ed by the white skins, we stopped at the Big Swamp, because we knew we could not live further south, and because we were told by gov. Duval that we might do so, and that we should have the land. We now claim the fulfilment of his promise, and of that in the treaty. We were often deceived by the Spaniards. They made promises which they never kept. But we are told the Ane ricans are a straight people. We believed it-we hope we shall never have cause to change our minds.

You say our great father sent help to our people, who have been hungry because they could make no coru last year. We teel thankful for this, and will never forget it.

Brother: The business we have come here upon, is very in portant to our nation. We wish to have it s filed soon, that we may return to our homes and make the hearts of our people glad, by telling them what we have done. Brother: we send you this talk, and take the hand you offer DE, and will hold it till we get your answer.

G.

TUKASEE MATHLA, or HICKS, head chief. his x mark.

MICO NOPY, bis x mark.

HOLATA MICO his x mark.

TULCEE MATHLA, bis x mark..

FOKEE LUSTEE HAJO, his x mark.
NEA MATHLA, his x mark.

ITCHA TUSTEN UCGY, hisz mark.

Humphreys, agent.

You tell us, at the same time, that our great father says we must, in future, rely upon ourselves, and by our industry provide for our own support. We do not complain of this; but we ex pect he will not deny us such lands as will enable us to do so. You say, too, our great father does not wish to oppress his red children. We believe it, and that he will keep the treaty, and give us more land. We ask that the north line of our territory may be removed so as to embrace a small Swamp, called Wetooxy.duced to the president of the United States; who reThis will enable us to live, and make us contented.

Brother: You tell us that our great father owns a great coun.

try over the Big River towards the setting sun, and that he is willing to give us a part of it if we will go there, and he advises us to send some of our chiefs, with the Muscogees, when they go, to look at it, and bring us back word what sort of country it is. We have already said we do not intend to move again. If the Muscogees have a disposition to go further towards the setting sun, we are perfectly willing they should go, but we will not go with them. We have no friends there-the people of that Country are strangers to us. The Muscogees invited us to go with them; but it was only to make their party stronger. We will not invovle ourselves in the troubles of the Muscogees. We are a separate people, and have nothing to do with them.

Washington, May 17, 1826.

Subsequent to this talk, the delegation was intro

ceived them with so much cordiality, and evinced such a desire to promote their real interests, that the chiefs, after this interview, expressed themselves in the warmest terms of satisfaction and confidence.

Congressional Reports.

IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, MAY 20, 1825.** WASHINGTON, 20th May, 1826. In compliance with a resolution of the senate, of We came, brother, not to see the Muscogees, but to hold a talk the 5th of March, 1824, requesting copies of the se with our great father on our own affairs, and to claim of him veral instructions to the ministers of the United more land in our own country. Most of us were born on the land States to the government of France, and of the corwe now inhabit, and that we claim to be surrendered to us-here our navel strings were first cut, and the blood from them sunk respondence between the said ministers and governinto the earth, and made the country dear to us. We trave heard ment, having reference to the spoliations committed that the Spaniards sold this country to the Americans. This they had no right to do: The land was not theirs, but belonged by that power, on the commerce of the United States, to the Seminoles. Brother, we have come here, where we should anterior to the 30th September, 1800, or so much find Spanish, English, French and Americans to talk with our thereof as can be communicated without prejudice great father about this matter, and have it put right. We have to the public interests; also how far, if at all, the not yet seen our great father. We have come many days travel to see him, and do not wish to return without shaking hands with him. claim of indemnity from the government of France, You tell us, brother, that our great father has heard that we for the spoliations aforesaid, was affected by the conhave runaway slaves in our country, and that many of our peo-vention entered into between the United States and ple hide them from their owners. It is true, that some slaves, France on the said 30th of September, 1800, I trans who runaway from the whites, have come into our country; most of them, however, were given up before we left home, and we mit herewith a report from the secretary of state, think that, by this time, the rest of them are with their owners. with the documents desired by the resolution. We left orders with some of our chiefs, to have them taken and brought to the agency. We do not like the story, that our people JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. hide the runaway negroes from their masters. It is not a true talk: our people have not done this. We do not consider ourselves bound by the treaty, to take up any runaway slaves, but those who have entered our country since the making of the treaty. But we have never prevented the whites trom coming into our country and taking their slaves wherever they could find them, and we will not hereafter oppose their doing so, but will give them all the assistance we can.

