The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-05-04 00:00:00, page 2

officers or agents, inmates or
While appropriations for contingent ex-
K "* pen»es of intercourse, may cover the appli
cation of irfttiieS for secret service, they
may also cover incidental allowances for
k perquisites of favouritism. \
In attending to foreign intercourse, It is
to be remembered that the charges for re
' guUr disbursements and contingencies on
account of publick ministers and secreta
ries, employed in Europe and South-Ame
i rica, with allowances for conveying com
muuicatiuns, whether styled official or pri
vate, and various incidental particulars,
have relation to the dipiomatick service
and they form one large branch of the ex
penditure. The charges relative to consu
lar agencies, in various parts of the world
form another. * #
Among these, the charges relative to
aomt.of the consulates in the north of Afri
ca, ate observable for multiplicity and
enormity. Within less than five years,
that is to'say, from the 4th of June, 1805,
to the end of the year 1809, the monies dis
bursed from the Treasury of the United
States for expenses of intercourse with the
Barbary Powers, amounted to more than
six hundred thousand dollars, (the precise
amount befog 618,799 dollars and 56 Cents)
and of those monies, more than three hun
dred #nd thirty thousand dollars were paid
to the Consul-General, whose accounts re
main unsettled. ,
So much appears by a report from t}ye
Treasury Department, transmitted to the
Senate of the United Staves on the 22d of
January, 1810, in compliance with a reso
lution of that body.—From the same offi
cial source it appears, among other thiqfs,
that the end of the year 1808, is the latest
period, for which any accounts have been
received at the treasury from the Consul-
General. And the transcripts of his ac
counts to that time, as remaining unsettled
at the treasury, betoken divers curious and
- tunning matters in relation to the monies
of the United States. (
Cast an eye over the series of items
Charged in such accounts, as have been
exhibited by the American Consul-General
in Barbary. He is the person, who nego
tiated the treaty with Tripoli in June, 1805,
by which the piratical usurper of that re
gency, was to receive money from the Uni
ted States for agreeing to terms of peace,
notwithstanding all the heroick achieve
ments under Commodore Preble and Gene
ral Eaton. He was appointed by Presi
dent Jefferson, and baa a salary fixed by
law, at a rate not exceeding four thousand
dollars annually.
Rents for counsular house and for consu
lar country house—wag«fS and gifts to con
sular Turk guard—repairs for consular*
house* in town and country—gifts to ser
vants on taking coffee with their masters—
presents to the Dey, and to the Casmagee,
apd the Aga, and the Hogia, and the Cas
nadar, and the Vicheltradge, and the Port
/ Admiral,"and the Port Captain, with al
lowances for sub-management, and broker
age, and ditto for auxiliary services of
persons neither named nor described—fees
and gifts on days of Ramadan and Biram—
' gifts to the choux, and to drogermen and
. slaves—consular garden, entertainments,
aud secretary-ship—force and artifice—
avarice and profusion, splendour and mean
ness-soap for washing, and meserolles of
wine—the bagnio and the hospital—clerk
hire, and cost of exchange with commis
sions and guarantee—bottles rum, with
lemons, eggs, milk, coachmen and the bar
ber—salutes to armed vessel! of the Uni
ted States, and whitewashings—poor Jews
and Bacri-and Busnah—ready cash, cal
tans and caps—essence of jessamine and
stationary—iFatchek in variety—skins of
. dates, fine bungose*, shawls, diamond rings
—all appear as auxiliary in the science of
draining money from the treasury, a la Jef
ferton.
And here, be it noted, that the charges
for dipiomatick or consular coritingencies
upon being admitted by the Secretary of
State, with the sanction of the President of
the United States, are generally allowed of
course by the accounting officers of the
treasury. Such charges therefore differ
from other matters of account, in as much
as the President and Secretary of State
may give the rule for allowing or reject
ing them, in the treasury department.
Shall we now attend to some of the par
ticulars charged in account by Tobias
Lear, as Consul-General of the United
States at Algiers? Passing such charges
St 8 152, on the 21st of June, 1805, for
two salutes given to the United States fri
gate Constitution, in Tripoli, and 8150
for a flag-staff, put up in 1807, and 846
for a fltg, for the consular garden, in 1808,
and the round charges of 8 120, for giving
entertainment on the 4th of July, in each
of the years 1805, and 1806, and 1807, and
1808. we will look at items that are
Charged as being for giflt m firetenlt
openly made, or for gratifeationt in mat
tt r» of secresy.
