of that date from the quarter master general at head quarters to his deputy major Craig, at Pittsburg. So I rely upon it. I suppose general Wayne must have sent off the official account with the treaty by one of his aids, whose arrival I daily expect.

Quiet possession has been taken of Presqu' Isle, where some works are now erecting for the protection of the inhabitants and the security of our garrison.

But for the vexations on our commerce by the belligerent powers, (for they are not confined to the British) we should enjoy perfect repose amidst unexampled prosperity. I am very respectfully, sir, &c.

TIMOTHY PICKERING.

No. 162.

Newport, August 2, 1795.

SIR,-The following is a copy of a letter I received from captain Home of his Britannick majesty's ship Africa, which I take the most early opportunity of forwarding to your excellency. Having the honour to be, &c.

THOMAS WILLIAM MOORE.

His Excellency Arthur Fenner, Esq. Gover.

nour and commander in chief of the state

of Rhode Island, &c. &c. Providence.

No. 163.

Africa, off Rhode Island, July 31, 1795.

SIR,-I did expect to have the pleasure of seeing you on board the Africa, but as that is not the case I am obliged to send an officer to you, under the present circumstances, and to desire that you will lay my letter before the governour or other chief magistrate of this island, which is to contain these several requests.

First, That there may be delivered up to me, immediately, an officer who was taken out of a British sloop while in Newport and confined on board the French frigate now in Rhode Island; this violent proceeding being contrary to the law of all nations in a neutral port. In the second place, that you may receive the aid of the civil power in

this island to send on board the Africa all British seamen and others, who have been captured in any vessels and set at liberty in these states: not a feigned and pretended aid, but such as our nation have a right to expect from the United States, with whom we are at peace and amity. And thirdly, that I may be permitted to buy such refreshments as my ship's company are in need of; and that in case I send my own boats on shore, my people and officers shall not be liable to insult from any of the inhabitants or other of whatever description, and to represent in plain terms to the governour that my officer who carries this, or any other officer or people whom I may send on their just and lawful occasions receive from any one individual whether in the nature of a mob or otherwise any affront or insult, I will immediately on my part come in with his majesty's ship under my command and protect my own people. And farther, that if the government or states here are in such cases as I have mentioned guilty of such a breach of neutrality, I will then look upon myself in the same manner as not bound to observe the neutrality of thes ports: and that I am resolved to be treated in the same manner in all respects whatever, as they do those of the French Republick-and I am more plain in the nature of my present demands, as I have received a hint, that, if I send my people on shore, while the Medusa lies at Newport, they will be considered as spies. In this case I want to spy nothing. I am in full possession of every intelligence regarding that ship, which I want to be possessed of. And I require a written answer from the governour of Rhode Island to these demands, and that without loss of time. I am, sir, &c.

To Thos. Wm. Moore, Esq.

RODHAM HOME.

His Brit. Maj. Vice Consul, Rhode Island.

State of Rhode Island, &c.

The preceding contains a true copy of an original letter from Thos. Wm. Moore, and of a copy of Rodham Home's letter to him accompanying it, duly compared. HENRY WARD, Secretary.

Witness,

REPORT

OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON THE MEMORIAL OF SUNDRY CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, RESIDING IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, REFERRED TO HIM, BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE, ON THE SEVENTH OF MAY LAST. FEB. 27, 1797.

The Secretary of State, in pursuance of an order of the House of Representatives of the 7th of May, 1796, on the memorial and petition of sundry citizens of the United States residing in the city of Philadelphia, relative to the losses they had sustained by the capture of their property by French armed vessels on the high seas, or in consequence of the forced or voluntary sales of their provisions and merchandise to the officers of the colonial administrations of the French Republick, having examined the same, together with accounts of similar losses sustained by American citizens from the French, in the European seas, or in the ports of France, which in the details were necessarily connected with the former, respectfully reports:

THAT Since the commencement of the present war, various and continual complaints have been made by citizens of the United States to the Department of State, and to the ministers of the United States in France, of injuries done to their commerce under the authority of the French Republick and by its agents. These injuries were

1st. Spoliations and maletreatment of their vessels at sea by French ships of war and privateers :

2d. A distressing and long continued embargo laid upon their vessels at Bordeaux, in the years 1793 and 1794:

3d. The non-payment of bills and other evidences of debts due, drawn by the colonial administrations in the West Indies:

4th. The seizure or forced sales of the cargoes of their vessels, and the appropriating of them to publick use, without paying for them, or paying inadequately, or delaying payment for a great length of time.

