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to the P vc, of which the court was before
composed. In this state of the case M’Dcr-
mot presented a petition, stating that Mr. M.
was about to-leave Spain, and praying that
tie should be compelled to pay the money or
be put in confinement, and the order was ac
cordingly granted (through the influence of
tire British minister) by the five primitive
judges, though the king hail expressly de
creed that no measure should be taken in tlje
case of Mr. Meade but with the presence of
the new judges. On the 2d May, 1816, Mr.
Meade was seized and imprisoned in the cas
tle of St. Catalina, and confined in a dun
geon, with a sentinel at his door, and for se
veral months locked up at night.
The minister of the United States,Mr Err
ing, has mude strong remonstrances to the
Spanish government against these unjust and
cruel persecutions of an American citizen •;
those remonstrances have drawn from the
king an order to the council to despatch Mr.
Meade’s case j.but there is at this time strong
reason to believe that, while such an ordep
is given to amuse the American minister, iy
secret order is given to delay the decision
us the present state of the treasury woulij
render the payment of the money inconveni
ent, it being apparent that the money must
be paid on the liberation of Mr. Meade.
■ For corroboration of the principal facts of
the foregoing statement and particularly those
respecting the deposite and the circumstances
under which it was made, the president is re
ferred to the documents herewith sent. Copies
of those relating to Mr. Erving’s correspon
dence with the Spanish government have al
so been transmitted to the department of state
at Washington.
The undersigned, in making this appeal to
the president, will not presume to add a sin
gle comment, but must await the result with
trembling anxiety; she cannot however avoid
respectfully intimating a hope, that if kindly
disposed to act. efficiently in a case so inte
resting to Mr. Meade and his family, the pre
sident will adopt some other means of attain
ing this purpose, than through the agency of
Mr. Erving, it being now perfectly ascer
tained, that the representations of that gentle
man to the Spanish government in Mr. M’s
case are not received with that respect> or
attended to with that promptness and desire
of accommodation, due to their justice, to his
station and conduct, or to the character of the
country he represents. On the contrary his
communications have been treated with
marked disregard, or answered by trifling
equivocations, insomuch as to render his ex
ertions useless.
MARGARET MEADE,
Wife of Richard W. Meade.
Philadelphia, Dec- 4. 1813.
tempts to effect his "Silence, t gave him - a blow.
Frequent outrage added to frequent insult,' pro
voked this disagreeable censeqttencc.
Mortified that I should so far forget myself as
to raise my arm against any- officer holding a
commission in the service of the United States,
however improper his conduct might have been,
and however just the cauae, I immediately, in
conformity of this principle, offered to' make
such an apology as should be proper for bbth ;
this proposal was refused, which precluded the
necessity of any further overtures. The offer
was consonant to the views of the most distin
guished officers of the squadron, after being
made fully acquainted with every particular.
From my having been educated in'the strictest
discipline of the Navy, in which, respect and o-
bedience to a superior was instilled into my
mind as a fundamental and leading principle ;
and from a natural disposition to chastise inso
lence and impertinence immediately when of
fered me, even in private life, must be inferred
the burst of indignant feeling which, prompted
me to inflict personal satisfaction on an officer
who thus daringly outraged the vital interests of
the service in lus own person.
I have thus gone through this unpleasant reci
tal with as much candor and conciseness as pos
sible. 1 might indeed detail to you other acts
of delinquency in this officer, but I will not fur
ther weary you with the circumstances of this
Unfortunate affair, but confinfe myself to the re
quest that you will be pleased to order a court
martial, as you may see fit, to examine into the
causes which led to this seeming infraction of
the laws of the navy.
Aftter eighteen years of important and ardu
ous services in the cause of my country, it can
hardly be imagined that I have any disposition to
infringe that discipline which is the pride and or
nament of the navy ; and to prevent any inten
tion being falsely ascribed to me, I beg you will
give immediate attention to this request, tlmt the
navy, as well as my country, shall be satisfied of
the integrity of my motives.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully,
O. H. PERRY.
I. Chauncey,esq.
Alabamatemto r y,fIic lands lately acquiredIfrom
the Chickasaw and Chocktaw Indiaus, and au
jacent to said district.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at
ington City to the editor of the Raleigh Min
erva, dated Feb. 21. . ..... j
Uniformbankruptcy bill.—The leading, indeed
the only measure of consequence that has arisen
in the house of representatives during the week
which ends with this day, is a bill to establish in
the United States an uniform system of bank
ruptcy. As it was one of the subjects on which
the old leaven was likely if not certain of operat
ing, it was foreboded that much controversy
would arise out of it, and that prejudices and
passions would have much influence over the de
cisions even of men who all the time would not
be aware that they were deviating from the
straight line of impartiality and sound policy.—
As was expected, the hill was from the first open
ing of it, to this evening, when the first question
was taken upon the subject, opposed with much
obstinacy. Mr. Hopkinson who reported the bill,
gave onMonday last a concise history of bankrupt
cy, deducing it from the earlist times of Rome,
when the claims of the creditor were exacted with
the most shocking barbarity, and when the debt
or and bis family were left to the mercy of the
creditor to be sold into foreign bondage—up to
the present period, when England refining and
improving the law, gradually, by its own experi
ments brought it to the present condition, in which
it was considered as being beneficial to both par-
debtor and creditor; reconciling humanity
ealBog upon congress for some aid or privilege
renlinding government of the enormous privileZ
that hailteengranted to the southern states*
the score of. their slave representation in c *n
gress, and advisingjthem to return liberality^
liberality. Mr. Williams of Conneeticqt too ad.
ded to the great weight of reasoning by
judicious argument, and yesterday Mr.
IMasoa
showed, by a very able speech, that the subject
was far from being exhausted. Mr. Colson,»
Virginia member, took a decided part in favor'of
the bill, establishing that high claim to honor and
consideration as a faithful national legislator
which a disdain of narrow local interests and psr,
tial views must ever confer. That one deed hu
done more for that gentleman’s legislative chi-
racter than could the labor of many sessions in.
dependent of it.—Finally, Mr. Hopkinson closed : 1
the debate by going sentence by sentence,(fik» i
question and answer) into a refutation and expo,
sure of the futility of the several arguments offer
ed in opposition.
DOMESTIC.
COM. PERRY’S STATEMENT & DEFENCE.
V. 8. ship Java, Tunis Bay, Oct. 8th 1816.
Sir—I am under the painful'necessity of in
forming you of a circumstance and of detail
ing to you the causes which led to an event of
a very unpleasant nature.
The apparent violation of the laws of my
country, which maybe imputed to me in my hav
ing offered personal violence to the captain of
the marine guard of this ship, 1 trust will be in
a great measure extenuated by the consideration
that, although I do not absolutely defend this
mode of redress, yet I insist the consequences
were produced by a sufficient provocation
The general deportment of Captain Heath to
wards me, so contrary to the usual address of
my officers, ami moreover, his marked insolence
to me in many instances, induced me to believe
that his conduct proceeded from a premeditated
determination to insult me on every occasion.
His palpable neglect of duty on several im
portant emergencies, together with the usual in
dolence and inattention to the calls of his office,
made it a desirable object with me to solicit his
removal the first convenient opportunity, not on
ly to obtain a more active and vigilant officer,
but to save him the rigorous scrutiny of a court
martial.
I will now sir, narrate to you, the circumstan
ces which have thus compelled me to addressyou.
On the evening of Sept. 16th last, while this
ship lay at anchor in the harbor of Mesina, two
of ner marines deserted by jumping overboard
and swimming on shore. Informed of the fact,
captain Heath, as their commanding officer, was
immediately sent for and acquainted therewith,
but he refused to go on deck, alledging as a rea
son therefor, the subterfuge of indisposition. I
then repeated the order for him to come on deck
and muster the marines. This duty he executed
in so careless and indifferent a manner, and at
the same time neglecting to report to me until
called by me and requested to do so, that (con
scious that such on occasion ought to animate the
most careless and inattentive officer, to decision
and promptitude) I Was induced from such a
manifest neglect of duty, to say to him, “ that
he mjght go below, and should do no more duty
on board the Java.
