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* With Spain, the treaty of February 22, 1819, has been partly carried into execution. Possession of East and West Florida has been given to the United States; but the officers charged with that service, by an order from his Catholic Majesty, delivered by his Minister to the Secretary of State, and transmitted *hy a special agent to the Captain*General of Cuba, to whom it was directed, and in whom the government of those provinces was vested, have not only omitted, in contravention of the orders of their Sovereign, the performance of the express stipulation to deliver over the archives and documents relating to the property and sovereignty of those pro- ; vinces, all of which it was expected would have been delivered, either before or when the troops were withdrawn, but defeated since every effort of the United States to obtain them, especially those of tne greatest importance. This omission has given rise to several incidents of a painful nature, the character of yrhith wrll be fully disclosed by the documents which will hereafter be communicated.“ In every other circumstance the law of the 3d of March last, for carrying into effect that treaty, has been d.uly attended, to. For the execution of that part which preserved in force, for the government of the inhabitants for the term specified, all the civil, military, and judicial pdwers exercised by the existing Go-, vernment of those provinces, an adequate number of officers* as. was presumed, were appointed, and ordered to their respective stations. Both provinces were formed into one territory, and a governor appointed for it; but in consideration of the pre-existing division, and of the distance and difficulty of communication between Pensacola, the residence of the Governor of West Florida, and Saint Augustine, that of the Governor of East Florida, at which places the inconsiderable population of each province was principally collected, two secretaries were appointed, one to reside at Pensacola, and the other of Saint Augustine. Due attention was likewise paid to the execution or the laws of the United States relating to the revenue and the slave trade which were extended to these provinces. The whole territory was divided into three collection districts,—-that part lying between the river St. Mary’s and Cape Florida forming one, that from the Cape to the Apalachicola another, and that from the Apalachicola to the Perdido the third. To these districts the usual number of revenue officers were appointed; and to secure. the due operation of these laws, one judge and a district attorney were appointed to reside at Pensacola, and likewise one judge and a district attorney to reside at St. Augustine, with a specified boundary between them; and one marshal for the whole, with authority to appoint a deputy. In carrying this law into effect, and especially that part of it relating to the powers of the existing government of those provinces, it was thought important, in consideration of the short term for which it was to operate, and the, radical change which would be made at the approaching session of Congress, to avoid expense, to make no appointment which should not be absolutely necessary to give effect to those powers, to withdraw none or our citizens from other pursuits, whereby to subject the government to claims whieh could not be gratified, and the parties to losses which it would be painful to witness.//Til 1 V . • Jtm
Newspaper Details
London St James Chronicle and Evening Post
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Dec 29, 1821
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
FL, USA 13 Apr 2024
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