Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-24
OF GALVEZTON.

Extracts Of a letter from Beverly Chew,
E.s. Collector of New Orleans, to Mr..
Crawford, Secretary Of the Treasury,
dated
Collectors Office, " 0r!sans,2
august I, 1917.
As IL is your wish that every attempt
to evade the provisions OF the existing
laws should be communicated TO the De-
partment, accompanied by suggestions Of
the measures necessary to repress the e.
vii, deem it my duty to state, that the
most shameful violations of the slave act,
as well as our revenue laws, continue to
De practised, with impunity, by motley
mixture Of freebooters and smugsIers, at
Ga!veZton, under the Mexican flag !;
and beng, in reality, little else than the
establishment of the Barrataria band
removed some that more out of the reach
of Justice and unless the officers of the
customs are provided with more effectual
means for the enforcement of the laws,
the treasury must suffer intellectually -
To give you more correct idea of this
establishment, it will be necessary to be
a little prolix, which beg you will ex-
cuse. GalveztOn is a small island or sand
bar, situate in the bay of s.. Barnard, on
the coast of Texas, about ninety miles
west of the Sabine, within the iurisdic-
tional limits claimed by the U. States, in
virtue of the cession of Louisiana to thcm
By France. The establishment was re-
Gently made there by commodore An.
ry, with a few small schooners from Aux
Caves, manned in great measure with
refugees from Barrataria. and mI.attoes.
This establishment was reinforced by
few more men from different points of the
coast of Louisiana, the most Efficient part
Of them being rrincipa' ly mariners, tita-
ians or Frenchmen) who have been hang
ing loose upon society in and about New
Orleans, /: greater or smaller numbers,
ever since the breaking up the establish
| ment at Barrataria. Colonel Perry COM
manded ole party of about 80 or 90 mea
OF thi. new community, who had been ell
listed principally as soldiers, within our
Jurisdiction ard Mr.. Rerera. coming
with few followers feom New Orleans,
brought up the rear, l. then announced
the establishment to the world, By pro-
clamation, a.tested by a FrenchHan by
the name Of Norm, very recently bank
rupt auctioneer in New Orleans. as Sc
cretarv Of state. From this new station,
fed aud drawing all its resources from N.
Orleans, and keeping up regular intel
| lirence, through variety Of channels,
with their friends here, an active system
Of plumber was commenced on the high
seas, chiefly Of Spanish property, but
often without much concern as TO the ma
| ;ional character, particularly when mo-
ney was in question. The captures made
BY their numerous cruisers, (many own
ed BY citizens Of the United States were
condemned BY pretended court Of adj
niralty there, as prizes, and the cargoes
| Immediately introduced into this state,
principally in clandestine manner. The
vessels thus condemned have generally
come here nnde: new names, and with
the Mexican flag. Some of them have
been detained by the United States ma.
val force, for bovGrins in our waters,
and Others Save been l-UelIed for restitu.
ton, by the Spanish consul, in behalf Of
the original owners, and though several
trials have come on before the honorable
the U. States district court for the dis
trIct Of Louisiana, s. the claimants have
never been able TO produce proof of the
government Of Galyezton having ever
been authorized by the Mexican repnbiic;
and restitution has been decreed in seve-
raj instances. There is no evidence OF
the establishment having beer made or
sanctioned by, or connected with, Mex
lean republic, il one be now existing, and
the presumption of sucn an actual estab-
lishment, under such authority, is strong
ly repealed by the illegal and Piratical
character of the establishment, and its
ambulatory nature. 1t is not only of We
ry recent origin, but is clothed with no
character OF Permanency; for it was a.
bandoned about the 5th of April, Il trans
fcrred to Matasorda, leaving at Galsez-
ton only an advice boat, to advertise
such priyateers and prizes which might
arrive there, OF the spot on which they
had fixed their new residence. Some
days after the abandonment Of Galvcz-
ton, several priSat.ers arrived there, and
among the rest the Gen.. Ar,igas, COM
manded by one 6. Champlin., Of New
York. with two schooners, her prizes, the
Patronila, with ia slaves, and the En-
requita,, with lis slaves 4 also Spa