On the evening of the 18th Sept, he addressed
me a letter, written by himself, which he caused
to be laid on the table in the cabin, and which 1
received at a very late hour. The letter being
couched in language which I deemed indecorous
and disrespectful, I sent for him, and demanded
why he had thus addressed me, and particularly
why he.had selected a time so obviously imprnp
er. He immediately assumed a manner so high
ly irritating and contemptuous, that I believed it
iny duty to arrest him, (after having expressed
to him my indignation at such conduct) and for
this purpose sent for the second marine officer,
at the same time ordering him to be silent. In
utter disregard of this order, though repeatedly
warned of the consequences of his disobedience,
he persevered in the same irritating tone and
manner, until at length, after reiterating at-
Mr. President, gentlemen of the Court.—( shall
confine myself to a few brief remarks, on the
subject which has brought me before this honor-'
able court, begging leave to refer them td my
letter to the commander in chief, requesting this
court martial for a detail of circumstances, trust
ing that a character gained in a long and.honor-
able service, is safe in the possession of gentle
men of your rank and professional respectability.
I am deprived of a most important witness in
my favor by the absence of Mr. Anderson, who
was present at the commencement of the affair j
(the time the conduct of the prosecutor was most
offensive ;) it is my good fortune however, that
several of the members of this court have fre
quently heard him express his opinion of the
provoking and insulting conduct of Capt. H.
particularly on his entrance into my cabin ; this
cannot fail"to have its weight on the minds of
the court, as from the peculiar situation of a cap
tain (and such was mine) he may be iusqlted
when alone in his cabin, while Ids prosecutor
shall have the advantage of corporals and pri
vates stationed at his door to distort and mangle
circumstances and language imperfectly seen or
heard. Although^ had been so highly insulted by
capt.' Heath not only, on this occasion, but on
others, yet as I had raised my ham! against him
while holding a comniision, I immediately, from
that consideration, offered him prompt and hon
orable atonement, as will appear by the paper
signed by capt. Crane, and lieut. Macpherson,
wliich they deemed sufficient, and earnestly re
commended to his acceptance, but notwithstand
ing this officer had before suffered a blow, and for
which he was content to receive moderate satis
faction, yet this was too favorable an opportunity
to give liis commander (who had so frequently
overlooked his offences ) trouble, to let pass. I
must appeal to the knowledge the president and
members of this respectable court have of my
general character for a refutation of these charg
es, and 1 ask if it is possible that I could in mere
wantonness, commit an act of violence. No, gen
tlemen, it was the outrageous conduct of this offi
ccr, that produced the consequences that rdsul
ted—I will therefore leave my case in your
hands, with perfect confidence in y'&ur justice
and liberal construction of the delicate situation
in which I am, and was then placed, with one
more remark, viz. the evident contradiction of
the testimony and a misrepresentation of a part
thereof.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wednesday, February 18.
Mr. Hugh Nelson from the committee appoint
ed on the judiciary, reported a bill for the more
convenient organization of the courts of the Unit
ed States, and for the appointment of circuit
judges. [Providing that the judges of the su
preme court shall from and after J^pril next,cease
to perform the duties of circuit judges ; that the
supreme court shall consist permanently of one
chief justice and four associate justices, whene
ver vacancies shall reduce it to that number
that this court shall be hidden in May and JYe-
cember, annually ; that there be appointed eight
circuit judges, to hold circuit courts twice a year
in the several districts, in conjunction with the
district judges, &c.] The bill was twice read
and committed.
On motion of Mr, Slocumb, “ resolved, that
the secretary of war be requested to lay before
this house information whether any of the pay
masters of the armies of the United States, dur
ing the late war, have failed to perform their du
ty in making their returns and settlements, and
the names of the delinquents, and the reason why
coersive measures have not been used to compel
a performance of that duty.
