The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-08

servant,
Signed G. II. ROSE.
PAPERS
RELATIVE TO FRENCH AFFAIRS.
Extract from letter to Mr.. Monroe from General
armstrong.
PARIS, 9TH July, 1907
SIR,
THE accounts you have had of recent cap
lures made by French privateers of American
vessels under OF the decree OF Nov last,
are not correct. Al least, if such captures have
been made, knew nothing Of uhem. The only
captures have at any time heard of, were those
made from Porto Ferrlio. They are by no means
of recent date, and have all (I beleve) been re-
dressed by the council of prizes. Two of these
cases, to which attended personally, received
decisions equally favorable and prompt Interest
and damages were given to- the plaintiffs, and
Know not why decisions, equally favorable, should
not have been given in the other cases. have with
IN a week been informed by Mr. Ewing, that he
had reason to believe, that French privateer,
then In port OF Spain, had plundered Ameri-
can ships, either going to or coming from Eng
land, OF dry goods, to the amouat of 500 dollars
Before any thing could be done in Spain for the
recovery OF these goods, the ship went sea, and
protesscdiy for the purpose of returning to the
port OF her armament. Believing her to have ar
rived there, put all the evidence l possessed
before Nj. DEGREES, who closes his answer with
the following assurance
Your cNcelency may he assured that as far
as II depends on me, the captains of these vessels
or their owners, shall Obtain, if there is ground
forit, prompt and full reparation'
:" quote tins 20 shcw you, that there is no dis
position III the ministers of this government to
sanction or protect those enterprises upon our
commerce. From the uses you may be able to
make OF the facts, and their citation Your ques
ton generally, subloin Il brief exposition of the
construction now given to the November decree.
1t was, you know, admitted by both ministerial
and Judicial authorities, that this decree did not
ihtract the provisions of the treaty of 1900, be-
tween the United States and France. Still it was
commended that vessels (of the u. ST. coming
from any port of 6. Britain, since the date of the
edict, could not be admitted to entry in the ports
OF France. This rule, without some aualifca-
tons, was likely 70 become mischievous, and
accordingly obtained the following notifications
of il, and nope to obtain further modification,
which will rendcrit perfectly harmless. These
Changes took place as circumstances rose to pro-
duce them, tor though the necessity for them was
both foreseen and represented, it was only upon
real, not upon hypothetical cases that the minis
.ters oi ms mSjesty We're wiling 10 act.
L Vessels leaving ports of tao u s. before
knowledge of the arret had been promulgated
there, are not subj ct to the rule.
q Vessels not coming directly from British
to French port, are not subject TO the rule.
). The cafSoes ofvessels coming directly from
Brit to French port s. offered for entry, on proof
that the touching Of the ship in England, &c. was
involuntary, are put in depot sequestraton, I'M
TIL his ma esty shall have decided on the suffcien-
cy of the proof offered or they are at once gil
vennp to cohsignees on their giving security to
abide the decision which shall be ultimately ia
Ken by the emperor in their respective cases.
The vessels can so out freely, and without any
impeachment OF any kind. Tie former rule, of
which this is an amelioration; was, that ships as
Vel as cargoes coming under the description,
should be sequestered, &c. The further altera-
ton which have asked is, the establishment OF
some principle which shall regulate the kind & de
gree OF Proofrequired with respect to the alledg-
ed application of force rnaieure, and my opinion
IS, that tins may best he found in the greater or
Nss correspondence which shall exist between
the cargo when shipped in America and when
arrived here. If the correspondence be complete,
the evidence ought to be considered as com plete
also, thar they 9oere not in Great Britain far the
5o:'poaes II commerce and not being there for
these purposes, the inference is fair, that their 60
ing there at all was involuntary This is rule
the ministers viii consent to whether his maies-
ty will do so also, will be known in few DAYS
He Is expected here about the beginning of Au-
gust"