Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1813-03-08

Commodore Rodgers appeared be-
fore the Committee with Capt. Hull.
After Capt Hull's deposition was ia.
ken, the Commute requested Comma
dorc Rodgers 10 make hls-He expires
sed reluctance at making any state
menls relative to the subject ofimpress'
ments, because he was placed IN rather
a delicate situation--He observed that
the impressment 'of seamen had been
m ,de the subject of party discussions,
and the officers of the navy did not wish
to take part in questions OF that ma
ture--He said, with ffankness, that Tor
himself, he must confess he had very
, strong opinions, and perhaps they
might be called prejudices, on this sub
| iect, and added in an emphatic manner,
that il was subject on which he ieit
very " sore," and he should wish, Il he
wa. not guilty OF an indecorum 10 the
Committee in doing it, TO be excused
from testifying--In the couroe oil his
remarks, he made variety oil state
| nen,s, expressly giving them as his o
fincns, aud frequently repeating that
| he would not undertake 10 speak with
precision on the subject, until he had an
opportunity of recurring TO Documents,
some of which were at Washington
1t was inlimated TO him, on behalf OF
the Committee, that they had consider.
| ed it to be their duty, as Committee
| of the Legislature, 10 Inquire into Jaefs
only, and they had, accordingly IN the
! examination of the other Witnesses gov
erned themselves by that rule--Com-
| modore Rodgers readily acceded 10 the
| business of the rule, and observed that
| lie did 10 wish 10 have his otimonS re
/ ported as facts, and his statements
made the subject OF newspaper COM
ments without recurring 20 the docu
ments on which he had formed them
| / he Committee then observed to him,
| that as he had been summoned 10 appear
before them, the House would doubt
less call for his tesumony, and II would
be the duly of the Committee either to
report it or 10 give satisfactory rea'
son TOR not doing so. II was then sug
| gested .by one Of the Committee we
thlnk) that Commodore Rodgers could
Withdraw, and upon more mature re.
Election could give us wfitlen state
ment himself, or state in wiring for
our justification to the House, the reas
ons why he wished TO ox excused from
lesuIying at ali upon the subject.
A Iiltle further conversation ensued
Of much The same import as before
| 1 lac result oil 1t, however, was that We
now began 10 take Commodore Rods-
ers' deposition, and TOOK what here iol
| lows
JOHN RopeERs, Commodore and
! Commando ot tne United Sta.es trig
ate President, ,estiiy and Say, that du
riug tic uale was IN the merchant
service, winch was previous to the year
| 1913, ! had Two men taken from my
ship, (,he Jane oil Ballmore, )whlle
was lying al Falmouth al England I,
| they were impressed from the ship
| while l Was ON shore aid were not re.
stored 10 me l cannot say whether
they were Americans CT mol nor do 1
| ,ecollect theft names
We had proceeded thus far with the
| deposition, when Commodore Rodgers,
III Terms oi grea, oivihly, again desired
TO be excused from iesaI, ing, and said
&c would make a communication 10 the
Committee in writing, as had before
been suggested. The Committee all
assented 10 this, and he retired from
the room in company with Capt Hull
| a moment after he was gone, by the
desire of some OF the Committee, one
OF us, Mr.. Pickrringl followed him 10
| the lower floor oil the olaie House, aud
requested him 10 give US his commune.
cation that evening, winch he promised
to do, il it was possible, consistently
with his engagements. The Commit.
tee never received any communication
from him, and when they made their
report.ih.y stated that fact, Us will be
seen by reference to the printed copy.
Under these circumstances, Tie pub.
lie will Judge, whether the Committee
coulu, ,onsisl,n ~ with due regard
10 propriety, have made any state menIs
IN their report upon the spthofssy Oh
Commodore Rodgers. On the contra
ny, although the Rev. mar. Stevens,
VINO was 10, on the Committee, but hap.
pened 10 be a by stAnder, has thought II
his duty" thus TO bring Part OF Com
mudole RS CONVERSE ion before the