[Duplicate] Philadelphia 30^th 7^ber 95 270 Sir As the transactions at Rhode Island, which involved two of his Majesty's Officers in the censure of this Government, have been long since submitted to the Issue of a Discussion between his Majesty's Ministry and the Minister of the United States in London, I shall in the Communication I am now about to make to you, avoid, as much as possible, any recurrence to the subject, other than what relates to the controverted Demand, cont[ained] in your letter to me of the 5^th Sept^r. After requiring Capt Horne for the causes therein assigned to remove from his Station within the Jurisdiction of the United States, in a limited Time, another Demand was to follow, which was to extend to the Liberation of Seamen [undecipherable: probable reading then] within that Jurisdiction, Capt Horne was said to have [un]lawfully seized. In reply to you on this Subject, I readily admitted that the detention of any Vessel within the Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States, and the Arrest of any part of her Crew in that position, could not be justified; but being then totally uninformed as to the Facts, independently of the Ex-parte Protest of Capt Allingham and others, which you were pleased to enclose to [me] I took immediate measures as well for his [undecipherable] his Government [Secretary at War] Government, as to wipe away any Imputation against an Officer of high Rank in his Majesty's Service, to enquire into the Truth of these Allegations — It [undecipherable: probable reading turned out], as I expected, it resulted, that Capt Horne had [undecipherable: probable reading died], before my Inquiries were had. [This being] a Circumstance which accounts for the Delay that has existed in procuring the necessary Explanation. From the Information now in my possession I am authorized to say that at the Time, Capt Bliss's Packet, and the Ship Ann, Capt Allingham, were respectively brought to by his Majesty's Ship A[undecipherable], neither of these Vessels was within the Territorial Jurisdiction of his [Majesty]. — Having pointed my fuller Inquiries to meet the Expectations of this Government, relative to the Seamen impressed from on Board the Ship Ann, I shall avoid, for the Reason I have above observed, any further Observations relative to the Rhode Island Matter — The original Paper, signed William Jones, John [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] White, a Copy of which I have now the Honor to enclose to you, was received by me this day under Cover from Capt Horne — It serves to refute two Facts which seem in some Degree to have accelerated the marked Reprehension of this Government against that Officer: It proves by the Acknowledgment of the parties, supposed to be Injured, that these three Seamen Seamen were not "unlawfully seized" within the Jurisdiction of the United States. And that to these, Seamen [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] Ships [this] Country has no Claim, upon any Principles which his Majesty's Government has Recognized. On this contrary it unequivocally ascertains that they were natural born Subjects of the Crown — moreover it tends to establish, among innumerable, glaring Proofs, an unceasing Exertion of Craft and Intrigue, calculated to unhinge that Harmony between the two Countries, which it is the earnest Wish of my respective Government, to cultivate and maintain — I have the Honor to be with due Consideration & Respect, Sir Your most obed^t [undecipherable] P. Bond