New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-28
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
aprcIAL nEErINs OF THy CGAMBER OF
-o.narpcr eIAE OF TIE RIRK marry.

ConNERCE-cAsE OF THE BARK MAURY.
IN. Chamber Of Comnerss held speoiL meeting
Al he Nerehsnss Bank In Wal steet, at P. m yes.
s,s.v "a hear he rcps Of The SPECIAL Committee sf
,hs chamber appointed 70 avesissss tbs charges
-. N. h.,l Many. The meeting vs sttsadsd
~ Toy. JIsik Contr1ler COOK and otner officers o.
the State C Government, Together with large number
OF the moet prominent merchants OF the city. Tee
Presdsnt Of the Chamber, PELlrIAH PERT, eeq,
occupied the chair
.Joss A. SrEyEss, efq. Chairman OF the Special
Committee read the report Of TIE Committee on the
charges agsin.t he bark hsary, Together with me
documents upon which that report waa oased We ap-
pend the report;
REPORT.
"The Committee appointed BY the Chsmber OF
Comm cree ASCERTAIN and report the facts counected
with TIE late seizure OF the peesn bark Asurs, on
the information o. Mr.. Barclay her seetys Consul
at NewYork respectfully append TO the Report the
Glowing documents:
No. M Bunter Ass.n, Secret Ny of STATE Attorney
Gerers--oct. IL, 1854
No. Tesrsphe dsyps.ch rom Attorney. 9snsra Untsd
Nc AtOin yeen:r.i % Secretary q sss. Oct j: sSs
Nc United states Attorney, New'YOk, 70 B. h. Goa
No Same to Collector of Port-oc.. IS. 1875
No. AttOr-ey Genera to unsd Safe. Attorney New
No. H. B. Envcy he Secretary Of Stats, wih four
All sVies-oet- IL. ,s5S -,
wards, fg Oct q 1854
No Dy Surveyor Vi Port 70 United States Attorney New
No 10 In'P;etor' of cDs0Is TO sorvsyor Of POfoe'
No H. Uaited Attorney York, Attorney asn
srsl DC. II, 1885.
mo. II Same @ Unred ST, sar,bs'-oe. II, 1855
No. l5 United stse. Marshal 20 Cned sates Aorney-
Nc Il Mss. .. 70 .q.1oss, IS 1855 y. ,,,,
No To- Uni ed States Attorney New fOk, to sOrnsS9eH'
No H. Aorpe, General Secretary Of ss,e-ot 10 1855
No. 49, Same 70 gHitst STATES A;sonsJ' Ns~-f0'k-ost
No 10. s.ps TO s. cre:ary Of sta.s-Oct q, 1855
No &C. United sss..' sp.n:y to Attorney Gen
No o. A. A. Low and O.hers Johu Stevens, Chair
Nc. q Dispositions Of Cornell sad vm o. cr. police
officers, before the Msjer-Nov. IS, 1885.
a. Your Committee have soush no further eyidencs,
all the facts and suspicious sre comprised IN these
papers Proceeding to consider their import, 1t is to
be rsmarked that the urn in question as Amsric IN
merchants Of this city, having unber OF vessels,
Chiefly emp Dyed in the Pacific China and Inda seas,
being perhaps largely engaged in this branch Of
commerce than any Other house 10 the United States
that they are directors and managers Ia many mpor-
tant commercial Institutions, are of high commercial
ser ding, and are well known as men OF prooity ana
honor.
'.Your Committee ind that the bark Msury was
bull in this city during the cast Summer for this firm
that sne was advertised By the or thirteeu days,
before the dste of .he affidavit, under their name,
in five daily papers to Wit: The Courier n Enquirer,
Journal Of Commerce, Commercial AdrertlSer, ".
Y. Express, and E1eniRg Posi-, Tor Shanghse, IN
China loading wholly in freight; and never hsv-
ing taken her fst e. Der rsgi had not been
ten ssued from the Custom houss; that ere vas on
board an armament of four guns, with moderate
supply of email arms and also ten guns on freigh aad
tha other 90 was being received. These guns were
first placed in the lover hold temporary ballast;
were afterwards raised 10 the between decks AMI were
never concealed in any way whatever. SIsh anna
ment and freight are not unusual fr vessels bound tor
the China sess; and vessels simi arly equip1et have
L., .k1@r
the United States without suspicion nod,e; and
apart from other crcums' ances, armament and guns
in the China trade, afford no cause 10 suspect any
int nded infracon Of the Neutrality or Revenue laws,
any intended Illegal or questionable employment.
Your Committee have rot been able to s.certain and
do believe that there were any other facts which
could reasonably lead 10 such suspicious In regard TO
this vessel IL is manifest, however, that they were
entertained BY the British consul here, aud by the
British minister at Washington for upon the sfdsvis
and nents submitted by these dictionaries with
out full ascertsinment Of the truth In q after
important, and without an inquiry from the owners,
and chiefly on an oath OF belief, without statement
of the facts which it was founded, tne Maury was
taken possession OF by the United States Marshal
the afternoon of the 18th OF October, under process
from the United States Court fouoded on libel sworn
TO b. the British consul forfeited for breach OF the
Neutrality laws.
"In the view of your Committee, the feelings of
respectable finn, ana the character OF New York mer-
charts, have been needessy disparaget and assaed,
strange creduty the part of those msting the rep
destinations 10 the officers OF the American Govern
ment for it is clear that in the lapse of seven days
between the day on which the afhdayits were msde
and the day OF seizure the true Destination OF the yes
SELL and all the facts of the could have been ascer
tanned. The statement Of Messrs. Low satisfactory
after the seizure coold have been easily obtained
before it was made, by simple application to them.
Their advertisements OF the vessel were 10 nve dsly
papers from the 27h of September TO the 2fth OF o.
tober and the seizure upon suspicious so carelessy,
ciedulously entertained. Is truly remarkable
"The appearaIc e of the Marshal the first init
nation to the House that their standing and character
had not protected them from the charge OF being en-
gased in an unlawful and dissraceful undertaking.
But these saIderous afidavts could not stand any
examination, and Lstantly vanished before their sn
pie statement. The exhibition OF the uneccountable
msa, prehension ignorance and creduli'y on which
the charge based, alone survive. Toe proceeding
Of Mr. Barclay was withdrawn on the second day
one day being lost by bis uHwlingness 10 act at al,
without seeing Mr. Edwards. The Chamber will
remark, that the atidavi,s were al sworn upon the
same day. the l0th Of October, and that the steamer
Pacific which left this port the 18th Of October,
took out the Information which has caused so much
e1c,emen Mt and alarm TIE other side Of the Atlantic
unless t was forwarded by preceding steamar. This
information thus hurried etf prior to the seizure of
the Maury was ex parte entirely, and explanation
could accompany it. BY public card of the 20 IN To-
slant Mr. Barclay denies having written dispatch
to her Meestys Government In regard to that snip.
Therefore from whom IL enanated, and BY whoss IN
dis creons the relations between the two coustries
were rud.ly Jared s wholly in the dark The letters
of Mr. Barclay and Mr.. Cramptoo leave upoo them
the burden of aIs EeriDg the inquiry. Your Commit
tee were greatly surprised to obser se by hr. Cramp
tons note to the Secretary OF State, that be had been
informed by Mr.. Barclay, not only that be has good
reason to believe that this vessel the Mauryl Is in
'tended for the service of Russia in the present war,
but that plan exists for fitting vesses of similar
description in other ports of Tie United States, with
the express design OF committing hostility against
'her Msestys Government, but more pari 'ulariy OF