INSULTS TO THE BRITISH FLAG

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 16, 2 January 1863, Page 3

INSULTS TO THE BRITISH FLAG

(Lircrj/oo? 3 [err Hi-//, October 20.) The British serew-stoamer Gladiator has arrived at this port, with advices from Bermuda to the 7th inst. The captain of (ho Gladiator, having heard previously to his departure from Bermuda that Commodore Wilkes, of steamship Trent notoriety, intended to capture the Gladiator, obtained the protection of If. M.S. Desperate, which vessel accompanied him a eertriu distance from the port. The vessels had scareelv parted company when the Gladiator wts bo.irded by a boat's crew from a Fedora 1 man-of-war. The captain was ordi red to go on board and report himself. The Desperate beiiiGf wiil in a gunshot lie deelineil lo obey (lie or '?r, and was then allowed to proceed. The Desperate, on seeing the Gladiator boarded, hut mediately ran out two guns ready lor action. It \vi\s currently reported at. Bermuda that the n;over ior h.:d sent a requisition to Admiral ."Milne for a pro^peMng squadron. Tlie TlcrmmLi G r .t-lte of Oeiober 7th says the ostensilile object of Commodore "Wilkes was to obtain coal, but suspects it was in reality a little scheme to see how far it might be possible for American pluck 1 ) drive through the rules of neutrality laid down by the British Government. The Ci.'i=inci within our wate.% the anchoring in om- channels, the landir ■•; ofiTtn Ise les, (he bo rd : n<r of Bri ish ye. -els. the t;''v' i;' on board of unlimited co ' n> d the L.ib ei|''° it proceedings o[' i' c gunboats, evidenily prove that there . the m > pecr'iar and p"---i" s' lv "it'ivii re ns which have fjiven in i.ie horour'ol this 'nllu-; oi'Ui-'.ed States heroes. ThBcrmi'.'Ja Gd- He of the same day, says the royal mail ptormcr when within three miles of the land yesterday morning, w:>" lived at and brought toby one of these punbo ts ; and th.m^h the ollieer in cliar^e of the boat, when lie became aware of the true clunrctev of the vessel he had stopped, apologised, s. ill, .such frequent and unprovoked insult's w^'l not be submitted to.