careful examination I am satisfied that not more than six hundred and fifty men of regulars, militia, and Indians, landed at Black Rock. To oppose these we had from two thousand five hundred to three thousand militia. All, except a very few of them, behaved in a most cowardly manner. They fled without discharging a musket. The enemy continued on this side of the river till Saturday. All their movements betrayed symptoms of apprehension. A vast quantity of property was left in the town uninjured, and the Ariel, which lies four miles above upon the beach, is safe. Since the 1st instant they have made no movement. They continue in the possession of Niagara, and will probably retain it, until a force competent to its reduction arrives in its vicinity."

Robert Lee, late of Lewistown, in the county of Niagara, and state of New York, gentleman, of the age of forty-two years, being sworn on the holy evangelists, deposeth and saith, that some seven weeks immediately preceding the 19th of December last, he, this deponent, resided in fort Niagara, for the purpose of attending to private business; that about four o'clock in the morning of the 19th, the said fort was attacked or entered by the British. The garrison was not alarmed when the enemy entered the gates of the fort. Some firing took place after they entered the works, particularly between the guard at the south-east block house, and the sick in the hospital at the red barracks, on the part of the Americans with the enemy. This deponent is positive that there were about 400 men of all descriptions immediately before taken, and that 350 of that number were capable of bearing arms in that way, viz. firing on the enemy from the block houses, &c. The principal resistance the enemy met with, was from the sick in the red barracks, and the guard at the south-east block house before mentioned. The sick in the red barracks, as this deponent is informed, and from what he saw, he believes were nearly all slaughtered. The British force that took possession of the fort were in number about 400, commanded by colonel Murray, who was wounded in the arm in entering the gate, and was succeeded in command by colonel Hamilton. From the British order of congratulation that issued on the same morning, it appeared that the Americans had lost 65 killed and 15 wounded, which wounds were principally by the bayonet, as expressed in the order; but the above order issued very soon after they took possession of the fort,'" and did not include a number that were afterwards found bayoneted in the cellars of the houses. This deponent thinks

that our loss in killed in the whole amounted at least to eighty. It was a matter of frequent conversation and exultation among the British non-commissioned officers and soldiers, while this deponent was under guard, that they bayoneted the Americans, notwithstanding their crying out for quarter. A subaltern officer and about 20 privates made their escape from the fort by scaling the pickets. Captain Leonard, the American commander, was, at the time the fort was taken, at his farm, about two miles distant, and hearing the attack, made towards the fort, and at no great distance from it was made prisoner by the enemy, and was kept in close confinement for two days and a half, and how much longer this deponent does not know. The American soldiers were kept in close miserable confinement, without the use of provisions, and with a very scanty supply of wood and water; at the expiration of which the citizens and soldiers were crossed over the river, and lodged in a part of what had been the British magazine at fort George, the residue in open plank and board huts; in both situations it was impossible to lie down. The magazine was so filthy that many of the prisoners became infested with vermin, and in that situation remained seven days. The citizens were then removed to a brick building up near Queenstown, where they were so much crowded that no kind of comfort was to be taken either by day or night.

The supply of provisions was not only scanty, but of the very worst kind; beef of the most inferior and repulsive quality; and bread, the quality of which cannot be described. The water that they used, both there and at the magazine, they had to purchase. This deponent believes that through the influence of an individual in Upper Canada, himself, together with ten other American citizens, were permitted, on the 13th instant, to cross to the United States. The residue of the citizens, to the amount of about seventy, were marched, on the 12th, under a strong guard, to Burlington heights; and this deponent was informed, that from thence they would be sent to Kingston. The women and children taken at and near Lewistown, were stripped of their clothing and taken across the river. And further this deponent saith not. ROBERT LEE. Sworn to and subscribed this 18th day of January, 1814, before me,

(Signed)

(Signed)

J. HARRISON,

Master in Chancery.

