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Vol. Y.)
ATHENS, 6ZQROIA: fviliihid ir ALEXANDER M'DONNELL.
CONGRSS.
Imprisonment of Seamin.
The Speaker laid before the
I e the following meflage from
t * the United Stares.
7 the Haufe ef Reprcfentatives of the
United States.
I tranfmk to the Houfe of Re
v'T-natives a report of the Secre
ts’- ( S'ate, complying with their
refol >t on of the 9ft inft.
I AMES MADISON.
December 31, 1812.
REPORT.
The Secretarv of State, to whom
was referred the re Elution of the
H *u.e of of the
9 h nit. requeftfog information
t*. ich;-g the csmduft ofßric.fh offi
cers towards perfon* taken in A
fi’ :s a armed (hips, has the honor
t • jay before the Pr#.fideot the ac-
C'--moany!r?g paper* marked A. B.
C. from which time it appears, that
certain perfon?, forne of whom are
fsid to be natives, and others natu
citizens of the U. Smr s,
br'ng parts of the crews of the U.
$. armed vfffds the “ Nautilus**
i the cr Wafp,** and of the pri
vurr armed v.'effrl, the Sarah Ann,*
-x been feized, under the pretext
*■ •:• : r being Britifh fubjefts, by
B ’ fh officers for the avow and pur
) , -, is underftood, of having
t m brought to trial for their live?,
a*-id that others, being part of the
crew t<x the Nautilus, have beta
uk a into the B itifh feruce.
The Secretary of State begs leave
jdfo to lay before the Prtfiienc the
papers marked D. and E. From
the e; ir wili be fren, that whiift the
B*‘ fli naval officers arrefts as cri
lp-Tials fu.h per fops taken on board
American armed vc ff Is as they
trsa> coofider Britifh fubjefts, they
claim a right to retain on board
Brit ill (hip 4 of war American citi-
who may have married in
?, gland, or been imprefled from
on board Britifh merchant v.fT !°. j
and that they confider an imp’ ff and
American, when he is difciwged
fixm ons of their fliips, as a pdi(Vi
ne r at* war. All which is refpeft
fuiiv fobmuted.
JAMES MONROE.
Department ef State* Dec . 16, 1812.
(A.)
Sir joHN B rIA e Warren, to
Mr, Monroe.
Halifax* Sept . 30, 3812.
Slß—Having received informa
tion that a molt unauthorized aft
h is been committed byTommodore
R gers, in forcibly fcizkg twelve
Bnciffi fcamen, prifoners of war,
late belonging to the Goerricre, and
taking them cut of the Englilh car
tel brig Endeavor on her psftige
down tne harbor of Bofton, after
they had been regularly embarked
board of her for an exchange, to
the arrangements fettled between
the two countries, and that the faid
Br ; ifh feamen, fa feized, are now
detained on board the U. s.* frigate
Pufiirnt as hoftagr*; I feel myielf
tailed upon to requeft, fir, your m >ft
furious attention to a mcafurc fo
fraught with mTchief and inconve
nience, deftruftivc of the gaud
GEORGIA EXPRESS.
“MlUr SMALL AW A TO ARB FAf, AM B KMOWL2BOI SMALL BX IMCRXAII®.**
faith of aft!g of truce ard r he fac
red protection of a < artel. I fhould
be extremely forrv that the impru
dent aft of any officer fliouid in
volve confcqucncr s fo particularly
fevere as the prefect infiance mult
naturally prbducc, if repeated ; and
although it is very much my wifh,
during the continuance of the d.ffe
rences exifting between the two
countries to adopt every meafure
that might render the eff ft of war
left rigorous, but, in another point
of view, the conviftion of the duty
I ow* my country would, in the c
vent of fuch grievances as I have
already dated bring continued, not
admit of any hefi it ion in retaliato
ry dr cifinns; but as lam ftronglv
perfuaded of the high liberality of
your lentiments, a. and that the aft
complained of has originated en
tirely with the effi rr who com
mitted it, a id that it will be as cen
furablc in your corfidtraiors as it
deferves, I rely upon your taking
fuch fteps as will prevent a recur
rence of corduft fo rxtrormeiy rc
prehenfihle in every fhape.