Brother, we are glad to hear that our negroes, held by the whites, are to be claimed for us. This is right, and we hope that our great father will put it in the power of our agent to see jus tice done in this matter. We do not know if the white people will mind his talks when he demands our property; for they are not always willing to do right, when they can avoid it. The laws of our nation are strong, and oblige a man, having the property of another in his possesion, to give it up to the right owner. The Jaws of the whites, who have so much better sense than the red men, ought not to be less powerful and just.

Brother, you say that some of our young men are not always good, and that they go among the whites, and kill their stock. A few of them, we know, have done this, and we have punished them for it; and we have lately made such laws as we think will prevent their doing so any more. It is not our wish to disturb Our white neighbors, but to live in friendship with them. Brother: You tell us that our great father wishes to place a school in our nation, to teach our children, to read and write. We do not believe the Great Spirit intended we should know how to read and write; for if he had intended this, he would have given us the knowledge as early as he gave it to the white people. Now it is too late; the white people have gained an advantage we can never recover, and it is better for us to remain as we are, red men, and live in our own way. Brother, among our people, it is thought that, at the time when there were but two kinds of people, the red and the white, on the earth, a book was placed, by the Great Spirit, in the hands of an old man, blind, and with a long beard, who told the red and the white man that he who killed the first deer should receive the book as his reward, and be learnt to read it. Both went out to hunt, different ways. The white man, after going a little way, found a sheep, which being not so wild as the deer, he easily killed. He took this sheep to the blind man, and told him it was a deer. The old man believed him, and gave him the book, and learnt him how to read it. The red man soon after brought in a deer; but he was too late-the white man had got the hook. If this cheat bad not been practised, the red man would have been now as the white man is, and he as the red man. Brother, if the Great, Spirit had intended that the red men should know how to read, he would not have allowed the white man to take this advantage of us.

To the senate of the United States.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, 20th May, 1826. solution of the senate, of the 5th March, 1824, which The secretary of state, in compliance with the rewas referred to this department, requesting the president "to cause to be laid before the senate, copies of the several instructions to the ministers of the United States to the government of France, and of the correspondence between the said ministers and government, having reference to the spoliations committed by that power on the commerce of the United States, anterior to the 30th September, 1800, or so much thereof as can be communicated without prejudice to the public interests; also how far, if at all, the claim of indemnity from the government of France, for the spoliations aforesaid, was affected by the convention entered into between the United States and France, on the said 30th September, 1800," has the honor to report to the president, copies of so much of the instructions and correspondence in question as is supposed to be embraced in the call of the senate: to which are added, copies of other papers and documents, to a great extent, which are believed to be within the intention, if not com. prehended in the terms of the resolution of the senate. By a reference to former messages to con gress, and to the public documents, the publication of which had been authorized, from time to time by government; it will be perceived that many of the papers now reported, have been already communica ted to congress, or spread before the public, through the medium of the press; but it has been thought, nevertheless, expedient, to submit them in their present collected form, that a fuil and connected view might be presented at the same time. There

resolution of the senate.

with the addition, imputing that the convention shall
be in force for the space of eight years, and with
the retrenchment of the second article: Provided that,
by this retrenchment, the two states renounce the respec
tive pretensions which are the object of the said article.

