Seizure of the Dutch Consulate in New Orleans.
--The following, from the New Orleans See, of the 13th inst., is the best account we have seem of a proceeding of the infamous Butler, heretofore noticed:‘ Since our last publication, matters of considerable interest have occurred. On Saturday a file of soldiers, commanded by a United States officer, repaired to the building on Canal street, occupied as the Hope insurance Company and as the Consulate of the Netherlands. The flag was floating at the time from the edifice. The Federal officer demanded the key of the vault, but was told by Mr. Couturie, the Dutch Consul, that the vault was the property of the Consulate, that the key was in his possession, and would not be given up also, that he protested against the military occupation of his Consular apartments. at the command of the Federal officer, Mr. Couturie was searched, the key taken from him, the vault opened, and the specie carried off. At half-past 6 o'clock Mr. Couturie was informed that he was at liberty. The first act on recovering his freedom was to strike his flag, and to draw up an account of the proceedings. The money held by the Consul belonged to the banking house of Hope, of Amsterdam, and had been deposited with the Consul as the property of a subject of Holland. Mr. Couturie himself is a Frenchman.
In the meanwhile a detachment of soldiers was stationed at the doors of the Canal Bank, corner of Camp and Gravier streets, and at the private banking house of Sam Smith &Co., next door to the Canal Bank. At about half-past 3 o'clock P. M., a Federal picket was placed under the porch and at the doors of the building situated corner of Magazine and Natchez streets, occupied by the French and Spanish Consuls, with their respective flags floating from it. Soon after the Federal sentinels were withdrawn by order of Gen. Builer. The foreign population, though somewhat excited by this unexpected event, refrained, as we learned, from all untoward or intemperate demonstrations. Notes have been exchanged between the French and Spanish Consuls on the one hand, and the Commander-in-Chief on the other, but of their contents we are not advised. All the foreign Consuls have had a conference in reference to the circumstances above narrated. We have stated the faces to the best of our knowledge, and refrain from comment for obvious reasons.
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