The Daily Exchange

The necessity for prompt and efficient action on the part of our Government, with respect to the repeated exercise of the right of search by the British West India Squadron, now cruising off Cuba, becomes every day more imperative. In addition to the twenty or more American vessels, whose names have reached us, either by telegraph, or through the columns of the Eastern journals, as having been subjected to this obnoxious scrutiny, we have now to record those of two others. The Brig William Achorn and the Schooner Lath Rich, direct from Sagua la Grande, reached this port yesterday. From the depositions of the second mate of the one, and of the master of the other, it will be seen that these vessels have been subjected to the same sort of inquisition, of which we have already had so many complaints from other sources. The statement of facts as given in another column does not lead to the inference that any particular act of discourtesy was practiced by the British officers, or that our skippers were "outraged" very grievously by their unwelcome visitors, but after making all due allowance for the exaggerated statements which have been made public, even if we concede that these visitations on the part of the officers of a Foreign Power were made with all due decorum, there yet remains to be atoned for, the violation of our flag, and the contemptuous disregard of a principle for which we have always contended.