may be even yet remaining in the archives of the department, others, having a bearing on the subject, which have escaped our diligence and researches. My predecessor was unable to command, from the other important duties which he had to perform, sufThe French ratification being thus conditional, was, ficient time to have this collection completed, during his continuance in office, after the passage of the nevertheless, exchanged against that of the United The same cause, not less States at Paris, on the same 31st of July. The presi sensibly felt by his successor, has delayed this report dent of the United States, considering it necessary until the present period-and he feels himself re-again to submit the convention, in this state, to the quired to state, that, without material injury to the senate; on the 19th day of December, 1801, it was public service, he was himself unable to examine resolved by the senate, that they considered the said the many volumes containing the very extensive cor- convention as fully ratified, and returned it to the respondence, from which the copies and extracts president for the usual promulgation. It was accordnow submitted have been taken, or even attentively ingly promulgated, and thereafter regarded as a valid to peruse the whole of those copies and extracts, and binding compact. The two contracting parties which have been just finished. The desire to pre- thus agreed, by the retrenchment of the second arsent them to the senate, in conformity to the anx-ticle, mutually to renounce the respective pretentions ious wish of the claimants, before the close of its which were the object of that article. The pretenpresent session, renders these explanations neces- sions of the United States, to which allusion is thus sary, and it is hoped that they may prove satisfactory made, arose out of the spoliations under color of The closing paragraph of the resolution of the se- the French authority in contravention to law and nate, enjoins another duty, which, from the ambig- the existing treaties. Those of France sprung from uous manner in which it is expressed, the secretary the treaty of alliance of the 6th February, 1778, the feels some difficulty in clearly comprehending. The treaty of amity and commerce of the same date, and senate resolved "that the president of the United the convention of the 14th of November, 1788. States be requested to cause to be laid before the Whatever obligations or indemnities, from these senate copies," &c. and conclude by requesting to sources, either party had a right to demand, were cause also to be laid before the senate "how far, if respectively waived and abandoned, and the consiat all, the claim of indemnity from the government deration which induced one party to renounce his of France for the spoliations aforesaid, was affected pretensions, was that of renunciation by the other by the convention entered into between the United party of his pretension. What was the value of the 'States and France on the said 30th of September, obligations and indemnities so reciprocally renounced, can only be the matter of speculation. The States was very large; and on the other hand, the The secretary can hardly suppose it to have been amount of the indemnities due to citizens of the U. the intention of the resolution, to require the sion of an argumentative opinion as to the degree of obligation was great, (to specify no other French responsibility to the American sufferers from French pretensions), under which the United States were spoliations, which the convention of 1800 extinguish-placed in the eleventh article of the treaty of alliance ed, on the part of France, or devolved on the United of 6th February, 1778, by which they were bound for of the crown of France in America, as well as those States, the senate itself being most competent to de-ever, to gauranty, from that time, the then possessions cide that question-under this impression, he hopes which it might acquire by the future treaty of peace that he will have sufficiently conformed to the pur-with Great Britain-all these possessions having poses of the senate by a brief statement, prepared in been, it is believed, conquered at or not long after a harried moment, of what he understands to be the the exchange of the ratifications af the convention of September, 1800, by the arms of Great Britain from question. France.

1800,"

expres

The second article of the convention of 1900, was in the following words: "The ministers plenipotenThe fifth article of the amendments to the constitutiary of the two parties not being able to agree at present respecting the treaty of alliance of 6th Feb. tion, provides: "Nor shall private property be taken 1778, the treaty of amity and commerce of the same for public use without just compensation." If date, and the convention of the 14th November, the indemnities to which citizens of the United 1785, nor upon the in lemnities mutually due or States were entitled for French spoliations, prior to claimed; the parties will negotiate farther on these the 30th September, 1800, have been appropriated to subjects at a convenient time; and, until they may absolve the United States from the fulfilment of an have agreed upon these points, the said treaties and obligation which they had contracted, or from the convention shall have no operation, and the relations payment of indemnities which they were bound to make to France, the senate is most competent to deof the two countries shall be regulated as follows." When that convention was laid before the senate, termine how far such an appropriation is a public use of private property within the spirit of the constiit gave its consent and advice that it should be ratified, provided that the second article be expunged, tution, and whether equitable considerations do not ants. The senate is also best able to estimate the and that the following article be added or inserted; require some compensation to be made to the claim "It is agreed that the present convention shall be in force for the term of eight years from the time of probability which existed of an ultimate recovery the exchange of the ratifications"-and it was ac- from France of the amount due for those indemnities, cordingly so ratified by the president of the United if they had not been renounced; in making which esStates, on the 18th day of February, 1801. On the imate, it will, no doubt, give just weight to the pain31st July, of the same year, it was ratified by Bona-ful consideration, that repeated and urgent appeals parte, first consul of the French republic, who incorporated in the instrument of his ratification the following clause, as a part of it: "The government of H. CLAY. the United States, having added to its ratification, that the convention should be in force for the space of eight years, and having omitted the second article, [The documents accompanying this report are 545 the government of the French republic consents to accept, ratify, and confirm the above convention, I in number and are said to weigh 264 lbs.)

