The Van Buren press., 1871-04-18
RIVER NEWS.

TUESDAY, April Is, 1871.
. The river since our last took rise, and we
have 10 to l2 feet on the bars.
ARRIVED.
l2th-Celeste Memphis
l7th--T. II. Allen,
Little Rock, Little Rock
DEPARTED
l2th-Celeste. Memphis
l7tl-T. IL. Allen,
lSth--little Rock, Little Rock
The R. c. Gray will be along tonight.
Mr.. A. Wasson has been superseded as
Agent of the Memphis and Ark River Pack
ct Co., at Fort Smith, by Mr.. c. P.Ashbrook
The Pat Cleb,un, made recent trip from
Memphis to Little Rock in 81 hours-besdes
making 1,001 landings.
The river report of the Gazette, of the 18th
says:
THE Fort Gibson, belonging to the Men,
phis and Arkansas river packet company, has
been thoroughly painted inside and out. The
inside of her cabin shines like the surface of
polished miror-refecting ones likeness
life-like. Her staterOom sare delicate peach
blow color, and have been newly carpeted.
Her cabin furniture has been newly covered
with brocatelle and elegantly vanished. She
Is lightcst boat now the Arkansas river, draws
only twelve inches, and will be started out
for Fort Smith on Thursday, the Goth inst,
in command of the peoples favorte Captain
Mat Houston, and thereafter she will leave
Little Rock for Van Buren every Thursday
and Monday at p. m.
The Memphis Aualanche of the 18th, has the
following comments .on the unwarranted
seizure of the Thos. II. Allen, on her last trip {;
The steamer T. ii. Allen, while at TT. Smith,
u few days since, was seized and advertised
for sale by Thomas II. Scott Sheriff of Sebas-
tan county, because she refused to pay some
1880 to the Sheriff, which the officer of that
county had assessed against her as a special
tax on her valuation and the business she has
done within the limits Of the county. She
was detained twenty-tour hours, lost seven
or eight hundred dollars worth offreight and
passengers by the detention. and was put to
an immense deal of trouble on account Of the
refusal of the county officials to arrange for n
settlement Of the matter by the law courts.
At first they refused to accept bond, or even
the cash amount of the claim, placed with dis
interested parties, subject to a lawful decis-
ion, and they seemed determined to sell the
steamer nolens volens. Finally, they relentcd
and the boat was released and permitted to
depart, not however, until the 1880 was left
In proper hands and solvent sureties signed
" DOnU 10 cover I'LL CoStS anu
time ago when John Woodburn commanded
the Alien, the same thing was attempted, and
after the Captain gave up nearly 5000. with a
draft for the remainder fthe claim, she was
permitted to depart. A refusal to pay the
draft and other claims caused the trouble OF
the last trip. Assessing n special State and
County tax on commercial marine, that be-
longs to. and pays lawful taxes at other ports
is regularly licensed and authorized to navi-
gate Inland streams by the General Govern
ment, Is a new thing In the annals of either
foreign or inland navigation, and ifnot much
mistaken, the laws of the country will pro-
tect the steamer from such exactions by
mulcelng the origlnators and executors of this
law In heavy damages Even Governor Clay
tons Judges will not be sufficiently corrupt,
we believe, to carry out such an Infamous law:
lfthey are the Supreme Courts OF the land
VIII refuse to sanction 1t. Every county along
the river throughout the State might. with
The same propriety. pass laws to tax steamers
passing or doing business within their limit