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foi. rii. a&aricn alette edited *i.yd published BY iA’S. F. GRANDISON. (on the bay) g 5 fier annum, /tayable in advance \ih'crti*ements will be inserted on the fol’ ing *erms:— Jttfc ■ ur (he first insertion, persquare, seventy cents; for*ach subsequent successjve in ion. thirty seven and a half cents? monthly ertisements seventy-five cents per square eacltinsertion. No advertisements con red less than a square. Ka< h person’s >erty advertised “by the Sheriff and Mar isconsidered a square, t hose not ac panted with written limits, ace continued iirbid, and each insertion charged, fes of land anti negroes, by Administra- Executors, or Guardiaps, are required *>, to be held on the first Tuesday in llie th, between the hours often in the fore i and three o’clock in the afternoon, at court-house of the county in which the ,e-tv is situate. Notice of these sales i be given.in a public gazette SIXTI i previous to the day of sale, otieeofthe sale of personal property t be given in like manner, FORTY days iot to the day of sale, oticeto the debtors and creditors of an ie must be published for FOR TY days, otice that application will be made ty the rt of Ordinary for leave to sell land, must lublished for NINE.MON THS. •tiers of D/sitfasion from an estate must üblished snfmonths. 6.TTERS (on business) must be post —or they may not meet with attention. WpOUjYTSofthc LATE PRESIDENT. I C Continuedfrom the last Gazette.J Hiving presented, above, a view of my His on the Government, in my several ■ons to Europe, l have now to invite a ■view of any which the government may lon me, which 1 do from tile same peri- Hit of 1794, to the present time, l wish ■ transaction of my life, in wliicli the He have anv interest,to be an occurrence Hbich may be sifted to the bottom, by Hntic and original documents, or by liv- Hstimony. Let both be appealed to Hi. books and papers, bank and others, Hen to your inspection, afid in, in ques- Hufdoubt, if there be any, let those of Hppi site party be referred to. Hn induced to invite this inquiry by rea- Hvliich appear to me so be inclusive.— Hgthe two last sessions of Congress, Hiittees were appointed to investigate Hie of public lots in this city, by Colonel Hlate superintendant of Public Huild- Ho whom that business had been com- Hi. The chairman ofthose Committees, Hied himself in each session, by an in- Hation of my conduct, not as a purcha ■ public lots, for I had never purchased Hut in the disbursment of the furniture ■ and in other transactions, of a private He, to which the power of the committee Ht extend. Although apprised of this Rlar proceeding,* and of its object, 1 Htlieless disregarded it. 1 was aware Hroneous impressions might be formed, Hspirions excited by it, to my prejudice ■ill this was a mortification which I could Hoid, and was doomed to suffer. Know- He ground on which I stood, in the dis- He of my public duties, as to intention Ht, I consoled myself with the reflec- Hlm it japuld only be temporary. A Hge waslft length sent to me, by the Hian of tle Committee, to inquire Hit-1 would attend the Committee, to Hitch explanations as might be required Rse points; or, if I should decline the in- Bnto attend, whether I would give the Hiations, m writing, in answer to a let- Htich he might address to me, for the Hk. My. reply was explicit, that I H neither attend the committee nor an- Hany letter which he might address to Hithe points to which he had extended Hvestigation; that, if the Committee Hi explanation, touching any part of my H conduct, they must seek it through Hess, and before the nation, where I was Hg and prepared to meet them. With Hifterwards occurred, you are w-ell ac- Bed. It is for these reasons that I in- Hour to attention to this subject,- and ■ wish your inquiry to be extended to ■ trust that I have held from my coun- IHat I may have an opportunity, before Htirement, to give all the explanations H> any case may require. He account for my mission to France, in H is before you, as is that for the mission Hance, Great Britain and Spain, which Hier.ced in 1803. In those missions, and Hiially that to France, in 1803, in which Hassociated with Mr. Livingston, great Hrs was granted to us. ami exercised ■moneys ’ I was, likewise, 4ix years in Hepartments of State and War, in the lat ■ which, l had a great agency, at a par ; Hr period, in obtaining loans of money, He support of our military operations, H” bte application of the money borrow- H> the objects intended by it It will 1 H.appear, that, under my direction, and H. v responsibility, with the sunctioit* of ■resident, loans were obtained from H s ui Albany, New-York, Philadelphia, B'oro, this District, Norfolk, Charleston, H't mnny of the Southern and Western For these extra services, which Haul of the pressure