The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-13


HAVANA, Jan. 81, 1855.
Municipal DEGREES and Popular Objections Hambie
Tone Of the Ciisens-The Captain General at a Grand
At4latso Bau-Number Of American Cuisens in Pri-
som-Cdses Of NJ Fsir and Estrampes-slave License
acknowledged Promotion under the English 90
pernnsent.
The different periods in the month when the several
steamships leave this city for New York are apparently
arranged without the slightest regard to the interest or
conveniencs of any single individual but the owners OF
the steamships themselves. Thus. between the 18th
and the 23d Of each month we seldom have any direct
communication BY steam with your city; and again, be-
tween the 2Sth OF one month and the 9Th Of the succeed
ing one, a similar cause Of complaint exists; conseq uentiy
Iam again compelled to write you to-day by the round
about route Of New Orleans.
The project of the Captain General respecting the new
city ordinances, has found at least one person with
sufficient holiness to dissent to certain portions of them
but, alas, for poor humanity, in terms so meek and hum.
BILE as to fully prove how crushed must be the spirit that
could consen. to bend itself so lowly to any mere mani
A series OF letters, subscribed " One Interested" have
appeared in the Gacesa, suggesting certain alterations in
the project OF the Captain General; but in order to snow
you the submissive tone in which these suggestions are
made, | translate the Introductory observations Of the
first letter.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE aACErA.
Ny DEAR SIk-In your paper Of the 18th and 18th
instant, | have seen the municipal project which his Elk.
cellency the Captain General remits to the Political
the communicauou with which it is headed. On
the 10Th instant, there IL an invitation in your "a.
per to the public that they may make their Obserya-
tons, 30 as to find out the best way of carrying out the
project at the time these ordinances will be dednrtively
proposed. like to contribute to this laudable object
dressing to you . few letters on the subject. providing
you consent to publish them, under the express terms
more explanations OF my views and thoughts, only such
rs ! voluntarily communicates; and BY these means l
separate sG;.n g,a %y; I! ,, snsirsly Il from, o. all, al kinds J, discussion y :
sons who might attempt to join in . controversy on the
particulars OF the project; because ! only propose to give
1t alone belongs to understand those affairs, and also at
the proper time the superior government Of the island,
who may make q correct use Of II, il have the good
fortune Of indicating anything worthy Of attention.
l wish ysu at the same time to understand that II In
my letters there Is anything that does not read properly,
that 1 authorize you to scratch IL out, and to erase
whatever you may hnd Objectionable, because my only
intention is the desire Of contributing in the moat suit
city Of Havana, among whose inhabitants | consider my
self the most interested one; and under the above ex-
pressed rules win commence giving my opinions.
This Is succeeded by the most puerle objections
that were ever penned BY man, and Of which the
following may be taken rs . fair sample. One Of the
new municipal ordinances requires that the inha-
bitants OF this city shall cause the fronts Of their
houses to be swept and s~prinkled with water every
morning. To this some Interested suggests Is an
amendment that the words 'road inn should be inserted
before "front," " lest the people should literally fuldl the
ordinance by ~iweeping, &C., the house itself; but enough
OF this.
The grand mulatto ball, which I wrote you In : pre-
vious letter was in preparation, came OF on Monday
evsning, last. His Excsllency the Captain. General, / un-
derstand presided, and the other chief d~ignitariss Of the
4 deposit Of Il arm. s1as'1 was discovered . fsy d dsys .inos in
q house Of . suburb Of this city, called ssGarruguus."
The Chief Of Police, accompanied By four q his men,
ed OF . quantity Of rides. The owner OF the house being
sent for, declared II had bssn rented BY q person who
.a.A hi. avs. . M....r T.xA. -
aware, OF a former Captain General Of this Island. The
tenant of the house was, l learn a co, ,panion OF tho late
posts soon after the second landing Of the unfortunate
Lopez.
States In prison here, two Of whom, named Chauncey
ana VIM. have been confined going on twelve moaths,
under a charge Of having been engaged in the . ave trade;
whilst Augustine Montoro and Colin, whom everybody
knows are entirely innocent Of having had anything to
do with the assassination Of Castenado, still continue in
Of Z ,h aeya' i2 nS1 nssDs' win np0s expire ~n'a them sns essa1a
there are Captain McCulloch and James Campbell
the captain aud mate of the schooner }. W. Waite, and
Felix and ~Eslrampes, who, as you are already inform
ed, are confined in the Moro castle. I would solicit per-
mission to inquire II this keeping citizens of the United
States for months imprisoned without their having been
convicted of any offence, or, indeed, without tseir hsv-
ing had a trial, Ia in accordance with the treaty between
the United states and Spain. presume IL must be, (al-
though I have certainly read somewhere to the contrary
for our acting Consul here appears to take all tins as
with the Captain Geoeral-baving, as Ilearn, so recently
as Thursday last, accompanied by Mr.. Gales Seaton, of
Washington, dined with Gen Concha. However, the day
of reckoning for all this IL, | have reason to believe, near
at ~hand-much nearer than certain parties are apt to
imagine. II ia well, though, to keep such facts as thu
foregoing constantly before the people, so that IL nothing
can induce our government to move in the matter,
they may be called to account for IT when the proper
BY the Gaceta OF the 30th jan, inst, | learn that at
the solicitation OF tae Political Governor, President OF
Most Excellent A~yuntamieato Of this city, his Excellency
the Csptsin-Gensral has been pleased to extend the pc
Rod originally grated for the obtaining licenses for
slaves until the end Of the month Of February, and also,
that as many proprietors are not aware whether the
possession OF the slave Licenses Ia to be given to the
slaves themselves, or whether the masters are to retain
the licenses 10 their own keeping, his Excellency is
pleased to order that the masters may give manuscript
licenses to their slaves, which shall be la full forcs la
the jurisdiction in which they are issued, because the
licenses issued by the government may be preserved BY
the masters IN q clean condition, which they would not
be were they entrusted to the keeping Of the slaves.
tain OF its Just punishment, aud where the criminal Is
certain OF being arrested by the "strong arm Of Jus.
tice. This latter fact is proved by a perusal Of any i'm.
preston OF the G1ost1. In the number before me, dated
January 30th. there are no less than nino edicts, calling
upon as many individuals 70 deliver themselves up TO
various accusations made against them-thelr offences
appearing chiefly to be OF q very heinous character
whilst mors than Que OF them IL charged with breaking
jail, in addition to their other ofences.
You will be pleased to hear, - will also the numerous
other friends OF tbs ~gent'eman In the United States,
that Mr.. W. Sidney Smith. late secretary TO the British
Consul General in this city, has been promoted to be
British Vice Consul at Trinidad de Cuba. Few men have
proved themselves more worthy OF promotion, and few
have endesred themselves more 10 the hearts Of Amer.
cans than has Mr.. Smith. r.
HAVANA, Feb. 1-4k A.. N.
The Seisure Of ~Arms-Aeiefty Of the Captain General
Report Of an Expedition from the United States-Re.
c~ruitin1 and he Minfe Rife.
1t having blown . gale Of wind yesterday, the Cahaw.
ba has been detained until this morning. Her malls
close at6 O'Clock, aud ! am thus early at my writing
table, in order 10 send you the intelligence | have Oh.
tanned sincs | wrote you yesterday.
But twenty seven tsoms say twenty AVE. rides we're
seized, although four hundred were concealed aot far OF.
The Captain General has, however, been put on the qui
rre by this circumstances, and has by some means as
csrtained that an expedition was SON to leave the
United States for this Island. He Immediately sent for
two r tbre. peuttsnen-amo0gst them the acting TJnitad