5th. The non-performance of contracts made by the agents of the government for supplies;

6th. The condemnation of their vessels and cargoes under such of the marine ordinances of France as are incompatible with the treaties subsisting between the two countries and

7th. The captures sanctioned by a decree of the National Convention of the 9th of May, 1793, (hereto annexed and marked A.) which, in violation of the treaty of amity and commerce, declared enemy's goods on board of their vessels lawful prize, and directed the French ships of war and privateers to bring into port neutral vessels laden with provisions and bound to an enemy's port.-It may be proper to remark here; that this decree of the Convention, directing the capture of neutral vessels laden with provisions and destined for enemy ports, preceded by one month the order of the British government for capturing "all vessels loaded with corn, flour or meal, bound to any port in France, or any port occupied by the armies of France."

Such was the general nature of the claims of the citizens of the United States upon the French Republick, previous to the departure of Mr. Monroe, as minister plenipotentiary to France in the summer of 1794, and since his residence there. To him were intrusted the documents which had been collected to substantiate particular complaints; and he was instructed to press the French government to ascertain and pay what might be found justly due. From time to time, as additional cases rose, they were transmitted to him, with the like view. In September of that year, he assigned to his secretary, Mr. Skipwith, (with the provisional appointment of consul for Paris) the charge of stating the cases, and placing them in the proper train of settlement; reserving to himself the duty of fixing general principles with the government, and of patronizing and superintending his proceedings.

In conformity with the direction of the minister, Mr. Skipwith, shortly afterwards, made a general report on the injuries and difficulties and vexations to which the commerce of the United States was subjected by the regulations and restraints of the French government, or by the abuses practised by its agents: to which he added a number of particular cases. A copy of the whole, marked [B,] is hereto annexed.-This report was laid before the French government; and added to the various representations of Mr. Monroe and his predecessor, it produced a

decree of the joint committees of publick safety, finance, commerce and supplies, dated the 15th November, 1794, a copy of which, marked [C,] is annexed. This decree, apparently calculated to remedy many of the evils complained of, afforded but a very partial, in respect to compensations, a comparatively small relief; while it continued in force the principle of the decree of the 9th of May, 1793, which rendered liable to seizure and confiscation. the goods of enemies found on board neutral vessels. American vessels had been declared exempt from that part of the decree of the 9th of May, which authorized the seizing of vessels going to an enemy's port with provisions, by the decree of the National Convention of the 27th of July, 1793.

On the appearance of the decree of the 9th of May, the American minister at Paris remonstrated against it, as a violation of the treaty of commerce between France and the United States. In consequence hereof, the convention, by a decree of the 23d of the same month, declare, "That the vessels of the United States are not comprised in the regulations of the decree of the 9th of May." M. le Brun, the minister for foreign affairs, on the 26th of May, communicated this second decree to our minister, accompanying it with these words; "you will there find a new confirmation of the principles from which the French people will never depart, with regard to their good friends and allies the United States of America." Yet two days only had elapsed before those principles were departed from: on the 28th of May, the convention repealed their decree of the 23d. The owners of a French privateer that had captured a very rich American ship (the Laurens) found means to effect the repeal, to enable them to keep hold on their prize. They had even the apparent hardiness to say beforehand, that the decree of the 23d would be repealed.

The American minister again complained. So on the first of July, the convention passed a fourth decree, again declaring, "That the vessels of the United States are not comprised in the regulations of the decree of the 9th of May; conformably to the sixteenth [it should be the twenty-third] article of the treaty concluded the sixth of February, 1778."-The new minister for foreign affairs, M. Desforgues, accompanies this new decree of