Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-29
BOXES OF STARCH.
A SHORTAGE OF rwENTY-FouR on A
MANIFEST
Coat tho Captain OF an American Brig .
Fine Of 1900 at q spanish
Port.
rBy telegraph to tho DIspatch-l

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. December 2S.-it II
stated positively al the Department OF state
to.dsy that no demand for indemnity has
been made In the case Of the steamer Hay
item Republic. Mr. Morse, the owner OF tue
vessel, recently requested Secretary Bayard
10 demand f250.OO0 indemnity. The secre-
taro has informed him that there IS no need
Of haste In the matter, and that the question
OF damages can best be determined after The
vessel has arrived at New York, where 1t Is
due In a few days.
II is learned at the Department OF State
that the case Of the brig Joseia against the
Spanish Government for indignltles, &c,
alleged 10 have been imposed by the Gus
toms officers at Porto Rico. has been
under investigation since July. 1884, The
Investigation disclosed the following facts
Ia July, 1857, the American brig Joseia, oI
Portland, Ne, J. 5. Winston & Co., owners,
L. Il. Snow, master. entered the port oil
Arroyo, =. r., having cleared from New
York IN the previous month. When her
manifest bill.Of-lading we're examined by
the customs officials twenty boxes OF corn
starch, OF the value Of S26, were found 10 be
on the manifest and not in the cargo. For
this shortage fine Of 500 per box. or
$4,000 altogether, was imposed by the customs
authorities. Captain snow protested, and
stated that when he was taxing on ms cargo
at New York another vessel, bark oil a very
similar name TO his. was IN port and near the
Josefa, and was loading under the direction
OF the same shipping agent as the Joseia;
that the receipts were signed by his hr.t
mate. man named Nelson, and that when
the manifest was handed him Snow be
signed il hurriedy and without Daying much
attention. TIE receipts for the boxes OF
corn-starch were signed for by q. Olsen,
while all the rest Of the cargo was signed Tor
by Nelson. Captain snow presented bis case
to the United states Consul, who presented
it to the Government 0! Porto Rico
snd urged the remission, or at least
a reduction Of the fine on the ex-
PLANTATION thus offered. This was refused.
The Department OF state wrote 70 the Trea-
sury Department aud learned that the bark
Joseph had sailed from New York for san
Francisco on June -, 1887, but the starch
was not found on board when she arrived,
nor was there any one named Olsen on board.
Her first mates name was Kelley. The csse
is striking from the fact that the short Ship
ment OF $50 worth Of starch nets me Oh
$1,000. but it Is explained at the department
that the operation OF the Spanish laws j,
marked 10y such excessive lines. The United
states as well as England and SEedcn have en-
desyored 10 have this corrected, but so FAR
without success.
IL is stated 1T the department that the
Spanish ordinances are framed on The theory
that missing package not Satisfactorily ac-
counted for covers 4 successful smuggling
operation. Judging from the corresponds
ence the Spanish authorities reason that
twenty boxes SAID e. contain merchandise
Of little value appear 20 have gone on board
the JOseia at New York; :hat the Captains
successive excuses have been exploded
that there is no evidence that The twenty
boxes contained corn-starch; that they may
have contained ODinm or some other yaiU-
able article. and TINT trey may have been
successfully smugglcd ashore. Therefore
the authorities adhere 10 their maXimum lne
OF 800 for each missing package, no matter
what the alleged contents may be. by a
statute law OF the United slaes the uneX-
planned absence Of q manifested package is
punishable with q $500 tne. In view Of
these facts it Is iutimaied that Secretary
Bayard does not feel justified in pressing
the demand for remission n this particular
ease, and that be will defer bringing The
case to the attention Of the spanish Govern
ment until more satisfactory evidence is
produced as 10 the actual disposition OF the
starch.