Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-07


the taking whereof from the. prize fhip
is prohibited by our law. But II fuffices
70 glance at this petition, the aHuIp,ion
of which is not eiiential TO Capt. Little'S
vindication. II the trinkets were not ieiz
able of right, his written o:cers did MOI
authorize the meafure. If they have been
hnce embezzeled or loft, he never receiv-
ed them into his cuGody, nor, as con-
tend, did he ever fee them, for the teiti-
mony of Mr.. Hafwell to his being in the
wardrocm, when part of them WAS DIFF.
played on the table, evidently refers to
the period mentioned by Met!rs. Soiey and
Bradford, who teitify that capt. Little
was not III the waEdroom, and MIR. Half
well, who was then Gck and wounded,
and out OF his birth only few moments
at time, ard who cannot iwear 70 the
prefence Of any other perion, is prob. b V
naiifalIen. But whether preienr or NOT,
tie entire property was lett in the ward
room in the cuaody OF the officers.
Whoever had acceis TO the csk, which
contained them, capt. Little certainly had
none; the only return made to him wa.
an account of the calh, which had beer.
produced in court, fworn to by the clerk,
and proved to comport with the return OF
the Martial OF the DiRriet. Thus capt.
Little, il culpA,le in any view, vol,
delerve cenfnre, not for receiving poTeili
on of thefe things, bur for emitting to re.
ceive IT. 1t was not his duty, however,
10 do more than he did. You, gentle.
men, have better information upon this
!dbjett than | can pretend TO, and l tnb-
NIT 90 your opinion, whether it be prac-
ticable for the captain OF a ffigate perfon
ally to fuperintend, tarch and te;ze pro-
perty with his own hands, to take an ac-
count Of it, when ieized, or TO keep it in
his culody. Like all men in hyperion
ftal;ons he mutt depend upon the fidelity
of fubordinate agents they hold their
commihions under the fame authority with
hintelf, and in the prelent cafe the officers
might fairly be prefanisd to be checks up
on each other. After iiInins difcreet and
legal orders, it is impohible for the belt
officer, confidently with other duties, to
defend TO miau;i;e in carrying them into
effect.
3dly, The next enquiry relates to the
mode of conducting the icarch. In this
re.pcet the accnlatiGn of the protectors is
highly aggravated and difcreditable 10 men
holding military commiilions. TheGe Of
fcers have itated in public papers, and re-
peated on the preient location in the arti-
cles of charge, that they were all ex4min-
ed In thofe parts, which delicscy iorb;ds
TO name, in puriuit of money. This is
falie as it refpeets both officers and men,
the former of whom opened and ihut up
their own trunks, and delivered their own
money, and the latter were examined vi
much lefs rigor than their conduct would
have jufi6ed. Two,men only, of their
own accord, pulled down their trowiers
by way of infult, the rea were only order
ed to unbutton their wailtcoats and when
every device was employed to conceal eff
fets when bandages were tied round
their bodies, money fewed up in their
cloaths, fhoes, and buttons, hid in balls OF
wax, foap, barrels of fugar, in various, and
in fhort every place adapted for conceal
ment. What a picture is exhibited of the
iufolence and arrogance of thele men, who
have RATED fu,h a clanor in the country,
and involved the government in fuch heavy
expence, becaule their brawney bodies
were not handled with all the delicacy and
decornm, which would be proper in maid
of honor undrehing Queen.
4thly, The next infance Of cruelty is
hatcd TO ccniift in the mode of confirming
their prifoners. This charge, however,
is candidly abandoned, and it is conceded
that they experienced every poiIible kind
nefs, confident with their ftuation, and
Jared equally with our own officers and
2 4