A representative of the N.-C. Daily News called on Mr. Bredon, the Commissioner of Customs, on Wednesday, with respect to Mr. Mason's alleged arrest. Mr. Bredon had very little to comuaunicate, but what he did say was rather at cross-purposes with statements made by other, and competent authorities. He said:—Mr, Mason has never been under arrest at all—he came down here voluntarily, and went on board the Ling Feng entirely of his own free-will. He was neither ordered to go aboard nor did he ask leave to do so, He is not high official in the Service—he is not detained on board, nor will he stay there when the cruiser goes away, as she will as soon as she is ready. The Customs certainly are not trying tu shelve the matter—they have no interest in it either way.
Our representative, however, learnt that Mr. Mason was taken aboard the Ling Feng on Tuesday under guard, and although his movements on board were not restrained particularly, he would have been prevented from leaving the ship if he had shown any inclination to do sv. As he was unknown to the officers, and was put on board five minutes after the vessel made fast'to the buoy, it is ditticult to conceive hisbeingthere
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.