have been, in vain, made to the justice of France, for
satisfaction of flagrant wrongs committed upon pro-
perty of other citizens of the United States, subse
All which is respectfully submitted.
quent to the period of 30th September, 1900.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 20, 1$26. Mr. Hamilton, from the committee on military affairs, made the following report:

The committee on military affairs, to whom was referred the proceedings of the general court martial, convened at camp Morgan, (Geo.) on the 15th March, 1826, for the trial of colonel Chambers, have taken the same into consideration, by a careful perusal of the testimony, and of the finding of the court. In the remarks which your committee are about to make, they expressly repudiate all idea of countenancing or entertaining an appeal from the decision of military courts, to this house; a practice which would be subversive of discipline, and highly injurious to the service.

The constitution of the United States has given the command of the army to the president; who has full power to cause any defect in the application of law, or misapprehension of fact in relation to trials by courts martial, to be reversed or remedied in the exercise of the ulterior discretion vested in him; but, if your committee were to venture to express a hope, it would be, that, with the irregularity in the incipient organization of the court, enough would be found in the past services, and gallant distinction of colonel Chambers, during the late war, to recommend him to the clemency of the executive.

To conclude if it be inconvenient to the service, that general courts martial should be required by law, to consist of so large a number as thirteen officers, Your committee, therefore, think that it is their and of a superior rank to the accused, the rules and province alone, on the reference of the proceedings articles of war should be at once amended, to preof the court, to ascertain and express an opinion, vent those infractions of their spirit, as well as letwhether, in its organization, those rights which beter, which, under the existing practice are so likely to long to an American citizen, under the laws of his occur. country, were secured to colonel Chambers.

By the 64th article of the rules and articles of war, it is provided, that "general courts martial may con"sist of any number of commissioned officers, from "five to thirteen, inclusively; but they shall not con"sist of less than thirteen, where that number can be "convened, without manifest injury to the service." In the 75th article, it is moreover provided, that "no officer shall be tried, but by a general court mar"tial, nor by officers of inferior rank, if it can be avoid• ed."

་་

The facts in the case are, that colonel Chambers was tried by fire officers, and all of them of inferior rank to himself.

The question then arises, whether a larger court could have been convened, "without manifest injury to the service," and whether the trial of col. Chambers, by officers of inferior rank, "could have been avoided."

In addition to the information already in the pos session of the house, the committee beg leave to subjoin the following letter from the secretary of war: WAR DEPARTMENT, May 19, 1826.

SIR: The adjutant general attends the committee, in conformity to the request of the committee. I have no information to communicate, beyond that in the possession of that officer. The proceedings of courts martial are presented to the department after a final decision. It takes no agency in the initiatory steps. The existence of this court was known, for the first time, at the department, when the record of its proceedings was presented. I have the honor to be, &c.

