The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1799-09-19 00:00:00, page 2

Ibo' it did belong to their former king, and
part of it was,printed " for the use and by
the permission of tyrants," was not destroyed
or injured,' but on the contrary has received
very Targe and valuable additions. The most
fupefb gallery of paintings to the world, the
best colleaion of ancient [tatuary, of mod
ern ftatuaty, of monumental statuary, of coins
andmedals ancient and modern, of miner
alogy, and of the several branches of natural
philofophy^- their national menagietie and
botanic,garden, are these fp^cimens of vandal
ijm and barbarity r They have been accufcd
of robbing the countries which they have
conquered of their pictures and statues ; but
surely if in countries where they have the
right of conquest, instead of tiling that right
in the manner in which it has formerly been
tifed, instead of afflicting those countries with
the murder, rapine, oppression and slavery
which have generally attended former con
quests, they have been contented with a few
piaures and have given in return a free gov
ernment, they have not only exhtyijed the
most glorious and honorable proofs of their
moderation, magnanimity and philanthropy,
but the most unequivocal teflimony of their
Jove of the arts, and their wish to preserve
them ; what circumstance can be stronger
proof (if any thing further is necessary to be
said) than that even when the republic has
been in the greatest distress for money they
have not only abstained front levying violent
and extortionate tributes in the countries con
quered, (and which, according to the prac
tice of nations, they had a right to) but in
many cases have preferred pictures of the
firftclafs to money.t The next charge is that
they have annihilated religion ; it is true that
they have annihilated the absurd superstitions,
the tinsel and ceremonial pomp, the extrava
gant bigotry of the Roman catholic religion ;
they have abolished a long lift of faints days,
which were days of idleness and fin ; they
have opened the cloisters of immured virgins ;
they have dismantled the infamous hypocrisy,
the gross sensuality of the religious orders,
they have driven from the community an host
of idle drones who were feeding upon the in
dustry of others ; these things they have
<|one---but as to religion itfelf, where have
they abolilhed it ? have not the churches been'
open during the whole revolution (except in
the reign of terror) to thole who with to wor-
Ihip ? in lieu of the absurd farce which they
have abolilhed, the revolution has given rife
to a pure system of religion, a religion foun
ded upon reason, and a just imprefiion of the
greatness and mercy of the Supreme Being ;
a religion inculcating every moral precept
and every civil virtue, ---the religion of Tbe-
Qilantbroty I reserve what is to be said in
d'ri fiver to the other charges, ' before enumer
ated, for my next letter.
' P^TUS THRASEA.
CT Buonaparte was offered by the inhabitants of Milan in lieu of
the famous picture of St. Jerome, by Corregio, the enormous sum of
a minim oflivres, about 185,247 dollars- which he refufed.
THE BALTIMORE AMERICAN.
LETTER I.
'« sir. "Kington, Augufl 1, 1799.
"^ Conformable to your request, 1 have obtained
what information I could, concerning the Spanish
trade from this place, but from what I can learn
none but British and Spanish fubjetts can partake
of its sweets under real protection—coiifequently,
American property or American vessels will fall a
facrifice. At present I cannot advise you to fend
any property to these islands, or any of them ; tor
when Americans can go with fafety, produce is
lower than with yon, and every veflel taken going
to or from the Danish Islands, or the Havanna, is
deemed legal prize. Capt. Lovett was sent in here
a few days since, bound from Carthagena to New-
York : He fays he saw at Carthagena a proclama
tion of the king of Spain, to the viceroysand gov-
Conors of the several provinces on the Main and ill
apds, authorifing them^t diferetion to open their
ports for the importation of such goods and mer
chandize, not of the growth 'or manufacture of
Britain, as they should deem expedient in Ameri
can and Danish vessels from Denmark on y—but
fehe fays that such interert has been made by the Brit
ish government, by means of douceurs and other
ways, that they now fhpply them with every thing,
which is the reason their ports have not been open
ed to us—this trade is too extensive not to deserve
" " My veflel, after I was taken, was consigned to
Waterhouse, who appears to be one of the most
unprincipled and word of men he is Hyde Par
ker's agent, and agent for all, ° r nearly all, the
cruising vessels out of this place. This profit and
honor is conferred on him because there can be no
thing wanting to condemn a veflel but what he will
do, or get done. V ,
“ The present judge of the admiralty-court pur
chased his appointment—and I have no doubt will
make a good {peculation out of it—he has never
been regularly appointed—you cannot mistake the
reason for this, when you recollect the excuse made
by lord Grenville, in his note to Mr. King, for the
condemnation of American,veffels at the Mole.
