Persons acting as Counsel for Swartwout & Bollman have applied for leave to see them. they have been told that these prisoners in your custody, are made subject to the orders of the court, to whom therefore they must apply for permission to see them. should they bring an order from the court be so good as to permit whatever the order may authorise; and to be ready to deliver them over to the order of the court as soon as they are willing to recieve them. I write this without the formality of passing it through the Secretary of the navy from an apprehension that if I await the office hour, the demand might in the mean time be made of you and a doubt be entertained as to complying with. Accept my salutations & assurances of respect.