and exigences of-. ‘Bar. 1 neyer asked, expeeted, or would H'e, one cent; nor should I now notice ■-except as they involved a responsibili- H to money,the most delicate of all trusts. •>y earnest desire that - my coiuluct in “Hi may now he thoroughly investigated, f®>r th e reasons stated. Inviting this in- DARIEN Wmt ‘GAZETTE. vestigation, I will now proceed to minor details, arising from on me, in this office, and to that rela ting to the disbursement of*he Furniture fund, and the incidents connected with it. Two acts have been passed relating to this fund. The first, on the 3d of march, 1817, the second, on the 20th of April, 1818. By the first, 20,000 dollars were appropriated, and, by the second, 30,000 dollars more, — By these acts, the money was to be laid out for such articles as the President might di rect. It was their obvious import that the articles should be designated by him,* but that the pwchase of them should be made byname person whom he might appoint for the purpose.* For the service no commis sion or compensation was authorized by ei ther act. The employment -of an agent, however, was indespensible: for indepen dent of the obligation to do it, which seem ed to be imposed by the law, it was impos sible for the President, regarding his other duties, to perform this, in all its details, without injury to others of greater impor tance. In executing this trust, it was my object to pursue strictly, the intention of ‘Congress, according to my understanding of it. -The building was extensive, and its apartments spacious, all indicating the national purpose for which it was intended. Wilh the house, and its object, it was thoughtjAliat the fur niture should correspond. Snch as suited life small rooms of a private dwelling, would not suit (hose this large edifice. Many of the articles required, could be procured from Europe only, such as Plate, Mirrors, Chandeliers, Carpets, China, &c. Others might be obtained in the country, and it was certainly proper to procure, at home, all that could be obtained, suited to the building.— Whether procured at home or abroad, it was necessary that they should be manufactured according to order, for the room for which tlffey were intended, and be of good qual ity, strong, massive, and durable. To execute any plan, it was necessary that furniture should be provided for immediate use. The furniture in the former building had been destroyed with it, and the little which had been purchased afterwards, for the accommodation of my predecessor, in the house which been rented for him, had, of necessity, been procured in haste, was of trifling value, and unsuited to the new building. It was obvious that, if the sum first appropriated should be laid out in the purchase of such articles as might be found in the shops, already made, 4 or be bought at sales, at second hand, the fund would be, in a great measure;''exhausted, and in procuring such as were or interior quality It Was equally obvious that the sum first appropria ted, on the best estimate that could be form ed of the articles necessary for the building, and of their prices, would be altogether in adequate. U nder these circumstances, I was compelled to use my own furniture, and for an indefinite term, for, if the alternative of procuring such only as suited the building, was adopted, respecting which I did not hesitate, it was altogether uncertain within what time it might be obtained. I had fur niture in a limited extent, of good quality, plate, drawing-room, bed-room, kitchen, &c, most of which I had procured while abroad, and the residue for my accommodation in the Department of State. It was my inten tion to have sold tins furniture, and I should have sold it immediately after my election, but for the reason stated, “having an urgent occasion for the money it might raise, and which I could not otherwiseweadily com mand. There were two modes by which I might take my furniture into use—one, by selling it, at public sale, to the highest bidder, and having it bought by a private agent —the other, by having it valued, by men of high character, and by taking it at the valuation. The latter was preferred, for obviousyeasons andparticularlv from the consideration that, if there should be no other appropriation, which was uncertain, there could be no sale, and, in consequence, however long the term for which I might use it, I should be com pelled to retake it, without receiving any indemnity for its use, or the injury it might sustain. My furniture was valued at §9,050, as will be seen by the report made by the citizens who were selected for the purpose. By recurring to the valuation, it will also be seen that fully one-half 6f the articles con sisted of Plate, Mirrors, and China, which undergo little change, if any, by use. In deqiding on .the plan which 1 adopted for furnishing