IN SENATE OP THE UNITED STATES. APRIL 9, 1816. The committee appointed on so much of the message of the President of the United States as relates to finance and an uniform national currency, to whom was referred the petition of Tolcott Wolcott, respectfully submit the following REPORT:.... It appears by the petitioner's statement, that on the 12th of October, 1810, the brigantine Hiram, owned by him, under the command of Horace Stocking, sailed from New-London with a cargo, to the island of Tobago, where she arrived on the 2d of November following. The cargo was sold by said Stocking on a contract to receive 32 hhds. of rum, at the time, in part of the price thereof, and give credit for the balance, being 12,000 dollars, until the 1st March, 1811, at which time it was stipulated the vessel should return from the United States with another cargo, which, as well as the balance due, were to be paid for in rum from the crop then maturing.The petitioner states, that said Stocking, acting as his agent, was entirely ignorant that any proclamation of the President of the United States could revive or enforce the non-importation act against Great-Britain. The said brig, on her return to the United States, with the said 32 hhds. of rum, stopped at Turk's Island, where she took on board 5,000 bushels of salt, purchased there, but on her homeward passage was afterwards wrecked near the entrance of the harbour of New-London, on the 20th December, 1810, and of her cargo 11 hogsheads of rum only were saved, the duties upon which have been paid.That in order to comply with his contract and obtain payment of the balance due on the 1st of March, 1811, he purchased in the brig Gustavus, procured and put on board of her the stipulated cargo, with which she sailed, under the command of said Stocking, from New-London, on the 18th January, 1811, for the island of Tobago. Having there taken on board the avails of both cargoes, being 242 hhds. of rum and some small articles, he, pursuant to instructions from the petitioner, proceeded to St. Bartholomews, to wait for further instructions, unless he should there learn that the British orders in council were actually repealed, or that the non-intercourse acts were not enforced against Great Britain. Said Stocking, under an impression from general information there received, that the non-intercourse acts would not go into operation; and believing that, should war commence, he could with greater safety rely on the equity of his own than on the caprice of a foreign government, left St. Bartholomews with the said brig, and arrived at New-London, on the 11th May, 1811, where she was, on the 13th, with her cargo, seized as forfeited. The petitioner states that said commander, Stocking, was ignorant, until his arrival at the custom-house, of any law of the United States subjecting said vessel and cargo to seizure. The said vessel and cargo have been condemned by a decision of the district court of Connecticut district, from which the petitioner appealed to the circuit court, where the cause is now pending. To obtain a remission of the forfeiture of said brig and cargo, the petitioner applied to the secretary of the treasury, under the act authorizing him to remit forfeitures incurred" without intentional fraud or wilful negligence," and it appears a remission of said forfeiture was granted, on payment of costs and of double instead of single duties, to which the cargo would otherwise have been liable, the act imposing the double duties having passed subsequent to the arrival of the said brig in the United States. To be relieved from the payment of this additional. duty and costs, as required by the act of remission, is the object of the petitioner's application to Congress. From the foregoing statement of facts, it appears to the committee that, though the voyage of the brig Hiram was innocent, as she sailed before the President's proclamation of the 2d of November had been issued, that of the brig Gustavus was unlawful; she sailed from New-London, with a knowledge of the President's proclamation, without any ground to anticipate the indulgence allowed by the act of 2d March, 1811, to vessels departing from a British port before the 2d of February, in that year; and she must have known that the voyage to and from Tobago would subject her to the penalties of the non-intercourse act. The circumstances urged in extenuation of her conduct in this respect, viz. the jeopardy of the property left by the Hiram at Tobago, and the obligation of the contract made there; the general expectation that the British orders in council would be revoked, and in consequence thereof the non-intercourse act repealed; the precaution that had been taken to prevent the vessel's return to the United States, and the information stated to have been received at St. Bartholomews, that the non-intercourse acts were not enforced, though they may exonerate the petitioner from the charge of "intentional fraud," cannot, the committee conceive, justify the wilful act of trading at Tobago in violation of existing laws. The committee are therefore of opinion that the Secretary of the Treasury in granting the remission on the terms therein stated, viewed this case in as favourable a light for the petitioner as the circumstances attending it would justify; and that he acted correctly in not granting an unqualified remission. They are also of opinion, there is not sufficient ground shown in this case to require legislative interposition, and therefore respectfully submit to the Senate the following resolution: Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner ought not to be granted. IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. APRIL 16, 1816. The committee on the memorial of the legislative council and house of representatives of the Mississippi Territory, to whom was referred the bill from the House of Representatives, entitled "An act to enable the people of the Mississippi Territory to form a Constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States;" and to whom was also referred the resolution of the Senate of the 2d inst. instructing the said committee to ascertain the population of said Territory, and how much thereof is resident on the east side of the Tombigbee River, have had the said bill and resolution under consideration, and REPORT..... That your committee have not been enabled, by any census or other document, to ascertain with precision what is the present population of the said territory; but your committee have been informed that measures had been adopted by the legislature of the said territory, to furnish the required information on this subject, and that there |