CASH.
1805, Dolls.
1 , Nov. 5 Paid for secret services 10
1807,
Jan. 3—Gave the servants of four per- .
sons in place, on taking
coffee with them before
departure for Tunis 80
■ The proposals recently received' from
France for an exchange of the French
Medical Staff taken at Walcheren, for that
part of the English Medical Staff which
had been left with our sick and wounded
at Talevera. A civil message has likewise
been received from Bonaparte, relative to
the conduct of an English officer, whose
name for the present we shall forbear to
mention, but whom the French government
fancy they are compelled to try by a court
martial. His alleged offence is this:—
That having been on his parole, but being,
on account of some irregularity, subjected
to a more rigorous confinement, he had
repeatedly escaped from prison, and had
as repeatedly been retaken. The last time
he absconded, he joined two French deser
ters, and attempted to effect his escape
with them. The offence for which he is to
be tried, is for having rescued these deser
ters from the gent d' ar met, in whose cus
tody they were. The English officer pre
sented a memorial in exculpation of Jsie
conduct; but the offence is represented to
be such as to render the form of a trial in
dispensable. Bonaparte, however, has con
sented, that, in the event of his being found
guilty, he shall be pardoned; but that w ith
the form of trial, the laws and constitu
tion of the French empire cannot dispense
The American frigate John Adams i»
under orders to set sail to-morrow (ro i.
Cowes for the United States. It is gene
rally believed among the American mer
chants in England, that she carries out for
approval and ratification, if they be deem
ed satisfactory, tire provisional terms of ad
justment, supposed to be concluded be
tween Mr. Pinkney and Marquis Welles
ley. The vessel charged with these de
spatches will, it is said, first proceed to
Havre, where the best informed merchants
suppose that she will take General Arm
strong on board, in order to convey him
home. •
1 hi enemy had not as late as the 11th
of February taken possession of Aiicant.
Letters from hence contain a statement
which for the common credit of the Ame
rican name, we could wish to Attach no be
lief. It is said that a correspondence had
been detected between some Americans,
resident in Aiicant and the enemy, in con
sequence of which every American had
been secured, and thrown into prison, by.
order of the Governour. The American
Consul, Mr. Montgomery, is said to have
been implicated, and was compelled to
share the fate of his countrymen.
Sir Richard Strachan is, we understand,
appointed to succeed Admiral Drury, in
.the command on the India station, and that
the Cmar is again preparing to receive his
flag.
t
I March 23—Gave do. of do. on taking
j coflee after return from
Tunis > 80
Oct. 27—Gave to the Aga 360
Dec. 28—Distributed * 10,000
' ' WATCHES.
1805,
Accounts have been received from Hol
land, which state that Bonaparte had issu
ed a decree, ordering all the American
property in France to be confiscated and
sold, and the produce to be vested in the
Imperial Funds, until the nature of the re
lations betwren England and the United
States shouid be ascertained. The letters
add, that General Armstrong had present
ed a strong remonstrance against this vio
lent measure, in which he declared, that
he could enter into no treaty, nor hold any
intercourse with the French government,
until the property confiscated was uncon
ditionally restored ; and concJudM by de
manding passports. If this intelligence
should be confirmed, we may consider a
rupture between America and France as
unavoidable.
March 22.
The American frigate the John Adams
does not sail from Cowes till to-morrow.—
The departure of this vessel has been de
layed in order that she might carry over
March 24 One casbmire shawl
1805,
June —A diamond ring
Such is the general character, and such
the numerical amounts of some of the items.
Although there were charges of this .na
ture, and although his accounts with the
United States, from the year 1805 to this
day, are unsettled, he has continued to
enjoy the place of Consul-General in Bar
bary, with the salary and advantages of
perquisites.
1804.
March 25—An elegant gold repeating
do. with do. 1,300
Sept.— do. with do. 1,300
l«08,
1,100
Nov. 19—Gold watch and chain rich-
f oreign JlnteHigence,
Received by an arrival at JVew- York.
watch and chain, rich
ly ornamented with dia
monds
* SHAWLS AND RINGS.
1807,
A diamond ring
k>ld watch with diamonds 500
do. with do. 550
LONDON, March 18.
ly set with brilliant*
do.' with do. 1,000
March 20.
