the united provinces of New Grenada and Venezuela, and general and chief of the armies for the two Floridas, commissioned by the supreme directors of Mexico, South America, &c." Extract from an Address of Gregor MGregor, dated at "Head Quarters, San Fernandina, July 1, 1817,7 & 1,” and signed "Gregor M'Gregor," and attested by "Jos. Yribarren." "GREGOR M'GREGOR, general of brigade to the armies of the United Provinces of New Grenada and Venezuela, and general in chief of that destined to both the Floridas, with commission from the supreme governments of Mexico and South America, &c." "In the name of the independent governments of South America, which I have the honour to represent, I thank you for this first proof of your ardour and devotion to her cause; and I trust, that impelled by the same noble principles, you will soon be able to free the whole of the Floridas from tyranny and oppression." MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE DETENTION IN CON FINEMENT OF RICHARD W. MEADE. JAN. 29, 1818. In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 23d of December last, requesting information relative to the imprisonment and detention in confinement, of Richard W. Meade, a citizen of the United States, I now transmit to the House a report from the Secretary of State, containing the information required. JAMES MONROE. Department of State, January 28, 1816. THE Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 23d of December last, requesting the President to cause to be laid before the House, any information he may be able to communicate relative to the imprisonment and detention in confinement of Richard W. Meade, a citizen of the United States, has the honour of submitting to the President, the accompanying papers, received at the Department on that subject; with a letter addressed to the minister of Spain, residing here, since the resolution of the House, and the answer received from him. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. LIST OF PAPERS IN THE CASE OF RICHARD W. MEADE. Papers received from Mr. Erving. No. 1. Mr. Erving to the Secretary of State, 3. Mr. Cevallos to Mr. Erving, Sep. 10, 2. Same to Mr. Cevallos, Sep. 28, 1816. Transl. 4. Mr. Erving to Mr. Cevallos, 16, Transl. 21, 8. Mr. Pizarro to Mr. Erving, of State, extract, 10. Same to Mr. Pizarro, 11. Same to same, 12. Same to same, 25, Nov. 7, May 12, 1817. Dec. 25, 1816. March 14, 1817. 24, 13. Mr. Pizarro to Mr. Erving, April 12, Transl. May 9, Received from Mrs. Meade. A. Petition of Mrs. Meade to the E. Mr. Erving to Mr. Pizarro, Dec. 4, 1817. April 22, 29, Nov. 19, 1816. a. Mr. Adams to Don Louis de Onis, Dec. 26, b. Mr. Onis to Mr. Adams, 29, Transl. CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING RICHARD W. MEADE, COMMUNICATED ΤΟ DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BY MR. ER VING. No. 1. Mr. Erving to Mr. Monroe. Madrid, Sept. 28, 1816. SIR,-Perceiving by the publick papers that the case of R.W. Meade, a citizen of the United States, for many years established at Cadiz in commerce, and now suffering in prison by order of this government, has excited considerable sensation in America, it seems to be proper that I should submit to you my correspondence with Mr. Cevallos, on this subject. I have herewith the honour to enclose my note to that minister, of August 27th, his reply of September 10th, and my further note of September 16th. To this last I have not yet received an answer. I have the honour to be, &c. GEORGE W. ERVING. No. 2. Mr. Erving to his Excellency Don Pedro Cevallos, First Minister of State, &c. Madrid, Aug. 27, 1816. SIR, It is my duty to recall the attention of his majesty's government to the case of Richard W. Meade, a citizen of the United States, who is imprisoned by the authorities at Cadiz, under semblance of law, and of his majesty's authority, but as must be presumed, against his will, and as can be substantiated against his orders issued on the 10th August, 1815. A particular statement of circumstances of the case was transmitted to your excellency, by the secretary of this legation, in a note of July 8th last: it is therefore needless that I should now recite them. I propose to refer to your documents only, each of them of principal importance, and which, taken in their connexion, point out most distinctly and indisputably, the illegality of the proceedings against Mr. Meade, and the course which consistency, as well as justice, requires to be now taken for his relief. The documents to which I refer, and copies of which are herewith enclosed are, viz: No. 1. An order of the