JAMES BARBOUR

The hon. James Hamilton,
Chairman of the committee on military affairs.
[This report lies on the table of the house.}

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 2.
Mr. Van Rensselaer, from the committec on agri-
culture, made the following report; which was laid
on the table, and 2,000 additional copies were order
ed to be printed:

Your committee think, from a view of the distribution of the army, the one result might have been ac complished, and the other contingency avoided, if not immediately at the period colonel Chambers was placed in arrest, at least after the intervention of some delay; which would have been less to be re- The committee on agriculture, to whom was refer gretted, than an apparent violation of the rules and red the resolution of Mr. Miner, to inquire whether articles of war. If it was impossible to have conven- the cultivation of the mulberry tree, and the breed ed a full court of officers of superior cank, in the de-ing of silk-worms, for the purpose of producing silk, partment to which colonel Chambers was attached, be a subject worthy of legislative attention, and, as many at least, of his grade, as could have been as- should they think it to be so, that they obtain such sembled, should have been assigned for this trial; and, information as may be in their power, respecting the if a compliance with the rules in this particular, was kind of mulberry most preferred, the best soil, cli Impracticable, colonel Chambers might have been mate and mode of cultivation, the probable value of ordered, with the prosecutor and witnesses, into ano- the culture, taking into view the capital employed, ther department, where, with less inconvenience, he the labor and the product, together with such facts might have been brought before a court differently and opinions as they may think useful and properconstituted.

Your committee are aware that, by the practice of the ariny, the employment of small courts of inferior rank, for the trial of officers charged with offences, has been sustained by numerous examples, for a long series of years. Wherever, however, this "can be avoided." the practice itself is illegal. Your committee need not insist on the principle, that all penal ensctments are to be construed in a manner most favorable to the prisoner, "can be avoided," are terms of the largest and most emphatic import, and seem to imply an imperative precept, only to be overruled by a physical or moral necessity.

Report, that they have examined the subject attentively, and have taken steps as they thought best calculated to obtain information which might be use ful, and lead to satisfactory conclusions.

The facts developed in the course of their inqui ries, tend to place the subject in an important point of view. It is an interesting fact, that the mulberry tree grows indegenously throughout the U. States, and that silk may be raised with facility from the southern to the northern boundary of the union. Formerly, considerable quantities of silk was produced in Georgia. In 1776 more than twenty thou sand pounds of coccoons were exported from there Colonel Chambers, it is truc, on his arraignment, to England. The production of the article was sus did not object to the court. The committee, bow-pended, not from any difficulty experienced in the ever, do not conceive this to affect the question, as it depends on a principle not susceptible of waiver, on the part of the accused.

In expressing these opinions, your committee are aware, if it were proper, in this case, now to do any thing, that the remely does not belong to this house.

process, but from causes connected with the revolution. Measures have recently been adopted at Savannah, with a view to a renewal of the cultivation of the mulberry tree, and breeding of the silk worm. In Kentucky, the committee learn, that sewing silk is now produced in considerable quantities, and of

mulberry tree, calculated to produce as many worms as his own family will enable him to manage without increased expense, and without permitting it, until the experiment shall have been fully tried, to interfere with the regular course of his usual pursuits. A single acre planted with the mulberry will produce from 500 to 600 pounds of raw silk, the value of which, to the individual, would richly compensate for the capital and labor employed, and the aggregate to the country of great importance.

excellent quality. Many years ago, the attention of public spirited individuals in Pennsylvania was turned to the production of silk. The Persian mulberry was introduced into Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by bishop Ettween, where it flourished, and still flourishes. Silk was produced without difficulty. In Chester, and other of the southern counties of that state, the experiment was also made with success. The great demand, and high price of bread stuffs, owing to the war growing out of the French revolution, rendered the cultivation of grain so profitable for many years, that the mulberry was neglected. In 1779, two hundred pounds of sewing silk were made in the town of Mansfield, in Connecticut; and in 1810, according to the report of the marshal, who took the census, the value of silk produced in Windham coun-ranean have been made during the last years, for the was estimated at $27,373

