The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-12-25
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
TUE JOURNAL wishes al its readers
old md young, . Merry Christmas.
A NEW PHASE OF TIM VIRGIN
aus AFFAIR.

NEW PHASE OF TIM VIRGIN.
aus AFFAIR.
Scarcely has tho V,rgioius been de-
livered to tho United States before =
decision Is given that, when captured,
the vessel had 90 right to carry tho
American flag. A decision to this ef'
feet has just been rendered by Attor-
uey General Williams, to whom tho
question had been submitted BY Score.
t.ry Fish. Under the act Of Decem.
ber 21st 1892, no vessel in wh'ch
foreigner is directly or indirectly inter-
ested is entitled to United States reg.
istry. An examination Of the docu.
ments and dispositions placed in his
hands, satisfies the Attorney General
that although the Virgiuius was regis
tered in New York on tho 26th of SEM
TENDER, 1870, in tho name of Patterson,
% American citizen, the vessel was in
reality owned and controlled by Quese-
d., Mara and other Cubaus, having
been purchased with money raised
among Cubaus in New York-Patter.
son being, by agreement, the nominal
owcer, for the purpose Of obtaining q
United States register. The act re.
tsrred to provides that If = regis ter is
obtained for . vessel by false oath,
che cannot be deemed . vessel of the
United States or entitled to the beoe.
6ts OK privileges sprertaiuing to such
vessels.
The Attorney General is convinced,
upon the evidence, that Patterson's
oath We false, aud that At the time Of
the capture by the Tornado the Vir-
ginius had no right to carry tho Amer.
,c.n Gag, because she had not been reg.
Uttered according to Law. While de-
Gliding thus, the Attorney General says:
"But an also of the opinion that she
w,s q much exempt from interference
on the high eeas BY smother power Oh
that ground ss Though she bad been
lawfully registered. Spain, no doubt,
bad . right to capture q vessel With 40
American register and carrying the
American flag, found in her own va
tezs sssis'ins or endeavoring to aid an
resurrection 10 Cuba, but she has po
right to capture such vessel 90 tho high
sees upon % apprehension that, in VIC
lation Of the navigation laws Of the
United States, she was on her way to
assist said rebellion. Spain may de
fend her territory asd her people from
hsstilities from what is or appears to be
IN American vessel, but she has nc
jurisdiction whatever over the question
- to whether or not such vessel is on
the high seas in violation of apy law oil
the United States: Spain cannot
,ightfully raise that question as to the
Virginius, but the United States may,
and, as I understand the protocol,
they have agreed to do it aud DO gov
erued by that agreement.
BY the terms Of the protocol between
Secretary Fish and Admiral Polo, Spain
will not be required to fire the Christ
mas salute to the American aag-the
United States only expecting, under
tho present circumstances, disclaimer
form that government Of any intent Of
isdigu1ty, in the act, to their flag by the
seizure Of the VirgiDus. And by the
further terms of this agreement the
United States stand pledged to adopt
legal proceedings against the Virginius
and any persons who may appear to
have been guilty Of illegal acts 10 con.
neotion Herewith.