SEIZURE OF THREE WAR FRIGATES OF GENERAL FLORES' EXPEDITION, BY GOVERNMENT.—ARRIVAL OF THECAPTURED VESSELS AT BLACKWALL.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 107, 9 June 1847, Page 3

SEIZURE OF THREE WAR FRIGATES OF GENERAL FLORES' EXPEDITION, BY GOVERNMENT.— ARRIVAL OF THECAPTURED VESSELS AT BLACKWALL.

(From the Weekly Desp'ttc/t.J Crowds were attracted to Blackwall, by the an ival of the flag-ship of General Flores', (having on board Ins staff of commissioned ollieers, for his intended invasion of the Equador,) formerly the Gleuelg Indiuman, which with two war steameis, have been seized by Mr. Forsayth, Iho principal officer of the Customs, by order of the Lords of the Treasury, under the Equipment and Enlistment Act, being fitted for the purpose of hostilities against a foreign power. Many hundreds of unfortunate creatures having been deluded into this somewhat remarkable espeditinn, under a belief that it was to emigrate to a new English colon), a brief statement of the circumstances connected with its formation and discovery, together with the names of concoctors, may perhaps be of interest. In the middle of October last, Lord Pal me rston, theSecretaiy for Foreign Affairs, received a letter signed by thirty of the most eminent bankers in London, to the effect that, as lhe> were largely connected with the trade of the vaiiotis tepublics ot America, the hostile expedition of General Flores would involve serious consequences to British interests, and they therefore claimed the immediate interposition of Government. On the receipt of the above important communication, immediate steps were taken to institute inquiries into the alleged expedition, and cie many days had transpired, it was clearly ascertained that an invasion, of the description described, was contemplated, some hundreds of Englishmen having actually sailed in transports for the Spanish coast, and hundreds were waiting at Gravesend to follow in veasels preparing by the agents for their icception. These proved to be the Glenelg Indiaman, which had been bought of Mr. Green, the shipowner at Blackwall 5 and the Monarch and Neptune steamers, (formerly the property of the General Steam Navigation Company). The former had been convened into a three decker, strengthened with timbers to support guns, but fitted up in a manner to lupreseni an emigrant ship. The steamers were built into war steamers, and capable of carrying guns of the largest description. The principals in the expedition were watched by the police in private clothes, from place to place, and equipments of the most warlike character were proved to be the object of their visit, These, and other circumstances, which we have been unable to obtain, led the Lord of theTreasuiy to order the seizure of the ships. The flag-ship of General Flores was towed up by two steam-tugs, and is mooied at the buo)s on" Black vi all pier. The steamers are lying in the East India Dock, under the sur\eillance of Mr. Forsayth and his staff of Custom house officers. There are on board of the flag-ship about 250 emigrants or enlisted soldiers, many of whom have been most cruelly ill-treated and imprisoned in the vessel. Amongst the commissioned officers on board we may mention the names of Sir James Hay, Sir George Ogilvie, Capt. Harvey Tuckelt, of black bottle notoriety, Colonel Wright, Capt. Beggs, Capt. Sleet;, Mr. M'Lean, (Major;, and Capt. Hay. There were ;i great many others, whose names have not transpired publicly, although we understand the Commissioners of Customs are in possession of the whole of them, and their former position in life. Now that the vessels have been effectively secured, theie is no doubt that the next course of the Government will be to instruct the principal officer of the Customs (Mr. Forsayth), to proceed against all the principals engaged in the expedition.