The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-10
AFFAIRS IN CUB.I.

Outrages by Spanish Naval Officers OF
British Shipping--John BULBS BacI
Up-Keparation Demnnded---T h
Rrifish Men.of-war In Havana Harbor
The Havana correspondent of the New Yorl
World writes under date of the 1st inst:
The Spanish officers of the West Indies fee
are on a fair way to embroil their government
in serious difficulties with that Of Great Bri
tain. have furnished you full particulars o.
the capture by them OF the British schooner
Galyanic. and of the American brig NJ ary Low.
ell, the latter whilst n charge OF a British Gus
tomhouse officer, aud both taken in British
waters. must now inform you that the Brit
ish authorities have to-day two additional
causes OF just and serious complaint against
the Spanish Government, resulting from two
Instances of violent disregard OF the rights
aud immunities of British vessels. The first
relates TO the British sloop JEFF Davis, of Mas
sau. N. p, engaged in the sponge fishery along
some OF the lesser Bahama Islands. This YES
sci was captured on the 18th, in British waters,
i and not more than mile or go from British
territory, by the Spanish steamer Concha,
once merchant steamer, but recently
purchased by the Spanish authorities and
changed into man-of-war. The JEFF. d.
Wis was in ballast, and had her papers
regularly in order as sponge-fshing vessel,
bnf had on board two Cuban passengers
| that The officers of the Concha pretended to
know had been engaged in the Cuban insur:
! rection, and were on their way to the United
States as agents of IL e provisional republican
government Of Cuba. Unwilling to take into
Consideration that the two passengers might
yery we'll have come on board without the
sloop having gone to the Cuban coast for them,
and that the JEFF. Davis was unquestionably in
British waters, the commander OF the Concha
took forcible possession of her, and brought
her. with the captain, crew aud passengers, as
| prize to Caibarien. There naval court
indorsed the seizure, and coniscated the yes-
sci. The captain and crew are IN prison,
| heavily ironed, and are to be tried for piracy.
| The two passengers we're murdered by crowd
of volunteers, while being taken from the ves-
sal to prison. 1t seems they were extensively
insulted aud hooted at by the volunteers when
landed, which induced one OF them to defantly
shout back, Vtrd Cuba Lore Noa Ces-
pedesi Whereupon the volunteers fired upon
them, killing both instantly, This bellish
dc d has led to no arrests whatever on the
part of the authorities of Caibarien. The two
murdered Cubaus we're named Jimenez and
Falero, and their killing, you see, differs some
what in its Incidents from those first reported,
and given to you in my last letter.
The second outrage upon British shipping
by the Spanish West Indies fleet is the over
hauling and armed search OF the British
schooner Britannia, also engaged III the sponge
trade OF the Bahama Islands. This vessel,
when in British waters, and not mile from
the coast OF IN inhabited British island, was
taken possession OF by boat load Of armed
men from Spanish mau-of-war, and retained
possession of for nearly an hour, while an ex-
animation of her was made from stem to stern.
Not finding anything on board that appeared
suspicious, the Spaniards left the schooner in
Lac 4So,. md t0 fhn1r
vessel without Offering single word OF apollo
e. for their arbitrary conduct These two cases
OF positive disregard of the rights of British
VESSELS within their own waters, and OF direct
invasion OF British jurisdiction, and contumely
to British laws, have very naturally aroused
no sma al amount OF indignation among the Bril-
tish authorities ofthe Bahamas, and the British
Consul-G General at Havana, the Hon. j. Gra-
ham Dunlop, has been charged by them to
convey their serious remonstrances to Cap
tain-General Dulce and their spirited repre-
sentaiions to their home government. The
already complicated relations of Great britain
with Spain become from them very evidently
ptiH IuurU OuInpi;cltru. The quaorupfe vul-
RACES of late committed against British inter-
ests and privileges by Spanish men-of-war are,
indeed, Of no small consequence and magni-
tude, and may we'll lead to troubles. The case
of the Mary Lowell, on its very face the most
outrageous and insulting one OF the four to the
government of her Britannia Majesty, is per-
haps, after ALL the one that will be the most
easily settled and arranged by diplomacy,
since there arc clear indications that the Span
ish authorities are preparing to back down
from the high and arbitrary positions they
assumed OF the start, and will make the
aneende honorable, returning the Mary Lowell
and her cargo, releasing her crew, aud paying
damgaes.
In the case OF the schooner Galvanic. how
ever, (not to say anything as to the affairs Of
the Jeff DAVIS and the Britannia, since the
Spanish authorities have furnished as yet no
intimation OF what shall be their line of con-
duct about them, we find the questions at dis.
pute moro clearly marked and antagonistical,
and truly containing the germ of troubles, and
even Of war. The Spanish authorities have un-
mistakably and plainly taken their position
adversely to the vessel, crew and passengers,
condemning and disposing of the first, and try
ing the others for, and finding them guilty OF,
pirQcu; and certain instructions from Spain
arc only awaited before decision in the last
resort is rendered whether they shall be shot
or not. If any departure from the actions re-
solved upon be made by the Spanish authori-
ties it will be only under the forms Of fayors. But
if understand the British position, as ably as
sumed by the energetic representatives OF Great
Britain here-and believe do o-favors and con-
cessions are neither asked nor desired, but right
and privileges are defended, and their viola
ton by the Spanish naval and civil authorities
of Cuba in the case OF the Galvanc resisted,
and reparation demanded. This schooner was
unouestlonably taken in British waters, con-
siderably north OF Lobos Key, an English pos
session with an English lighthouse upon it,
and fur beyond Cuban waters. Her papers
10 plata, in the Dominican Republic; no arms
were II in order, regularly made out for Puer-
were found on board, and if her passengers
were Cubans, none had up to the time of the
ca ,ture Of the vessel engaged in acts Of hos
tiity against the Spanish Government, and
even if thoy had, the captain OF the Galvanlc
had an upduestionable right to take them on
board his vessel, and carry them from Nassau
to Puerto Plata. The trial OF the captain and
crew of the vessel the British representative
;ustly deems OF no weight and farcical. The mon
were shown no Justice or fairness, we're deriei all
kind OF ASSISTANCE and defence, and were not
oven allowed to communicate in their emer-
gene es with their Consul, and have the benefit
Of his prescnse during their trial. In view of
the facts OF the case the demands ofthe British
representative are therefore for rights and
Justice, and not favors and concessions. They
rcouire that the Galvanic, British vessel
taken in British waters, be returned TO her
owners. and her captain, crew, and passengers
set at liberty, and that damages be paid bv the
Spanish Government. With such wide differ
ences and discrepancies in the views OF the
British and Spanish authorities as to this case.
NAV if not be we'll said to bc traught with
perils to the peaceful relations OF Great Brit
ain and Spain? And NAV 1t not assist, II not
directly conduce, the former nation lu resoiv-
ine to give the second q good thrashlng! 1
know many Cubans hope 1t may.
On yesterday tho British a1mor-pletcd war war
of ruOS. ClDtaln Nc