Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-17

Meade always held the monies IN qusS, 1
ton, to be paid over in legal form, as 1heI
competent authorities should direct.
Your excellency will, 1 am persuaded,
now examine the affair with imparllaiiy,
and free from the impressions unfavorable
10 this American, with which il has been
attempted 10 pre-uccupy your Judgment.
1t it were my duty, on tie other hand, TO
state what ought to be his personal me-
riis, la the view of this government,
should dwell upon the very extensive and
important services, which, as IL merchant
and a capitalist, he rendered 10 Spain. in
tiie crisis of her affairs, the most trying
and difficult. 1t ought surely 10 he known
10 your excellency, that lie contributed,
most essentially, TO The cause of this
country, by giving large credits 10 lis oc-
casional governments, and that for these
servir es he Is not yet reimbursed. But |
have not 10 ask ANY favor for him. de-
sire but strict and impartial justice, and
found my elairil 10 his immediate release
from prison, on The acts Of the govern
ment in whose name, and of the very tri-
bunal by which he is now imprisoned
BY the two first of the enclosed docu-
ments, your excellency will perceive that
Mr. Meade, submitting 10 the orders of
the consulate, paid the amount of the
monies i'll suit, into the treasury of the
province. The payment is said to have
been effected in lbramientos," or re-
ceipts for libraniento of the treasury re
| neral or intendani; credits of Meade with
the treasury, which were payable in spe-
Gle, ana which were to be paid in specie,
within Il few days. The intendant, there
fore, readily gave TO MI. Meade the re-
ceipi NO. p for deposite in specie, The
ibraimentos being cancelled, land pass
ed 10 the several accounts 10 which they
belonged. Thus, therefore, ever, legal
and formal requisite being complied with,
Meade was eXoneraied from all response
bllity and, TO make his responsibility
still more perfect, if that were possible,
ihe intendant wrote 10 the consulate No.
- stating, expressly, that the deposite had
been made III specie, and that he would
respond to the consulate for specie.
After such conclusive proceedings, il
would seem impossible that Mr.. EhleaJe
could be again questioned by the tribunal,
III the same matter.
Was the tribunal wrong in ordering him
to make the deposite? .Sibi imputent, let it
answer for its own errors. Was the inten-
dani culpable i'll receiving the =" librami-
entos" as specie2 He is then to be cen
sured: but lie has expressly made himself
responsible to the consulate for specie.
Let him then be held TO that responsible
l,ty- These may be questions between
HE government and lis officers, but il i,
certainly highly unjust that an individual
should be sacrificed to repair their errors.
VIII 1T be said that the :" libramientos"
delivered to the treasury, and credited TO
Meade, as cash, and held by the treasury
III deposite, and promised by the inten-
dant to be paid over as cash, are not
III fact, equivalent 10 cash Certainly
moi. The government will not pass their
condemnation on lis own securities. But
" Tie contrary suppostion were admissi-
BILE, even then MIR. Meade remains ex
empt from I'll responsibility for the Ill
bramlentos" IN question have been alrea.
dy passed INTO account, as paid in specie,
and have been cancelled BY the officer,
VINO had the competent authority 10 do
so. Nevertheless, the consulate, which.
by It's own act, bad precluded itself from
all future jurisdiction over Mr.. Meade, in
this matter, still persisted in IFS process
against him, and decreed that he should
pay over to that tribunal the sum which
he had previously deposited, by lis own
order, IN the treasury. Against this in
justice, MIR. Meade appealed to the supe.
rlor tribunal of the province, but its in
reference was overruled by the tribunal
of war, at Madrid and this letter con-
flrmed tile sentence of the consulate of
Cadiz
MIR. Meade was then obliged TO resort
to the sovereign, who issued the decree
OF August 10, 1915. (No. A. This decree
is, IN all It's parts, perfectly just. 1t sus-
ponds the proceedings of the consulate
against Meade, and acknowledges the
of ho
ing, as IT were, funds to be collected, for
etfecting the return of the money by the
InteDdaDt, to the end that If might be paid
into the consulate and that in the mean
time, till funds be collected for the pru-
pose OF etiecting the return of this de-
posife, the tribunal Of commerce shall
suspend all proceedings against Meade,
&c.
OF this decree neither party can com
PLAIN how then has il been reversed! If
there has been any delay i'm the payment
lo DC made by the treasury, that is MOI
meade's fault; the decree is illimiied ii
orders all proceedings against him to be
suspended TIL that obieci be effected.
IL IS not my purpose to call into qncs-
ton, the justice of Mr.. MDermots de-
mand, or 10 blame any OF his proceed
inSs ; bat what state with cOnhhenceis is.
that his claim is nowpYoperly OF the trea
sury or iBtcadant. II The consulate 1r
intendant have, III The course oftheirp pro
ceedIngs changed tie situation OF MIR.
MDermors case for Tie worse, they have
done him wrong, and il is of them flat
he should complain; but they have acted
IN virtue Of their regular faculties, and
have exOueraied sir. Meade; or had their
conduct been even illegal, yet Meadccau
not be made responsible for il he had
not any control over them, or any means
OF resisting them.