of my skill and knowledge, act in the execution of my Office; and that I will conduct myself with due respect to the authority of the Judges and Arbitrators of the Commission to which I am attached, and will act with fidelity in all the affairs which may belong to my charge, and without preference or favour, either for Claimants or Captors, or any other Persons. So help me GOD." IX. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for the said Judges or either of them, or for any such Secretary or Registrar, and they are hereby respectively empowered, to administer Oaths to and take the Depositions of all Parties, Witnesses, and other Persons who may come or be brought before them to be examined, or for the purpose of deposing in the course of any proceeding before the said Judges, or before the said Judges and Arbitrator, in the cases in which such Arbitrator shall act with the said Judges under the said Treaty, Instructions and Regulations, or this Act; and it shall also be lawful for the said Judges, or for the said Judges and Arbitrator, in the cases aforesaid, to summon before them all Persons whom they may deem it necessary or proper to examine in relation to any suit, proceeding, or matter or thing under their cognizance, and to send for and issue Precepts for the producing of all such Papers as may relate to the matters in question before them, and to enforce all such Summonses, Orders, and Precepts, by such and the like means, powers, and authorities as any Court of Vice Admiralty may do. X. And be it further enacted, that every person who shall wilfully and corruptly give false evidence in any examination, or deposition, or affidavit had or taken upon or in any proceeding before the said Judges, or Judges and Arbitrator, under the said Treaty, Instructions and Regulations, or this Act, shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and being thereof convicted, shall be subject and liable to all the punishments, pains, and penalties to which persons convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury are liable; and every such person may be tried for any such perjury, either in the place where the offence was committed, or in any Colony or Settlement of His Majesty near thereto, in which there is a Court of competent jurisdiction to try any such offence, or in His Majesty's Court of King's Bench in England; and that in case of any prosecution for such offence in His Majesty's said Court of King's Bench, the venue may be laid in the County of Middlesex. XI. And be it further enacted, that from and after the passing of this Act, it shall not be lawful for any Person to commence, prosecute, or proceed in any Claim, Action, or Suit whatever, in the High Court of Admiralty, or in any other Court, or before any Judges or Persons whomsoever, other than the several mixed Courts of Justice appointed under and by virtue of the said Treaty and this Act, for the condetunation or restitution of any Ship, or Cargo, or Slaves, or for any compensation or indemnification for any loss or damage, or for any injury sus tained by such Ship, Cargo, or Slaves, or by any Persons on board any such Ship, in consequence of any capture, seizure, or detention, under the authority or in pursuance of the Provisions of the said Treaty, or of the Instructions and Regulations thereto annexed, or this Act; and that the pendency of any Claim, Suit, or Proceeding instituted, or which may be instituted, before any of the said Mixed Courts so to be appointed under the authority of the said Treaty and this Act, for the condemnation or restitution of any Ship, or Cargo, or Slaves, taken, seized, or detained by virtue of the said Treaty, or of the Instructions and Regulations thereto annexed; or for any compensation or indemnification for any loss or damage in consequence of the taking, seizing, or detaining any such Ship; or the final adjudication, condemnation, judgment, or determination of any such Mixed Court, as the case shall require, may be pleaded in bar or given in evidence under the general issue; or in case no such Claim, Suit, or Proceeding shall have been instituted before any such mixed Court, then the said Treaty, Instructions and Regulations, and this Act, may in like manner be pleaded in bar or given in evidence under the general issue; and every such plea in bar, or evidence so given under the general issue, shall be deemed and adjudged to be a good and complete bar to any such Claim, Action, Suit, or Proceeding in the said High Court of Admiralty, or in any Court or Place other than such Mixed Courts; any thing in any Act or Acts of Parliament, or Law or Laws, to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. XII. And be it further enacted, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be deemed or construed in anywise to alter, suspend, affect, relax, or repeal any of the clauses, penalties, forfeitures or punishments contained and enacted in any Act or Acts of Parliament made for the suppression or prevention of the Slave-trade; but that all such Acts of Parliament, and all clauses, regulations, penalties, forfeitures, and punishments therein respectively contained, shall remain in full force and virtue, any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding. XIII. And be it further enacted, that if any Action or Suit shall be commenced, either in Great Britain or elsewhere, against any Person or Persons for any thing done in pursuance of the said Treaty, or the Instructions or Regulations thereto annexed, or of this Act, the Defendant or Defendants in such Action or Suit may plead the general issue, and give this Act and the special matter in evidence at any Trial to be had thereupon, and that the same was done in pursuance and by the authority of the said Treaty, Instructions or Regulations, or of this Act; and if it shall appear so to have been done, the Jury' shall find for the Defendant or Defendants; and if the Plaintiff shall be nonsuited, or discontinue his Action after the Defendant or Defendants shall have appeared, or if judgment shall be given upon any Verdict or Demurrer against the Plaintiff, the Defendant or Defendants shall recover treble costs, and have the like remedy for the same as Defendants have in other cases by Law. DOCUMENTS relating to the Civil War between Spain and the Provinces in South America; referred to in the Message of the President, on the Opening of the Congress of The United States, of the 17th November, 1818. No. LIST OF PAPERS. Page I. Mr. Commissioner Rodney to the Secretary of State. Washington, 5th November, 1818. 