Message from the President of the United States, recommending a Repeal of the Embargo and the Restrictive System, so far as relates to Nations in Amity with the United States; also recommending Measures for the Encouragement of American Manufactures, and advising the Prohibition of the Exportation of Specie.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, Taking into view the mutual interest which the United States and the foreign nations in amity with them have in a liberal commercial intercourse, and the extensive changes favourable thereto which have recently taken place: taking into view also the important advantages which may otherwise result from adapting the state of our commercial laws to the circumstances now existing:

I recommend to the consideration of congress the expediency of authorising, after a certain day, exportations, specie excepted, from the United States, in vessels of the United States, and in vessels owned and navigated by the subjects of powers at peace with them; and a repeal of so much of our laws as prohibits the importation of articles not the property of enemies, but produced or manufactured only within their dominions.

I recommend also, as a more effectual safeguard and encouragement to our growing manufactures, that the additional duties on imports which are to expire at the end of one year after a peace with Great Britain, be prolonged to the end of two years after that event; and that, in favour of our moneyed institutions, the exportation of specie be prohibited throughout the same period.

March 31st, 1814.

JAMES MADISON.

Message from the President of the United States, communicating Information touching our Relations with France, in compliance with a Resolution of the 13th instant.

To the House of Representatives of the United States,

I transmit to the house of representatives a report of the secretary of state, complying with their resolution of the 13th instant. JAMES MADISON.

April 16, 1814.

REPORT.

The secretary of state, to whom was referred the resolution of the house of representatives of the 13th instant, requesting information touching our relations with France, has the honour to submit to the president an extract of the letter from the minister plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris, which contains the latest, and the only material information received by this department on that subject.

All which is respectfully submitted.

Department of State, April 16, 1814.

JAMES MONROE.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. Crawford to the Secretary of State, dated

Paris, January 16, 1814. "On the 29th ultimo I had an interview with the minister of exterior relations, who informed me that he had made to the emperor a detailed report of the negotiation, and that he would inform me of his majesty's decision the moment it should be made known to him. His conversation during this interview was as conciliatory as it could be, and his expressions, though still general, admitted that indemnity was determined upon.

"The address of the senator, count Segur, to the inhabitants of the 18th military division of the empire, published in the Moniteur of the 15th instant, stated that his majesty was going to place himself at the head of his troops. Knowing that I should not be able to advance a single step in the negotiation during his absence, unless he should, before his departure from Paris, decide upon the classes of cases for which indemnity should be made, I determined to address a note to the duke of Vicence, with a view to impress more strongly upon his mind the necessity of an immediate decision. The day on which I intended to present this note I was informed that the duke of Vicence had set out from Paris at four o'clock, A. M., for the head-quarters of the two emperors, which was then said to be in Switzerland. The general impression in Paris that day was, that the emperor would set out immediately for Metz, where his army of reserve has been forming ever since he crossed the Rhine. This circumstance induced me to believe that the note would not produce any good effect; I therefore determined not to present it. The emperor is still in Paris, and I regret extremely that I did not adhere to my first determination, notwithstanding the absence of the minister of foreign relations.

From the situation of affairs here, it is impossible to foresee the delays to which this perplexing business will yet be subject. In the first and only interview which I had with the duke of Bassano, he said expressly that the obstacles which his absence had thrown in the way of the negotiation should not occur again; two months have not elapsed before the same obstacles are presented."

Message from the President of the United States, transmitting a Report from the acting Secretary of the Treasury in compliance with the Resolution of the Senate of the thirteenth instant.

To the Senate of the United States,

I transmit to the senate a report of the acting secretary of the treasury, complying with their resolution of the 13th in

stant.

December 20th, 1813.

Sir,

JAMES MADISON.

Treasury Department, December 16th, 1813. In compliance with the resolution of the senate of the 13th instant, I have the honour to state:

That the amount of duties accruing on goods, wares, and merchandise imported into the United States, from the 1st day of July, 1812, to the 31st day of December, of the same year, for which period the accounts of the collectors of the customs are settled, was

And the amount of tonnage, including light money, accruing during the same period, was

$9,869,199 31

92,297 70

$ 9,961,497 01

The accounts of the collectors from the 1st day of January, 1813, to the 30th day of September, of the same year, have been but partially settled; and some for the quarter ending the 30th of September have not yet been received at the treasury. For this period, therefore, an estimate only can be given, taken from the accounts of the collectors, as rendered to the treasury, and in some cases from their less formal returns. This estimate is as follows: