801From James Madison to Levi Lincoln, 1 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
Be pleased to favor me with your opinion upon the 8th. section of the Act of the last session, entitled, “An Act regulating the grants of land and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States south of the state of Tennessee,” whether every written document, copy or original, exhibited by any party for that purpose, ought to be recorded on the payment of the fees: what are the...
802From James Madison to Charles Pinckney, 19 December 1801 (Madison Papers)
I avail myself of the present conveyance just made known to me, to inclose you a copy of the Message of the President to Congress and a few newspapers containing such of their proceedings and debates as have been published. You will find that the injury threatened to our navigation by the activity which the peace will give to foreign regulations, particularly to the countervailing Act of Great...
803From James Madison to John R. Livingston, 5 November 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have received your letter of the 29th. Ult. and have to observe, that the second instalment of your award was not due, until the 15th. July last, on which day it was paid by the British Government, and therefore the consequences of the protest of your bill are not attributable to that Govt. It is to be regretted that the mistake in your draft as to the time of payment, which alone occasioned...
804From James Madison to John F. Mercer, 2 June 1808 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 23d. found me on my farm near this place. On my return to Washington, which will be in a very few days I will give due attention to the object of it. I am not able to say what was the precise course given to the contents of your late letter to the President; much less have I any knowledge that it involved the incidents which have been reported to You. I am persuaded from the...
805To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 16 August 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Mrs. Tudor (the lady of Judge Tudor of Boston) with her son , intending to be at Monticello this evening or tomorrow, I entrust to them the inclosed papers, which will thus reach you a little earlier, than if detained for the mail, by which I shall again write to you. In the mean time I remain Yours most respectfully & affy. RC ( ViU ); endorsed by TJ as received 16 Aug. and so recorded in SJL...
806From James Madison to Jeremiah Olney, 26 November 1801 (Madison Papers)
John Robinson, of Timber Town, Rhode Island, is stated to have been impressed into the British Ship of War, Tremendous, and to have been detained therein, at the Cape of Good Hope, when this Intelligence was sent hither. I request you therefore to give the publicity in this case which you have heretofore done in others of the same kind: and you will also be good enough to add the names of...
807From James Madison to Levi Lincoln, 18 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
The Secretary of State will thank the Attorney General for his opinion, whether as G. A. Selden, the devisee of Samuel Selden, mentioned in the enclos’d papers, died without seizen of the Military lands in question, they revert to the heirs of S. Selden, or whether those of G. A. Selden will take them. Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 59, DL , vol. 14). Enclosures not found. Seisin: “possession of...
808From James Madison to Stephen Cathalan, Jr., 9 December 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
9 December 1802, Department of State, Washington. States that the account in Cathalan’s 2 July letter has been transferred to the treasury for settlement. “As the money is receivable in this Country only, you will be pleased to authorize your correspondent to receive it for you on the settlement being made.” Suggests that in the meantime Cathalan forward the vouchers required to authenticate...
809From James Madison to Joseph St. Leger D’Happart, 8 May 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Joseph St. Leger D’Happart. 8 May 1806, Department of State. “Your letter of the 10th. ult. was duly received. Mr. Clarkson was not Consul at St. Kitts, but only Agent of the Navy Department. Were it indeed otherwise, no principle occurs, which would impose upon the UStates any responsibility for the alledged breach of confidence by him. With respect to the capture by the British of the...
810From James Madison to Louis-André Pichon, 3 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have received and laid before the President your letter of Augst. 25. accompanied by a Copy of the Senatus Consultum giving a new form to the Government of France, and a copy of a letter from the Minister of Exterior Relations to Mr Livingston with an extract of a letter to you, relating to that important event. Previous to the departure of General Armstrong appointed to succeed Mr....
811From James Madison to Louis-André Pichon, 8 February 1803 (Madison Papers)
According to information which tho’ not official, deserves attention, orders have been received by the Spanish Officers at New Orleans, to deliver over that place, in pursuance of a cession in which it is included, made by Spain to the French Republic. It need not be observed to you Sir that the right of the United States cannot be in any manner whatever impaired by a transaction between two...
812From James Madison to Carlos Martínez de Yrujo, 12 May 1802 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison has the Honor to inform the Chevalier d’Yrujo that no time has been lost in taking into Consideration the subject of his Note of the 3d. instant; and that the Governor of Pennsylvania has been requested to cause to be instituted the proper proceedings for ascertaining legally the offences which have been committed against the subjects of his Catholic Majesty, and for bringing the...
813To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 17 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 16 with the papers sent with it, were recd. last evening. Mr. Short did not seize exactly my ideas as to the concealment of his mission. If this could be made effectual, and freed from the appearance of being studied, by a direct voyage to St. P., I think it would be best. But if he is to pass thro’ France, a frank but general disclosure of his destination wd. be preferable to an...
