Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

From the National Intelligencer.
BRITISH, FRENCH, AND DANISH
CAPTURES.
The following messages were received
on Friday last, from the President of the U.
States, by Mr. Graham:
To the House of Representatives of the
United States.
I communicate to the house of representatives,
the report of the secretary of state
on the subject of their resolution of the 6th
December last.
JAMES MADISON.
January 12, 1810.
The secretary of state respectfully reports
to the President of the United States,
agreeably to a resolution of the house of representatives
of the 6th December, 1809,
that the enclosed papers, from A to E contain,
in substance, the information which
has been received at this office respecting
seizures, captures and condemnations of
ships and merchandise of the citizens of
the United States, under the authority of
the government of Denmark.
A. A memorial of sundry Americans at
Christiansand to the President of the United
States.
B. Translation of an extract of a letter
from Peter Isaacson lately appointed consul
of the United States at Christiansand, to
the President of the United States, dated
August 11, 1809.
C. List of vessels which have been carried
into the ports of Denmark and Norway,
received from Mr. Suabye, consul of
the United States at Copenhagen.
D. Extract of a letter of Mr. Saabye to
the secretary of state, dated August 1,
1809.
E. Resolutions and memorial of merchants
of Philadelphia.
The secretary of state reports to the President,
that information has been received at
this office, within the period embraced by
the resolution referred to, of the capture of
American vessels by those of Great Britain,
under various pretexts, viz. for dealing by
bills of exchange in an enemy's country,
for colonial produce, violating the British
orders in council of January and November
1807, for infringing the blockade of Martinique,
or being engaged in the Vera
Cruz and colonial carrying trade; and of
the seizure of some American vessels at
Curacao, at Ceylon and in China, for reasons
not distinctly stated. It is to be observed,
however, that the papers in this office
afford but a very imperfect account of
the British captures of American property—and
it is for this reason that a detail is
not attempted in this report; more particularly
as no official accounts have been received
on which to ground one.
The secretary begs leave likewise to state
to the President, that within the period embraced
by the resolution, property to a considerable
amount, belonging to citizens of
the United States has been captured and
seized by the French, for violations of the
Berlin and Milan decrees and under other
pretexts; that in some instances the merchant
vessels of the U. S. have been burnt
at sea by French cruisers, and, in others,
the indemnity of the vessels and property
has been purchased by the means or bill of
exchange drawn by the captains of the American
vessels upon their owners, at a rate
imposed by the captors. The accompanying
statement of American vessels condemned
by the imperial council of prizes at
Paris, from the 18th of December, 1806, to
the 26th May, 1809, received from Mr.
Warden, acting as consul of the United
States at Paris, more particularly explains
the grounds of French captures.
It is to be observed, however, as to many
of these acts, that they can no otherwise
be considered as having been done
under the authority of those governments
than that the vessels committing them were
under their flag.
Respectfully submitted,
R. SMITH
Department of State
Jan. 12, 1810.
To the House of Representatives of the U.
I communicate to the house of representatives
the report of the secretary of state
on the subject of their resolution of the 3d
instant.
JAMES MADISON
January 12, 1810.
The secretary of state has the honor to
report to the president in conformity to the
resolution of the house of representatives
of the 3d instant, that no information has
been received at the department of state
relative to the blockade of the ports of the
Baltic by France, and of the exclusion of
neutral vessels by Russia, Sweden, & Denmark.
As it is presumed however, that
the enclosed papers, the first a translation
of an 'Ukase' of the Russian government,
dated on the 14th of May, 1809,
and the second a translation furnished to
this department on the 10th of January last,
by the charge d'affaires of Denmark, of
such parts of the instructions given to the
privateers of that country on the 14th of
September, 1807, as were supposed to be
most interesting to neutrals, and may have
some connection with the object of the resolution,
they are respectfully submitted.
R. SMITH.
Department of State,
Jan. 11, 1810.
These messages, with the documents
accompanying the same, were ordered to
be printed.