1 have :h;: honor to be, with the
hgheft corfi.icra ion, Sir, your ra- 11
obedient and nT.it faithful humble
for v ant.
JOHN BORLA c E WARREN,
Admiral ef the Blue & Commander in
Chief, (s'c.
His Excellency James Metirte* Efq.
Secretary of State
Mr. Monroe to Sir J >hn B r
la.se Warren.
Department #/ State ,
Oft 3S, 1812.
SIR—I have had the honor to re
ceive your letter of the 30th Sept,
complaining that Com. Rodgers,
commanding a fquandron of the
United States Navy at the p.?rt of
Billon, had taken twelve Britifh
feamen, lately be longing hi* Bri
tannic; £fjajcfty*s fh p the Gurrriere,
from a cartel in the harbor of B*;f
tor;, and that he deraired them n
board the P fi ient, a frigate of the
U S', as hoftagi s.
I am ir-firtiftrd to inform you,
that enquiry fhali be made into the
circumfianres attending, and the
caulrs h produc ed the aft, of
whi; h you complain : ad that fuch
meafures wiil be taken, n a know
ledge of them as may comport with
the rights of both rations, and may
be proper in the cafe to which they
relate.
I b*g vou fir, to be afTured that
it is the fi i c r e di-fire ;f the prsfi
dent t© fee (aid to promote fo far
as depends on the U. S.) the war
which exift* between our countries
be conducted wkh the utmoft re
gard to humanity.
I have the honor, &c. ,
(Signed)
JAMES MONROE.
Sir John Borlafe barren* ddmiral
ef the Blue , Commander in Chief &c.
, - B. 1 ‘ ..r -;
Wafhmitm , Dec. 17, 1812.
SIR— I nave the hoaor to annex
a lift of 1* of the crew of the U. S.
(hop ef war Wafp, detained by
Capt. John Beresford of the Britifh
fh:p Poiftiers, under the pretence
of tncir being Brnifh iubjefts.
I have the honor V b.% refpeft
fu ly, fir, y#ur ob*t fervant,
GEO. S. WISE, Purser.
The Hen. Paul Hamiltsn,
- Secretary ef the Navy.
[Hr * follows levcral other doc
umrnts, already publiftird, or not
deemed of material importance ex
cept the fcllowing ;]
C.
kxtraft of a letter from major general
Pinckney to the Secretary of iVar*
dated , Head Charters, Ckarlejtcn,
November 4, 1812.
tf Information having been given
upon oath to lieut. Grandifon, who
at prefent commands in the naval
department heie, that fist American
feamen, who had been taken prifo
ners on board of our privateer* had
been fent to Jamaica to be tri*d as
Bric fli fubjefts for treafon, he rail
ed tipoa the tnarlkal to retain dou
ble that number of B.infh feamen
as hefhgcs. Tl.e maiilial in con
fcquenc.e cf ir.flruftions from the
Department cf State, ?fk*d my ad
vice on the tvbjrcf* and i have given
my opinion that they ought to be
detained till the plrafure of the
Prefident fhali be k nnv/ri. The
teftimeny of Capt. Moon is here
with. I hope, fir, yfio will have
the goodnefs to iiavc .his btfinrfs
pur in the proper train ro have the
Prefident** pleasure on this iubjeft
communis a f ed to the ma fnal.”
1 he melNge Sc (docuineats were
cn motion referred to # rhe commit
tee on Foreign Relations.
From the Baltimore American.
Disgraceful Treatment,
Of American captains and other pri
foners of (Var, by the Britifh at
Halifax.
Captain Wm. Davifon, & worthy,
intelligent and refpeft-tble feafirirg
gentleman of tnis purr, returned
from Halifax on Thurfday laft, has
favored us with the following parti
culars in relation to his capture, the
ill'beral trea merit he experienced
from his captors and the fcandalous
ufage ©f which the Britifh a r fv(-
tematicallv guilty towards the un
fortunate Americans whom the fate
of war throws into their p^wer.