“It is usual for the Americans in this port to
hoist their colours on Sunday— and of late it has
been customary for those sent in by the Brit, for
adjudication, to hoist the American, union down,
to mew as much contempt as possible to the Unit
ed States ''
" The ship Niger, which was taken by an Ame
rican {hip-Tent into Norfolk,-there acquitted,
and the United States paying heavy damages—her
owner has been heard to bpaft here of her ha, ng
had at the time of capture two sets of papers, that
is English and French! and at the lame time crnif
ing to intercept the American commerce, had no
sooner returned here than a number of gentlemen
went on board to dine, when the American ensign
was hoifte'd at her mizen peak, bunion down
and at 5 o'clock lowered it under her rtern. you
cannot mistake what this meant.
LETTER It.
Kingftoh, Aug. I, T799<
« Although I kn.ow when I left the United States/
that theßritiih craters were capturing manyAlnc
rican feflels, yet ms eflimation of the extent of
these depredations, was far fliort-of what parted
under my observation since I came here. I have
been here several weeks, and there has not been
1 one week of the time in which there have not been
brought in several fail of Americans b,his majef
ty's vessels of war, under one pretext or another.
Within the ninety days pad, there have been 53 A
merican veflels, or to use the modeit language of
these lords of the sea, “ DETAINED." 1 take the
number from the marine regiller in the qutom-
House, but I know they are not all entereOhere,
and the actual number is greater. The detention
which the American vessels undergo, proves gene
rally fatal to veflel or cargo, or both : In almost
, every case one or both are condemned in the court
of admiralty.
“ I have not taken pains to enquire into the cases
of all the vessels which have been condemned ; they
are various, but the greatest number have, been un
der the following circujnftances:
1" Bound to the United States from Spanish ports
i in Cuba, and on the Main, other than the Havanna
, and New-Orleans.
“ From the United States, to said ports.
“ From the United States fufpefted of going for
r St. Domingo.
“ From St. Domingo for the United States.
. ' " The value of those condemned, lam perfectly
convinced average each 30,000 dollars—much the
greater number have been in the Spanish trade.
>" All cargoes in American vessels bound to or
- from the Spanish colonies, other than the ports of
. New-Orleans and the Havanna, are condemned on
; a supposition that the property is owned by Span
iards. I believe that in no case has there been a
: tittle of evidence (I know that in many cases there
; is none,) that the property was other than Ameri
, can. There has been a Spaniard at this place who
t has sworn that there is none of those ports to which
•a neutral veflel can go with neutral property.—
This is considered by the court here as proof posi
tive, that if any American vessel goes for or from
)any of these ports the cargo is Spanish. I would
, suppose a faft of this nature not capable of proof
" by the deposition of°a person in that way.
“ The Spaniard is sent to England his expences
paid, and whether a douceur or not, I do not
, know :Heis to meet the appeals in the court of
Great- Britain—He has an office in the Cullom house
departmental La Vera Cruz. It is not known
1 that his particular duty was to watch and detect
1 illicit trade, and that it was discovered that he was
concerned in smuggling, and obliged to fly the
country ; yet the court has received this man's tes
timony, as I have dated, and thence deduce ■ e in
ference, that every cargo in an American vessel, for
or from those ports, is Spanish, and condemn them
accordingly, requiring no other testimony. Every
merchant in America acquainted with the trade of
the Spanish colonies, knows, and it is well known
,here, that an American, with an American vessel
and cargo, may now go to many of those Spanish
ports in the colonies, which are not generally open
to Americans, and by affecting distress, and some
times without any pretext or device, obtain per
mission to fell his cargo and purchase another ;
sometimes he would not succeed, and be obliged to
depart ; yet by this court such a cargo would be
held to be Spanish, and so condemned. If it were
certain that by the laws of Spain, there is an abso
lute prohibition of this trade at those ports, flill if
an American vessel were to fail for one of them
with an intention of smuggling a cargo I cannot
fee whence the British government should derive
the right of condemning that cargo.
"I can attribute their proceedings to nothing but
a policy which comprizes a determination to de
flroy our trade with the Spanish colonies, and to
suppress a competition of the Americans with a ve
ry lucrative & extentive trade that fubfifls between
this place and those colonies under the authority
of this government. 363 vessels in the Spanish
trade have entered and cleared here since last Oc
tober, and a proportion at the other ports of this
Island.
