Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1811-07-22

AstscfftH- III tlc iiJsitls u D-t- IA
re D~At alter bhy accession 20 tie be-
lartmcnt Of State, discovered that
b vrrd American citizens, tiolmants
under the TIL article Of the British
lteaIy, had in vain presented for pay
'aent their respective claims. 70 my
rplise found that there was not with
II ny control any money for the dis
Charge Of those just rlaims and, With
equal su,prize, ascertained AZ The
treasury, that Mr.. Irving, our agent
ia Lontol,, had retained in his hands,
as commission Of : l.2 per cent, the
sum Of 22,39O dollars, and that this
sum. ,hus retained, was the very mo-
ney that had been paid by the British
GovernmeIn, IA tnlst, fos the identical
American citizens, whose claims had
thus in vain been presented for pay
ment. Neither in the Department Of
SiAe, nor in any other department
of government was there to be found a
rs record, OF indeed any trace whatever
cf letter OF any kind authorizing Mr..
Erying to retain that some Of money.
No circumstance In relation % 1t was
within the recollection of any oil The
clerks. TO my predecessor in office !
then resorsed, From him, however, !
could obtain no explanation. never
theless stated to him that the claim OF
Mr.. Ewing, as itappeared on the books
of the reasury, was utterly inadmissl-
bic Ist. Because being an officer
with fired annual compensation, he
could no, with proprie:y receive an er-
FRA emolument and especially, Tor
the same services fer which the es-
tablished compensation was allowed.
I'd. Because the mony retained -
lin, was not the property OF the u. D.
but was merely in the hands OF this
government, III trust, for certain clti-
gems Of the u. 5. whose claims under
the British Treaty had been duly sane
toned. M. Madison barely remark
ing that he had no knowledge or recol-
lection Of any of the circumstances OF
this affair, took occasion abruptly TO
c..lI ny attention to some Other subject.
Perceiving, as did, that he was moi dis
POSED to give me any instructions in re-
lation to this affair, informed him
that would lose no time in applying
u Mr.. Erving for the requisite explain
alton. And the following letter was
accordingly written and transmitted
10 him
Department Of Stare. Dee. 10, 1909.
Slr,-Fin1ing that the sums OF money,
heretofore drawn out of your hsnds, by au-
shori;y of this Department, to this country,
with a view TO the pasinent OF such Claims,
under awatds Of the board OF Commission
~rs acting under the 7th article OF the BIZ.
,ssh Treaty, as you had not previously paid
IL London, are insufficient for that purpose,
.nd that upon enquiry al the Treasury, there
IS still in your hands the sum OF So5S pounds
si,illngs sterling, | have to request that
YOU VIII remit the same in some safe and
convenient mode to this Department !; and,
IS several claims, which have been presen-
sd hera. mus wait the arrival OF this mo.
L<y for payment, have further 10 request
You 10 hasten this remittance As Ipuch as
possible.
"HaviurC learned at the Treasury Also
that YOU have retained this sum COM
mission off l per cent. upon the monies
erich haze passed through your hands, |
think proper To spprIze you, that no com
pensatlon Of that kind can be allowed,
have the hunour TO be, &c. &c
"K. SMITH.
"ceo-se w Erv;rg. Esq u"
Upon the receipt Of this letter Mfr.
Irving, then 10 Cadiz, in his reply, in
formed aac, that upon his return to the
u. STATES, be would give me the neces-
sary Information. Upon hS arrival at
Washington, he according showed me
letter from Mr.. Madison himself ful-
Ky and explicitly authorizing him to
refrain the sum Of money in question.
Whence then, it will be asked, did Il
happen, that Of this letter there was no
rscord--no trace whatever IN the De-
partment of State 1t is because, it
was not an Official but a Private letter,
and Of which the original and dufhcoie
were both in Mr. Madisoh's own hand
writing. The following is the copy OF
this letter.
(DUpIlC iTE)
. rrfxiufs. " WAsHtScToN, Nov. 5 1904.
"DEAR S1a--Your several communSa-
ions relating 10 tie awards, seamen, &c.
have been Just received, and with them
.5ur eriva:e icucy IF Sept Isl. AS the sub
,ect Of TINS las, may reader an early answer
interesting 10 Jon, hasten 10 give At.
vour observation or the ressoRableness of
soma remuneration tor your services have,
Is vs,t wished, been suDmitted 70 the Pc
s,IeM. The result al bis reflections for
tae present IS, tnst, should suggest
,t,.t stss refrain out of the ncxt lnstalnclr.