James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from Thomas Newton, 27 May 1806 (Abstract)

From Thomas Newton, 27 May 1806 (Abstract)

§ From Thomas Newton. 27 May 1806, Norfolk. “Herwith I send you a copy of a letter I recieved this day from the Brittish Consul, with my Answer thereto,1 considering the meaning of Capt. Wight, is to pay no attention to protections unless acompanied by the documents, he requires. I beg leave to submit to your consideration, whether it would not be proper to anex the Certificate of the oath of the person swearing, to the Citizenship of the person obtaining a protection, which would shew that protections were not granted without proof of citizenship. I beleive in many instances that protections are obtaind by the sailors from each other, without paying any attention to the description of the person & then application is made for a new one, saying it was lost or worn out & being registerd in the Office it is generally given them. I shall be much obliged for yr instructions respectig the Seaman that are empressed & which find means of giving information thereof from on board the Men of War ariving. I have generally applyd to the Br Consul who seems disposed to aid in obtaining a release of such as he thinks are americans. The Cleopatra & Tartar, have saild & the first I beleive had several Citizens on board, the latter I have heard of none.”

Adds in a postscript: “The papers relative to Leonard Johnson are inclosed.”

RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, Preliminary Inventory 15, entry 929, Correspondence with Collectors of Customs regarding Impressed Seamen, 1796–1814, box 12). RC 2 pp.; docketed by Brent as received 4 June. For enclosures, see n. 1.

1The enclosures (2 pp.) are copies of (1) John Hamilton to Newton, 27 May 1806, returning the papers regarding Leonard Johnson, saying that he had received a letter from Capt. John Wight who stated that “the personage” of Johnson corresponded so poorly with the description on his protection from the collector of Wiscasset that Wight did not feel justified in discharging him without further proof of his identity, particularly, his birth certificate “signed by the Minister & church wardens of the parish or some document of that nature”; Wight further stated that he was satisfied with the documents submitted proving that Thomas Cooper was a citizen of the United States; and (2) Newton to Hamilton, 27 May 1806, acknowledging Hamilton’s letters of 26 (not found) and 27 May, stating that Wight’s demand for the birth certificate or other such documents “will make most of the Citizens of this State liable to be unjustifyably impressed as you know well that we have no registers of births kept here.”

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