the house, I availed myself, in aid of my own experience and exertion's, and of those of my family, of the good offices of others to whom I might with propriety ap ply. As no compensation was allowed tor the service, I could ask such aid from none but the officers of the Government and par ticular friends. It was for this reason that my attention wa3 drawn to Mr. Lee, Second Auditor of public accounts, and to Col. Lane, Superintendant of Public Buildings, and who rendered all the service in their power, the first in digesting the plan for furnishing the house, and in contracting for, and receiving flic articles when delivered, and the other in taking charge of the fund, and disbursing it. With Mr. I.ee, 1 had become acquainted in my first mission to Franoe, where he long served his country as Consul at Bordeaux, and with Col. Lane from the time of his ap pointment as superintendant of the Public Buildings, by my predecessor, shortly after the peace. In executing the plan decided on, a remit tance was made by the Secretary of the Trea surypf 12,000 dollars to our bankers in Hol s land, subject to the order of Joseph Russell, of Boston, then residing in Paris, for the purchase of articles there, according to a list i and estimate that were sent to him. Other 2000 dollars were also sent to James Yard, of Philadelphia, for the purchase of articles ordered there, and contracts were entered | into for other urtieles, in this district, and DARIEN, (georcia,) €QUaI anti <£jract 3|Utftice. TUESDAY, APRIL 5 1825. - elsewhere, for the fulfilment of which l was made responsible. The remaining 6000 dol lars were advanced to me on account of my furniture, which were repaid in ihe autumn of that year, on the delivery of the furniture thus contracted for. For full information respecting the mo tive and condition on which ! took my furni ture into use, I refer you to three letters, two of which were addressed to Colonel Lane, and the third to the First Auditor of Pu blic Accounts. The first bears date on j the 28th of April, 1817, soon after my elec tion to this office, the second, on the 24-th April, 1818, immediately after the second ap propriation was made, and the third on the 28th February, 1821, when it was under stood that Col. Lane intended to settle his furniture account. By the first, I was bound to retake my own furniture, if a further ap propriation should not be made, however long 1 might have used it, without any in demnity for it; and by the second, L was boundto retake, unconditidhally, notwith standing the appropriation which had then been made, and to repay the money which had been advanced* (9 me for it when I re tired from office, ’lme third letter, that to the First Auditor, is explanatory of the principles on which I acted, and with which 1 thought it proper that he should then be made acquainted.* It will be seen by the documents in the Treasury Department, that, when I entered into the agreement, or made the declaration which is contained in the second letter to the Superintendant of the Public Buildings, I had repaid the sum which had been ad vanced to me by him on account of my own furniture, being less by one-third than that at which it had been valued by. very respec table and disinterested men, and was actual ly in advance in fulfilment of contracts which had been entered into in this District and in Philadelphia, upwards of two Thousand dol lars from my own funds,.and was further pledged for large additional sums for the furniture which had been ordered and re ceived from France, and engaged in this city and elsewhere. Had I been able to have executed by other means a purpose which I had in part executed, and to the completion of which I attached great interest, I would not, notwithstanding the appropriation, have taken one cent of the money on aocount of my own furniture. 6v binding myself to re take it, f meant to guard against the contin gency of my death by placing the affair en tirely under the control of the Government, not doubting, in that event, on a full view of all circumstances, that justice would be done to my family. The letter to the First Audi • tor, which was written when it wus exp'ected that Col. Lane would have settled his furni ture Account*, gave this explanation of the transaction, and appropriated also the funds, in case the furniture should be retaken, by whicli the money which had been advanced to me should be repaid.f Having observed that I had* a pressing demand for a sum of money when I came m- offic£* which I could not readily com mand otherwise than By means of my furni ture, it is proper that I should state thecause. Having witnessed in the late warthe defence ess condition of our maritime frontier, and felt most sensibly its pernicious effect, while acting in the Department of War, and Con gress having decided at the peace to estab lish a chaimof fortifications along the coast, and, to augment the Navy to a certain extent)!’ and to establish naval depots and dock-yards, at certain distances, I resolved to give prompt ly every impulse, and all the aid in my pow er, to this very important national undertak ing. I had had some experience in the wars ot my own country, and had likewise paid attention to works of the kind in my missions to Europe. I thought therefore, that, by ex amining (he great inlets, and the command ing ground bearing on each, l should be bet ter enabled to judge of the reports which might be made through the proper depart ments, by the Engineers and Naval Commis sioners appointed to survey the coast, res pecting the sites and nature of ihose works, than I could otherwise possibly be. 1 thought also, that, by leaking this inspection in per son, 1 might, from the office which I held, draw the public attention more forcibly to the object, and stimulate the officers engag. ed in the work% and in the public service generally, to a more vigorous and efficient discharge of their duty. In 1817, the first year of my service, I visited the coast, and every important inlet from the ocean, espe cially those leading to our principal cities, from Baltfmore to Portland, thence, through ! New-Hampshire, and Vermont, by Rouse’s • Point, on Lake Champlain, along the north* • ern frontier, through the Chatougue woods, : to St. Lawrence, thence, to Sackett’s Har- j bor, and by. Lake Ontario, to the Niagara.; Strait, and By Lake Erie to Detroit; thence, ; back, to Sandusky, through the state of Ohio, ! and by the Cumberland road, to which some attention was due, to this City. In the en- j ailing year, the business pressing in this quar ter, I viewed the works on the Potomac, and examined the entrances into the St. Mary’s, York, and James rivers, passing by Norfolk, to’ 1 Elizabeth City, on the Albemarle Sound. The season being far advanced when Con gress adjourned, I could not then proceed farther. In 1819,1 passed by the same route j through (he Southern States, by Charleston, and Savannah, along the Southern frontier, •For the first letter, see copy of account as settled with the Accounting Department, page 61. For the second, see original do cument in possession of the sth Auditor; and for the third, see copy of a letter to the Ist Auditor, of February 28th, 1821, and of ano ther letter to him of the sth March, 1822. ffiee my message to Congress of the 9th February, 1818, suggesting the measures which it was thought that it would be ex pedient to adopt, by permanent regulation, in regard to pumic furniture andthebuilding. through the Cherokee nation, the states ot Alabama, Tennessee, part of Indiana, through Kentucky, back to this City. In those routes, and as I thought in that service, for had 1 not so considered it, 1 should certainly never have undertaken them, I expended a larger sum than niy furniture amounted to. Had 1 not received the money fox it, or raised it by the sale of other property, 1 could not have made that inspection. The documents relating to a partiular item, the transporta tion afforded me, unsought and unexpected, though useful, by the General Post Office Department, for a part of the distance, not more than one-third, in 1816,. amounting to one thousand nine hundred and twelve dol lars, will give an idea of the expenseattend ing those visits. I inspected, at the same time, our manu factory of arms at Springfield, our public ar senals, and our garrisons, along the coast and in the interior, with a view to stimulate, also, all those who were employed at those stations to a falhful discharge of their respec tive duties. Having been long employed in negotia tions with three of the principal powers of Europe, the great object of which was to prevent war, as has been alre-dy shewn, I knew well, fbr I had never studied any sub ject with so much attention and solicitude, the dangers to which wc were exposed, and the means of averting them,"so far as it was possible to avert them. I made this inspec tion, therefore, under a firm conviction that the completion of those works, military and naval, would be of incalculable advantage to our Union, in all its most vital interests; that, by their moral effect on other powers, they \yould tend to prevent war, and prolong the intervals and,hlessings of peace; that, when war should be inevitable,‘they would dimin ish its calamities; that they would, in an emi nent degree, promote economy; that they would strengthen the bond of Union itself, and thereby give a njw and most powerful support to our Republican system of Gov ernment. Being deeply impressed with sentiments, and having so recently re ceived the highest .proof of the confidence of my countrj, I was willing, though then indelicate health, to make this exertion, at