embarrassment, are endeavoring to make a convenience of this Office. Not long since I had daily at my door about 200, entreating to be sent home. To some, who were almost naked, I furnished clothing; and to all subsistence. But when I had hired a Vessel for their conveyance, about 40 of the number absented themselves, and as soon as the Vessel had sailed, some appeared again soliciting relief, which I thought proper to refuse.

It is no doubt to Seamen of this description that the Lord Mayor alludes; and if so, I persuade myself that you will think with me, that they are not such as were contemplated in the before-mentioned Circular, as entitled to the protection of The United States.

How far these Persons may be entitled to the benefit of the Laws and Proclamations of this Country, inviting Foreign Seamen into her service, does not belong to me to inquire; but it is not unfair to presume that some of them are entitled to it: whatever may have been the motive in withdrawing themselves, none seem to have any inclination to return to their Native Country. It therefore does appear, that if any relief is due to them, it is from their adopted Country, which they appear unwilling to leave, and in the service of which they have contracted these feelings. There is, however, a Class of Men whose Claims are not at all equivocal, and which I am glad to have the opportunity of bringing into view. I mean those who have been in the service of Great Britain, who have been dismissed and left to shift for themselves the moment they were no longer wanted, and have become a charge on The United States to send them home.

It does appear to me, that in justice to these unfortunate Men, many of whom were forced into the service, and there held, against their own will and inclination, the British Government was bound to restore them to their Country.

There is still another Class of Men whose situation deserves consideration. Those who, for long service or wounds, have Pensions from the Government, and who, wishing to return to their Country, can only obtain 2, or, at least, 3 years' purchase for them; so that they are reduced to the alternative of renouncing all idea of seeing their friends, or, on their return to their Country, of becoming a burden to them.

It is very desirable that some arrangement should be made, to enable these Persons to receive their Pensions in The United States; or on forwarding to this Country authenticated Life Certificates, to have them paid here to some one authorized to receive them.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

John Quincy Adams, Esq.

R. G. BEASLEY.

P. S. I have the honor to enclose a Copy of the Note of the Secretary of State, which is alluded to in this Letter.

(Enclosure.)-Viscount Castlereagh to John Quincy Adams, Esq. Foreign Office, 29th November, 1815.

THE Undersigned, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has the honour to inform Mr. Adams, that a Representation has been made by the Lord Mayor of London, to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department; stating that a number of American Seamen have been found wandering about the Streets of London, in a most wretched and distressed condition, and that several are now supported in the Police Establishments and Hospitals of the City of London, at a very considerable expense.

The Undersigned has, therefore, the honour to request that Mr. Adams will be pleased to take such measures as may appear to him expedient, in order that these Seamen may be conveyed to their Native Country, with the least possible delay.

The Undersigned requests Mr. Adams, &c.,

John Quincy Adams, Esq.

CASTLEREAGH.

Distressed Seaman reported from the Home Department, to be in the Compter in the City of London.-Richard Moore, aged 24, born in Virginia.

SIR,

(4.)-Mr. Stuart to Mr. Forsyth.

Washington, 4th January, 1817. IN compliance with your request, I shall give you a brief statement of the evasions and other abuses of the present Laws relative to Seamen, so far as the same has come within my knowledge, as Chancellor of The United States' Consulate at London, during a part of the years 1815 and 1816.

Not having the Laws above alluded to at hand, I shall not attempt a systematic detail, but simply make a statement of facts.

The first subject to which I shall call your attention, is the conduct of Captains, in evading that Section of the Law which requires them to return the Seamen to The United States, (in pursuance of a certain Bond to be given to the Collector for that purpose.) This is frequently done in Foreign Ports, when it is for the interest of the Master to get rid of any of his Seamen.

The most common mode of effecting this, is to give such of the Seamen as are liable to intoxication a verbal Permit, to go on shore and have what they call a frolic, furnishing them at the same time with some money; and they will be very apt to make a stay of 2 or 3 days. If they are absent 48 hours, the Captain orders them entered on the Log-book as run; and afterwards, refuses to let them come on board the Ship. They, of course, throw themselves on the Consul as destitute Seamen, as the Captains generally refuse to pay them any arrearages of their pay, on the ground of its being forfeited by the provisions of the Act, &c.

The 2nd mode is to drive the Seaman from the Ship, by hard words, and harder blows, the latter of which frequently endanger his life. He, of course, applies to the Consul, who sends for the Captain; the Captain complains that the Sailor does not do his duty, and may return to the Ship when he pleases: the Consul orders the man to return to the Ship; he does so;-again is beat, and again returns to the Consul; till, finally, the Seaman becomes a charge on the Consulate, and the Ship sails without the Consul's having the power to compel the Master to a settlement of the arrearages due to the Seaman, or to make any provision to defray the expense of his return to The United States.

A 3rd mode is, after a long series of abuse to the Seaman, to instruct some of the Under Officers of the Ship to hire him to run away, giving him, generally, about the amount of wages due to him at the time.

This Seaman soon becomes a charge on the Consulate; and the Consul has no power to enforce the payment of the 3 months' advance, (as provided by the Act in case of discharge in Foreign Ports,) as the Man has not strictly been discharged by the Master.

