The true Democrat., 1856-02-12
Outrage on an American Ship at
 Rong Kong

usually spent in daily session."
 Outrage on an American Ship al
 Hong Kong
 1An American Fessel boarded by Blacks-Spi
 'lted conduct cf tie Comma,ler of the Po,o
 haten-American Consul Arrestel and Drag
 ged darough dle streets by Me Pozce--Se,sa
 tion in China.
 The telegraph has already informed us of { conflict between the American consul at Hons Kong, China, and the British authorities at thai place. The following detailed and circumstan tial account of the affair is given by the cores pondent of the N. Y. Herald:
 Hong Kong, Oct. 31, 1855
 One of the most wanton and unprovoked olltrageS occurred in this harbor few days since on board the American bark Reindeer. Capt Nicholas.
 A man named John Madison, who shipped in New York for the sum of S25 per month, and received the usual advance, signed the shipping articles and crew list, giving New ' ork as his birth place, and to be discharged on the return of the vessel to that place. Upon the arrival in this harbor, said Madison deserted her, escaped to the shore, and refused to return to his duty. The captain thereupon applied to the United States consul to have the man ar rested, and sent on board as deserter, as will appear by the accompanying letter of our con- su; and the note referred to iu said letter (mark- cd A) was request to the superintendent of police Gas has always been the easel to have Madison returned to the Reindeer, which re- quest was not noticed but treated with con- tempt. Subsequently, however, the deserter rot, | ments with the black police to the effect that he (Madison) would go on board but would not go to duty, and, as natural consequence, he would be put in irons-statjng at the same time, that if he was not on shore by certain time, they (the police) should come on board and take him on shore-all of which transpired just as he (Madson) predicted On the 2Oth- the day that Madison was put in irons, and during the absence of Capt. Nicholas-a party of armed blacks came hoard and released the prisoner from confinement, and took him from the vessel. The mate being at that time Tn command of the Reindeer, demanded of the person who appeared to be in charge of the kiL- nappers, to see his warrant, or authority; upon which he slapped his own chest, and yelled out: " am the authority and if you interfere I'll take you, alsv;' and the man Madison was taken on shore and set at liberty.
 1 shall not pursue the conduct of the mob law officers any further, but refer you to the accompanying official letters, though 1 may be permitted to draw your attention to some of the leading points of the case. In the first place, an American ship arrives in the harbor of Hong Kong; one of the crew, more, as the case might be, desert the ship and subsequently re- turn on board with the avowed determination not to do any duty, but to overturn the dsci- pline of the ship. The consequence is that they refuse duty and threaten Gas was the case in this instance) to "kill any American son of a bitch who dares to lay hands upon him." or them, as the case may be-are finally overpow- cred and put ill irons for breach of discipline of the ship, and threatening the lives of the captain and his officers.
 The next thing we hear is, that the ship has been boarded and the prisoner liberated and ta- ken on shore by an armed mob calling them selves policemen, but showing no authority for their acts and threatening the officer in command of the ship during the absence of her master for daring to ask them for their warrant or author- ty. The next step in the drama Is the arrest of the captain by a warrant obtained by the man Madison (who swears he is a Britsher) and ill face of his protest and that of the Ame- rcan consul, and without making any defence,
 
 ble to British law-our co.ou also expostuat- ing against the proceedings as being illegal and unwarrantable--still, in the face of all this, Captain Nichols Is sentenced to pay fife of seventy-fve dollars (ifty for the Queen and twenty-five for the man Madson,) and to re- ceiye his discharge in the bargain-or in default of payment, Captain Nichols was informed that he must go to jail, and, believe, board himself What pretty state of affairs. l ask any impartial mal--w neither red, white or black, 1t matters not-if this case is not of the most outrageous description? Capt. Nichols, however, succeeded ill reaching the deck of the U. 5. steam fri9ate Powhatan, the black police in hot pursuit, but unable to overtake him. The Chinese III the boat into which Capt. Nich- os stepped for the purpose of reaching the Pow hatan refused to pull when so ordered by the black police, when two noble hearted Americans --Captalns Paul and Spcer, who would rather eXpend their last drop of blood, than see a. in- nocent American lncarcerated in British ail- seized the oars and pulled in safety to the Pow hatai distanclng i'll the race the boat containing the policemen, although they had three times many. Our consul James keenan, esq., shortly after also reached the Powhatan, and stated the circumstances to Captain McCluDey, requesting him at the same time to afford Cap tam Nichols the proper protection; whereupon Captain McCluney, with his usual promptitude, assured consul Kecnan that he would give Capt. Nichols the necessary protecton notwth- standing there were at the time in the harbor four British frigateS and three steamers; for such was the feeling of indignation at the outrage that Capt. Mckinney, who was nobly support cd by all his officers, would rather have seen the noble Powhatan go down at her anchors than have surrendered an innocent American to be thrown into British jail. Still there would not be much danger to the safety of the Powhatan, had violent measures been resorted to, as she has the legs and the long reaching guns, which would have enabled her to have maneuvred them. and picked them off one at time, as guerilla party would the vtrag- glers of fatgued army during long march, for the whole British navy does not boast such guns as the shifting or pivot guns of the Pow hatan.
 The local magistrates, after the payment of the fine, issued a warrant for the arrest of the |. 5. consul: 1t appears that he was in his bed room when the police called with the warrant, and that the policeman invaded the room in search of him; that the consul, learning the ob- ject of hls visit, promised to call at the court in half an hour, but was compelled to accompany nm at once to the police o1nce, and thence to the police magistrates court, where he was com mitted on charge of unlawful rescue.
 The affair in question was finally transferred from the petty officials to his excelency the Governor, Sir John Bowring. By reference to the accompanying documents from him you will be able to form your own estimate of his cabre. lie studously avoids the questions, and talks about the necessity of upholdng Brit
 [ | | We do not attempt to dispute; but we do most emphatcally deny the right, as in the present case, of any armed force to board all American ship, without providing proper authority, and interfering with her people. The right of search is question which has long since been settled, or we would have had repetition of the dongs of 1872 and 1915 before this. The turn which the affair took would have been beautiful test question. had not it's course been altered by the fine being paid, contrary to the wishes of all concerned eXcept Mir Sassett an American.