On motion of Mr. Edwards ^resolved, that
the committee on the public lands be instructed
to enquire into the expediency of adding to the
land district established at St. Stephens,in the
to the one with justice to the other.—He then
brought it home to this country, by calling the at
tention of the house to that provision of the con
stitution in Which the convention who framed
that instrument, being aware of the future ne
cessity of such a law as this to the commerce of
the United States, delegated to congress the pow
er to establish an uniform system cf bankruptcy,
under which power the bill now in question was
proposed. He then proceeded to show that the
enterprise which distinguished our people, ani
mating them to the boldest hazards, while the
eonllcts between the European bclligerants, and
thedisputes in which we were ourselves engaged,
rendered the prosecution of commercial enter
prise extremely hazardous, Imd accumulated in
the United States a mass of insolvency, which,
by leaving, under defective state laws, the cre
ditor exposed to the frauds of the debtor, and on
the other hand leaving the debtor at the mercy of
the creditor, called aloud on congress to interpose
for the benefit of both. Ife drew a lively picture
of the profligate frauds committed in most parts
of the union, under the abuse of the state laws,
wliich afforded to debtors such facility to cheat
their creditors, that the latter were at length ren
dered so hopeless of ever getting any part of the
property in possession of the debtor at the time
of his taking the benefit of the insolvent law of
most of the states, that they never took the pains
to look after it: so that in most cases the credit
or entirely lost his property and had nothing in
return for it but the right to fall upon and sue the
debtor if he should ever find him possessed of
property. ^ This Mr. H. considered to be a
great evil m this respect, that by fettering down
the efforts of the debtor, he was disqualified from
filling liis functions in society, from benefiting
the commonwealth, and from supporting his fa
mily—driving him to the necessity of living by
stealth upon the concealed property of his cre
ditors. The object of the bill he said, was to ena
ble any of the creditors, upon any act of the debt
or’s affording evidence ot his insolvency to save
the whole property and have it fairly divided by
the proper authorities, according to the amount
ot their debts, among all the creditors ; after
wliich the debtor should, upon two thirds of the
creditors consenting to it, be absolved forever
from all responsibility for those debts, and be en
abled to. begin the world, unobstructed by his
creditors. Every topic that could inflame dislike
or enlist public prejudice against the measure,
was either asserted or insinuated.—To awaken
jealousies against the bill, it was described as a
grant of privileges distinct and exclusive to mer-
chants—who were to be rttade by it a privileged
body ; when all the time the only privilege grant
ed by the bill was that of those favored persons
being compelled to disgorge the property they
might secret; and, for that purpose, to have their
‘‘houses entered by force and searched as the law
does in case of stolen goods.” “ Why (they
asked) was not this privilege granted to the ag
riculturalists ?” As if any agriculturalist would
be benefitted by an act, which if he happed to owe
two or tvree. hundred dollars that be could not
pay the instant it was due, would cause himself
to be sued as a bankrupt and all his effects takcu
from him, and sold for the benefit of his creditors.
But this is not all—because, in England, they
hang bankrupts for concealing their effects, our
orators would infer that under our new law, oui
poor debtors, who, good souls, should, according
to the usual custom among us, conceal their cre
ditor’s property, must necessarily be hanged also,
—though no such thing was to be found in the bill
or ever was contemplated. Indeed, what must
be thought of that assortment of arguments, of
which one, and that one of the best ot them too,
should be this, that we ought not to make laws
to prevent forgery, because forget-y being punish
ed with hanging in England’ our law in that re
spect must necessarily punish with a rope also—
and I do declare, that there was not one argu
ment uttered against the law, of a more solid
quality than these I now mention. Perhaps it
never fell to the lot of such arguments to be so
ably answered, as on this occasion. Mr. Ser-
geantdelivercda speechofsuch powerful argument
as, if the casehau been discussed before abend)
of judges, would.haVe precluded the necessity of
saying a word more upon it. Mr. Mills ol Mas
sachusetts, the day after, threw a multitude of
new lights upon the subject, exposing the fallacy
of the objections taken to the bill, and the unfair
attempts to raise prejudices against it by insinua
tions addressed to the popular jealousies. Mr.
Stores or New York, too, reasoned upon the mat
ter with great force and ability, repelling an in
sinuation that the commercial states were always
Petersburg, January 30—Report of the com.
mittee appointed to accompany the engineer, col.
Baldwin, in a survey from Roanoke to Peters
burg.