my own expense, from a strong feeling of gratitude to my fellow citizens for the kind ness shewn me. It is proper to add, that the expese attending those visits was much di minished by the hospitality ans accommoda tion afforded me throughout the Union, and especially in the principal cities, where the expense was greatest. Whether it will be proper for the Chief Magistrate to make occasional visits through the States, or any of them, during his ser vice, is a subject into which I do not enter, nor is it involved in those which l made. Sites for fortifications and dock-vards were to be fixed, and the works to be commenced and executed with judgment and despatch. A single visit to all the points in question was sufficient for the object contemplatbe, which being made the repetition would ed unnecessary. The sites being established on principle, would require no change, nor admit of any, and the works being well exe cuted, would last, with occasional repairs for ages. Having shewn, above, the manner in which the agency of the furniture fund was dis charged, and explained the transaction re. latingto my own furniture,! will now pro ceed to other details, with which it is equal ly necessary that you should be made thoroughly -acquainted. I allude to my private account with Col. I.ane, of which, in, the items, and the cause which produced it, I will give an explanation equally minute. By the agreement with Col. l ane, as agent for the Furniture Fund, respecting my own furniture, an ‘ the advances made by him to me, in consequence thereof, an account was formed between us. This was much increased afterwards in the items and no minal amount, by the advances which 1 made from my own funds, between the first and second appropration, forthepubliefurniture, exceeding, by several thousand dollars, the sums'previously received from him, and by the repayment, by him to me, of those ad vances. Other circumstances occurred to make this account still more extensive. In my absences from the city after I en tered the building, especially dis tances, and even on visits to the* country, afterwards, it would have been very improp er for me to have left it arid all the plate and furniture in it, in the charge of servants only Had 1 done so, and had any disaster occurred, it would have been a cause of great afflic tion to me. No provision of any kind had been made by law, for its protection, so that it was incumbent on me to make| the best that I could, at my own expense. The state of the building when I entered it, and for aconsderable time afterwards, ma le such precautions for its safety, and for that of the property within, even while I was present, absolutely necessary. There were then employed about it, not less than fifty work men, and a like number werethus employed, for the two succeeding years. 1 may* add, that scarcely a summer has since elapsed, during which, nearly as many have not been employed about the house or the grounds around it, within the inclosure; so that even when I was present, it has required my constant attention to preserve order, and to protect the interior from injury. During my absences, this care was committed to , Colonel Lane. As Superintendent, he would have control of the Architect, and through him, of the workmen, and thereby be bet ter enabled, than any other person could be, to protect the House and property within | it, from injury. I always left a steward and ! several servants there, but they were not 1 equal to the duty. It required a public of . ficer, invested with competent authority for the purpose. The charge of the House necessarily involved that of the whole es j tablishment, including the servant, over whom I gave him control. To accomplish iheobject, lie generally resided in the House. For the servants, I always made provision, as l did for him, by the advance of money f sometimes to him, and sometimes to t)i e steward, for it was far from my intention, he should incur one cent’s expense, on my account, or on his own, in rendering that service. I had repeatedly requested Coionel Lane to settle his account for furniture, for which I considered myself responsible, notwith standing his agency, and to settle also his private account w ith me; but the former he declined, for the want of some vouchersofar ticles received and paid for, as I understood, from Pittsburg, and the latter he avoided, as I inferred,from a desire to settle his ptmhc account first. When it was manifest m 1822 that his health was declining, I pressed'lie settlement of his furniture account, which was accomplished, by the aid of his clerk. I wished much to have settled then, our pri vate account also knowing that there could be no difficulty between him and me. but, his indisposition increasing, so that his recov ery was at lengh despaired of, 1 declined it from motives