260
1,000
French influence increases here—The
Emperour is notoriously governed by a
French woman ; and is daily seen walking
arm in arm with Caulincourt.
The condemnation of British ahipe'under
American colours, has been more-frequent
since the arrival of Mr. Adams,
rican Minister, Who says his flag'shall not
be prostituted while he is here.
Lkavr of absence was granted to Messrs.
Pickman, and Gold, after Wednesday
next.
A message was received from the Se
nate stating that they had agreed to the
resolution prolonging the session of Con
gress to the first of May.
Mr. Smilie presented the proceedings of
he Legislature of Pennsylvania, relative
to the amendment of the constitution, pro
posed by the Legislature of Massachusetts,
relating to restricting the power of Con
gross to lay embargoes. The Pennsylva
nians are too fond of embargoes to accede
to the amendment.
•- * .
American government the result of
the negotiations between the Marquis Wel
lesley and Mr. Finkney. We shall now
have an opportunity of ascertaining the
real intentions of the American govern
ment, beyond the possibility of a- doubt.
The John Adams wHi carry out to America.
intelligence of the new outrages committed
by Bonaparte against the property of Ame
rican subjects, wherever it can be found;
and also the amicable arrangement settled
between the Marquis .Wellesley and Mr.
Pinkney. If the American government re
ject the latter, and still manifest a disposi
tion to submit to every injury and every in
sult that Bonaparte may choose to heap
upon them, all attempt it negotiation on
our part will be useless. We trust, however,
that the last act of violence which Bonaparte
has thought proper to adopt, will open the
eyes of those men in America Who -are
even most attached to France, and con
vince them that no concession on their
part, short of absolute submission, will sat
isfy the Tyrant of France, and they must
make up their mind either to be his vassals
or his enemies. It is reported that the
John Adams is to call at a French port, in
order to convey General Armstrong to
America. This we doubt. Whatever dis
position Mr. Armstrong may have to wish
to leave France, he wHi, in ail probability,
waitWbr despatches from his government
before he resolves upon so decide! a step
Sun.
Yesterday Paris papers to the 11th ar
rived, but they contain no news whatever.
We read, however, with extreme regret,
an article in one of them, which states,
that all the Tyrolese who had fled to Vi
enna have been ordered to withdraw, and
that some of them had even been arrested.
We hope, for the honour of human nature,
that this statement is not true; such an
act would disgrace the Emperour of« Au
stria, even more than the sacrifice ef his
daughter to Bonaparte.
The Dutch still indulge a hope that they
will not be incorporated with France.—
Somy letters that were yesterday received
from Holland state, that the people were
in daily expectation of the restoration oi
Louis Bonaparte ; other accounts say, that
the Archduke Charles is to be the new
King of Holland. This latter speculation
is quite absurd. Bonaparte, we are con
vinced, will never suffer .the House of Aus
tria to obtain any power in that part of
Europe.
PETERSBURG, February 27.
Mr. Upham after some prefatory obser
vations introduced the following resolution,
which was adopted :
Resolved, That the Secretary of the
Treasury be directed to lay before this
House a statement of any sum or sums of
money received by Mr. William Short,
cither for out fit or compensation, as Min
ister or Agent for the United States at the
Court of St. Petersburg; whether received
directly from the Treasury, or from any of
ine bankers of the United States, in Eu
rope, and from what funds it had been
drawn; together With the authorities by
which the same has been received; so far
as evidence exists in the office of the Se
cretary of the Treasury.
Mr. Upham offered the following resolu
tion
Received, That the President of the
United States be requested to cause to be
laid before the House, a statement of the
several consular or commercial agents,
having authority under the United States
inforeign countries, together with the sala
ries or compensations, if any allowed to
them, respectively.
This resolution was passed—a commit
tee of two appointed to present it to the
President
Mr. W. Alston, the pro tern chairmen
of the committee of ways and means, call
ed up the loan bill. The House went into
committee of the whole on the subject—
Mr. Pitkin in the chair. %
On motion of Mr. Rhea, the bank bill,
which was left unfinished on Saturday,
was laid on the table.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Monday, April 23.
€ongre*o.
