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FOREIGN NEWS.
Hamburgh*] Dec. 23.
Extract of a letter from Vienna , dated
December 15.
In the difcuflions with regard to
Saxony, we hear that a counter de
claration will shortly be made by
Ruflia and Pruflia.
There is talk here of anew or
ganization of the Saxon Landwehr
of Pruflia, who generally speaking,
means to make no changes in the
administration of Saxony, but
merely to regulate the fyftcm of
home defence on a more equitable
and easy footing. It has been re
marked that the young Saxon vol
unteers who joined the Pruflian co
lors in such numbers during the
late war, generally prefer remain
ing in the Pruflian service, and that
very few of/tf>em return to civil
pursuits. 0
The king of Wurtemburg has
delivered in an energetic protest
against the projeft of giving the
fortrefs Men(z to Bavaria.—Simi
lar protests are expe&ed from other
German houses.
Extract of another letter from Vien
na, same date .
It is understood that Austria has
offered in the event of the Vistula
being declared the boundary of the
Ruffian Empire in Poland, to give
up to Pruflia the Polilh provinces
of Cracow and Sandomer, lying on
the left bank of the Viflula and for
merly belonging to Western Gal
lacia.
Ghent, Dec. 29.
The day before yesterday the
constituted authorities of this city
paid a visit in a body to the English
and American legations, to congrat
ulate them on the cessation of the
differences between the two na
tions, by the conclusion • of an ad
vantageous peace. * The American
Qjinifters gave yesterday evening a
diplomatic supper in their hotel;
the greatest cordiality prevailed at
it between them and the Engliffi
ministers, who, in a few days, w ill
give in their turn an entertainment
to the American legation. The
departure of the ministers of the
two nations will take place shortly.
A Liverpool paper fays—“ The
fall which has taken place in the
value of American produce during
the present week, is less considera
ble than has been expe&ed, on ac
count of the small stock of the
chief American staples which now
remain in the market. The effecls
of the American pacification have
been very promptly felt in the
port. A vessel is already announ
ced to fail, for one of the ports in
the United States.”
Washington City, March 7.
Tbs Algerine near. —It is proba
ble that many of our readers may
not bear in mind the fa&s on which
the recent declaration of war a
gainst Algiers is predicated. We
have therefore obtained for their in
formation the report made on the
fubjeft by Mr. Gallon of the house
of reprefentaties, chairman of the
committee to whomitwasrecommit
ted in secret fitting. The docu
ments accompanying the report,
which are too long, and perhas not
proper for present publication, are”
so conclusive as to leave no doubt
on the mind of any one who hears
or reads them, of the impoflibility
of re-eftablilhing peace with the
dey of Algiers, unless by coercion,
except under th§ moft base and hu
miliating conditions. Our read
ers may judge of the inveterate
hoftiiity of that barbarian tyrant
towards us, growing merely out of
the moft sordid cupidity and natu
ral ferocity and cruelty of temper,
by two or three facts, collected
from a momentary glance at the
document* accompanying the re
port of the colnmittee.
A person was entrusted, as from
the American merchants in S/ in,
with the talk of endeavoring to
procure the liberation of the eleven
or twelve of our citizens captive in
Algiers, for whom he was autho
rized to give a ranfotn not exceed
ing 3000 dollars per man. To
every attempt, of this kind, the dey
replied “that not for two millions of
dollars would he sell his Ameri
can slaves !”
In reply to an application, in the
moft confidential manner, to one of
the dey’s ministers, to know the
terms which the dey expected to
extort from the United States (by
keeping our citizens fiaves) in the
event of a treaty with them, it ap
pears, that “it was a fettled,.point
with the dey, from which he could
by no means swerve, than in the
fir ft place, for the privilege of pass
ing the streights of Gibralter , two
millions of dollars , would be required
of the American government , and
that then the stipulations of the
late treaty might be renewed (the
old tributary treaty) after paying
up all arrears of tribute, ” &c. See.
National Intelligencer.
THE REPORT.
The committee to whom has
been referred the bill “ for the pro
te&ion of the commerce of the U.
States against the Algerine cruifers,*
with in(lrufliis to enquire and re
port in detail the fa&s upon which
the measure contemplated by the
bill is predicated, report,
‘That in the month of July, 1812,
the dey of Algiers, taking offence,
or pretending to take offence, at the
quality and quantity of a shipment
of military (lores made by the Uni
ted States in pursuance of the (tip*
ulation in the treaty of 1795, & re
fufimr to receive the (lores, extort
cd from the American consul-gen
eral at Algiers, by threats of per
sonal imprisonment, and of redu
cing to (lavery all Americans in his
power, a sum of money claimed as
the arrearages of treaty.ftipulations,
and denied by the United States to
be due ; and then compelled the
consul and all citizens of the Uni
ted States at Algiers abruptly to
quit his dominions.
It further appears to the com
mittee, that on the 25th of August
following, the American brig Ed
win of Salem, owned by Nathaniel
Silsbee of that place, • while on a
voyage from Malta to Gibraltar,
was taken by an Algerine corsair,
and carried into Algiers as prize.
The commander of the brig, capt.
George Cambell Smith, and the
crew, ten in number, have ever
since been detained in captivity,
with the exception of two of them,
whose release has been effedled un
der circumftanees not indicating
any change of hostile temper on ;
the of the dey. It also ap- !
pears, that a veil'd, failing under a
Spanish flag has been condemned
in Algiers as laying a falfe claim to
that flag, and concealing her true
chara&er. In this vessel was taken
a Mr. Pollard, who claims to be an
American citizen, and is believed
to be of Norfolk, Virginia, and who
as an American citizen is kept in
captivity. The government, justly
iolicltous to relieve there unfortu
nate captives, caused an agent
(whose connection with the govern
ment was not disclosed) to be sent
to Algiers, with the means and
with inftruflions to effeft their ran
lorn, if it could be done at a price
not exceeding three thousand dol
lars per man. The effort did not
fucceedy because of the dey’s avow
ed policy to incr-eafe the number of
his American (laves in order to be
able to compd a renewal of his
treaty with the United States on
terms fluted to his rapacity. Capt.
