The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume VII Part 38

Copy of a French translation of a writing in Arabic, the most authentic of those that are written at the Court of his Majesty the Emperor of Morocco.

"Let the name of the only G.o.d be praised; there is neither wisdom nor power but what proceeds from the Lord most high and most mighty.

"We make known by this our present and generous writing, that we have appointed the Christian, D'Audibert Caille, who is the bearer hereof, to officiate as consul for all those nations who have no consuls in our dominion, and who are, the empire of Germany, Russia, Prussia, Naples, Sardinia, Rome, Tuscany, the States of America, Genoa, Ragusa, Hamburg, Lubec, and Dantzic; all of whom may come into our ports, and each of them there traffic under the flag of his nation, such as it may be. The said consul will a.s.sist them, by our order, in whatever may be useful to them in like manner as the other consuls do towards the subjects of their nations. And all the officers and governors of our ports will acknowledge him for a consul as they do the other consuls, and whichsoever of the said nations shall come into our ports, they shall not be molested by any of our officers or commandants whatsoever, of our ports. To all our captains whom we shall order to cruise by sea, the said consul will give a pa.s.sport, and we renew our order to him to hoist the flag of peace at his house, without being therein opposed by anybody. He may also hoist it in any port whatever, where he may have a house of commerce, and he shall be mediator between us and the said nations, because we esteem him. Given the 8th of the moon of Alcahda, 1193. (1st of November, 1779.)"

Signed by the Emperor.

We, Stephen d'Audibert Caille, a French merchant resident at Sale, appointed by his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, consul of those foreign nations who have none in his dominions to protect them in that capacity on all occasions, and to be mediator between him and those nations, certify to all whom it may concern, that the above copy is conformable to the original, compared by Don Miguel Ca.s.sori, the interpreter of his Catholic Majesty. In faith of which we sign the present certificate, sealed with the seal of the consulate of peace at Sale. Done at Aranjues, where I happen to be in pa.s.sing, the 21st of April, 1780.

S. D'AUDIBERT CAILLE.

No. 4.

Translation.

_Copy of the Declaration, which his Majesty the Emperor of Morocco (whom G.o.d preserve) orders to be notified to all the Consuls and Christian Merchants, who reside in the Ports of Tangier, Sale, and Mogadore, dated the 20th of February, 1778._

"That in future all vessels, which carry Russian, German, Prussian, Hungarian, Neapolitan, Sardinian, Tuscanian, Genoese, Maltese, or American flags, may freely enter into the ports of his dominions; and in consequence of his determination, he has given orders to the commanders of his vessels, that they let freely pa.s.s, all ships and other vessels carrying the said flags without molesting them. To the end, that they may arrive at his ports, take refreshments, and enjoy in them the same privileges and immunities, with those of the other nations with whom his Imperial Majesty maintains peace."

I, the underwritten, employed by his Imperial Majesty for foreign affairs, certify, that the contents of the preceding declaration are conformable to the truth. And in faith thereof, I sign this present certificate. At Sale, the 30th of October, 1779.

PEDRO UMBERT.

We, Stephen d'Audibert Caille, a French merchant residing at Sale, appointed by his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, to be consul of the foreign nations who have none in his dominions to protect them in that capacity on all occasions, and to be mediator between him and those nations, certify, whom it may concern, that the said Don Pedro Umbert, who has signed the above certificate, is employed for foreign affairs at the Court of Morocco, and that in the said quality faith is to be given to his signature. In witness whereof we sign these presents, sealed with the seal of the consulate of peace, at Sale, the 1st of December, 1779.

S. D'AUDIBERT CAILLE.

No. 5.

D'AUDIBERT CAILLE TO CONGRESS.

Translation.

Sale, September 6th, 1779.

In quality of a French merchant, who has resided in this town since the year 1773, and whom his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, has lately named consul for those foreign nations who have none in his dominions to protect the strangers who might come to traffic in his ports, in pursuance of the two manifestoes which he published last year, I have the honor to inform your Excellencies, that it is his intention to be at peace with the United States of North America, and that their subjects can come to trade freely in his ports under American colors, with the like safety with those of the princ.i.p.al maritime powers in Europe who enjoy peace with him. Besides the good reception, which the governors of the ports of this empire will give to the subjects of the United States of North America, I will on my part render them all the services, which may depend upon me as consul for those foreign nations who have none, and as being charged to invite them to come and traffic freely in these ports, in like manner as they formerly did under the English flag.