“ With regard to American vessels for or from
St. Domingo it is true that by the laws of the U
nited States, the traders interdifted ; but I am not
able to discover by what right the British govern
ment can make prize of such vessels.—They have
not had reedbrfe to the expedient of declaring the
island in a state of blockade,for they are themselves
carrying on trade under the government with that
island, supplying them with provisions, and bring
ing away the produce of the island. I understand
that the court, confeious that they cannot legally
condemn such vessels as are in trade not permitted
by the laws of the United States, pronounce fen*
tence of condemnation on suspicion of enemy's pro
perty. '
“ It is curious to observe that the fate of a veflel
and cargo depends -much on the value. If that it
is valuable, it is itrong proof that the trade is ille
gal. If it is little worth, there is a chance of get
ting clear. If very valuable, the case is desperate.
" It appears to me, that these depredations are
part of a system uniformly adhered to by the Brit
ish government, to oppress American commerce.
To order at the fame time, the ships to every sta
tion in the Weft-Indies, to take all American ves
sels, would be too flagrant an out rage of the ami
ty and friendfhip profeffed for the United States.
To direct the armed vessels on one station to seize
our vessels at one time ; to cause these to desist and
to let them ioofe upon us at another time on ano
ther station, and sometimes to desist at all these
Nations for short intervals, suits better, because
these violences may be nearly as injurious, and the
administration at home may be (haltered under the
pretension that they proceed from misapprehension
of indruaions, or mifcondu& in the officers of the
several departments where they are committed-—
In conformity to this system when the British had
pofleffion of part of St. Domingo, and we had a lu
crative trade to that island, American property of
immense value was taken into and condemned at
Cape Nichola Mole—at another time, from the isl
ands as Martinico, Montferratl St. Kitts, and Tor
tola, swarms of armed vessels issued out against us,
when the' vessels from this island treated us with
some degree of refpett. For some time pad our
commerce has promised to be lucrative and exten
sive with the Spanish colonies in Cuba, and on the
Main. b
“ This is the time to suspend hoflilities at the
windward islands, and redouble their exertions
here and at New-Providence. If this treatment
American commerce js not the result of the policy
of the government, how is it that the inflructions
<to the vessels on our station are so different at one
time from those at another time? Why are the in
flru&ions at the fame time at the different flations
so variant ? Is it expeded that we will have the
credulity to believe, that if the British government
were firm in a disposition to reflect our lawful
commerce, uniform orders would not be given to
the several commanders, such that they would not
dare to commit such piracies : or if the judiciary
eßablifliment in these islands were not subservient
fertile policy of the ministry, can it becreditedthatp
in their dejliQ^, the principles of law, which we
are taught tobelieve govern Britifh,courts ofjtill ice,
would be so openly abandoned—My conjectures!
Know will be controverted Per haps they are
wrong. But if the British government is disposed
to respect us as a neutral nation, and fuffer us to
enjoy a fair commerce, why do they fufffr their
ships of war thus to plunder us ? Are not their offi
cers in this part of the empire amenable to the or
ders fromhome? They well know how to give
perspicuous and effectual inflruttions on points in
which their own interest is concerned.
1 “ The proportion of American Jedmen in the
squadron on this station, is incredible,& their treat
ment too shocking to relate .' The following nar
rative I give of one Williams, a seaman from Balti
jppre, in the words of his messmate :—"We were
impressed into his Britannic majesty's service at the
Mole, two years and a half ago. Williams refufed
to sign the fliip's articles—He was put in iron's in
the hold. Some time after he was brought upon
deck, and again allied to. sign the fhip's articles—
which he refufed. He was then taken forward to
the gangway, where he received tylafhes, and sent
qn board another ship, and was ihifted from one
ship to.another, until at last he was put on board
La Hermoihe frigate, and was on board at the time
the crew rose on the officers and took the vessel in
to one of the Spanish ports ; from there he went to
America and again shipped on board an American
vessel, Which was taken and brought into Kingflon;
he was again impressed and put on board the Aber
gavenny, where he wasaecognized by one of the
officers and put in irons, was tried by a court mar
tial, and without any evidence that he was con
cerned in the mutiny, condemned as a mutineer ;
arid protefling his innocence to the last, was hung
in gibbets and continues a horrid fpcQacle for his
countrymen to behold, as they pajs and repafs afmali
island at the entrance of the harbor !
" There is a circumstance which perhaps, may
prove interesting to the United States.-'The fa
mous Gen. Bowles, who hefe styles himfelf gover
nor and commander in chief of all the Indians fouth
of the Ohio, is now here and To be conduced with
a long retinue of military men, in one of his ma
jefly's fliips, to one of the most convenient places
on the Florida coast, for his return to the Indians.
