The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-22
SEIZURE OF BRITISH GUANO AT BALTI
MORE


In the House of Commons on the 9TH of July,
MIR. ID. SEYMOUR asked the Vice President of the
Board Of Trade whether it was true that the British
ship Laurel, laden with cargo of guano, had been
seized at Baltimore, and if he was informed as to
the circumstances attending the seizure; and
whether he was in position to state the grounds,
if any, upon which such seizure was justified by
the American authorities.
Mr.. WILSON said, in the first place, il was not the
ship but merely the cargo that had been seized
The circumstances were these:-A British vessel
was chartered to convey cargo of guano from a
small island between Hayti and Jamaica to Balti
more. Upon entering the latter port the cargo was
seized by the Custom House officers, but not the
ship. 1t appeared that the Custom House officer
was not in the first instance aware of the circum
stances under which the seizure took place. but on
application to the Secretary of States Office he was
informed that two years ago an act was passed by
the Legislature Of the United States to the ee CT that
henceforth all discovered guano should be imported
into the United States American ships and treated
according to the same principles as the coastinc
trade. That consequently confined the trade To
American ships, excluding British ships The
Board OF Trade considered that that was distinct
infraction Of the rights of British shipowners under
the treaties between the two countries, which gave
reciprocal advantages in all cases to the shippinu
OF both countries saving the coasting trade for If
TINS exception were to be made in the case of gu
ano imported from foreign possession. there was
no reason why the American government should
not extend the same restriction to any other arti-
Gle. and thereby entirely repeal those obligations
which NJ present existed between the two cOun-
tries as regards the foreign trade as we'll as the
coastlng trade (Hear) The course which the
board0f Trade pursued was to send a representa-
tioT OF these facts to the Foreign Office, which
fdid, he belle we'd, make representation of them,
70 that the whole subject would be broughtunder
Ehe consideration Of the American government
IN order that this nfraction of treaty obligations,
might be stopped before it proceeded further
(Hear)
WHAT Is THE COASTING TRADE OF TIE
UNITED STATES.
In the Commons Horse of Parliament, on the
9th of July Mr.. d. SEYMOUR rose to ask whether
the American government regarded the trade by
sea between New York and California as a coasting
trade, when the goods are unshipped at Aspinwaii
and carried across the 1sthmus Of Panama to be
reshipped for California; and if So whether 1t was
proposed by Her Majestys government to address
any remonstrance upon the subject to the govern.
ment at Washington The hon. member said that
since he had given notice of his question he had
heard that another cargo had been seized, upon the
ground OF an nfracton of the coasting trade of the
United States.
=, Mr.. WILSON was sorry to say he was informed
that the cargo of another British vessel consisting
OF gnano, had been seized upon its way from one
port to another of the ports cf the United States.
which was an infraction of the treaty between the
two countries. The question was one OF great i'm.
poltance to the shipping interest, aud, in the pre-.