814From James Madison to Isaac Hite, [ca. 7 March 1801] (Madison Papers)
I communicated to you by the last mail the afflicting event which took place on the 27th. Ult. I said nothing on the subject of the testamentary dispensations which it is proper should be made known to all the parties interested in them, because at that time none of the papers had been looked into. I now inclose the copy of the Will found among them; and which tho’ of not so late a date as...
815From James Madison to Nicholas Low, 13 May 1802 (Madison Papers)
In consequence of yours to me, of the 6th. inst. I send you herewith a letter for Mr. Pinckney and one for Mr. Jarvis. The last is nearly a copy of the first, which goes to you under a flying seal. You will see by that, that you are relied upon for a full Communication to these Gentlemen of the business recommended to their care by these Letters. I request you [to] forward the other letter for...
816From James Madison to Thomas FitzSimons, 13 November 1802 (Madison Papers)
I have duly received your letter dated through mistake the 16 Inst. enclosing an account of Messrs. J & Wm. Perot for services relative to american claims for captures made by British cruizers previous to the Treaty of 1794, and giving notice that you will retain the Bill which has been drawn upon you for the amount of this account, ’till you shall receive directions concerning it. I have...
817From James Madison to William Lyman, 26 August 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To William Lyman. 26 August 1806, Department of State. “Mr. T. Martin of Portsmouth (N.H.) has exhibited documents, which indicate that his Ship James & William, together with her Cargo, was captured within the jurisdictional limits of the United States and condemned nevertheless at Bermuda. Mr. Martin having interposed an appeal for the intervention of the government to enable him to insist...
818From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 23 September 1801 (Madison Papers)
Having sent you by Mr. Davis the communications recd. by the mail of last week, I have none to make you at present. You will find me at home, on saturday or sunday, when I hope to be able to fix the day for following you to Washington. The despatches for Mr. Livingston will be ready by the time I shall have the pleasure of seeing you. My conversation with Mr. Graham who staid a day or two with...
819From James Madison to John Armstrong, 26 October 1806 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of June 2. last to the Secretary of State was recd. during my late recess in Virginia, where it could not be conveniently answered; and since my return, I have till now been prevented by indisposition from giving it the proper attention. From a search into the correspondence of the Commissioners of which you wish a copy, I find that no part of it can have relation to the period of...
820From James Madison to David J. Howell, 2 July 1806 (Madison Papers)
I enclose copies of several papers, received from the Consul at the Cape of Good Hope, whence it would appear that the Ship Charles and Harriot John Earl, master, Ship Swift, Capt. Maybury, Brig Israel, John Gardner, master, and the Ship Oneida, Capt. Maybury, all of Newport, Rh. Island have been concerned in carrying on the slave trade between Foreign Countries. You will be pleased to obtain...
821From James Madison to Samuel W. Dana, 17 January 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
17 January 1805, Department of State. “I have the honour to inclose in consequence of your request of the 14th inst. a statement of the several description of claims recorded in this office, under the 8th section of the act of Congress of the 3d of March 1803, relative to lands south of the state of Tennessee. This statement has been made by Mr. Crawford, the person appointed to record the...
822To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 4 September 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I recd. by last mail your favor of the 28. ult. & now forward such communications from Washington as have been recd. since my last. The freak of Mellimelli exceeds all the preceding vexations. I have written to Wagner to save us from the persecution of a visit from him, in case he should not be faced about at Baltimore; and to give Lear the functionary at Tunis an explanation of the adventure....
823From James Madison to Richard Harrison, 4 November 1802 (Madison Papers)
In settling the accounts of Mr. Short, he is to be allowed at the rate of three thousand dollars pr annum from the time our affairs at Paris were left in his charge by the departure of Mr. Jefferson till July 1st. 1790. From July 1st. 1790 to his receipt of permission to return which terminated his appointment as Minister Resident at Madrid, he is entitled to Salary at the rate of four...
824From James Madison to Leven Powell, 1 January 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
1 January 1803, Department of State, Washington. “To enable me to view in its true light your claim upon the French Government, for the loss you sustained upon a shipment of Tobacco, made to France before the late war, as stated in your letter of the 16th. inst. be pleased to inform me, whether you expect payment in specie of the amount of the acceptances, or of their value reduced by a scale...
825From James Madison to Com. Isaac Chauncey, 15 June 1807 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your letter of the 9th. The circumstances which it states have, as you judged, a just claim to the attention of the Government; That the statement may be cloathed with the due formality, I must request that your oath may be affixed to it. A Protest in the usual form before a Notary may be best suited to the case. Had your letter been written in your Official character, this...