He is lately from England and is fopported by the
British government—there can be no doubt that
their views in this are political : he fays that the
Cherokees hare been imposed upon in the late treaty
with the United States, held in Tenneflee. He has
long been considered as a great man among the In
dians, and I apprehend the obje& of his present ex
pedition unfavorable to the harmony which has
lately subsisted between us & the southern Indians.
“ There is another circumstance which I think it
proper to notice :—lf I recollect rightly, in the
treaty negociated by Mr. Jay, it is stipulated, that
all articles of commerce admitted to the Britifli
Weft- Indies from the United States, in British ves
sels, shall also be admitted in American vessels, or
at least those of certain burthen—the government
here admits British vessels to bring from America,
tar, tobacco, pitch, rosin, fpermacetti candles, oil,
.&c. which are not permitted to be brought here in
# American vessels—not having the new article of the
' treaty by me, I am not positive as to its stipula
tions.
" Americans are treated with great indignity—
they (peak of the United States contemptuously,
and fay, sarcastically, tKafTbrcupfhe is the proor on
which the American government turns."
From the Charleston CITY GAZETTE.
CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES,
IF ever an event of consequence to the interefl,
of your country claimed your attention, it is the
one now under consideration, viz. the demand of
British merchants, and other British fubjefls, on the
United States,for debts said to be due to them by cit
izens of this country befroe the war, and which they
claim under the late treaty. The claims filed
against the United States ty these people and their
agents, and which are now pending before the
board of commissioners fitting in Philadelphia,
amount, I am told, to nrore than the whole rev
enue of the United States for three years. Is not
this a serious matter to our country, and to the tax
es on our eflates ? And does it not concern every
individual thereof, who feels himfelf interested for
its welfare and prosperity, to give this maiterdue
consideration, and to endeavour to recollect within
himfelf, and to obtain otherways, such information
refreshing these individual demands, as may juft|y
and honorable refute those which Shall be rejefted,
and free our country, at least, from a part of this
enormous claim ? For I fee many names exhibited
in these lifts published by Mr. Hagwood, the agent
for South Carolina, that the parties who have
claimed have nor the smallest pretence to receive.
Many of them claim an interest, both simple and
compound, on theif demands during our revolu
tionary war, whenit Ihould be remembered that
however able and willing our citizens were to pay
those demands; yet the retraining aft passed by
Great-Britain in 1775, prevented them by making
lawful prize of all American property, found at
sea by Britilh cruisers.
Another fort of claim made by these people, is
for payments made them in paper money, when we
well know that these very men made payments on
their own accounts, and freed themselves from thou
sands of pounds of debt, witA thevery fame money.
Another fort are those who claim, and fay, our
inftalment laws prevented their recovery, and the
debtors to them by that means squandered away
their estates and became insolvent. Many, very
many indeed of our friends in those exhibited lifts,
who took receipts and discharges from their credi
tors, unfortunately loft them by the ravages of the
Brit'ifh army in this country.
You have been solicited in the strongest and most
polite terms, by the agent, Mr. Hagwood, to come
^forward and give him all the information in your
power against those claims, which he will state ful
ly to the commissioners. Let me entreat ,ou, my
friends, to do your duty on this occasion to your
country. And let me entreat the Printers through
out the United States, who may read this, to give
it a place in their papers, (so far as it may refpeft ,
their Own fta§es or diftri&s) in due feafon,that our
country may have a chance of justice, which is all
that is desired by A Native American.
MR. CUSHING,
BY giving the following Protest a place in your ufefal paper, you
wilt much oblige me. I should have published it immediately
aftefan interview with the President, bus he advised me not to
do it until the business was in a proper train, and by that means
it has been deferred to thU late hour, even until Timothy Pick
ering, Esq. has represented it in the most unfavorable light, so
much fb as has even touched hard on my character ; in the vin
ditation of which 1 now think proper to fend sou a copy ofmy
Protest, and certificate of citizenship, which were forwarded to
the Department of State, both being certified by the Notary
Public after due examination. Your most humble servant,
VEBENEZER GILES.
Beverly, Sept, 6, 1799.
CemmonteeaW of ^bfc^uftts.
