Circular Letter to Foreign Ministers Resident in the United States, 22 June 1803
Circular Letter to
Foreign Ministers Resident in the United States
Department of State 22. June 1803.
Sir,
On the 1 I had the honor to request a blank passport for a vessel destined to sail from Norfolk with a cargo of naval stores and other articles in order to fulfil our stipulations with the Regency of Algiers: I have the honor to acknowledge its receipt some time ago.
From subsequent letters from Norfolk it seems probable that another smaller vessel may be taken up to carry a balance of those articles, the first not having been adequate to hold them all and I therefore request a second blank passport of a similar tenor, which, if it should prove unnecessary, shall be returned. I have the honor to be &ca.
James Madison.
Letterbook copy (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 14). For Thornton’s reply to this request, see his letter to JM of 24 June 1803. Yrujo transmitted the requested passport to JM on 25 June 1803 (DNA: RG 59, NFL, Spain, vol. 2; 1 p.; in Spanish; docketed by Wagner as received 29 June).