Having proceeded, agreeable to an order from
the common hall of the town of Petersburg, to
accompany col. Baldwin, (he state engineer, on
a survey of the Roanoke to 'Appomattox river,
with a view of ascertaining the most practicable
course for a canal between the said rivers, »e
now respectfully report the following summary
of our progress, viz :
After several days spent in exploring the mar
gin of Roanoke, for 20 or 23 miles, in Mecklen
burg county, to where the Carolina line intersect!
the Roanoke, and also the several creeks and
country in that distance between the two rivetn
Mehcrrin and Roanoke, to ascertain the mostc-
ligible point to commence, and course to pursae ■
the survey, and considering it useless to go high. -
er up the Roanoke, or at all into North-Carolini, 1
we Commenced the survey of Mile’s creek « :
Goode’s ferry on Roanoke, continuing the count;
in the dividing ridge—distance from Roanoke to
the summit of the ridge 13 miles, and 232 feet
above the level of Roanoke—thence to Meherrim
5 miles, at the mouth of Mountain’s creek, g
miles below Davis’s mill. Here we found the
bed of the Meherrin 10 feet above that of Roan
oke. We crossed the Melierrin, and took our
departure opposite to the mouth of Mountain)
creek, with a level of 20 feet above the bed ot
Meherrin, meandering along its banks, and prw-
serving said level some .miles below Brunswick
courthouse—thence to Nottoway river, at the
Cut Bank bridge, the bed of which we found to
be 70 feet below our level—thence along the
stage road, to the foot of a cedar tree, in the Ha
lifax road, at Kirkham’s, 85 feet below ourlevd
thence to high water mark, 143 feet fall to Ap-
lomattox, at M‘Neill’s bridge : Distance from
toanoke 89 miles and a few rods, and 198 feet
below the level of Roanoke, at Goode’s ferry.
A further detail of the survey made by tbe
committee, is considered unnecessary on their y
part, as the engineer will make a regular reput <
to the board of public works, a copy of which u»
be procured in course, and which will particub*.
ly shew all the bearings, distances, ascents altd
descents, of every station—together with the
various obstructions to be surmounted through,
out the whole survey, and we suppose with a pro
bable estimate of the cost. It may. not however
be unnecessary to explain the plan by which it is
deemed practicable to make a navigable comma*
nication between the two rivers. Mjles’s creek,
at the mouth of which the survey was commenc
ed, can be made a medium to look ib and out of
Roanoke, at a level of about 100 feet above the
Roanoke, which level may be varied more or lesi,
as the nature of the ground may be found to ad
mit, and can be driven into the dividing ridge,
by cutting 40 or 50 feet deep towards the centre,
on both sides, so as to reduce the funnel to about
2 or 3 miles through the ridge—then to dim
Mountain’s creek to this level, and proceed with
a canal from this dam to Davis's mill, on Meher
rin, where a dam can be readily made 40 or 50
feet high, and look into this dam or pond, out of
the canal, from Mountain’* creek—from thence
commence a canal at an additional heightof 20to
30 feet to that with which we Started from
Meherrin to Nottoway, as stated in the survey
The great advantage contemplated by this addi
tional level, is, that it may serve so much to o-
vercome some high land between Meherrin and
Nottoway, and from which level we may easily
descchd at Nottoway to any convenient level that
will readily come to the Appomattox.
An opinion as to the practicability of this desi
rable object, may possibly be expected from the
committee :—On that score they can only state
their concurrence with the engineer in several
conversations, that is, that the object is practi
cable ; and as he very justly observed, that it
may be fairly viewed a great and arduous under
taking, yet when it, is considered the immense
tract of fertile country the object would Com
mand, and consequently a valuable and growing
commerce to the town of Petersburg, resulting
also in important advantage to the state, we rea
dily agree with him, that such gteat ends would
amply justify the means to effect them.
Being associated with col. Baldwin, and wit
nessing his performance so far in this undertak
ing, we beg leave to,say, as attribute justly du*
him, that as far as we are capable of judging «
his skill and competency in the projection and
execution of suen works, we have the most am
ple confidence in his abilities. His zeal and in
defatigable exertions, suffering no weather to jin'
pede his progress, accommodating himself to e-
very inconvenience occurring—rendering himself
agreeable to those subordinate to him, and thereby
rendering them ready and willing to perform their
duty, are, in our estimation, valuable traits i*
his character.
With due respect, we are, &c.“
D. MACKENZIE.
ROBERT BITCHtE
JOHN HIN+ON,
January 26, IS 18. rob’t bo lung-