The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-11-11
FIRST GUN FROM THE GLOUCES
TER WAR.
The OwneI~of the Horton Asks for New
Papers for his VesseI-Secretary atout-
well Between Two Fires.
Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
WASHINGTON, Oct, q, 1871.


Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
WASHINGTON, Oct, q, 1871.
The Treasury Department was to-
day the theater on which the Glouces-
ter fishermen played their interesting
little game. The Collector CT Customs
at Gloucester officially notified the Sec
rotary of the Treasury of the seizure
of the schooner Edward A. Horton on
the 1st of September, 1871, by the Do
minion cutter Sweepstakes, for an al
legged violation of the Canadian fishery
laws. She was taken into Guysboro,
n. s. About week ago the owner went
to Guysboro to look after his vessel,
and found her lying at a wharf. He
quietly and peaceably took possession
OF his vessel, and sailed for Gloucester,
where he arrived on the 18th inst. As
the papers of the schooner have been
lost, the owner respectfully asks that
new papers may be issued, as provided
in section 81 of the Revised Regula-
tons. There has been no condemnation
of the vessel by the English courts.
1t will be seen that the question Of the
seizure of the Horton must necessarily
be settled before the recapture of the
schooner could be of any value TO her
owner.
Section 81 of the regulations referred
to by Collector BaLson refers only to
vessels sold and transferred by process
of law, but another section, and the
one upon which the Secretary IS bound
to act, makes it applicable also to pa
pers lost to the owners use and control
by reason of their being wron9fully
withheld and detained from his pos
session. 1t can easily be understood
how important the issuance Of new pa
pers is to the owner, as In the present
state of the case he cannot take his
vessel out of port, his seizure being
practically without any benefit to him,
and it was asserted to-day that Secre-
tary Boutwell, has ordered the Collect
or at Gloucester to give the necessary
documents and remit all fines and for
FIXTURES; but Mr.. Boutwell, says he has
as yet taken no steps in the matter and
viii not comply with the request made
| through Collector Babson without
/ further information on the subject. He
has so informed the Gloucester Collec-
| tor, and the fishermen of that ancient
! town have the satisfaction of knowing,
after all their feasting and buster, that
! the schooner is as useless as If she were
still tied up at the wharf at Guysb0ro.
! Our own registration laws make it i'm
possible for the Treasury Department
to athorize the vessel to leave
the port on any pretext what
ever, unless in the hands of her Blue
Nose captors, without involving the
I in
A mere compliance with the request Ol
| Collector Babson would be an assumD
ton of the act OF the Horizons owner
by the United States, and it woUlo
place the Government in worse posi-
ton than we held toward Brazil in the
case of the Florida, because it would
be an affront to Great Britain by
Cabinet Minister; consequently The
Dominion authorities may, if they
choose, compel our government to talk
the initiative IN the settlement of tn,
question, or look on and laugh Will,
the schooner is rOtting in the harbOr o.
Gloucester. The latter course. which
is not at all improbable, would be one 0
the funniest settlements Of grave inter
national question on record, anC
would be lesson on the impractical
bility OF taking the law into ones owl
hands which even fishermen would no
be likely soon to forget. Canada ha
virtual control Of the schooner, ant
nothing except the voluntary return 0
the papers, or the justification of Tia,
act of her owners by the United State
can enable the Horton again to wall
the water like a thing of life" Thi
. ( ,,boSa Of Tho II
BoutwelPs proposed visit to Massa
chusetts next week particularly'.delight
full, and between General Butler anC
New England fishermen he may ex-
pect a happy time. He has his choic,
between doing his duty and displeas
ing the Yankees, or making a fearful
international blunder and securing
weeks repose at Groton. It is NJ
wonder, therefore, that Mr. Boutwell, il
waiting for further information.