From George Washington to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 9 January 1797
To the United States Senate and House of Representatives
United States
Jany 9th 1797.
Gentlemen of Senate and of
the House of Representatives.
Herewith I lay before you, in confidence, reports from the departments of State and the Treasury, by which you will see the present situation of our affairs with the Dey and Regency of Algiers.1
Go: Washington
LS, DNA: RG 46, entry 52; Df, DNA: RG 59, entry 142; LB, DLC:GW; copy, DNA: RG 233, entry 28, journals. The LS is docketed “Confidential.” The identically worded draft, in Secretary of State Timothy Pickering’s writing, is dated 6 January.
On this date, GW’s secretary George Washington Craik delivered this message and its enclosed reports (see n.1 below) to the Senate. Both the message and its enclosures were read and ordered to lie for consideration. On 11 Jan., the Senate appointed a three-member committee to consider GW’s message and to “report thereon.” The committee’s report was read on 16 January. On 19 Jan., the “Senate proceeded to consider the report of the committee,” and after debate, postponed further consideration of it (, 220–21).
The committee’s undated report, docketed 16 Jan., reads: “Mr [Humphrey] Marshall from The Committee to whom was refered the Presidents Message of the 9th inst: … made the following report, that the further Sum of DS255.759.3. being a balance of DS992.463.25. not yet provided; will be necessary, to carry into effect the Treaty with Algiers, agreeably to primary stipulations, including the Frigate of thirty six Guns, promised the Dey. That for the balance of the Annuity … calculated for two years at DS 144.246.63, the further Sum of DS96.246.63 … And that for the defences of the Captives performing quarantine at Marseilles, and transporting them to America the Sum of DS 6.000 will also be necessary, making in the whole Dollars—376.805.66. Which sum … ought to be appropriated out of some effective fund” (DNA, RG 46, entry 52).
1. On 2 Jan., the House had passed a resolution that requested GW to provide “information what measures have been taken for carrying into effect, the treaty between the United States and the Dey and Regency of Algiers.” By 3 Jan., GW advised a committee that he had “directed the necessary papers to be made out” (, 9:67, 71). The reports to GW from the State and Treasury departments are in , Foreign Relations, 1:553–58. The report of the State Department was Pickering’s letter to GW of 6 January.
The report from the Treasury Department, dated 4 Jan. and signed by Oliver Wolcott, Jr., is filed with the LS. The report begins: “The Secretary of the Treasury in obedience to directions from the President … respectfully makes the following representation respecting the application of the Fund destined for the execution of the Treaty with Algiers.” Wolcott estimated upwards of $642,000 as the amount to be paid to Algiers. That sum would cover “Payments stipulated at the time of closing the Treaty,” such as those for the dey, his officers, consular presents, and other expenses. Wolcott’s report attached an estimate, dated 29 Dec. 1796, “of the probable Cost of Articles for the Algerine Treaty.” These included powder, lead, 20,000 “Cannon Ball,” 50 masts, 200 barrels of tar, and numerous other items. The total cost amounted to $124,413. An appended copy of an estimate, dated 26 Dec. 1796, of the funds required to “Build and Equip” the 36-gun frigate for the dey, included carpenters’ work “for building the Hull” and other parts of the ship, and recorded the expenses for the cannon and other items. The projected cost of the frigate was $99,727. The last two attached items to Wolcott’s report included a statement of John & Francis Baring & Co. of London dated 29 Aug. 1796, and an estimate dated 29 Dec. 1796 of the anticipated cost of stores required to pay the first two years of annuities to the dey.
On 10 Jan., the House appointed a committee “to select such parts” of the reports from the State and Treasury departments “as … may, with propriety, be printed.” The committee recommended that copies of the reports (except certain sections) be printed “for the use of the members.” On 14 Feb., the House passed two resolutions: one authorized GW to apply $255,759.03 “to the extra-expenses which have attended the intercourse of the United States, with Algiers”; the other appropriated an additional $96,246.63 “for discharging the two first years annuity to Algiers” (, 9:296–99; see also U.S. House of Representatives to GW, 16 Dec. 1796, and n.1).