscharacter, as they are founded
not upon contract or debt, but upon acts of vio-
lence and spoiiation committed under the Mona
gas administration, and for which they should
be made to answer in damages As an instance
of the wrongs that have been lately perpetrated
against the property of American citizens in
Venezuela, we will say that highly respecta-
BILE resident Of our city, q native born citizen
of these United States, has been subjected.
during the last year to the lawless attacks of o
band of marauders in Venezuela, who, as is
represented, were acting with the knowledge
and connivance Of the public authorities. At
all events, no investigation or punishment has
followed the preparation of the outrages COM
mitted. Our fellow countryman owns sugar
estate and also cattle estate in Venezuela, and
81 ~ oorlr - lc,k tIo
invaded by an armed gang that took posses
sion Of the estate, broke into the dwelling
house, drove away the overseer and most of the
laborers, killing two of them, destroyed large
amount of property, and suspended the ope-
rations of the estate for considerable
time, thus causing great damage. His cattle
estate was also attacked about the same time
by another set of armed desperadoes, who
drove and carried away about fifteen hundred
head of cattle. Now, for these sins of commits
sion or omission, what can a civilized govern
| ment offer in extenuaton? From information
which we have procured, we know that our
government has been applied to for redress, and
we trust that the administration at Washington
will act promptly and decidedly in the matter.
| AS far as Venezuela herself is concerned, it
may be said that the administration of her in
ternal affairs is o matter Of which she may be
allowed to be the sole Judge; but this is true
only to certain extent, for when her govern
ment trespasses upon the rights of citizens Of
other countries; when it withholds from them
their just dues, and even adds insult to injury,
| it is then high time to look into her internal
\ condition, and to endeavor thus to trace the
Ncauses that have produced such remarkable
lchanges in her relations with foreign powers In
this connection we cannot help remarking as
an act of justice due to merit, that when Gen.
Paez was in Office, such acts as are now the sub
| ject Of complaint were never heard of. During
his administration portion Of the national debt
was paid of, the interest of the British bond
holders was always ready for them in London,
months before it became due, and when that
honest patriot retired from the Presidency in
ls43, he left surplus of nearly three millions
of dollars in the treasury Of Venezuela.
The BLACK WARRIOR DEFICULTY.-We pub
fish in another column, the regulations of the
custom houses in Cuba for the government of
the captains and supercargoes of Spanish and
foreign vessels trading with the island. At the
first glance it might appear that the Black
Warrior had violated the rule, which requires
every captain, the moment his vessel anchors
in port, to deliver to the custom house
officer manifest, declaring, among other pari-
culars, the articles he has on board, or of which
his cargo is composed. Vexatious as these
laws may well be considered when applied to
vessels stopping at the island in fransitx, and
hostile as they are to the commercial spirit of
the age the authorities had the right to en-
force them, if, by their own act, they had not
virtually abolished them. Custom supersedes,
in many instances, the requirements exacted by
the strict letter Of the law; and in the case in
question, the custom has long prevailed in Cuba
Of considering cargo on board steamships in
fransifu as ballast. Indeed, it has been Gus
tomary to permit steamships to be entered and
cleared previous to their arrival. A blank
manifest was given to the captain Of the Black
Warrior, and he filed it up in the usual manner.
He could not be expected to anticipate such an
outrage as the one perpetrated at the hands of
even Spanish officials In attempting to screen
themselves under the shadow of an antiquated
law, the authorities In Havana have only added
miserable hypocrisy to their original guilt.
Niger GOvERNMENTs.-It is an historical
fact that there are now three or four niger
governments in the world, presenting as great
diversity in their institutions as in their shades
of color. We have first the republic of Liberia,
on the coast of Africa which does rather
small business independent Of aims and dona-
tons Next We have at one end Of the island of
Hayti the hermaphrodite republic of st. Domin-
60, continually oscillating between democracy
and despotism; and at the other an empire, with
an Emperor, Empress, and attendant court