The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-25
T HI DISPATC II.
SATURDAY MORNING. ....sEPTENBEa IS. 1883.


=
Scene with President Lopex.
1t appears that II the American expedition IL
not hurried up, It will find English war vesselsin
Paraguayan waters before it. A correspondentIof
the New York Express writes that on tho Oath
ult., Mr.. Christie, the British Minister, near the
Argeatine confederation, visited President Lopez
Of Paraguay. to make treaty, and the following
scene ensued:
Soon sfser his arrival he opcned negotiations,
and a. preliminary step waited upon His Excel
lency the President, TO present his credentials -
At his fret visit he found Lopez dressed In pre-
posterous costume, half military, half diplomatic
and some parts Gift so grossly exaggerated as TO
make IL extremely ridiculous As part Of his
uniform, Lopez wore an immense cooked hat all
hinged with swan and down, and bedizened with
gold lace; and this ornament he persisted 10 keen.
ing upon his head during the whole interview, at
which discorrtesy Mr.. Christie took serious um
bragg, as be IL most upyielding 10 matters of
etiquette. He retired from the interview rather
abruptly, and made official complaint of the sYront
the President had put upon Her Msjesty's Minis
ter by wearing his hat at An official interview,
whereupon the sapient Paraguayan Secretary re
piled to the indignant plenipo that Her Msiesty
the Queen always wore her crown and robes OF
state when she received foreign ministers, and
that the President Of Paraguay saw no improprety
IN wearing u hat which with him took the place
Of the peculiar ensign of royalty displayed by the
Queen.
Mr.. Christie did not wait to hold any more cor
respondepce with so illustrated a government
lie asked for his passports, and without delay took
passage on q small English merchant steamer
called the Little Polly, owned and loaded by the
Engsish house Of Gettings, of this city. When
some. thirty or forty leagues below Asuncion the
Little Polly met the Paraguayan war steamer
Tacuari, the same vessel that 'happened" to come
up just after the fort of Itapiru had given the
Waterwich sound drubbiug 10 1854. The river
here was wide enough, with first rate channel
ana there was no necessity for the two steamers
TO come within quarter of a mile of each other
1t was night time when they sighted each other
ana Doth vessels had lights up. Tho Tacuari, with
out making signal of any kind, deliberately
altered her course, and ran plump into the Little
foiiy, cutting her down to the waters edge. The
passengers aud crew all jumped on BOARD the
had no time to take their hats, and the watch
below were glad to be saved in their night clothes
They do say that Mr.. Christie did not make a very
uigGlhed appearance iumbiiDg over the rail OF
the iacuari IN bis shirt and drawers hut all hands
we're thankful that they escaped with their lives
The Little Polly sank instantly, and in the morn.
ing nothing could be seen of her. Some.days after
wards, however, portion of the wreck was found
ak leagues further down the river, everything
being a total loss.
1t is ntimated here that the Tacuari people had
no idea that SO distinguished diguitary as Mr.
Christie was on board of the Little Polly. Her
only intention was to cripple the Little Polly be.
cause that vessel nterfered with the traffic OF the
Salto deGuayra Ypora nd other steamers ow ned hy
Lopez, which virtually monopolize the steam trade
Of the river. However, this time the Paraguayans
have caught Tartar. Last year the Tacuari ran
deliberately into the French war steamer Bisson.
| while that vessel was lying ut anchor, for which
outrage Lopez had to make 40 humble apology and
disburse $4,000.
This case is much more serious, rs the steamer
and the whole Of her valuable cargo are totally
| lost, and are not insured Nobody suppOses that
Mr.. Christie who has returned to Parana will rest
satisfied with 80 ingiorous termination of his
mission to Paraguay. For making the first bad
| treaty in 1s53 Sir Charles Holtham was rewarded
with the Goyernor-G Generalship of Australia, and
| for making better Convention with Lopez in
| 1858. His revenge will be proportionate to his
| MI