SEIZURE Of THE SCHOONER DAPHNE.

Southland Times, Issue 1176, 14 June 1869, Page 3

SEIZURE Of THE SCHOONER DAPHNE.

On Saturday last (May 22nd) His Excellency the Governor received the report of Captain Palmer, of H.M.S. Rosario, detailing the circumstances under which that officer seized and detained the schooner Daphne, at Levuka, lasfc month. The reasons assigned for the seizure are most cogent and unanswerable. The Daphne had on board 100 native islanders from the Bank's group. They were all quite naked, and one lad had lost the use of one of his legs. There was no interpreter on board. The clearance of the vessel from Brisbane was for the New Hebrides, and not for Fiji, where Captain Palmer found her. The vessel was only licensed to carry fifty-eight natives fco Brisbane, yet she had 100 on board ; and, indeed, the master and supercargo stated that 108 were brought to Tanna, where eight of them had been landed for Mr Ross Lewin's own station. An agreement was found on board, in accordance with iWm 1 of the Queensland Polynesian Labourer's Actj and professing to bind fifty -one of the natives to the service of Ross Lewin; but all the signatures to these papers were those of interested parties. As if these circumstances were not sufficiently suspicious, or rather conclusive, there was a document professing to be a re-engagement of the 100 natives at Tanna, but; this also was signed by the same interested parties, and the dates of the documents did not correspond with the entries in the schooner's log. There was a boat's crew on board, composed of natives of the Loyalty Islands, who must have been taken from under the protection of the French flag- These men were not on tht ship's articles, and are supposed to have been supplied by Lewin for the purpose of assisting in kidnapping natives. Indeed, we understand that Captain Palmer was able to obtain reliable evidence with reference to the practice of Ross Lewin in this respect. Concluding from all these circumstances, as no doubt others will conclude, that* these unfortunates were being taken in to slavery, Captain Palmer landed them at Levuka, supplying each of them with a good meal and a fathom of broadcloth, and placing them in charge of the British consul, Mr Thurston, pending instructions from his Excellency Lord Belmore. He then placed an officer and crew on board the Daphne, with instructions to proceed wifch her to Sydney, on grave suspicion of being engaged in the promotion and encouragement of the slave trade, contrary to the Acts of Parliament 5 Geo. IV., c. 113, and 6 and 7 Vie, c. 98. The report closes with a request that, on the arrival of the Daphne in Sydney, His Excellency will cause proceedings to be entered against her in the Vice- Admiralty Court. Although licensed as a Queensland passenger vessel, she was found to be fitted up in exactly the same manner as an African slaver, excepting that no leg-irons were found on board. There were muskets and ammunition, and the supercargo, Mr Pritchard, was armed with a revolver, loaded and capped. On receipt of this report it was transmitted by His Excellency to the Colonial Secretary, who referred it' to the AttorneyGeneral for his opinion on the same day. The reply of Sir "William Manning, I received yesterday morning, conveys his | unqualified approbation, so far as it may be required in his capacity of the Queen's lawyer, of the course taken in the seizure of thia vessel, and his clear opinion that it is the duty of the Crown law officers to prosecute the vessel to condemnation if practicable. Instructions have accordingly been given to the Crown solicitor to institute proceedings against her in the Vice- Admiralty Court as soon as she arrives in this harbor. We understand that Sir William Manning perceives the likelihood of considerable difficulty arising in the case, owing, in a great measure, to the traffic being partly legalised by the Queensland Government ; .but still it is highly probable that sufficient evidence wili be found to sustain a conviction, at least in the case of some of the natives. This conviction would involve the condemnation of the vessel ; and if the Daphne is subject to condemnation, the master of the vessel will be liable to prosecution for piracy and felony, under the 9th section of 5 Geo. IV., c. 113, and the crew to indictment for misdemeanor, under another section ofthe same Act. Prosecutions against these persons will be instituted by the Crown Solicitor accordingly, immediately on their arrival in Sydney. It is to be hoped that these energetic proceedings will have some effect in putting a stop to the traffic in South Sea Islanders, and in vindicating the honor of the British name. We understand that the Queensland Government have been informed by telegram of the steps that have been taken and are in contemplation. — ' S. M. Herald.'