826From James Madison to J. H. C. Heineken, 14 April 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th. of the present month stating that the Batavian East India Company were injured by the conduct of two citizens of the United States, one of whom has embezzelled a cargo belonging to them and the other departed from Batavia leaving considerable debts behind. The facilities afforded by the East India company to the American...
827From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 21 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recd. yours of the 18th. with the papers to which it refers. It was neither sealed, nor inclosed in the larger packet. The accounts from the Mediterranean, as you will find are on the whole favorable. The explanations of Lear, & the reinforcement under Baron, will probably overcome the repugnance of the Bey of Tunis to transact business with the Consul General, on account of his...
828From James Madison to Tench Coxe, 26 November 1805 (Madison Papers)
In pursuance of the 5th. sect. of the Act of March 2d. respecting the lands claimed in the Mississippi Territory, I have sent your letter of the 11th. inst. and the copies of the patents it enclosed, in the names of George Tead and Rebecca Blackwell, to the Register of the Land Office West of Pearl River. The tract described in one of the patents appears to lie in that territory, but it is not...
829From James Madison to James Monroe, 19 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have already, in a letter by the last British packet given you a hint of the sensation produced in Mr. & Mrs. Merry, by a circumstance of Etiquette. I had supposed that it would yield to the proofs of respect & cordiality which would be experienced by them, from all in & about the Government, and to the explanations which would be superadded. I find however that the case is to be transmitted...
830From James Madison to Richard O’Brien, 27 July 1802 (Madison Papers)
In my letter of May 21st. 1801. accompanying the remittance of 30,000 dollars as a commutation of the current annuity of stores, you were requested to use your endeavours to bring about this mode and rate of paying the annuity, as a permanent regulation. It has been some disappointment not to have learnt by any of your subsequent communications, whether such an experiment had been made, or how...
831From James Madison to Lieut. Gibbon, 17 September 1808 (Madison Papers)
The dispatches with which you are charged for Mr. Pinkney, you will deliver to him in London. The Schooner Union in which you take your passage, is to land you at some convenient place on the English Coast, on her way to Havre de Grace. You will let Mr. Pinkney know that the Union, after receiving at that place dispatches from Genl. Armstrong, is to pass over to Cowes or Portsmouth, in order...
832From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 25 March 1807 (Madison Papers)
I duly recd. your favor of the 14. and thank you for the candor of your remarks. The enclosed will inform you that it has been thought proper to ask your ideas as to the Commercial articles of the Treaty. The Contents of the Instrument are not precisely such as you suppose; as to the E. Inda. trade particularly. As to impressments also, the question here is understood to turn not on form, but...
833From James Madison to Robert R. Livingston, 27 January 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
27 January 1802, Department of State. At the request of Senator Sheafe of New Hampshire, provides this introduction for an agent who will carry claims and documents in support of them from Sheafe to Livingston. Requests Livingston’s “favorable attention to the business.” RC ( DNA : RG 76, France, French Spoliation Claims, box 5); letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 59, IM , vol. 6). 1 p. Sheafe’s agent...
834From James Madison to David Montagu Erskine, 1 August 1808 (Madison Papers)
I have the Honor to submit to Your Attention a Copy of a Letter of June 4th: of the current Year from William Reeves, stiling himself an Officer in the Naval Service of His Brittannic Majesty, and acting as Prize Master to a Spanish Vessel captured by the British Frigate Hebe, to Governor Claiborne of the Orleans Territory. I cannot doubt, Sir, that this fresh Instance of insulting Address...
835From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 August 1807 (Madison Papers)
The gentleman who brings the inclosed letters recommending him for a public Agency at Martinique, had thoughts of proceeding to Monticello. He declines it in consequence of his conversation with me on the subject. I have apprized him, that it was not thought proper to give a formal commission in such a case without some formal or positive sanction from the French Govt. He readily enters into...
836From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 8 December 1801 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to transmit herewith two copies of the second census (except for the State of Tennessee, which is not yet received) and to notice the following deviations from the law under which it was taken, affecting the uniformity of some of the returns. The return for the counties of Dutchess, Ulster & Orange in the District of New York was not recd. at this office until the 21st. of...
837From James Madison to Levett Harris, 26 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your letter, enclosing the application you made to Count Worontzow, respecting the crew of the Frigate Philadelphia, and his answer have come to hand. Some acknowledgment for this prompt and liberal interposition, and the friendly assurances with which it has been accompanied being due to the occasion, I enclose a letter to this effect which you will be pleased to convey to Count Worontzow....