Ffx,P- RY this public hiltrun©it of Pretest be it m ^e known,
and mawfeit, that on this twerty-tirtt day of Mey, ia
the year of cur Lord one tlroufan^ seven linndred and niretv-nine,-
before me, Joseph Ward, hfq. Notary Public, by legal authorit,
admitted and foorn, and praQifing in Beveriv, in & county of
Essex, personally caine and appeared Ebuiezcr Giles, commander
Os the fch'r Bet.ey, of said Beverly, and James Wiifon, mate, and
Alien Stickled and Joseph Patch, seaman, belonging to the laid
schooner, who after being fevcrally sworn to declare the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, declared on oath, and a
verred for truth, that they were, on the apth day of April', 179%
at the island of St. Vincents, at a place called Layou-Bay, on board
said schooner, there waiting for his British Majedy's (hip of war
called the Daphne, to par's by, who was previouny engaged to
convoy a fleet of Merchantmen from that Island to st Chrido
phers ;—and on Satin day the 27th day of April aforefaid, about 1 &
o'clock at noon, the convoy hove in ii„ht, and at about 3 o'clock
P.M. we came to fail, and ftooQut of the bay, and about 2c min
utes pad 3,P. M. tire ship Dapluie flood athwart our ftcrn, and
hailed u% and tequetted to know if ive had inftrudions Isom thrir
thip, which we answered in the affirmative. They ordered the
Betty 'to bring to-, we then being by the wind ctofe hauled, hove
the mahi- top fail to the mast, and put the helm alee; the Daphr.e
still continued her course, close by the land ; the fch'r Betsey laved
until half the fleet convoyed had passed by them, then made fail
and flood on with the fleet ; at about 4 o'clock P. M. observed the
Daphne's bo,t coming towards us: they called co us to heave the
main-top-fail to the mast, which was immediately done, and the
boat came under our lee, item on, forward of our main chains ;
we hove a rope to the boat, which they caught in midihip of her:
which boat lay item to the schooner, and neglecting §0 pats the
rope into the bows to catch a turn to wind her, as Capt. Giles
wished him to do in a polite and refpedful manner, and after a short
time they dipt their hold and dropped astern ; we then hove the
fore topsail to the mast, and dropped the fore and main peaks, and
let fly the jib iheets, to wait for the boat to come up with us, wiiicli
the did in 4or 5 minutes ; as the came along lide Capt. Giles said
to the officer on board the boat, My friend I was very forty to
have seen you drop astern. /He answered, You damn'd rascal, do
not call me your friend. The Captain of the Betsey then told him
that he hoped he ihould not find him to be his enemy, and parti
cularly the fliip Daphne.—The officer then placed one of his men
from the boat on board the schooner to the helm, and ordered all
our fails set, which was immediately done', and flood for the Daph
ne, and continuing still to treat the Captain of the Betsey with in
sulting and abusive language, and demanded of said Giles his in
ftruttions which were received from the Daphne, which were im
mediately delivered up to him. As we came abreast of the ship.
the officer returned on board the flip, taking the said inltrnttioes
with him. After a few minutes some person on board the drip in
formed us that they ihould fend their boat on board of us again.—
The boat loon came along fide of us, and commanded Capt. Giles
to go on board of the ship immediately. He initantly complied,
and went with the officer on board the boat to the ship. Imme
diately after he arrived on board, the said James Wilson, Alien
Stickland, and Joseph Patch, on their oath teftify and fwea'r, that
they saw two men on board of the said fliip violently beating Capt,
Giles, one of them with a large piece of rope, and the other with
his fift, and continued so to do for the space of more than thirty
minutes, to the best of their judgment, and sometimes by the vio
lence of the blows received, he was struck down ; and they fom
after sent Capt. Giles on board the Betsey, who, when he .re
along fide, was not able to hand or walk, b, reason of the barbar
ous treatment he had received on board said imp. And they : ei
ther teftify and fay, that they took Capt. Giles on board his fob
into his cabin, and took off his jacket (as he was not al)le to t l.
it off himfelf) and found it much ttript and torn by the force
the blows of the rope's end ; also with great surprise saw bjooc .
suing from fits mouth and nose, occasioned by the force ofthe blo 00
of the fill, or the falls on the said fhip's deck (to them uncertain
which) whilst he was on board : and on further examination four. 1
his back and arms unmercifully bruised and turned black with
large waleson the fame, occasioned by the cruel and most unnatur
al treatment he received on board said ship, and further fay, that
Capt. Giles was not able for the term of four days at least so come
on deck, or do his duty, neither has he fully recovered his health,
as before enjoyed to this day.
