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was reclaimed. By a very wise and humane, though unusual provision in the treaty, it was stipulated, that if any controversy should arise in the execution of its articles, about which the parties could not agree, it should be submitted to the arbitrament and final decision of some friendly power. After several fruitless attempts to adjust this dispute with the British government, the emperor of Russia was selected as the arbiter, to decide the controversy. His decision was in favor of the American claim, and the owners were compensated from the British treasury. The introduction and successful application of the principle of submitting national disputes to arbitration, is justly ranked among the most important events of the present period. As nations acknowledge no superior, their controversies must be settled, either by the sword, by the acquiescence of the weaker to the stronger, however unfounded his claims, or by reference to some mutual friend. Could the latter method, now happily introduced, be generally adopted,it would form a new and important era in the history of man, and go far to relieve the human family from the desolating scourge of war.

Russian ukase against freemasonry. Since the accession of Alexander to the throne of Russia, the intercourse between that nation and the United States has generally been of a friendly character. No subject of collision has arisen to disturb the harmony, except the one relating to the northwest coast, which was settled with much less difficulty than usually attends such affairs. The jealousy of the emperor, however, in regard to republicanism, and principles of an anti-monarchal tendency seemed to increase with his know. ledge of the institutions of this country. Freemasonry, a society of great antiquity, and co-extensive with the civilized world, became the subject of his peculiar distrust. The members of this fraternity, in different parts of the world, hold each other as brethren, and maintain a friendly intercourse. However much their principles may, in some instances, have been perverted, they profess, as masons, to be quiet subjects of the governments under which they live, and to be opposed to revolutions and conspiracies against its authority. The emperor, apprehending that the freemasons of his dominions, by a correspondence with their brethren in the United States, might imbibe notions hostile to the principles of despotism, and introduce the seeds of a revolution, by a ukase of the 30th of August, 1822, abolished the institution, and prohibited, under severe penalties, all secret societies in his dominions. All members of such so,

cieties were required to engage in writing, to abandon them, and every public officer was further obliged to make a writ ten declaration, whether he belonged to any freemasons' lodge, or other secret society, in or out of the empire, to make known the nature of such society, and give a pledge that he would not in future belong to any fraternity of that character, on pain of being immediately dismissed from the service. The emperor introduces this rescript by a declaration, evincing his extreme solicitude and jealousy upon the subject of political innovations. "The troubles and discords," he says, "which have arisen in various other states, through the existence of secret societies, some of which, under the denomination of freemasons, were at first founded for charitable purposes, and others secretly pursued political objects, have induced some governments to view them with strict attention. The emperor has, from these considerations, been led to erect a firm bulwark against every thing which might be injurious to the empire, especially at a time when so many states afford sad examples of the ruinous consequences of the philosophical subtleties now in vogue."

Decoudray's expedition. During the contest between Spain and her South American provinces, the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico maintained their relations with the parent state, not however without_some_revolutionary movements. In the year 1822, one Decoudray, a Swiss adventurer, came to New York, and in conjunction with Baptist Irvine and others, formed the plan of revolutionizing Porto Rico; and setting up an independent government of which they were to be the chiefs. To effect this object, they fitted out a small armament, and eluding the vigilance of the custom-house officers, proceeded to St. Bartholomews, the place of their rendezvous, expecting to draw to their standard the disaffected of Porto Rico, and with them and the slaves of the island to accomplish their purpose. The island at this time contained a free population of about 90,000, and 100,000 slaves. It was a place of considerable strength, and in the neighborhood of Cuba, from whence a force adequate to support the Spanish authorities might readily be obtained. The rigor of the Spanish colonial system had been less felt in these islands than on the neighboring continent; they had been indulged with some commercial privileges denied to other colonies; and felt little disposition to put their existence at hazard by a revolt. Their weakness and insular situation forbid any prospect of success. Decoudray's armament was too feeble

and ill-concerted to afford any encouragement. He and his deluded followers were captured on their passage from St. Bartholomews, and doomed to suffer the consequences of their folly.

