The New Hampshire Gazette

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 25.

Letter from the Chevalier D'Yrujo, Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States, from Spain, to the Chairman of the committee appointed to prepare and report articles of impeachment against William Blount, dated January 19, 1798.

SIR,

Philad. Jan. 19

Having seen by the supplementary report of the committee which you laid before the House on Thursday the 18th inst. that Abraham Holden has declared that I. P. Ripley had received from me a sum of money in New-York; to extricate him from a difficulty in which he found himself, I think it an indispensable duty I owe to myself, to prove the total misrepresentation of the fact by the following statement. Towards the latter end of last September, on my return at New-York from Boston, I was informed that Mr. Ripley had been arrested for debt, and that by the interposition of Gov. Jay he had been prevented from going to prison. Mr. Ripley shortly after applied to a merchant in New-York for a sum of money in order to extricate himself finally from this embarrassment, the gentleman applied to me for information respecting Mr. Ripley, and on my telling him I had every reason to consider him as a young man of honor and integrity, he advanced him on his notes, the money he required; the amount of which I do not exactly recollect. Moreover, I think it necessary here to observe to you sir, that from the first moment of my acquaintance with Mr. Ripley, I never have directly or indirectly, offered him any money of other reward, or in any ways hinted to compensate him for his deposition, as he was conscious it was his duty, and in that light only have I viewed it. I have further reason to believe this motive was the only inducement he had to apply to me, at the commencement of the sitting of the committee as it was an entire voluntary act of his own.

As the deposition of Mr. Holden has been laid before Congress, permit me, sir, to request the committee to do the same with this letter, and, if necessary, to take the proper steps for the further elucidation of the above mentioned fact, in order to remove any wrong impression it might make on the public.

I have the honor to be sir,

Your obedient humble servant,

LE CHEVALIER D'YRUGO,

SAMUEL SITGREAVES, ESQ. Chairman of the committee of the House of Representatives, for the impeachment of William Blount.