The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-04-23

g. Were not to be founa on beard of the
ship stated.
10. Had voluntarily entered into the Bri-
fish service.
II, Were natives of foreign Countries
Pr sis, Sweden. Italy, &c.
IL is probabl thar some of the seanen,
whose discharges were demanded, may not
have bcer nativs ci,izeus Of the u. States.
but very presumshle that The gre ter mar
were. lndee the prete-t assigned FOR their
detention seems to ajmit it. II d they beer
tive subjects OF England, being there.
their origin might have been traced. But
that rs ne ground in few instances only. In
urging that some had no pr .tections,or tina,
their projections were irregular; that Others
had been exchanged as British prisoners :;
were importers; had attempted TO desert !:
did nor answer the projections given them !;
were natives oil Prussia, Sweden. &c ir is
fairiY 20 be inferred that the ublic author
i'y IN England. to whom this duty is assign
81, sought rather TO evade the applics ton
than TO Justify the refusal TIE pretext that
some were natives of Prussia Sweden, &c
deserves particular attention. On his cir
chms'ance the Secretary will remark ny
that IN extending mpre ssment, in Ameri
Can vessels. To persons who could not be
mistaken for british subjects and refosins
to SUI render them, On application. to rh,
voluntary service from whch they were ia
ken. it is evident that the recovery Of British
seaHsen has not been the sola object OF the
practice.
b. the renort Of .h- American commits
sary of prisoners in Ens,Hnd, it appears
that considerable number Of cur seamcn
had been transferred from British ships of
war. to prisons; that their exchange for
SrI tISt L.,
ed, IN the hrSt instance, hut that that claim
seems to have been since waved It nigh.
nave been expected that the British govern
ment, on being satisfied that these men or
any OF them, were Nnerica ar CT ms, would
have iberHted & sent them horne at it's own
charge / hey are, however. sill held mi
soners in confinement. Tina many of them
t not all, are native citizens cannos b
dHnbted, for had he proof nor been irrisisti
bic, 1t cannot be presumed, while so rnanv
others are detained on board British ships
OF war, hat these would hav. been exemn,
ID from that service. That many arr stiu
detained mn board British she's If war NAV
lie fairly inferred, even without o,her evi.
dence, from the iDdis riminat- manner of
y itso impcessment /; iroTe the distant Sc,
wee IN when the men thus inpre ssed are
often necessaT ly employed deprivine their
fr-nds OF an opportunity to cgintnunicat II
with THEM, ana FROM the inconside-,o,e
rumoer discharged, compared with that
which has b IN demanded. Without RELY
ing aitogeiher On the reports here toecre
m%de to C"ngrfs SIS by this Department. T.
letter OF Commodore Rodgers. bereru osD
nexed aff 'ds data from which an t;roare
may be formed. On this poin-, the cores
poHdencs bttween General Taylor and the
CHp ain OF the Brts1 snip the DEACON. an
Conriodore Decatur and the commander
Capel serve also part cular ;tt,n ion
1t the British Government would order a
strict search to be maze, through tn Rr
f,Sh navy for American secmen, it Iyou(d
then be seen how many of our native citizens
have participated in the 10, of the unrortg
-te rnen mentioned in the CORES poudeu
r.ferred to.
The contrast which these documents pre
sent, in the pre,ensions and conduct Z c.
britain, with the pretensious ard cond,ncs Of
the u n'tsd states. Cannot fail to make
Ceep oppression IN favor of tne latter The
British Government harnesses int lbs Nav,
native citizens of the United : ates, and
compess them to serve - it and in many
ins'ancas even TO fgat against taeir coun
Try, while it arrests as traitors and mena-
ces With dcath persons Suspected to b.
native British subjects, for having fought
under oor standard against B,is;sh forces
Nh~F Eau NOihNtSriiy thLeTS1 INTO
our army, after having einigrated TO the
On.'e' States and Incorporated them selves
INTO the American society. The Uaited
states, on The other hand, have forced no
persons into their service, nor have they
ought. nor are they disposed TO punish ans.
who, after having freely emigrated TO any
part OF tic British doaiaions and settled
there. may have entered voluntarily into the
British army
The remaining enquiries relate to objects
o'her than the Immediate conduct of the
parties in the present war. They demand
Information of the conduct # Great Britain.
and Of other powers in past times, wlthou,
limitation in the retrospec, in circumstances
bring on the question of retaliation. The
information required relates TO the following
points:
J. The conduct Of Great Britain end IN
other nations Of Europe, as TO nataraljza
ton and the employment in war, each the
subj CTS Of the other
g As IN the PUNISHMENT of their native
SD j-ctH taken in arms against thsn, in the
service Of other powers
). Exsmoles If retaliation by the latter
n such c. ses.
THESE enquiries necessarily involve an cx-
teusive research into the history and iuris
prudence of the nations Of Europe. For so
important task the other Gusies of the Sc
cretary Of STATE have altogether DISQUALIFIED
MIN, siUcethe cal vas made. 'fhe an
preaching close of he session does not leave
him tine for more than the following obser
vstians: