Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-03-08

tendant and captain general o. oIto Al !,
CO, with whom as have already obyerved
every legal process must originate, IS q
man whose intentions Ibelieve are always
good-who wishes TO dc right IN all cases
but unfortunately he has hitherto been
surrounded by set of men, who with
very few exceptions are utterly unworthy
of his confidence who abuse the trust res
posed in them, in other respects, and seem
70 consider it as part of their duty, and as
"a privilege Of their Office, 70 deceive ana
lead him as,ray. He appears either TO want IAN
resolution to cast them off, or penetration
ito discover their real characters and has
consequently the air Of being insens.bie
TO the injury they are likely TODD him,
should he long continue to supper, their
acts with his authority. ! believe l may
safely say there is but one truly worthy
person, among the collection OF those VINO
fill the civil departments that's, only one
who has proved himself really honest
The governor has the power OF deciding
in whatever matters come before him -
but as this would be mourning consldera.
BILE responsibility, it is what general M on
ties very rarely does, and in no case with
Ia nay view has done. His manner is to
referto the auditor Of war or OF marine, or
some times to the party, who as observed
replies by another petition, which with tne
first is handed over to one or other ofthe
Judges, upon whose decision he possesses
the right Of imposing his negative. This
right as In cases Of the Polly and the Mary
Ann, he will exercise when The necessity
is appare,-and it is only to be regretted
that he has NOT more frequently manifes.es
his prerogative; for / am we'll persuaded
that were the meanings of his heart second
ed by sound and accutely discerning
Judgment, injustice would not with SC
much reason be charged against his go.
vernment.
Montes came TO the administration OF the
affairs of this colony when they were very
much deranged by the malversa'ion OF he
former governor, Don Ramona dc Castro,
whose imbeciity and venality were coequal.
The finances were IN utter disorder; aud
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, Of hostiiilies, by pre-
venting the receipt OF the expected and ne.
cessary supplies of money, has contributed
to the continuance of the embarrassnents
in which he found himself and forced him
into measures which he would not other.
wise have adopted. The excheqeer of the
intendsncy is exhausted. the troops are
neither tufiy paid nor fully watched, tor
want of the means; there is now owing to
them half pay for four years. This abso-
Lutte want of money, and the urgent neces,
sity of deriving it from some source or
other. was the true motive of opening the
poris of the island TO foreign vessels; from
the duties on whose cargoes was hepe5 the
only supply that could be obtained without
forced contributions. To the same source
may also be traced, in q considerable de
gree, the ,ardy and oppressive operations
Of the tribunals in prize causes. When a
prize is brought into port, the first motion
of the captor is to petition that the cargo
may be sold and as the king wants mo-
ney, this petition Crowded the captor
Spaniard) is readily granted; because, when
sold, the proceeds SO into the Royal Trea-
surv, and remain there until the final deci-
sien on the appeal, should any be made.-
In the meantime, his majesty having the
benefit OF the cash, his representatives are
seldom in haste to take it out OF his
hands.
The mex, person Of consequence in the
administrators of justice is the Auditor Of
War; who has the right of passing Judge
men, on all subjects, not refa,ing 70 the
department Of marine, upon which The 60
vernon docs not assume the previous right
of deciding in virtue ofhis prerogative; to
,hisiudge there also lies an appeal from The
marine tribunal in particular cases. Don
francisco D;az 3ngoanzo, who fills this
important Office al present, IS man well
advanced in years, and may be regarded as
i v~tSa &C