Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-09-10
ENGLISH BLOCKADE RUNNERS.
From a Late London Paper.

out of certain for freghtng the steamers La
and Peteho for the purpose Of running the blockade
Of the Southern ports The clearly shows that these
vessels engaged in conveying contraband of de-
signed for the secessonss but the trial has reference
to that voyage Of the Peterho in which she was captured
| aud condemned.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Home Circuit Croydon August I7--Beforc Mr. Baron
BramDeH and special jury.
KAHNwEHER VS.. DoBsoN.--In this case the plaintiff
merchant of Frankfort, and also member Of the frnof
Parsley ~ Co carrying on business at Wilmington. in the
Confederate States of America sued the defendant,
general merchant, carrying business at Hull, and ao
in London upon alleged Of action arising out of
agreements entered into between them hs to the freight
ing of two vessels the Laona and tho Peterho for the
purpose if possible of breaking the blockade of the ports
| of the Confederate or Southern States Of Anerca.
The first of those agreements, dated the 9Th Of May
| 1862, related to the Latona and ran as follows:
"It this day mutually agreed between Mr. Dobson of
HULL aud Mr. Kahnweer, ef London, that the former fhai
goods having the option of shipping further quantity of
twenty in the Latona for in the Confederate
per prmage forty feet be payable half in
the ba auee on reaching port in the southern statesMr
Dobson also reserying room to Mr. Kahnweler to ship
equal quality for the hOmewad voyage"
Then there was different but somewhat similar agree
ment as to the Peterhof which dated the Goth Of
May 1862 and thus the defendant having chartered
that vessel and this agreement it will be observed beDg
entered into with the plaintiff and another person named
Pearson:
Memorandum of agreement between Mr. Pearson and
Mr. Kahn weller and Mr. DobsonThat the Peterhof, hav-
been chartered by Mr. Dobon on the Joint account of
the above ties is to be laid for dispatched to
States of America be loaded 10 the Of
on the joint accounts each of the parties contracting
tine rosr cotton such goods as the or
charerers agent may think desirable, or in the of
think desirable The entire and sonlo Of the
shipment to be in the hands of Mr.. Dobson"
The terms in other respects similar to the other
On the 4th of june 1862 the plaintiff shipped seventy
ve tons OF goods board the Lat0na including twenty
live tons OF sapetre which goods conrraband Of war
along with fifty tons Of general merchandise the total
value being about $780, and the value of the y tons of
general merchandise being he said above f5 600 excud
ing the sapere The bills of ading of that thus
Bound Qor) as ordered" the word for" being struck
out it having been, the plaintiff stated agreed verbally
between him and the defendant that if the vessel could
not run the blockade the sapetre should be taken to
one OF several open ports in the Confederate States
1t will be that there not only the sapetre on
but also hundred barrels of sulphur which equally
cOnrabaud of and would expose vessel capture
by Federal cruisers The ship sailed for aud arrived at
Bermuda and there the twenty-five tons of sapetre were
taken out and transhpped to firm of Smith & JONES'
at New York by whom it sold account Of the de-
PENDANT to WHOM the goth of July, they sent account
OF sales nett $3.50, but which had not been the
Plaintiff The .hip then went on and tried to run the
blockade, but was captured.
Them regar led the Peterho which it appeared was
the vesel which had given rise to such discussion the
plaintiff bad shipped the 18th of June goods 20 the va
ue of t2O0O and then received from the defendant let
GeI VI tndJ date, Wnlcn ran mus
TIL, American Consul has decided not 10 give Certificates
to the Peerho unless take oath that the Taona was not
intended to the blockade Thin has decided me not to
Nassau have therefore to send her Nassau
and from thence to Havana, the market suit &c
The plaintiff, in answer to this wrote, on the 2st of
to the effect that the destination of the Peerhof
had been altered he wished bis goods not to 90 out in her
1t ran thus:
II see You have iven up altogether original plan i
have no d.ub the plan you propose possbs but
in pata rkzfTno
get for Southern ports you had better leave the
cargo stored at Hull &C.
The defendant, the 9Th Of July wrote thuA in reply
to the plaintiff
Pearsons, 600, aud mine OOC0 noted your express
on a. to taking out the goods but 1t impossible
tend to them, as they we're all board besides which
was paying t6OO0 for the hire of the vessel However
determined TO keep as nealy as could the original de-
sssau and Havana possible to get Matamoros,
At this time it should be stated there three ports
in the Conf derae States declared "open by the Federal
Goyernmen-New Orleans, which, it is well known, had
for some time b. en- in their possession Beaufort North
Carolina and Port Royal, in South Carolina But il ap-
psared that the Federal Government had not allowed any
communication between these ports and the interior Of
the country SO that no cotton could be obtained those
ports, though open.
On the All Of june the plaintiff writing to the defen-
dant from Frankfort said that from information he had
acquired from Mi Parsley his partner Mt Wilmington in
tho Confederate States he doubted whether cargo could
be obtained unless satpetre taken out and that it
any OF the open ports, and. il not then it would be
useless to go to them and cargo could be obtained
none could be disposed of and, Goth of june the
plaintiff wrote TO the defendant, also from Frankfort
81 must confsss that the hear the more am CON
WINGED that We cannot Of the
claimed How can 1t be possible when they allow
goods of the city That is it is presumed from
the interior Mr. Parsley will think goods
to an open port If go be obtained send the
vessel to Havana or st. Thomas"
On the Goth of July the defendant wrote again 10 the
plaintiff thus,
lhe war will last til both parties broken down The
South will not give up until they have tabshed their indie
pendence and the North eak before make
peace, which, hope will be before long NV advice il TO
sell the Peterhof cargo at Nassau Havana y
Then, the 9th Of August there was another letter
sFoln the plaintiff to the defendant, which ran thus:
wish to give my orders what to do with INV goods m
do not think she will be likely get into port unss an rms
the blockade and the will last some time longer un
less something turns up"
Then, on the 9th of September, the plaintiff wrote to
the defendant:
wish you would advise Chambers not to 90 to Nassau
but TO go direct to the Southern States but Ii
goes to see Mr. Parsley at Wilmington, who will direct him
what TO do better than and tell him the Pete heH s
sent there by US and she cannot into particular
port then he perhaps manage along
the coast, where the cargo can be landed
Wilmington, it will be observed is Confederate port
blockaded In the result the Peterbof went to Nassau
and it should be mentioned that Mr. Chambers went ont
supercargo charge of the whole adventure and when
he got he found that would be useless to 70 to one
of the open ports of the Conederaes cargo could
either be got disposed of there he landed HIS
cargo Nassau sold U in portions the se not