Second session of the seventeenth congress. The second session of the seventeenth congress commenced on the second of December, 1822. A quorum of both houses assembled on that day, and the customary message was received on the next. It presented a promising aspect of the foreign and domestic affairs of the nation. It contained nothing of any great interest because nothing had happened. It recommended no important measure, because none was deemed necessary. The session, terminating on the third of March, was necessarily a short one. Few acts of general interest were passed. The government in all its departments and relations was proceeding in a prosperous train. No great political question was agitated in congress, or called forth the energies of that body.

Vice president's accounts. In virtue of a law of the last session, providing that no payments should be made to any public officer, whose accounts were unsettled, and who appeared to be in arrear on the treasury books, the payment. of the vice president's salary was suspended. That officer, as governor of the state of New York in the late war, was required to call out large portions of the militia to defend the city, and the extensive inland frontier of the state. From the deranged situation of the national finances, he was frequently obliged to provide for their pay and subsistence on his private responsibility. He had executed the arduous duties attached to his military character as captain general of the militia of the state, and commandant of the military district of New York, with great zeal and fidelity. He had incurred responsibilities for the public service of more than a million of dollars, to the detriment of his private credit. The reimbursements from the national treasury were not as soon as was expected, or in season to meet his engagements. This produced embarrassment and ruin in his private affairs. In some instances the subordinate agents misapplied the money; in others the proper vouchers were not taken; so that in rendering his account to the treasury, on the principles on which its officers were authorized to settle them, he appeared a large defaulter. The comptroller instituted a suit against him in the circuit court, in which he made it appear that so far from being in arrears to the government, he was in advance the sum of

$136,799.97. A committee of the house of representatives, to whom the peculiar circumstances of his case were referred, reported facts highly honorable to that officer. They say that "he had performed all that was required, and more than was promised or expected. The protection of the city of New York, and the successful issue of the campaign of 1814 on the frontier, was owing in a great measure to his exertions."

The committee reported, that he ought to be allowed interest on his advances until they were reimbursed, and a commission on all moneys that passed through his hands. That he ought to be indemnified for losses incurred in consequence of the government's failing to reimburse the moneys borrowed by him, at the stipulated time; and that he ought not to be responsible for losses incurred by the fraud or failure of his sub-agents. The committee reported a bill, which passed with little opposition, directing the accounting officers of the treasury to settle his account upon these principles, and suspending as to him the operation of the law of the last session, which prevented the payment of his salary. On a final adjustment of his accounts on the principles reported by the committee, a balance of $35,190 was found in his favor.

CHAPTER XIV.

State of the debt arising from the sale of the public lands-Western banksProceedings of the secretary of the treasury-Charges against him-Report of a committee thereon-Piracies in the West India seas-Their originPrincipal haunts-Armament for their suppression-Commodore Porter appointed to the command-Key West-Proceedings of the squadronSickness of the crews-Foxardo affair-Commodore Porter ordered homeCourt of inquiry-Its report-Court martial-Its proceedings and sentenceCommodore Porter engages in the Mexican service-Objections to such a measure-His conduct at New Orleans.

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Western debts. In the year 1816, the debt due to government from the western section of the union, arising principally from the sale of public lands, exceeded twenty millions. As most of the expenditures of government were in the Atlantic states, it became necessary to transfer these funds from the west to the east. In this operation, the treasury experienced great difficulties. The course of exchange was uniformly against the west. The states in that section had followed the example of the east, in incorporating numerous banking institutions, with little specie capital. Previous to the commencement of the operations of the bank of the United States, the local banks of the west had necessarily been made the depositories of the government moneys, by the aid of which, they sustained a doubtful credit, and extended their operations. By the charter of the government bank, that institution was made the exclusive depository of the public funds, in consideration of its engagement to transfer them, free of expense, from the place of collection, to that of disbursement. In the year 1817, the operation of transferring the public moneys from the local banks, to the branches of the United States bank in the west, commenced; and was attended with great dif<ficulties and embarrassments. The state banks were obliged to stop discounts; call in heavy instalments from their customers, and suspend specie payments where it had not already been done. Some of the least cautious became insolvent. Great pecuniary embarrassment and consequent irritation ensued. A determined hostility against the United States bank pervaded the west. Attempts were made to

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