Tuesday, February 21.

Negotiation with the Mediterranean Powers.

Mr. W. Smith moved that the House should go into a committee on the business, which would require the galleries to be closed; the Speaker accordingly put the question for going into a Committee of the Whole on the bill to authorize a negotiation with the Mediterranean Powers, which, being carried, the galleries were cleared accordingly.

After the galleries were cleared, the bill was agreed to with amendments, and ordered for a third reading to-morrow.

On motion that the House come to the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the injunction of secrecy upon the members of this House, so far as it relates to that part of the communication made by the President, by his Message of January 9, which has been printed, be taken off, and that all future debates and proceedings thereon be had with open doors."

A motion was made to insert, after the words "be taken off," "together with the letter of Messrs. Barlow and Donaldson, of April 5, 1796." The question on the amendment was taken by yeas and nays, and lost—yeas 19, nays 65.

The main question was then taken by yeas and nays, and resulted—yeas 53, nays 36.

Reports of the Secretary of State, relative to the present situation of affairs with the Dey and Regency of Algiers, accompanying the following confidential Message from the President of the United States, received the 9th of January, 1797:

Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Herewith I lay before you, in confidence, reports from the Departments of State and the Treasury, by which you will see the present situation of our affairs with the Dey and Regency of Algiers.

G. WASHINGTON.

United States, January 9, 1797.

To the President of the United States, the Secretary of State respectfully makes the following brief representation of the affairs of the United States, in relation to Algiers:

When Colonel Humphreys left America, in April, 1795, he was accompanied by Joseph Donaldson, Esq., who had been appointed Consul for Tunis and Tripoli; and him Colonel Humphreys was authorized to employ in negotiating a Treaty with Algiers, while he should proceed himself to France, for the purpose of obtaining the co-operation of that Government in this negotiation.

They arrived at Gibraltar on the 17th of May. Colonel Humphreys concluded that it was expedient for Mr. Donaldson to go first to Alicant, rather than Algiers, in order to be near at hand, to ascertain facts and profit of occasions. He gave him instructions accordingly; and having also instructed Mr. Simpson, our Consul at Gibraltar, to renew our peace with the Emperor of Morocco, Colonel Humphreys sailed from Gibraltar the 24th of May, and arrived at Havre de Grace on the 26th of June; from whence he set off immediately for Paris. The object of his mission was communicated by our Minister, Colonel Monroe, to the Committee of Public Safety. On the 1st of July he had received only a verbal answer, that the French Government was disposed to interest itself, and to do every thing in its power, to promote the accomplishment of our wishes on the subject in question. On the 28th, assurances were received that immediate measures should be taken for giving particular instructions to the agents of the Republic, to use its influence in co-operating with us. The multiplicity of affairs with which the officers of Government were occupied, and the getting from London a sum of money necessary to purchase the usual peace presents, prevented a conclusion of this arrangement at Paris until September. It had been judged expedient, by Colonel Humphreys and Colonel Monroe, that Joel Barlow should be employed in the negotiation with the Barbary States, and his consent had been obtained. By the 11th of September, all the writings on the part of Colonel Humphreys were prepared for Mr. Barlow, to proceed with the instructions and powers from the Government of the French Republic to its agents in Barbary, in favor of our negotiation.

Colonel Humphreys left Paris the 12th of September, and reached Havre the 14th, where he found the master and mate of the United States brig Sophia, both sick with fevers. While waiting there impatiently for their recovery, he received intelligence from our Consul at Marseilles, that Mr. Donaldson had concluded a Treaty of Peace with the Dey of Algiers; nevertheless, Colonel Humphreys thought it expedient that Mr. Barlow should proceed with the presents prepared and preparing at Paris; for, if not needed at Algiers, they would be wanted in the negotiation with Tunis and Tripoli.

About the 5th of October, Colonel Humphreys sailed from Havre, and after a stormy passage of more than forty days, arrived at Lisbon on the 17th of November. There he found Captain O'Brien, who had arrived about the 1st of October, with the Treaty with Algiers.

