Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-10-22
From THE (philad.) TRvr AMERICAN.

Mr.. Bradfoyd,
Having this day received the follow
ing MEMORIAL, drawn up by the own
ers, fupercargoes aud captains Of number
of American veaels, detained By the Spa
niarls in South America, / fand il you,
with requeit, that you will publifh the
fame, and thereby oblige all concerned,
as well as. Yours &c,
A. Il.
We beg leave through you, to lay be-
fore the PreGdent of the United States, an
account Of the injuries we have fufered
from the government of this country, and
of the meaiures we have taken in order to
obtain their redreis. In doing this, we
lhall eonhne ourelves to general defcrip-
ton of thofe cafes only which we con-
ceive to be fairly Of natiooAl cognizaDce,
not being embarraaed with illicit trade
or the leaf violation of the laws of this
Province.
The mott numerous cla(s Of fuferers
conGit Of thoie who either in the United
States, or fome foreign ports, let our vef-
fels TO freight, to the tubjccts OF his Ca
tholic Majety, to come here and load on
their account, with the produce OF this
county. The Spanilh fubjed, thus freight
ing thefe vehels poaehed either generally,
as importers of negroes or fpecially by
Royal Letters Patent, the privilege of
hipping the produce of this country in TO-
reign bottoms. 1t was with the know
ledge of this privilege, and with the full
expectation that the Spaniih government
poHeiled too much faith, wxntonIy TO re-
woke it, or to impede its free enjoyment,
that we let our ven-ls TO freight In The
manner above mentioned. Sad experience
has however taught US, that this exPec-
tation was i'll founded, for, after our nav
ing been detained here for months beyond
what was reafonab!e or necehary, thoie
who freighted the veiels have not been
allowed to load them, according TO their
aipulations with US, and by the aforementl-
oned privilege they had a right TODD. En-
cours gcd by this example OF injui(ice, on
the part ofthe government thefe Individuals
have in their turn, yentured to iport with
the folemnity of contracts, and wherever
the rare of demurrage, referved by Charter
Party, bears any jaA proportion to the
injury occaGoned by delay, there they
diihonorably refufe to pay. Thus between
the tyranny OF the government, and the
treachery Of the individuals, we are COM
PEELED to remain here and behold our vei-
fels rotsing, without the leaa proipett Of
indemnity.
Another clais of tuferers, but nearly
refembling thofe already mentioned, con-
fits of iuch as having fold their vel1-ls to
Spanih agents in the United States, IN
dertook the delivery OF them, and agreed
to receive the purchafe money in thele
ports. This right, which Spanilh fub-
jetfs here poGefs, is derived like their
right of freighting them, either from the
general privilege ceded to the introducers
of negroes into this colony, or from the
lpecial licenle OF the King.
The agents who pnrchafed our vellels
took good care to induce our confidence
by exhibiting 70 US their evidence of this
right, and we, like our defranded coun-
trymen aforementioned, came here, with
the mott perfect reliance on the honor of
the government and the honefy Of its
contracting fubjetts, but like them, we
have been disappointed. Some Of our
vel1els Of this deicrlption, have now been
above feven months in theie ports, the
government unrighteouay refuhng or de-
laying the lanttion Of the transfer, and
the individuals baf.ly availing themielves
of this mighty Of their rulers, for pre-
text to retufe payment. Hence we find
ourfelyes among inhofptable itrangers,
with veGslS which their bad faith has
turned on our hands without funds fofi-
4 II. ~ ~