558 (Enclosure.) Mr. Rodney's Report, on the state of The United Provinces of South America IL Mr. Commissioner Graham to the Secretary of State. .......... 559 Washington, 5th November, 1818. 579 (Enclosure.) Mr. Graham's Report on South America 579 ..1810 to 1818. 587 B.-Manifesto addressed to all Nations, by the General Con- Buenos Ayres, 25th Oct. 1816. 638 ............ 652 Buenos Ayres, 21st April, 1818. 649 (1) Ancient Division of the Viceroyalty (2) Productions, manufactures, and branches of com21st April, 1818. 652 merce....... ...... (3) Revenue and Expenditure, Property of the State, Debts, Credits, &c...... .....1817. 653 (4) Ships of War, and Private armed Vessels....1818. 658 D.—Provisional Regulations, sanctioned by the Sovereign Congress of The United Provinces of South America, for the Government of the State... Buenos Ayres, 3rd Dec. 1817. 659 E.-Manifesto of the Director of the State, relative to the Negotiations between Buenos Ayres and the other Provinces of the Republic.......... Buenos Ayres, 8th Aug. 1815. 686 (1) Plan for the establishment of Harmony, presented by the Deputation of the Chief of the Orientals. Buenos Ayres, 3d July, 1815. 687 (2) The Director of the State to the Chief of the Buenos Ayres, 1st Aug. 1815. 688 Orientals (3) Don Antonio Saens to the Director of the State, Buenos Ayres, 4th Aug. 1815. 690 (4) The Director of the State to the Chief of the Orientals .... Buenos Ayres, 7th Aug. 1815. 692 ........ No. Page F.-The Chief of the Orientals to the Supreme Director of 699 Army and the Supreme Director of Buenos Ayres, relative to the occupation of the Banda Oriental. 1816, 1817. 696 H.-Population of Buenos Ayres, Upper Peru, &c.................. III. Report of Mr. Commissioner Bland to the Secretary of State. (Buenos Ayres).... Baltimore, 2nd Nov. 1818. 700 (Appendix.) Statistical Table of the late Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres.... 758 Baltimore, 2nd Nov, 1818, 758 IV. Report of Mr. Commissioner Bland to the Secretary of State. Appendices. (Chile.) A.-Proclamation of the Independence of Chile. Concepcion,.. 1st Jan. 1818. 820 B.-Manifesto of the Supreme Director to all Nations, on the Independence of Chile. Directorial Palace, 12th Feb.1818. 821 C.-Manifesto of the Government, to the People who form the State of Chile....... ... Santiago....5th May, 1818. 834 D.-The Chilian Secretary of State to Mr. Bland. Santiago....8th July, 1818. 841 (1) List of the Cities, Ports, and Towns within the (2) Value of Tithes of the Provinces of Santiago and Concepcion .... 1805 to 1809. 843 (3) Account of the Mint of Chile........ 1817, 1818. 844 Revenue and Expenditure of the State of Chile. (6) Statement of the Military Forces of the State of Chile ..... 1818. 847 (7) Statement of the Naval Forces of the State of Chile. 847 V. Correspondence with Mr. Poinsett : viz. SIR, 1. The Secy. of State to Mr. Poinsett....Washington, 23rd Oct. 1818. 848 2. Mr. Poinsett to the Secretary of State.... Columbia, 4th Nov 1818. 848 Appendices. A.--Mr. Poinsett's Report on Spanish America No. 1.-Mr. Commissioner Rodney to the Secretary of State. 849 864 Washington, 5th November, 1818. I HAVE the honour to present the Report herewith enclosed, agreeably to the desire of Mr. Graham, who, on reflection, preferred submitting some additional Remarks in a Separate Paper. For this purpose, 2 of the Documents referred to in the Report remain in his possession:-Dr. Funes' Outline of Events in the United Provinces, since the Revolution; and the Manifesto of Independence by the Congress at Tucuman. I have the honour to be, &c. The Hon. John Q. Adams. C. A. RODNEY. (Enclosure.)—Mr. Rodney's Report. I HAVE now the honour to submit to your consideration, my Report on the subject of the late Mission to South America; embracing the information derived from the various sources within my power, so far as I had an opportunity of improving the advantages possessed. With the history of the Conquest of the Spanish Possessions in America, you must be familiar. They were principally, if not exclusively, achieved by Private Adventurers. When completed, a most oppressive system of government, or rather despotism, was established by the Parent Country. These extensive Regions were originally swayed by 2 Viceroys. The Dominions of Spain, in North America, were under the govern ment of the Viceroy of Mexico; and all her Possessions in South America were subject to th control of the Viceroy of Peru. The remoteness of some parts of the Country from the residence of the Viceroy at Lima, occasioned, in 1718, the establishment of another Viceroyalty at Santa Fé de Bogota, in the Kingdom of New Granada. In 1731, New Granada was divided, and a number of the Provinces composing that Kingdom were separated from it. These were put under the jurisdiction of a Captain-General and President, whose seat of Government was at Caraccas. In 1568, Chili was erected into a separate Captain-Generalship; in 1778, a new Viceroyalty was established at Buenos Ayres, comprehending all the Spanish Possessions to the east of the Western Cordilleras, and to the south of the River Marañon. This immense Empire seems, according to the Laws of the Indies, to have been considered a distinct Kingdom of itself, though united to Spain, and annexed to the Crown of Castile. In this light it is viewed by Barou Humboldt, in his Essay on New Spain. With some slight shades of difference in the regulations established in these Governments, the prominent features of their political Institutions exhibit a striking resemblance, as the general system was the same. Their commerce was confined to the Parent Country, and to Spanish Vessels exclusively. They were prohibited, under the penalty of death, to trade with Foreigners. The Natives of Old Spain composed the body of their Merchants. Though this part of the system had, previously to the Revolution, been relaxed, in some degree, particularly by the Statute of Free Commerce, as it is styled, the relief was partial, and the restrictions continued severe and oppressive. All access to the Spanish Settlements was closed to Foreigners; and even the Inhabitants of the different Provinces were prohibited from intercourse with one another, unless under the strictest Regulations. The various manufactures that might interfere with those of Spain |