The Costa Rica Packet Case
(Per Press association.—Copyright) (BY SUBMARINE CABLE.) (Received 9.43 a.m) LONDON, January 10 Tho British and Netherlands Govern meats have appointed experts to confer with Professor Martens, the arbitrator selected by the Czar in the Costa Rica packet case. The experts meet at Brus eels on the 24th instant. Captain Bruce, a well known Dundee whaler, represents Great Britain.
The Costa Rica Packet case has been before the public for a considerable time. A special committee was set up by the New South Wales Legislative Oouncil to report on the matter, and tbe committee found that Mr John Bolton Carpenter, master of the Costa Rica Packet, a vessel registered as belonging to Sydney, left tbat port in oommand of her in July, 1891, for tho purpose of whalißg iu the seas surrounding the Malay Archipelago He was arrested on Ist Novomber, 1891. at the order of the Netberlund-India Gov ernment by tbe officer representing it on an island in the neighbourhood of the Moluccas, known as Ternate, where he had called with his vessel to procure fresh provisions aud the services of a medical man for one of his crew. No official ex planation was given to him as to the cause of his arrest, and, but for the sag gestion of the Datch officers, prompted apparently by feelings of sympathy to a man whom they bad known and respected for many years, he would have been deported to Macassar, a thousand miles from bis ship, with out any witnesses able to testify iu his defence. After describing the cir cumstanccs of tbe arrest tbe committee characterised the treatment of Captain Carpenter as degrading and unjustifiable, and pointed out that the evidence showed that the arrest of Mr Carpenter occurred just at the commencement of a whaling season, and that his enforced absence from his vessel lasted daring the whole of it, when his presence on board her was essential to success iu finding.and capturing whales; that the ship waa further disabled by his having to take three of bis officers away with him to give evi dence in his defence; and that she was rendered unfit to continue her whaling voyage on bis return to her by tbe ill ealth of the ship’s company, and by her having fallen ioto bad repair throngh tbe effects of tbe climate and the refusal of ibn Dutch authorities to assist the chief officer to maintain discipline amongst the crew, which had become mutinously in-
subordinate in the absence of the master The olaims made o/i the Netherlands Government for these’ losses, in addition to that of £IO,OOO by Captain Carpenter, were on the part of the owners £IO,OOO, and on that of the subordinate officers and crew £SOOO. The evidence showed that Bach claims were bnt reasonable and moderate demands in reparation for the injary sustained as a direct consequence of the arrest of the master, which iu justice should be promptly paid, with interest for the delay that has occurred in settlement. The commit tee also pressed on the Government “ thiduty of its making the strongest repre sentations to the Imperial Government to this effect on their behalf.” The com mittoe also states in that report tha “independently of tbe direct injury in flicted on the persons immediately oon cerned in this case, who are citizens of tbi* colony, the whole of Australia bap suffered from the attitude assumed by the Netherlands-Indiau Government, ns far tber enterprise by oar fellow colonists ha*been checked when the field of the proposed operations has been the Malayan seas or islands, even tbongh not subject to the Netherlands-ludia Government, from a fear tbat should the operators be foroed by necessity to enter a port subjeot to that power they might be subjected to outrage of similar character as unjustifiable as in the case of Mr Carpenter.”
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Bibliographic details
Waipawa Mail, Volume XX, Issue 3548, 14 January 1897, Page 3
Word Count
645The Costa Rica Packet Case Waipawa Mail, Volume XX, Issue 3548, 14 January 1897, Page 3
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