The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-28

U, fo"chtNy me OUtcfdL contact OF B77g0
| der Gen. James Wiikinson /: in hurSuanc,
oa resolution efthe ho'sse IF ReltresentQ
| HUes efthe thirteenth instcns
JANUARY 90, 1905
| Read and referred to Mr.. John Montgo.
merry, Nicholas, Upharn, Smile, TAYLOR, G.
| w. Campbell, and J. X. Smith.
10 tie House Of Rehresentatives Of the U
States
Some days previous to YOUR resolutions M
the thirteenth instant, Court of INQUIRY had
heen Instituted, at the request of gen w
charged to make the inquiry into his conduct
which the first resolution desires, and had
commenced their proceedings. Tothe Judge
advocate OF that Court the papers and infor-
nation on that SUBJECT, ti,l.isl..,led 30 MS =
the house Of representatives, nave been de. i
yered to be used according to the rules and
powers of that court.
he request of communication of any in
formation which may have been received. AZ
any time since the establishment of the nrc-
sent government. touching Combinations with
foreign agents for dismembering the union,
or the corrupt receipt of money by any officer
oil the y. ,, from the agents Of foreign, go
vefnments, can be complied with bat in a
partial degree. u, -,r,. j
seoondyear of the presidency of gen. Wash
inStons information wasrsipen to him relat-
ingto CERTAIN combinations with the agents of
aforelgn government, for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
OF the union which combinations had taken
place before the establishment of the Pre-
sent federal government. This information.
however, is believednever to have been dc
Posted in any public Office, or left in that Of
tie PRESIDENTS secretary; these having been
d4iy examined: but to have been considered
as personally confidential, and therefere re-
tanned among his private papers. a com
tnunication from the governor of Virginia 70
PRESIDENT Washirgrcn. is found in the Office
OF the Presidents secretary, which, sltho'
not strictly within the terms OF the request of
the house OF representatives, is commuaicat-
Ell, in2smuci as it may throw some light on
tne subjects of the correspondence ot that
time between certain foreign agents and ci
tizens of the u S.
in the first or second year of the admini,-
tration OF president Adams, Andrew Iillico,t.
then employed in designating, in conjunction
with the Spanish authorities, the boundaries
between the territories of the u s. and of
SPAIN, under the treaty with that nation, COM
munlcated 20 the exec ntiye OF the u. 6. pa
pers and information respecting the subjects
or the present inquiry, which were deposited
In the Office of state. Copies OF these are now
transmitted to the house of representatives,
except Ola single letter and reference from
the said Andrew Ellicott, which being ex-
pressly desired to be kept secret, is therefore
not communicated: but it's contents can be
obtained from himself in more legal form,
and directions have been given to summon
him to appear as a witness before the court
OF inquiry.
A paper" on the commerce Of Louisiana"
bearing date the eighteenth of April, one
thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, is
found in the Office of state, supposed to have
been coulmH2icatcd by Mr. Daniel Clark, of
N. Orleans, then subject of Spain, and now
of the house of Representatives of the u. S.
stating certain commercial transacsIons of
gen. Wilkinson in n. Orleans an extract
from this is now communicated, because it
contains facts which may have some bearing
on the questions relating to him.
The destruction of the war Office by FIRE,
in the close Of che thousand eight hundred,
involved all information it contained at that
date.
The papers already described, therefore,
constitute the whole of the information on
these subjects, deposited in the public Offices,
during the preceding administrations, as far
as has yet been fonnd: but it cannot be at
firmed that there may, be no other, because
the papers of the Offices being filed, for the
most part, alphabetically, unless aided by the
suggestion ofany particular name which may
have given such information, nothing short of
a careful examination of the papers in the
Offices generally could authorize such an af-
frInation.
About a twelvcmonth after came to the
administration of the government, Mr. Clark
gave some verbal information to myself, as
well as to the secretary of state, relating to
.he same combinations for the dismember-
ment of theunion. He was listened to freely ::
and he then delivered the letter of governor
Gayoso addressed to himself, of which a copy
| is now communicated. After his return to
| n. Orleans he forwarded to the secretary of
state other papers, with a request that after
| perusal they should be burnt. This however
was not done: and he was so informed by the
secretary Of state, and that they would be held
subject to his orders. These papers have not
vet been found in the office. a letter there
fore has been addressed to the former chief
clerk, who may perhaps give information res
pecting them. AS far as our memories ena-
bic MS to say, they related only to the com
binations before spoken of, and not at all to the
corrupt receipt of money by any officer of the
US: consequently they respected what was
considered as dead matter, known to the
preceding administrations, and Offering no
thing new to call for investigations, which
those nearest the dates of the transaction,
had not thought proper to institute.
In the course of the communications made
to me on the subject Of the conspiracy Of A
Burr, ] sometimes received letters, SON. o