The fact is worthy of notice, that notwithstanding the high price of land in Ireland where a year's rent of land exceeds the price of the soil in many parts of our country, yet so valuable is the mulberry considered, that importations of trees from the Mediter

purpose of producing silk. Your committee addressThe committee learn that the production of silk is ed inquiries to several intelligent gentlemen, who still attended to, and found profitable. Some beauti- were presumed competent to give them information ful specimens of sewing silk, the poductions of that upon the subject, and among the papers received in state, have been exhibited to the committee. Of the reply, they beg leave to present, to the particular atfact, therefore, that the United States can produce tention of the house, a valuable memoir, replete with silk for its own consumption, and even for exporta-instructing facts and useful information, from Edtion to the extent of foreign demand, there appears mund C. Genet, esq. and also several communicano reason to doubt. There are few persons, the com-tions from other gentlemen, to whose attention the mittee believe, even the most intelligent of our citi- committee acknowledge their obligation. As the rezens, (who have not turned their attention particu-sult of their inquiries, believing that knowledge, on larly to the subject), who will not be surprised at the the subject, is of the first importance, the committee view presented by the following official statement of submit the following resolution: the value of silks imported into the United States the last five years:

Statement of the value of silk goods, imported and ex-
ported in the years 1821 to 1825, inclusive.
Imported. Exported.
$4,486,924

1821

$1,057,233
1,016,262
1,512,449
1,816,325
2,505,742

$35,156,484 $7,968,011

What a bounty is paid by us to support the agriculturer and manufacturer of other nations, on articles which our country, with a few years of care, might supply! How important it is that the agriculturalist should turn his attention to new objects of production, is very fully shown by the circumstance of the diminished and diminishing demand of bread stuffs abroad.

In 1817 the exports of bread stuffs amounted to

1819 1824

1825

Resolved, That the secretary of the treasury cause to be prepared a well digested manual, containing the best practical information that can be collected, on the growth and manufacture of silk, adapted to the different parts of the union, containing such facts and observations in relation to the growth and manufacture of silk in other countries as may be useful and interesting, that the same be laid before congress at the commencement of the next session.

TSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 19.

Mr. Smith, of Va. from the committee on revolutionary claims, reported "a bill for the relief of Edmund Brooke;" which was twice read and committed.

Mr. Whittlesey, from the committee of claims, reported, with amendments, the bill from the senate, for the relief of Don Carlos Dehault Delassus;" which was referred to a committee of the whole.

Mr. Condict, from the select committee appointed to inquire into the expediency of laying an excise on $20,374,000 domestic spirits, made the following report thereon, 15,388,000 in which the house concurred; and the report was or6,799,246 dered to lie upon the table.

That, before they could decide upon the expediency of an excise upon domestic spirit, which they consider to be the most material subject of their investigation, they deemed it proper to look to the experience of the government, in the operation of former laws, and ascertain the amount of revenue heretofore raised; the various rates of duty imposed; the quantity of spirit imported; the amount distilled at home, with the proportions from foreign and from domestic materials: the quantity consumed in the United States; the expense of collecting the tax, and what mode of collection was preferred.

5,717,997 "The select eommittee, to which was referred the An importation of ten millions of dollars of silks-resolutions, "that it is expedient to increase the duty an exportation of five millions of bread stuffs: the on all imported spirit, and to lay an excise on do facts speak the importance of the subject, and indi-"mestic liquors, and to apply the revenue from this cate the necessity of awakening the slumbering agri-" source, to purposes of internal improvement and cultural resources of our country, by introducing new "education," report: and profitable articles of production. Knowledge is power, in agriculture, no less than in politics. Information is capital, and the means of valuable improvement. The committee conceive that the first and most important measure to be taken, to acquire and circulate clear, distinct and precise information in these points. The relative value of the cultivation of the mulberry, and the introduction of silk, compared with other agricultural productions in the different sections of the union, capital and labor being considered; the kind of mulberry best suited to the object; the most advantageous mode of cultivation; the most approved manner of managing the silk worm, and an explanation of the process till the article is ready for market. The committee incline to the opinion that the best mode of raising silk, will be for every farmer and planter to appropriate a small porLon of ground, as for a fruit orchard, for raising the

These points, with some others connected with their inquiry, they undertook to investigate themselves, by examining the various reports and documents, scattered throughout the records of this house.

They however, soon discovered the difficulties, as well as delays, of this mode, and in an interview,