In order that I may be able to convince his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, that I have executed the commission he gave me to write as above to the Congress, I entreat your Excellencies to be pleased to honor me with an answer. If you think proper to write at the same time to his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, relative to what I have written to you on his part, I will take care to obtain a very satisfactory answer; and I offer to interest myself very willingly, as far as may depend upon me, that a treaty of peace may be made between his Majesty, the Emperor of Morocco, and the United States of North America, nearly similar to those which the princ.i.p.al maritime powers have with him.

That this letter may the more safely pa.s.s to you, I address it to his Excellency Dr Franklin, your Plenipotentiary with his Most Christian Majesty. Your Excellencies may answer me through the same channel, or directly by the way of Cadiz, addressing your letter to the Sieurs Paul Grippi, Azarino, and Company. My address is, to Stephen d'Audibert Caille, consul for those foreign nations who have none in the dominions of his Majesty the Emperor of Morocco, residing at Sale, or simply "to D'Audibert, Santigo, and Company," which is that of my house of commerce.

I am, with the most profound respect, &c.

D'AUDIBERT CAILLE.

No. 6.

_General State of the Revenues and Expenses of Spain in the Year 1778._

REVENUES.

Reals de vel.

Provincial duties, 70,000,000 Duties on tobacco, 55,000,000 Duties on salt, 20,000,000 Duties on wool, 17,000,000 General duties, 48,060,000 Duties on brandy, 4,525,000 2 per cent duty on the Octrois, former grants of the Crown, 500,000 Taxes on the houses in Madrid, 1,200,000 1. King's domain in the Serrara, 140,000 Post office and couriers, 34,000,000 Tax on cards, 1,000,000 Stamp paper, 4,312,000 Tax on the taverns in Madrid, 196,000 Various revenues farmed, 6,418,552 2 Manufacture of gla.s.s at St Ildefonso, 1,500,000 3 Manufactures of St Ferdinando and Guaudalaxa, 1,800,000 Extraordinary effects, 35,000,000 Books of Advocates and Attorneys, 62,000 Fines in the chamber of Castille, 72,000 Effects in the same chamber, 786,800 Tax on the Grand Masters, 1,800,000 Do. arising from the secular annals and vacancies, 1,300,000 Royal lottery, 4,500,000 Cruzada, 20,000,000 4 Effects of the kingdom of Navarre, 47,500,000 American revenue[27], 200,600,000 Clergy, 13,000,000 ----------- 562,273,152

EXPENSES.

Reals de vel.

The Court[28], 108,500,000 5 Land forces, 204,202,000 6 Marine, 100,000,000 Secretary of the Indies, 8,000,000 Department of Finance, 4,500,000 Favers and justice, 1,100,000 To support the tribunals, 8,422,769 7 Secretary of state and foreign affairs, 9,873,288 8 Extraordinary expenses, 30,000,000 ----------- 474,598,251

I subjoin the result of my inquiries touching the articles marked No.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

No. 1, 2, 3. The sums mentioned in the preceding statement as arising from the revenues numbered as above may be deducted, as concurrent testimony induces me to believe, that the expenses consume near the whole of the revenue.

No. 4. I have been also a.s.sured, that this article is much exaggerated.

No. 5. The expenses of this establishment have greatly increased, but I have not been able to ascertain the sum.

No. 6. I have heard from good authority, that the expenses of the marine in 1776 amounted to one hundred and twentyfour millions of reals, owing to the expedition against Portuguese America. In 1777 they amounted to eightyeight millions of reals, and in 1779 to near four hundred millions of reals; which information induces me to conclude, that there were great arrears of the expenses of 1778, or that the estimate for that year is not exact.

No. 7, 8. The expenses of these departments have greatly augmented.

FOOTNOTES:

[27] The American revenue is difficult to ascertain from this circ.u.mstance; that not arriving regularly and annually, it is necessary to have the receipts for several years to be able to form an exact calculation of the modium communibus annis.

[28] The birth of the Infant has increased the Court expenses.

TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

Madrid, November 30th, 1780.

Gentlemen,

I have had the honor of receiving from you a letter of the 16th of June, and another of the 12th of July, 1780, with the several papers mentioned in them. With respect to the subjects of the first, you will find them fully discussed in my letter to the President of Congress, which will accompany this. The description of the bills will, I hope, answer good purposes.

How far the resolution, which immediately follows the one respecting Mr Dohrman, can be fully executed, is hard to determine. Had I funds necessary for the purpose, I should meet with few difficulties. The measure is a wise one, and my attention to it shall be unremitted. In a future letter I shall say more on this subject; as yet nothing has had time to ripen.