of delicacy, preferring to make i the settlement with his representative, im ; mediately after his demise, l authorized Mr. Hay to settle that account, and on the most liberal principles. I continued to him my bank books, and all my other papers, for his | own inspection, and for that also of Colonel 1 Lane’s executor, and particularly enjoined it on him to admit every item’ without re gard to vouchers, which he should have rea son to believe had been advanced to the Re ward, or otherwise applied to my use, and which he did, with a reservation reciprocal, that the account should still be open to rev-i ----sionand correction, should it afterwards ap pear that any :tem had been omitted, or been improperly charged, on either side. Ot the sum which became due by that settlement, which exceeded far my anticipation, the ; greater part was immediately paid. “I he j delay in paying the balance has proceeded from a deire to examine, at my leisu*e,all the documents relatingtotransactions, with many of which I was altogether ignorant, and with some of the parties to them unacquainted; from a belief also, as no receipts had ever been taken for personal advances to him, that all the credits to which I was entitled, had not been allowed me. It will appear by the items and their dates, that he never advanced to me one cent di rectly, except on account of my furniture, nor one cent more on that account than was supposed to be due me at the time, taking into consideration theaum at which it had been valued, and the amount which 1 had paid for the public furniture which had been delivered in between the first and second appropriation. “I he principal items are, 1,500 dollars, which he paid to the Patriotic Bank, and the sums which he likewise paid to Russell & La Fourque, of France, and to Mr. Yard, of Philadelphia. Respecting the first mentioned sum, a note from Mr Carr, the cashier of that bank, will explain the cir cumstances under which the pay ment was made. By this, it is evident that it was not by my desire, nor with my knowledge. It will aiso be seen, by comparing dates, hat it was made at a time when there was due to me, beyond the temporary advance which had been made on account of my furniture, upwards of 3,000 dollars, independentlv of the sums which 1 was, immediately after wards, paying from my own tunds, for the furniture delivered in before the second ap. propriatinn. Respecting the other two items I have to add, lhat, when the furniture was ordered from France, through the agency of Mr. Russell, and from Philadelphia, by that of Mr. Yard, I requested those gentlemen, with whom I had been long acquainted, and for whom I had great personal regard, to procure for. and sendto, me, from each place certain articles and supplies on my private account, and to draw on me for the amount. Mr. Russell’s letters show that he so under stood it. The furniture, however, received from France, having exceeded considerably the 12,000 dollars which had been remitted to him. he drew for the balance, and also for the sum due on my private account, on me, in the same bill, which, being presented to Col. Lane, was paid by him. To Mr. Yard 1 had remitted 4,500 dollars, which I had supposed would not only pay for his engage ments for me, but go far to satisfy the de mands against the public, as was, in fact, the case. The list, however, being enlarged, a balance of about 2,000 dollars remained due on account of the furniture he had purchas ed, and for which he drew on Col. Lane, who paid it. As I had previously remitted to Mr; Yard upwards of 2,000 dollars more than I owed him on my private account, and he knew that Col. Lane was the agent for the furniture fund, it was natural that he should draw on him for the balance, and equally so that he should pay it. Neither could the one have received that balance, nor tlie oth er have paid it, on my private account, or on any other account than that of the puhlic furniture. Nor could it be known that I owed to Col. Lane that sum or any other, until account for the public furniture, as well as his private account with me, should be first settled. Os the other items, no par ticular explanation is deemed necessary• It is manifest that they grew out of the charge which he hadot the house and house hold establishment in my absences from the i city. No authority to pay any of them has been shown, nor has it been urged, that the articles furnished were furnished by my or der, os with my knowledge. As I had advanced a considerable sum from my own funds between ‘lie first and second appropriation, and was frequently paying, ; afterwards, for smaller items and repairs, it was impossible fbr me to know the precise state of our private account, until he should have first settled his public one. Being re | sponsible, also, for the sums placed in his ,\‘o. 14.