In further confirmation of the above written, we have hereunto
set our names, after being firft sworn to the truth of the foregoing
Froteft. EBENEZER GILES, Master,
JAMES WILSON, Mate,
JOSEPH PATCH,
ALLEN STICKLAND.
mid me rfrrflnd deponent, Etotwr Giles, al the above said time
and place, in addition to the foregoing, by himfelf further tejtifrth on oa%
and doth declaft, that he received his irftruQionsfrom thejhip Daphne cat
the 2,5th da, of April, 1799, and informed the commander of the hip
that his schooner la, at a place called La,@b Bay, about tnoo leagues to
leeward of the port of Kingflon, at which place the Daphne lay, and
that on the a,th da, of the fame month hejoirted the fleet as before esprefr
ed, and was commanded to go on board theJhip as afmefid , and where
he came along fide of the said ship, and was puffing over the fide, tie
deponent on oath declares, that the Captain of the said (hip called to him
and told him he would let him know whet it was to pa, a difrejpea
to a man of war, and immediatei, called for a boatswain's matt , that
he then nJhed the Captain what he dtfgned by his difrefped ; thcanfiocr
was, You damn'd rascal, not a word —He aJked the said Captain if he
was not allowed to speak in his own behalf, which was arfwered-
What, by you, a damn'd rafcall and much more abujive language ;
and ordered the Boatswain's Mate to take a rope's end to the damn'd
rascal, who very readily began to beat him, the said deponent, with st
rope <f % 1.4 inches (and the Capt in followed the fame with blows
with hisjift) until the rope was fagged cut about eight or nine inches in
length ; then one other Boatfwair's Mote was called by the Captain,who
immediately appeared, andte Captain of the thio ordered him to find a
rope that was pointed, and to lay it on well to the damn'd rascal, and
then he begem to teat the deponent accordingly , agreeable to the inflruQwis
from his inhuman commander. The deponent begged of the Captain not
to murder him in that manner, in God's name; the return was a blrn?
with the Captain's fift, which brought the deponent down ; the Boat
swain dill continued to Bribe the deponent until he hadreceived about 47
Gripes, and then he quitted the deponent, and the Captain of the ship or
dered the officer who brought him on board, faying, Mr. Mattiney, put
this damn'd rascal on board his vessel, and return with the boat immedi
ately. In further confirmation of the truth of the foregoing Protej}, 1
do hereunto set m, hand.
EBENEZER GILES, Mafler,
The Deponents do therefore Protest, and I the said Notary Public, at
their inJlance and request, do by tb efe prefects folemni, Pyoteft, againji t^e
Captain of thefaidfhip Daphne and the British Government,for the aforc
fakd cruel and barbarous treatment, andfor all losses, coJis,fuits, exper.Jk
and damages, that have arisen or may arise therefrom,
In testimony whereof, I the said Notary, have here-'
[SEAL.] unto jet my hand, and affixed my Notarial Seal,
this twenty-firjl day of May, 1799.
JOSEPH WOOD, Not. Pub.,
From the Providence Gazette, of September 4.
Extras of a letter from capt. Metcalf Bowler, mas
ter of the ship Rebecca, to his owner in this town»
dated in New-Providence, August 14, 1799.
SIR,
I embrace the earliest opportunity to inform yea
of the unhappy fate of your ship Rebecca : she is
condemned, both ship and cargp. The judge con
demned her upon a point of law : to use his ovn
words, “ ads of parliament are sacred things-, and
the aft declares that no vessel of the United States
stall enter the port of Turk's Island but in ballaji on
ly, and to load with fait." The king's attorney de
clared that no special permission of his majesty's
agent or officers of the cartom, not even the gover
nor's proclamation, could protest any American
vessel enteringTurk' slfland otherwise than in ballart
from being seized by his majesty's ships of war, and
that they would be good prize when brought in.
The condemnation of the Rebecca is universally
,disapproved of here, being against every principle
of equity and jurtice. The sentiments of the peo
ple here will, however, not do much towards mak
ing you fatisfaftion for the property you have been
thus plundered of. The attorney general declared
that equity and justice ought to be turned out of
door&to admit law. The Rebecca was condemned
eight days since, and immediately I was, with my
officers and people, turned out of her in the molt
rude, indecent, and inhuman manner, by the 2d
lieutenant of the ship which took us ; and ue were
obliged to flee on board the otlrer vessels in the har
bor that were not condemned, without money hr
provisions, and scarcely allowed time to fare our
clothes. But three days after 1 was sent for by the
attorney-general, who disapproved of the conduct
of the officer, and produced an order from the court
to restore me my property, together with that of