Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1812-03-09

1891 to Congrefs by the department.
of fate, by the Bri;iih, is 6257. II
| do not rniltake, mot having the
former reports by me- there were a.
bout 800 unfettled claims for releafe
by the lait report the whole num-
Der OF complaints being then $500.
OF theie 500, probably every native
American, who did not enlift volun-
tarily, nor was taken on board an en-
emy's vehtl, are as before now ref
tored' There may however be few
initances, (ariiing from fome un-
known cauie) to the contrary.
Ofths laft l757, Gnce April, 1909
The report oates, tha, there are,
discharged and ordered TO be
discharged, A0J
Having no documents OF their
being citizens, 20
Being bona fde Britiih fubjeas, 259
Not Americans, %
Deierters, SO
Documents Insufficient, l4I
Taken on board enemies vefels, As
Entered voluntarily, 40
Not sniwering description or having
fr&udu ent projections, Jos
On board no Britiih vef1els, 81
lDvaids, AZ
Killed I; dead 4, S
On foreign ftations, I25
l4O3
Thefe are cafes reported by the
AmeaicaR Conful at London MIR.
Munroe has fent lit Of 400 as they
have come to the Department of
State, not examined by the confuls a.
broad. Of thefe he acknowledges
81 have not proved their citizen
ihip the others, at reient, appear
to be americans, but on clofe exam
ination, it will probably be found
that the real american: are difchar-
ged or foon will be, except fuch as
have voluntarily entered, or have
been captured on board French vef-
lels.
The Secretary gives in columns
oppoGte the names, the time of their
lmprclsment, from what vehel, by
whom, &c. and where this is the
cafe find mott of them difcharged,
| prelume all who are real americans
except thofe who have voluntarily
emitted. / fee there are 145 on fore
ign ftations. Probably mott of the
real Americans are before now Diff
charged.
OF the remaining $50, various
reatons are given why they are not
discharged. Some knew nothing
of America ; fome were negroes, or
creoles fome had married and fet-
tied in Great Britain, &c.
Very many of them are itated in
the report to have been well ufed,
and discharged as foon as their citi
zen.hip was known, fome were pro-
noted A few are itatcd to have
been iii uted.
One only is ftated to be killed !;
but forty three were taken on board
French vefels fighting the Englifh.
On the whole do not believe
there are at this moment eco in the
whole, now on board Britifh armed
vefiels, who are real Americans, and
are dehrous of releaf:, excepting
thofe who have voluntarily entitled,
or have been captured on board an
enemy's vef1el. Nor do Ibelieve but
that all will be releafed as fat as
practicable. | am aftonifhed there
are 20 few, confidering how difficult
it is to diltinguiih, and how MANY
thoufands of Britifh fubie6fs have
fraudulent projections as native A.
mericans.
Such impressments mutt unavoid
ably iometlmes take place but it i:
not allowed by the government, noI
dehred. 1t ihould be confdered that
we probably have above 2o,eoc
Britiih fubje6ts on board our armed
veiels and merchantmen. How
many Britlih fubjeds, would ak
were there on board the Preliden,
lighting against their countrymen, or
board the Little Belt.
II the Britiih government fhoulc
IN Jingle inttance keep one natiyr
American mo charge againf him at
ter they knew him to be fuch)