Capfain Davifon, late mafter of
the (hip Mtiantha, of the port of
Baltimore, dates that on his home
ward paflage from Valparayfo, on
the coaft of Chili, he was capitired,
on the 17th of Sept, laft, by the
Britifh frigate Spartan, in company
with (even ether Britifh vcflfels ef
war, and carried into Halifax, where
he arrived cofive 19th of Oftober,
that he remained there as prifoner
of war until the 19'h of November j
that during his flay at Halifax, he
had an opportunity of afeertaimng
that the American prifoners of war
were treated in a m'ft fhameful
manner by the P#rlt;fh ag-nts. The
rnufters of Americas tcflVls, taksn
into Halifax, are detaied as prifeners
on parole. Their pnmlc, of which
a copy is in our off ffi m, permits
them to walk within the dfftancc of
ene mile from the extremities of
Halifax ; but thrv ir.uft not go {(in
to any field or croffroad; nor be ablent
from their lodgirgt after 6 *ciock
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22,^1813.
in the afterroon j nor quit tjiefr
lodgings in the morning until the
beil rings 6 o’clock. Of the Ame
rican mafter* and other prifoners,
the people of Halifax tske little no
tice trra'ing them r/irh a grear de
gree of fight and contempt, O-ipt.
Davifon iuppofrs that this may arifk
from a i'ear of effmdirg hi* majefty’s
fervar.ta, or of being fufpeftrd of
dilaffeftiun. He himfelf was civil
ly treated while in Halifax by the
officers by whom captured,
laving that they did not reftore h;rn
a folusry cent of his adventure : a;;d
he aff.rrs, without the fear cf con
trad ft or*, rhar in no inftance has as
much of the adventure of an Ame
rican mafter rrltored as would
BUY HIM A DINNER !
With rtfpeft 10 the uf*ge of maf
ters mates and crews ot captured
American veffrli, caprain Davifon
ftates that they are landed under 3
ftrong guard, and conduded, s if
thev were criminal', to a pnfon oa
Millville Ifland, about four miles
from the town of Halifax, ail thrown
indifcrSmumely into ir, and fed on
a half pound of meat and one arid a
half pou ids ©f bread a day j they
arc allowed nothing but water to
drink. Th jailor invariably and
ftiiftly examines them, and plun
ders whatever he wants J the books,
quadrants, money and ocher* articles
which they may happen to ha t-m
Their condition has been much un
proved fince the arrival at Hahiax
of Mr. Miichell, the American 4-
g-ru, who funplics them With addi
tional pro Vi (ions and clothes; but
the mates and failorl are ftill min
gled into one common mafs in jail.
They are allowed to make nr> noife
in after 6 o’clock in the af
ternoon* if they dn rhe ccnrinel hr
guard is ordered to fire among them
without dtferimination.
Capraiq Davifon, p f ff ffing all
the nice feelings nf a gcmlecnaw, 2-
l;ve to the fuffrrings of his unforcu
nare countrymen, and imarting un
der the mean and illiberal treatment
which he himfelf experienced, ex
prtff s the inmoft indignation at the
cooduft of the Britifh to American
prifoners. Upon this lta'amenr, of
ti e truth of which no man who
knows him can entertain a doubt,
we fhali obferve, that it prefem* a
disgraceful conrraft to the ufage
which the Britfh prifoners have um
verfally received in America. The
officers of the Gurriere, with iome
of whom captain Davifon dined in
Halifax, fpoke in the higheft terms
of the liberality and civilities of the
Americans towards them. We all
know that cornmadore Decatur
has ufed the prifoners in the in ft
liberal, polite and and gnifted manner;
they have been fo ufod by our citi
zens. We know thac the Brit'lh
prifoners of wtr of whatever g r ade
generally find here every accommo
dation, kind no fa and refpeft v/Tch
they couU di-fire. The a Iventure*
of the mailers of caotured Britifti
veffels arr almoft uniformly rcllor
cd—and they have experienced all
that can be laid or done to foothe or
render them comfortable undertheir
misfortune. Such is the liberal
cci Gift ©fan enlightened republican
(Na. jj.