838From James Madison to Zebulon Hollingsworth, 26 October 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
26 October 1804, Department of State. “I will thank you to transmit to me, as soon as you can make it convenient, a statement comprizing the result of the investigations on the subject of a complaint of the British Minister, which you are requested to make in conjunction with the Collector of Baltimore, by my letter of the 28th. of August last . The intimation that you would lay the evidence...
839From James Madison to Isaac Hite, 15 December 1804 (Madison Papers)
I recd. by Mr. Rogers your favor of the 6th. Having not yet settled with the Butchers, from whom I have recd. in broken sums nearly the whole of their dbts., I cannot in the present haste ascertain the precise amount to be placed agst. the advan⟨c⟩e to Kincade. As there will be nearly a balance in that case, I return you the two former notes, which may hereafter if expedient be turned into a...
840From James Madison to John Cotton Smith, 1 April 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To John Cotton Smith. 1 April 1806, Department of State. “The enclosed memorial of Messrs. Nicklin & Griffith and others respecting the intervention of Genl. Armstrong in their claim in the case of the New Jersey, the documents received with it, the extract of the Genl’s. letter of the 26 Novr. last, also enclosed, together with a copy of a letter of the 25 August to him from this...
841From James Madison to Edward Thornton, 12 July 1801 (Madison Papers)
I have been duly honoured with your letter of the 6th instant. Mine of the 12th of June made you acquainted that orders had issued for the immediate departure of the British prize brought into the port of Philadelphia by a Spanish armed Ship; and that the circumstances of the latter would be enquired into particularly as a guide to any farther steps that might be requisite. Information has...
842From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 17 March 1803 (Madison Papers)
In the inclosed Intelligencer you will find the letter from Pichon to the Govr. of Louisiana. Having been written without reference to its publication, it is less carefully fitted than Yrujo’s for the contemplated impression; and in connection with that presents some points for sophistical comments, which are made rather more, than less salient by the reflections of the Editor. The letter will...
843From James Madison to Simon Theus, 13 February 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Simon Theus. 13 February 1806, Department of State. “I request you will be pleased to purchase and ship to the care of the Collector of the Customs at Norfolk twentyfive barrels of the whitest & finest rice. As it is intended for the Bey of Tunis, I must beg the favor of you to be particular in the choice, & take care that the Casks be strong and in good order. On receiving an account of...
844From James Madison to Alexander J. Dallas, 12 January 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
12 January 1804, Department of State. “I duly received both your letters [not found] respecting the Brig Friends. The President having given no direction for a remission of the penalties incurred, it follows that the law ought to take its course. I should have returned a particular answer to the first letter, had I been acquainted with the suspension and its consequences, which have...
845From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1808 (Madison Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to Report to the President in conformity to the resolution of the House of Representatives, of the 30th. of March, that the only information which has been received respecting the letter from which the extract inserted in Gen. Armstrong’s letter to the Secretary of State, of January the 22nd. 1808, was taken, in the extract itself, to which no date is...
846From James Madison to Albert Gallatin, 14 November 1803 (Madison Papers)
To avoid the expence to which we are exposed for the rent of Houses for the messengers of the Departments of State, War and navy, General post office and of the accountants of the War and navy Departments, & to provide against accidents of fire to the Buildings occupied by these Departments we conceive that it would be expedient for Congress to make provision for building six small brick...
847To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 4 May 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I recd by the last Mail your note fixing the time for your return. The Wash has put herself into a situation denoting a departure, but it is probable that a further delay is convenient for her compleat preparation. The dispatches will have made ready for her some time since, but the lights thrown on the Treaty by the gentlemen consulted, and the flaws which have successively disclosed...
848From James Madison to Tobias Lear, 11 July 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Tobias Lear. 11 July 1806, Department of State. “Mr. George Davis, who has been appointed Consul for Tripoli, and is about to embark for Norfolk, has been charged to call upon the Bashaw to fulfill the article of the treaty providing for the delivery of the family of Hamet Caramally. The enclosed extract from his instructions will explain the manner in which he is to proceed. He has been...
849From James Madison to Dominick A. Hall, 30 August 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
30 August 1804, Virginia. “The President having thought proper to avail the U. States of your services as Judge of the District Court for the Orleans District I have the pleasure of informing you that a Commission for that purpose has been forwarded to N. Orleans under cover to Governour Claiborne.” Draft ( NhHi : Hubbard Manuscripts). 1 p. At the foot of the page, JM wrote: “D. A. Hall. ☞...
850From James Madison to Carlos Martínez de Yrujo, 10 March 1803 (Madison Papers)
The latest information from New Orleans makes it certain that altho’ your letters to the Governor & the Intendant of Louisiana had been received, the Edict of the latter against our right of deposit had not been rescinded. It is even found that this obnoxious measure had been followed by a rigorous prohibition of the ordinary hospitalities between the Citizens of the United States and the...