consulado of Cadiz, dated February 18th, 1814, directing Meade to deposite in the office of the treasury general of the province, a certain sum of money, respecting which, a process was then pending in the said consulado. No. 2. The receipt of the intendant of the treasury for the deposite made by Meade, pursuant to the order of the consulado, No. 3. The reply of the intendant of the consulado, when that tribunal inquired, as to the nature of the deposite made. No. 4. A royal decree of August 10th, 1815, suspending the further proceedings of the consulado, till the treasury should be able to collect funds for the purpose of restoring the sum deposited by Meade. It is not my intention, for it would be altogether useless, to enter into a history of the original transactions, upon which, finally a suit was brought before the consulado of Cadiz, against Mr. Meade, and is now continued in the name of Mr. John M Dermot. Meade always held the moneys in question, to be paid over in legal form, as the competent authorities should direct. Your excellency will, I am persuaded, now examine the affair with impartiality, and free from the impressions unfavourable to this American, with which it has been attempted to pre-occupy your judgment. If it were my duty, on the other hand, to state what ought to be his personal merits, in the view of this government, I should dwell upon the very extensive and important services, which, as a merchant and a capitalist, he rendered to Spain, in the crisis of her affairs, the most trying and difficult. It ought surely to be known to your excellency, that he contributed, most essentially, to the cause of this country, by giving large credits to its occasional governments, and that for these services he is not yet reimbursed. But I have not to ask any favour for him. I desire but strict and impartial justice, and I found my claim to his immediate release from prison, on the acts of the government in whose name, and of the very tribunal by which he is now imprisoned. By the two first of the enclosed documents, your excellency will perceive that Mr. Meade, submitting to the orders of the consulado, paid the amount of the moneys in suit, into the treasury of the province. The payment is said to have been effected in libramientos," or receipts for libramientos of the treasury general, or intendant; credits of Meade with the treasury, which were payable in specie, and which were to be paid in specie, within a few days. The intendant, therefore, readily gave to Meade the receipt (No. 2) for a deposite in specie, the "libramientos" being cancelled, and passed to the several accounts to which they belonged. Thus, therefore, every legal and formal requisite being complied with, Meade was exonerated from all responsibility; and, to make his irresponsibility still more perfect, if that were possible, the intendant wrote to the consulado, (No. 3,) stating, expressly, that the deposite had been made in specie, and that he would respond to the consulado for specie. After such conclusive proceedings, it would seem impossible that Mr. Meade could be again questioned by the tribunal, in the same matter. Was the tribunal wrong in ordering him to make the depo-ite? Sibi imputent, let it answer for its own errours. Was the intendant culpable in receiving the "libramien as specie? He is then to be censured: but he has expressly made himself responsible to the consulado for specie. Let him then be held to that responsibility. These may be questions between the government and its officers, but it is certainly highly unjust that an individual should be sacrificed to repair their errours. Will it be said that the "libramientos" delivered to the treasury, and credited to Meade, as cash, and held by the treasury in deposite, and promised by the intendant to be paid over as cash, are not, in fact, equivalent to cash? Certainly not. The government will not pass this condemnation on its own securities. But if the contrary supposition were admissi ble, even then Mr. Meade remains exempt from all responsibility; for the "libramientos" in question have been already passed into account, as paid in specie, and have been cancelled by the officer, who had the competent authority to do so. Nevertheless, the consulado, which, by its own act, had precluded itself from all further jurisdiction over Mr. Meade, in this matter, still persisted in its process against him, and decreed that he should pay over to that tribunal the sum which he had previously deposited, by its own order, in the treasury. Against this injustice, Mr. Meade appealed to the supe |