ting their cargoes, and imprisoning the owners, captains and crews. These were all condemned to the mines for various terms of years. The spirit of the government and the venality of its officers was, however, apparent. The favourites of those with whom the officers had connexions in business escaped, by bringing proofs that were thought sufficient to destroy those sent by Guardoqui, by receiving timely notice of their danger, by orders forwarded to the commandant at the Balize to favour them, by not suffering them to enter, and allowing those who had entered, but not reached New-Orleans, to return and put back to sea, with such part of their cargoes as they could not conveniently land on the plantations along the banks of the river-the owners having ordered those vessels to foreign ports, pretended they were lost during their voyage, and they were ignorant of any thing concerning them since they left New-Orleans. It was the practice in Spanish colonies, to condeinn all contraband traders to the mines; but in such cases the law was rarely carried into execution, when there had been no violent resistance or blood shed. The offender was, however, imprisoned, and after a short time, suffered to escape-the jailor reporting him as runaway or dead. Some of the persons who were thus condemned and imprisoned in New-Orleans, were soon after liberated. A few were permitted to command other vessels, after having made some change or alteration in their names. One of them who had been imprisoned and returned as dead, by the gaoler, went to Madrid, where he obtained the review and reversal of the sentence against him, and came back to New-Orleans.. The congress of the United States, this year, erect ed the territory to the northwest of the Ohio into a distinct government, at the head of which they placed Arthur St. Clair, an officer of the late revolution, and once their president. Archives-Gazettes-St. Mery-Clark-Marshal. 'CHAPTER VI. Conflagration.-Permission given to Wilkinson to trade.-Emigrants.-Census-Navarro's departure: His ideas in regard to the people of Kentucky: their plans.-Charles IV-Wilkinson.-Encouragement to migration.—Irish emigrants.-Federal constitution of the U.States.— Washington.-Nootka Sound.-Negotiations at Madrid-Southwestern Territory.-Don Francisco de Bouligny-Don Nicholas Maria Vidal -Indian affairs.—Insurrection in Hispaniola. -State of Vermont. The ordinary alcades, for the year 1788, were Foucher and Argotte. Pedesclaux now succeeded Rodriguez in the office of clerk of the cabildo, which he held during the remainder of the Spanish government in Louisiana. On the twenty-first of March, (Good Friday,) the chapel of a Spaniard, in Chartres-street, New-Orleans, took fire, about three o'clock in the afternoon; and, the wind being very high at the time, a conflagration ensued, which, in a few hours, consumed nine hundred houses, and other property of immense value. In order to relieve the inhabitants, in some degree, from the distress into which this event had plunged them, the colonial government made a large contrac for flour, to be purchased within the United States, on which it made great advances in money; and in order to induce contractors to deliver it on the best VOL. II. 13 terms, the privilege was allowed them of introducing an unlimited quantity of merchandise, on paying the usual duty. Guardoqui, finding that the information he had given made him enemies in the United States, that the colonial government had seized the opportunity presented by the late conflagration, to release all the individuals imprisoned in consequence of the prosecutions he had instigated during the preceding year, and to restore the property confiscated, (a measure approved by the king, to whom a representation had been made by his officers in Louisiana) and that no benefit could result to him from continuing his interference, desisted from any further attempt to obstruct the commercial intercourse between Philadelphia and New-Orleans; and his agents, induced by motives of prudence, and perhaps by a share in the profits, did every thing in their power to augment it. Miro now received and executed a commission of judge of residence of Galvez. On the eighth of August, Wilkinson's agent in New Orleans procured, from the colonial government, permission to send to the city one or more launches loaded with tobacco from Kentucky. Several individuals from the Wabash, Kentucky, and Cumberland rivers, came to Louisiana to ascertain whether their migration to the province would be allowed, and to view the country. They were informed that they would be permitted to introduce their property; such as was for sale, paying a duty of twenty-five per cent; that their slaves, stock, provisions for two years, and farming implements, would be free from duty; that land would be granted, and protection afforded them, as long as they demeaned themselves well. |