Great Britain to enforce her principle of "once a subject and always a subject" beyond the case of her own subjects ought to be repelled. A copy of General Muhlenberg's letter, stating the fact of citizenship accurately, ought to satisfy Mr. Bond, unless he can disprove the fact: or unless, admitting the fact, he at once attacks our principle: on that ground we will meet his government.

As to the patronage of the Republican Bank at Providence, I am decidedly in favor of making all the banks Republican, by sharing deposits among them in proportion to the dispositions they show; if the law now forbids it, we should not permit another session of Congress to pass without amending it. It is material to the safety of Republicanism to detach the mercantile interest from its enemies and incorporate them into the body of its friends. A merchant is naturally a Republican, and can be otherwise only from a vitiated state of things. Affectionate salutations.

TO THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER ON SPANISH BOUNDARY.

(EPHRAIM KIRBY.)

J. MSS.

WASHINGTON, July 15, 1803.

DEAR SIR, I yesterday signed a commission appointing you one of the commissioners to receive & determine the titles of lands held on the East side of Pearl river. The place of sessions will be Fort Stoddart. I am happy in having in that commission the name of person already so well known to the public as to ensure their confidence. The other commissioner will be Mr. Robert Carter Nicholas of Kentucky, son of the late George Nicholas of that state. I am desirous of appointing to the register's office, some worthy inhabitant of that part of the country, but I have never been able to get a recommendation of anyone. He should be of perfect integrity, good understanding, and, if a lawyer, so much the better. Under these circumstances I have thought it best to ask you to take charge of a blank commission, to be filled up by yourself as soon after your arrival there, as you can acquire information of the best character. Your own judg ment will suggest to you the advantage of keeping it entirely secret that you have such a power, in order that you may obtain

disinterested information. But I am obliged to impose on you another task, quite out of the line of your official duty, yet within that of a citizen of the U. S. We have had no means of acquiring any knolege of the number, nature & extent of our settlements west of Pearl river: Yet it is extremely important that we should receive accurate information. I have therefore taken the liberty of stating some queries to which I will pray your attention, and that you will take all the pains you can to obtain for me full and faithful answers.' I leave this place within a few days for Monticello to remain there through the months of August and September. I pray you to accept my friendly salutations & assurances of great esteem & respect.

QUERIES AS TO LOUISIANA.

J. MSS. [July 15? 1803 ?]

1. What are the boundaries of Louisiana, and on what authority does each portion of them rest?

2. What is the distance from New Orleans to the nearest point of the western boundary?

3. Into what divisions is the province laid off?

4. What officers civil or military are appointed to each division,

' Queries.

1. What are the settlements of citizens on the east side of Pearl river? Stating their geographical position, extent & numbers.

2. Are there good lands adjoining them to render them capable of enlarge

ment.

3. Have they encroached on the Indians?

4. Are the settlements in a course of enlargement by persons setting down on lands without title?

5. The general character of the inhabitants & from whence they are?

6. A special list by name of all such individuals worthy of appointment to such offices as may be necessary among them, and characters so particularized as that we may know for what each is fit.

7. A general account of the Spanish settlements in the adjacent country, stating all material circumstances relative to them, particularly their geographical position & numbers. Those on the Chatahouchy, Excambier, Mobile, & Pascagoula rivers especially.

8. Their military posts, the position & strength of each, and especially on the Mobile.

and what to the general government with a definition of their powers?

5. What emoluments have they, and from what source derived ? 6. What are the annual expenses of the province drawn from the

Treasury?

7. What are the nett receipts of the Treasury, & from what taxes or other resources are they drawn?

8. On what footing is the church & clergy, what lands have they and from what other funds are they supported?

9. What is the population of the province distinguishing between white and black, but excluding Indians, on the East side of the Mississippi? Of the settlement on the west side next the mouth? Of each district settlement in the other parts of the province ? And what the geographical position and extent of each of these settlements?

10. What are the foundations of their land titles? And what their tenure.

11. What is the quantity of granted lands as near as can be esti

mated?

12. What is the quantity ungranted in the Island of New Orleans, and in the settlement adjacent on the west side?

13. What are the lands appropriated to the public use? 14. What buildings, fortifications, or other fixed property belong to the public?

15. What is the quantity & general limits of the lands fit for the culture of sugar? What proportion is granted & what ungranted?

16. Whence is their code of laws derived? A copy of it, if inprint. 17. What are the best maps, general or particular, of the whole or parts of the province? Copies of them if to be had in print.'

1 The purpose of these queries is told by Jefferson in a letter to William Dunbar :

"WASHINGTON, July 17th, 1803.

"DEAR SIR,-Before you receive this, you will have heard, through the channel of the public papers, of the cession of Louisiana by France to the United States. The terms as stated in the National Intelligencer, are accurate. That the treaty may be ratified in time, I have found it necessary to

TO WILLIAM DUANE.

J. MSS. MONTICELLO, July 24, 1803.

DEAR SIR,-The address of the Ward committee of Philada on the subject of removals from office was received at Washington on the 17th inst. I cannot answer it, because I have given no answers to the many others I have received from other quarters. You are sensible what use an unfriendly party would make of such answers by putting all their expressions to the torture; and altho' no person wishes more than I do to learn the opinions of respected individuals, because they enable me to examine, and often to correct my own, yet I am not satisfied that convene Congress on the 17th of October; and it is very important for the happiness of the country that they should possess all the information which can be obtained respecting it, that they make the best arrangement practicable for its good government. It is the most necessary, because, they will be obliged to ask from the People an amendment of the Constitution, authorizing their receiving the province into the Union, and providing for its government; and the limitations of power which shall be given by that amendment, will be unalterable but by the same authority. I have, therefore, sent some queries to Mr. Clark of New Orleans, to be answered by such person as he shall think best qualified, and to be returned to me before the meeting of Congress; and knowing that you have turned your attention to many of the subjects, I enclose you a copy of them, and ask the favor of you to give me what information you can, in answer to such of them as you shall select as lying within the scope of your information. I am encouraged to propose thus to trouble you, by a thorough persuasion of your readiness and desire to serve the public cause by whatever shall be in your power; and by the belief that you are one of those who will sincerely rejoice at our success in relieving you, by peaceable means, from a powerful and enterprising neighbor; and establishing, on a permanent basis, the tranquility, security, and prosperity, of that interesting country. I tender you my friendly salutations and assurances of great esteem and respect.

"P. S. July 18-Since writing the preceding, your favor of June 10th has been received. The exchange of a peaceable for a warring neighbor at New Orleans, was, undoubtedly, ground of just and great disquietude on our part : and the necessity of acquiring the country could not be unperceived by any. The question which divided our Legislature (but not the nation) was, whether we should take it at once, and enter single handed into war with the most powerful nation on the earth, or place things on the best footing practicable for the present, and avail ourselves of the first war in Europe, which it was clear was at no great distance, to obtain the country as the price of our neutrality, or as a reprisal for wrongs which we were sure enough to receive. The war hap

I ought to admit the addresses even of those bodies of men which are organized by the Constitution, (the houses of legislature for instance) to influence the appointment to office for which the Constitution has chosen to rely on the independence and integrity of the Executive, controlled by the Senate, chosen both of them by the whole union. Still less of those bodies whose organization is unknown to the Constitution. As revolutionary instruments (when nothing but revolution will cure the evils of the state) they are necessary and indispensable, and the right to use them is inalienable by the people; but to admit them as ordinary & habitual instruments as a part of the machinery of the Constitution, would be to change that machinery by introducing pened somewhat sooner than was expected: but our measures were previously taken, and the thing took the best turn for both parties. Those who were honest in their reasons for preferring immediate war, will, in their candor, rejoice that their opinion was not followed. They may, indeed, still believe it was the best opinion according to the probabilities. We, however believed otherwise, and they, I am sure, will not be glad that we did. The letter of yesterday will show you my desire of receiving information from you, and I shall always be thankful for it. My wish is to have everything, compare all together, and to do what, on the whole, I conscientiously think for the best. I repeat my satisfaction and esteem."

A second letter to Dunbar, on this matter, was as follows:

"MONTICELLO, Sep. 21, 1803.

"DEAR SIR,-Your favor in answer to my queries came to hand a few days ago, and I thank you for the matter it contains & the promptness with which it has been furnished. Just on my departure from this place, where I habitually pass the sickly months of Aug. & Sep. I have time only to ask information on a particular point. It has been affirmed by respectable authority, that Spain on receiving the East & West Florida of the English, did not continue that distinction, but restored Louisiana to it's antient boundary the Perdido, and that the country from the Perdido to the Iberville has been ever since considered as a part of Louisiana, & governed by the governor of Louisiana residing at New Orleans: While the country from the Perdido Eastwardly to the Atlantic has been called as antiently, by the simple name of Florida, & governed by the governor of Florida residing at St. Augustine. The terms of the treaty render this fact very interesting if true, inasmuch as it fills up the measure of reasoning which fixes the extent of the cession Eastwardly to the Perdido. I write the present to ask of you to ascertain this fact & to give the information as quickly as possible, as it may yet be received in time to determine our proceedings. Accept my friendly salutations & assurances of great esteem & respect."