After a discussion of several hours, the
hill was amended by striking out the whole
substance of the bill, leaving in ft only a
provision to sell such gun-boats as are unfit
for service or unworthy of repair, and re
taining the last section respecting navy
yards, which was so amended as to include
the navy yard at Washington amongst
those to be continued in use.
Be it enacted, &c. That the President
of the United States be authorised out of
the troops raised, and now in service, un
der •* the act to raise for a limited time
an additional military force,” to complete
the regiment of light artillery, to form and
complete two regiments agreeable to the
provisions of said act; alto to form a com
pany of bombardiers to be annexed to the
corps of engineers; to fill up the regi
ments authorised by the ** act fixing the
military peace establishment of the Uni
ted States,” and to discharge the three
brigadier-generals and all the officers and
tnen who may be supernumerary by this
arrangement, and to discontinue the re
cruiting service.
2. “ rfnd be it further enacted, That
all the officers who may bo discharged un
der this act shall receive three months
pay according to their respective grades,
in addition to what may be due them at the
time of their discharge, and such allow
ance for travelling from their place of dis
charge to their respective places of resi
dence as is prescribed by the ** act fixing the
military peace establishment of the United
States.” Provided, that whenever the
publick exigencies require the calling into
service of any of the officers discharged
by this act, they shall have rank equal to
that under which they retire.
Mr. Secretary Gallatin, agreeably to di
rection, re|>orted that by an account ren
deredit appeared, that Mr. Short had re
ceived about 3000, dollars from a United
States banker in Amsterdam, from the
fund appropriated to defray expenses re
specting foreign relations— which fund be-
The House then took up the amend
ments of the Senate Jo the.post%road .bill,
and agreed to them. <
The amendments of the Senate tu the
invalid, Pensionbill were .taken up and
agreed to. And the House adjourned. f
Tuksdat. April 24. z , j
Mr. Root was excused from further ser
vice on the committee appointed to inves- i
tigate the conduct of General Wilkinson,*
on account of intended absence.
Mr. Root moved to refer the letter re
ceived from Genera) Wilkinson on Friday
last to the committee, but afterwards with
drew the motion.
Mr. Rhea, (T.) moved to refer it to the
Secretary at War.
(Debate hereafter.] - •
On motion of Mr. Randolph, the House
resolved inself into a committee of the
Pitkin in the chair, on the bill
to reduce the naval establishment of the
United States.
The committee rose and reported the
amendments.
A motion was made by Mr. Milnor, to
postpone the further Consideration of the
subject indefinitely.
Debate arose, and the House adjourned
at 5 o’clock.
On motion of Mr. Dana, the Postmaster-
General was directed to lly a number of
statements respecting his department be
fore the House.
Was read a third time ; and the question,
Shall the bill fiast ? was carried, ayes 77,
noes 25.
* "z-4 ■ •• •».
• ;
A tong debafca toolt place relative |o thr
•urn to be borrowed. The bill .states that
the sum, shallaot exceed the principal o»
the publiok debt reimbursed in the present
year.
At 3 o’clock, the committee rose and re
ported the bill without amendment.
The House proceeded to consider the*
report.
Mr. Quincy moved to amend the bill so
as to limit the loan to 8 4,u00,000.
The question was taken by ayes ano
noes dbd lost—ayes 34, noes 61.
Mr. Swoop moved to strike out the words
fiublickdebt, to insert exchange 6 per cent,
stock, to limit the loan to the principal of
the redeemable 6 per cent, stock,. which
he stated to be the sum required by the
report of the Secretary of the Treasury,
and which amounted to 8 3,750,000. This
motion was negatived—ayes 33, noes 63.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for
a third reading to-morrow. v
Mr. Smilie, from the committee to whom
was referred the resolution for reducing
the army, reported the following bill :
.4 bill to reduce and consolidate tbe ar
my <f the United States.
This bill was again discussed ; and all
the amendments agreed to. Adjourned.
A bill further to amend the Census Law,
was reported ; and several local and pri
vate subjects were definitively disposed of.
The House having voted to recede from
their amendment to the Post-Office Estab
lishment bill, it will pass.
The bill was twice read and committed.
REDUCTION OF THE NAVY.
Ths War LOAN BILL
Wkdnssday, April 25.
Thursday, April 26.
NAVY BILL.
Mr. SHORT.
. I
Ing under the direfition of the Dep»Kmet>t
if State, no evidence exists io the Treasury
Department of the authority by which thqd|
noney^yvas drawn. He had nevyr
uy money from tire Treasury/* Referred,
nd ordered to be printed.