On the 3d of September Mr. Donaldson arrived at Algiers, and on the 5th the Treaty was concluded, and the peace presents immediately given, by a loan. Mr. Donaldson, knowing that funds had been lodged in London to answer his stipulations, engaged to make the payments in three or four months.

Colonel Humphreys had received advice, under date of the 30th July, from the Messrs. Barings, in London, to whom the funds had been remitted, that, having made progress in the sales of the United States' stock, they should hold, at his disposal, the whole of the value of $800,000, meaning to furnish, by anticipation, the value of that part which remained unsold, if the service of the United States required it. Colonel Humphreys, counting on the money as always ready after this period, sent Captain O'Brien from Lisbon to London, in the brig Sophia, to receive it. Owing to contrary winds, she did not leave Lisbon till the 24th of December. The other details, relative to the pecuniary transactions, appear in the report of the Secretary of the Treasury.

The disappointments in the pecuniary negotiations, put the Treaty in jeopardy; the Dey threatened to abandon it, and it was with extreme difficulty that it was prevented. Mr. Barlow did not arrive at Alicant until February, 1796, where he proposed to wait the arrival of the funds: but, after a little time, his intelligence from Algiers showing that our affairs were in a critical situation, he determined to go thither immediately, with the hope of soothing the Dey. He arrived there the 4th of March; they had before prolonged the time to the 8th of April for the payment of the stipulated sums. On the 3d of this month the Dey declared what should be his final determination—that in eight days Mr. Barlow and Mr. Donaldson should leave Algiers; and if, in thirty days after, the money was not paid, the Treaty should be at an end, and his cruisers should bring in American vessels. Under these circumstances, and as the last hope of saving the Treaty, they were induced to offer the present of a frigate—this fortunately succeeded. For the particulars of this transaction, the Secretary begs leave to refer to the enclosed letter from Messrs. Barlow and Donaldson.

Colonel Humphreys not deeming himself authorized to confirm this promise of a frigate, referred the matter to the Executive of the United States; and for this end despatched Captain O'Brien, in the brig Sophia, to America. There was evidently no alternative; and the promise was confirmed.

The frigate is now building in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and is expected to be finished in the spring. Captain O'Brien returned to Lisbon, where he arrived on the —— of July. Colonel Humphreys had advantageously negotiated bills on London for $225,000. This sum was embarked on board the Sophia, and, on the 3d of August, Captain O'Brien set sail for Algiers. He has not since been heard of, and there is room to fear that some misfortune has befallen him. The money was insured at a small premium, against the danger of the seas; against all risks they demanded so high a premium as Colonel Humphreys judged it inexpedient to give, seeing the Sophia was a vessel of the United States, having a special passport from the President, as well as a passport in the Turkish language, under the seal of the Dey of Algiers.

Such arrangements have been made by Mr. Barlow and Mr. Donaldson, at Algiers and Leghorn, as will doubtless insure the payment of the $400,000 originally expected from the latter place; and the same house have become engaged to the Dey and Regency for the residue of the money due as the price of peace, without which he would not agree to the redemption of the captives.

The Secretary of the Treasury estimates
these further sums to be provided to fulfil
the terms of the Treaty$255,759
For two years' annuities to the Dey99,246
To which are to be added the 10,000
sequins promised by Mr. Barlow and Mr.
Donaldson, mentioned in their letter18,000
And the expenses of the captives performing
quarantine at Marseilles, and transporting
them to America, estimated by
the Consul at Marseilles, at about6,500
———
379,505

On the 31st ultimo I received a letter from Mr. Barlow, dated the 13th of July, informing that the agent, Mr. Famin, at Tunis, who had been recommended to him by the French Consul Herculias, had concluded, with the Bey of that Regency, a truce for six months, from the 15th day of June last, and that without any presents.

TIMOTHY PICKERING,
Secretary of State.

Department of State, January 6, 1797.