From these and other causes, for the last 15 months, The United States' Consulates at London and Liverpool, have been thronged with destitute American Seamen. The Consuls, of course, have put on board of every American Vessel bound to The United States, 2 Seamen to every 100 tons burden of such Vessel; for which, the Captain receives 10 dollars per man. But, as the amount of United States' Shipping was not sufficient to take all the Seamen off of the hands of the Consuls, it was found necessary, either to take up Transports for the purpose, or to make Contracts with the Masters of American Vessels, to take an additional number to those put on board under the authority of the Act. At London, both courses were necessarily adopted. Transports were procured at an average of £12 sterling per Man; and American Masters generally took a surplusage of hands, at an average of £10 sterling per Man.

You will at once perceive, Sir, how much it was for the interest of the Master of an American Vessel to get rid of a Crew engaged at from 12 to 20 dollars per month, and get one equally good on the

terms above mentioned.

I will now, Sir, call your attention to 2 cases much complained of by American Captains in Foreign Ports. The first, is that in which the Captain arrives, (say at London,) with a full Crew, all of whom remain with him. On his departure, he is compelled by the Consul to "take on board 2 men to every 100 tons burden of his Vessel, and transport them to The United States, at a sum not exceeding 10 dollars per Man." These Men are, in fact, Supernumeraries;-they are of no use to the Ship, but, in fact, an injury, as they generally pro

duce some difficulty on the passage among the original Crew. And the compensation allowed will not defray the extra expence of laying in water for them on the passage; to say nothing of their provisions, &c. Whereas, if a Seaman is brought home, from a Port where there is no Consul or Agent, the Master is "entitled to such sum as the Comptroller of the Treasury shall deem equitable." Why, they ask, are they not entitled to the same from a Port where there is a Consul or Agent? This is considered by the Consuls as a hard case, and one which requires the attention of Congress.

The second case, is that of a Seaman becoming sick and unable to perform his duty. The Captain is ready to sail, the Man is unable to go, and the Consul requires the 3 months advance pay to meet the expenses of sending the Man to America, as in the case of a discharged Seaman. The Masters contend, that if they pay to the Consuls the arrearages of pay due to the Seamen, that should be sufficient to cancel the Bond given to the Collector, to return the Man to The United States.

But, Sir, the most important subject remains yet to be considered; and that is, what description of Persons ought to be considered as destitute Seamen, and as such entitled to the protection and liberality of the American Government? At present, those who come within that denomination are, first, a Class of Seamen who make it a practice to engage on board of Foreign Vessels in American Ports, to go to Europe, by the run, as it is called, for which they generally receive more wages, in proportion, than those who go for a voyage out and back. One half the sum agreed upon is generally paid down, the remainder on the arrival of the Vessel at the Port of destination. The Seaman spends his money, and, not finding a Ship that will give him wages home, he goes to the nearest Consul, and demands subsistence and a passage. I have thus known some Seamen sent to The United States, from London, 3 times within the last year.

The next Class are those who, without any just cause, leave their Ships in Foreign Ports; and they are of 2 descriptions:-first, Negroes, who, from the particular notice taken of them by the lower Classes of Whites, (and particularly White Women) in England, very frequently leave their Ships, and almost as frequently marry White Women, and after 2 or 3 weeks' dissipation, demand of the Consul subsistence and a passage home.

The last Class are those Seamen who go where they can get the most wages. Many of our Seamen have from this cause engaged from time to time, in the East India Company's employ; and when, from a reduction of wages in those Ships, higher wages being given in America, or any other cause which induces them to wish to return to their Country, they will nine times out of ten put The United States

to the expense of their passage. Seamen, from the foregoing causes, are now thronging the Offices of The United States Consuls in Europe.

You will, Sir, be convinced of this when I inform you that, at the usual allowance of 22 cents for each Man per day while in Port, necessary clothing, medical aid, and passage home, the expenditure of the Consulate at London alone, will be, for the year 1816, about 40,000 dollars!

The facility with which Foreigners procure Protection in this Country, as American Citizens, tends, in a great measure, to render useless that part of the Law relative to Protections. I can affirm with confidence, that scarcely a Day passed, when I was in the Office at London, but I destroyed Protections, granted by our Collectors to Seamen, who, on a close examination, acknowledged themselves to be Foreigners. It would, in my opinion, be much better to repeal the Law on that subject, in preference to its remaining on the present footing.

Permit me, Sir, at the close of this long Letter, to call your attention to the beggarly condition of our Consuls, under the present Regulations.

Liverpool and Bordeaux are the only Consulates in Europe worth holding. The whole amount of Receipts in the Consulate at London, from June 1st, 1815, to June 1st, 1816, (a period of uncommon activity in commerce,) was only £183 sterling. As I have no idea that Salaries could be procured for the Consuls, I would beg leave to suggest, whether the objects of Fees might not be multiplied, and those already established increased?

With great consideration, &c.

The Hon. John Forsyth,

Chairman, Committee Foreign Relations.

J. B. STUART.

CONVENTION between The Netherlands and Prussia, for the reciprocal Abolition of the " Droit de Détraction," and the Tax upon Emigration.—Brussels, 16th June, 1817.

Convention conclue entre les Royaumes des Pays-Bas et de Prusse, à l'égard de l'Abolition réciproque du Droit de Détraction et de l'Impôt d'Emigration.

ART. I. IL ne doit être levé lors de l'exportation de biens, argent, ou effets quelconques, hors des Etats du Royaume des PaysBas, dans les Etats de Sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse, ou hors de ces derniers dans les Etats des Pays-Bas, soit que cette exportation provienne d'émigration, de succession, legs, dot, donation, ou d'autres