The Navy bill being again called up, a
► notion was renewed to lay up all the
rmed vessels in Ordinary, excepting such
is the President may think the service may
require, and to reduce the Marine Carps.
Mr. Randolph moved to amend this motion,
>y adding the reduction of the Naval Of
ficers and seamen to the establishment of
1801.—Mr. R’s. amendment was Iffit, 67 to
36. Adjourned.
Friday, April 27.
► Mr. Newton, from the committee ap
pointed to inquire into the cause or causes
of the great mortality in that' detachment
of the army nf the United States, ordered
for New-Qrleans, made a report. This
report is very long," and is accompanied
with a nuitfber of depositions from various
persons. * The report, with the deposi
tions, were read and ordered tribe printed.
A message from the President was re
ceived covering’s -statement from the Sc
erfcthry of State relative to consuls in fo
*eigncountries, made incompliance with
a edit of the’Hoffie of the 23d test Or
'derefl to be printed.
On motion of Mr. Johnson, the unfinish
ed business of yestqpday, was laid on the
table.
The bill confirming the decisions of the
land commissioners in the District of Kas
kasklas, was read a third time and passed.
The bill extending the time of payment
for publick lands in certain cases, was rand
a third time. x
* IN SENATE,
Wrdnksday, April 25.
The Senate resumed the consideration
of the bill providing for the establishment*
of a National Bank.
Mr. Bayard moved to postpone the fur
ther consideration thereof to the first Mon
day in December next.
The principal reason assigned by Mr.
Bayard for this motion was the amend
ment, previcmsly agreed to, authorising the
President, with the approbation of .the Se
nate, to appoint ten of the directors.
The question was decided as follows
Ayes 17, noes 14.
So the motion was carried. ; *■
SSp tfre jßail*.
PHILADELPHIA, April 26.
J! Xtract qf a letter from Hilary Baker,
•ufiercargo (f the brig Ktita, dated
Bayal, March 30,1810,
w, loft the Capes of Delaware avtwo
o’clock, P. M. on the 21st of February,
with a stiff breeze from N. W. and got a •
good offing before night. When a few days
out, we were becalmed for about 36 hours,
after which it blew a gale, attended with
rain, hail and„excessive cold, till the 7th
of March; on that day the wind blew so
violently that we lay too under our trisail.
On the morning of the Sth the trisall split *
and blew away. The brig laying under
bare poles at half pest 7 o’clock, A. M. in
let. 43, N. long. 46, W. was struck by a sea *
from the starboard, which threw her on
her beam ends, washed CapL Moody over
board, carried away her long boat, jolly
boat, water casks, and tool-chests, fore
scuttle, main scudding-sail, trisail, mast
and gaff, part of the companion top, five <sf
the quarter stanchions, all the quarter
boards, the skylight, the tiller, the hen
coops, and in short every thing from on
deck, and unshipped the camboose. Mr.
Briard who took the command, evinced
great firmness and presence of mind; by
his exertions we succeeded in rigging a
piece of spar for a tiller, which enabled the
brig to head the sea, and in about two
hours, both pumps going, we had the satis
faction to find her'frws from water. The
blow she received considerably shattered
her hull, and caused her to leak a good
spell every hour. The fore scuttle we se
cured with canvass and were obliged to re
ceive the people into the cabin, where
shelter was afforded from the wind, but to
the water we were always .exposed.
“ It is not my intention to enlarge upon
our sufferings, yet it may not be improper
to observe, that the cabin having been
half filled with water, did not contain one
inch of any thing dry ; that all our liquors
were destroyed, that all our wood, except
what was in cargo, went with the long boat,
and that, of consequence, we were nine
days wet, cold, and without any thing
warm, the greater part of the time with
out any thing cooked to eat, exce;-t co oae
occasion, when we made a fire of the shat
tered remains of Our table, and procured a
little warm tea. After the fear of immedi
ate destruction had given place to a hope
of a delay of our fate, it required very lit
tle consideration to determine us to make
the best of our way to the Asores, as the
nearest land ; after laying too for several
days, in the course of which we lost our
main top-mast, with sails and running rig
ging attached, and were near losing our
rudder, the nails having worked out of two
of the irons, we set oar foresail and sailed
hither.