Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-15
Dehar:mem Of STATE, .Atra 10.

not been before puOhsHeu'j
Dehar;mem Of STATE, ..AffrH 10.
SIR,
AS the documents in this Office die
No, enable the fully To answer the queries
contained in The letters written by you, as
chairman Of the committee 10 whom wste
referred the message OF the President of
The u. States Cf the 9 b and 18Th OF
Febrnasy, relative o ne ruptora and 10 ami.
cable settlement with ihe dcy Of A!giers,
1 have DELAYED my reply to them, under
I'll: daily hop. OF receiving such commu-
nicaions from col. Lear, our consul ye.
neral at Aigers, as would enable me TO
give ycu the Information you ask fof: bat
as yet have received none. As further
delay, however, may be inconvenient 10
the COMMITTEES, have the honor 10 state
that our payments 10 Algiers are OF two
kinds:
!. That stipulated by treaty, viz 10 600
seqnins, equal to 81 500 dolls. made
annually in naval stores.
Q. Those made in conformity with wha,
is called usage at A'glers, by which
il is understood that We are bound
These are,
l. The present on presentation of a
consul S 10000
2. The biennial presents to
the officers Of government,
estimated at 1900
8. Incidental and contingent presents,
rs we'll on the proHnlion Of The prin-
cipal officers OF the Dsy and regency,
as for the attainment OF any lrnpor-
tant Object. OF these no estimate
can be made.
As these presents are made in cash, or
insarticies procured at Algiers for the oc.
casion, and as col. Lear has been furnish
ed with the means of making them, 1t Is
believed ,hat they have been regularly
made bat OF this there is no poztiiye ia.
formation, as The accounts have not been
received.
Various causes have occasionally delay.
ed = payment Of the annuity IN naval
stores.
Some ofthese will readilysuggest them.
selves TO the committee. IL may be pro-
per here TO stale that the loss on the pay
men, made IN this way is from so 100
per cent. as the estimate of the stores IS
made by he officers of the Aigerine go
Vernment, without any reference to their
cost, Hence our agent ilrs been inslruc
ted 10 use his efforts to obtain the su5st-
tuiion si a cash payment for tina, Of ma
val stores: and To- enable him the more
rssdilY To do this, he had Authority to
draw either on our bankers in London, or
on this department.. Drafts accordingly,
TO enable him 10 meet the arrangement
he lately made ct Algiers, have been re-
cciyed az this Office; but owing to some
cause unknown o me, no dispatches from
him on that subject haye come 70 hand.
We know only that the annuity due in
March 1906, was ihen paid and some hing
advanced Oh account OF the amnesty which
would become due in March 1907. 10
Ineei the payment Of his annuity, cannon
had been purchased bu, before they
were shipped, il was unde-s ID ,hat the
present Dsy would n1t have them alho'
they had been asked for by his predgces-
sor. Hence it became necessary to order
other articles 10 place oflheu. This was
done last SKINNER and the shipments
would have been made but for the preca-
rious ale of our foreign relations, acd
a hope that col, Lear wOuld be able 20
preYai on The Dey TO receive nancy, in
lieu OF naval tiores.
l have The honor TO be,
Very respectfully. sir,
Your ub, dent servant,