Smith, Mr. Pollard, and the master
of the Edwin, are not confined nor
kept at hard labor ; but the rest of
the captives are fubje&ed to the
well known horrors of Algerine
slavery. The committee have not
been apprized of any other fpecific
outrages upon the persons or pro
perty of American citizens besides
those dated ; and they apprehend
that the fewnefs of tbye is attribut
able to the want of opportunity and
not of inclination in the dey, to
prey upon our commerce and en
slave our citizens. The war with
Britain has hitherto (hut the Medi
terranean against American vessels,
which it may be presumed will now
shortly venture upon it.
The committee are ail of opin
ion upon the evidence which has
been laid before them, that the dey
of Algieis confitlers his treaty
with the United States as at an
end, and is waging war against
them. The evidence upon which
this opinion is founded, and from
which are extrafled the fa£h above
dated, accompanies this report,
and with it is respe&fully submit
ted.
ALGIERS.
The determination of our gov
eminent to wage aclive war against
the Algerines, and to pay the tri
bute they demand of us in powder
and ball only, will naturally excite
the curiosity of our readers to pcf
fefs corrett information refpe&ing
the flrength and refourccs of this
new enemy—an enemy whose lo
cal situation, expertness at piracy
and savage practice of enfiaving
prisoners more than their courage
has made them terrible to fome of
the European governments.
Algiers is a Kingdom or rather
a military Aristocracy of Africa,
bordering on the Mediterranean
sea; and is one of the dates of Bar
bary, which confifl cf Morocco,
Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. The
three latter have exercised four
centuries a piratical trade against all
Christian nations whose (hips fall
in their way, unless their forbear
ance be purchased by a dipulared
tribute.
According to the bed authori
ties the Kingdom or date of Algiers
is computed to be 430 miles in
length and about one hundred in
breadth. No edimate can be form
ed of its population, which consists
of a motley race of Mahomedans,
Chritlians and Jews. The inhabi
tants of the interior country are
generally Moors & Turks. There
are also many Jews and Christians,
who have been taken at sea and
brought hither and fold as (laves.
The City of Algiers, the capital
of the kingdom, is situated on the
declivity of a mountain in full view
of the sea. It is said to contain
15,000 houses, built of brick and
(lone, and more than 100,000 in
habitants. The city is fuwounded
by walls on the water fide of hewn
Rone and on other parts of brick,
from 30 to 40 feet high ; the ditch
es are 20 feet wide and (even deep.
The town is completely within can
non (hot from the harbour, which
however is defended by strong bat
teries. Without the walls of the
town there are fever, forts or cas
tles, all of which are well supplied
with cannon.
The Algerines are governed by
a Dey, who is elected by the mil.-
tary and poffelTes almost despotic
power, tho’ he is nominally depend
ent on the Grand Seignior or Sov
ereign of Turkey. They have had
wars with nearly ail the European
powers. They dread the British,
in consequence of the strength o:
their fleet and the vicinity of Gib
raltar, more than any other nation.
The Spaniards, who are their near
neighbours, have had many bloody
conflicts with them, in which the
Barbarians have generally had the
advantage.
The celebrated Charles Vth, Em
peror of Germany and King of
Spain, invert and Algiers in 1.541
with a powerfu nt -. of 120 (hips,
and an army of 30,600 chosen
troops: But a dreadful (Ur n la
ving destroyed more tiun two
thirds of his fleet, fit e army re: mut
ed and reenibarked with prodigious
loss. In 1556 the Spaniards were
totally defeated by the Algerinos
with the lols cf their commander
and 12,000 prisoners.
The French Admiral M. B au
lieu was sent against them in i6jt
with a fleet of 50 men of war ; ”he
Algerine fleet at that tirngpirnounf
ed to 40 fail of large (hips—The
French Admiral defeated tlmm,
took two cf their veffels', and the
Algerine Admiral funk his ship &
crew rather than fall into the hands
of his enemy.
In 1620 the British sent a strong
squadron against Algiers, which
however returned without effe&mg
any thing.
About the middle of the \ 7th
century, the Algerine fleet was
completely destroyed by the Vene
tians in a pitched battle with the
loss of 3, 000 prisoners—they foon s
however, had another fleet.
I he town of Algiers in i632 &
1683 was bombarded by a strong
French squadron under Admiral
Du quenfe until it was reduced to &
heap of ruins and the pirates com
pelled to sue for peace.
The Spaniards attacked it In ”75’
by land and sea, but were repuifed
with great loss, though they bad
near 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse,
47 (hips and 346 traniporis In
1783 and 1784 they renewed their
attacks, but were forced to retire
without success.
The Naval force of Algiers at
present is said to confill of,
1 Frigate cf 50 Guns mea
x do. 46 ditto 460
2 do. 44 ditto 45c eack
1 do. new 38 ditto 400
2 corvetts 24 each 500
1 do. 22 230
2 brigs 22 each 450
i xebeck 20 200
1 schooner 4 * 40
x row galley 50
6 gun boats, (loop riged, carry*
ing 1 24 pounder, and one 11
inch mortar each.
The heaviest cannon on board
their frigates are 18 pounders.
Such is the force of this nest o 5
pirates, who set at defiance the
laws of nations and of humanity
who now hold in iron bondage fe
vers! American prisoners, tfusietf
