derstood that the people in the Western country were much attached to France, and unfriendly to the English, which would create great obstacles to such an enterprise. Governor Blount admitted this: but remarked that the Spaniards were very weak, and would make but feeble resistance in that country. In consequence of this conversation, he proposed going to England on-this subject. The deponent told him if he chose to go, he would give him letters to persons who might introduce him to those in power. He then informed the deponent that Captain Chisholm and several others had a plan of doing something against some part of Florida, about which they had been admitted to some interviews with a person of consequence in Philadelphia. This was the first the deponent heard of Chisholm in this business, nor has he ever had any intercourse or communication with him relating to it. On his expressing a desire to know the nature and extent of Chisholm's plan, Governor Blount, observed, that he did not know it in its full extent himself, because Chisholm kept himself very much to himself; but he apprehended it to be some plundering party or petty enterprise. The deponent observed, that he was very sorry for this affair of Chisholm, and observed that it ought to be prevented. He also expressed much surprise that the person of consequence in Philadelphia who had been alluded to, should see such a man as Chisholm, on a business of that nature, and added that Governor Blount ought to see that person of consequence, and caution him against listening to such overtures from persons of that description. Mr. Blount observed, that he had no acquaintance with that person, as he had never waited on him. The deponent then begged him to take care that Chisholm should be prevented from pressing his project; he replied, he could command Chisholm when near, but could not answer or control him at a dis

tance.

The conversation then turned, for the first time, to the Floridas; and the deponent observed, that it was matter of regret they did not belong to the United States; mentioning among other things, the convenience of having such great natural boundaries as the Mississippi, and the gulph of Mexico: that if he should go to England, he ought to impress this idea upon the people in power, and point out to them the favourable effect that their aiding such an event, would have on the United States, to whom Florida was of great importance, while it could be of but little value to Eng. land.

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The

The deponent remarked, generally, that it was understood and agreed by Mr. Blount and himself, throughout the whole of their conversations on this subject, that the most favourable state of things for the United States, was the possession of Louisiana by Spain; but if it were to pass from their hands, it was deemed by them of great importance that England should possess it rather than France.

With these general impressions, Governor Blount left New-York, that he should consult some persons of impor tance in Philadelphia, both in the government and out; and learn from them, how far such a project might receive their approbation or countenance, or be deemed adviseable by them: that he should also, for the same purpose, sound certain persons in Virginia, the frontiers of North Carolina, the state of Tennessee, and generally, throughout the Southern states; and the people in general, in the state of Tennessee: that he should particularly attend to those persons in the Indian country, and elsewhere, who had been engaged in Genet's projects; as they were already under operation, they must be managed; and that the deponent should forward to Philadelphia, such letters of introduction for Governor Blount, to persons in England, as might be thought useful. This the deponent engaged to do, and soon after wrote to a gentleman in England, informing him that a person of consequence would sail from this country, some time in May, for England, on a business of this kind.

After Governor Blount returned to Congress, several letters passed between him and the deponent, on the same subject. In one of them he expressed the necessity of his standing well with the four Southern nations of Indians, and holding his importance among them. He also, in these letters, expressed his fears about the conduct of some persons in this country, who had contemplated this business, and might attempt to execute it in an improper and imprudent manner. These considerations united, and some other matters not connected with them, induced the deponent to think of sailing for England, in the mouth of May; before he set out, he expected to receive from Governor Blount full information of his opinions and the result of his enquiries,--and for that purpose requested an interview, that there might be a full and free conversation on the whole business; to this he received no answer for some time, but learned from other persons, that Mr. Blount was in Philadelphia. His neglect in this respect, made the deponent hesitate, and the late change

of

of circumstances in Europe, made him doubt of the success of the application to the British government, at this time; he had also received some further account of the force of the Spaniards in that quarter, and some information said to have come from a respectable foreigner, who had been in that country, that there were in the Southern and Western parts of the United States, large numbers of men, who, it was likely, would aid the French and Spaniards. These circumstances had determined the deponent to abandon this business altogether, when he received a letter from Mr. Blount, expressing his regard for him, and apologizing for not writing; and soon after, another, requesting him to come to Philadelphia; to this the deponent did not consent, and there the intercourse on this subject ended, except that the deponent 1 wrote a letter to Mr. Blount, expressing his opinion that the business was ended, to which he never received an answer,

Mr. Davy's Deposition,

On the thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, in pursuance of an order of the Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States appointed to prepare and report articles of impeachment against William Blount, a Senator of the United States, impeached by the said house of high crimes and misdemeanors, Mr. William Davy, a partner of the mercantile house of Davy, Roberts and Co. of the city of Philadelphia, merchants, appeared before the said Committee, and a solemn affirmation having been administered to him in due form of law, by Reynold Keene, Esquire, one of the associate judges of the court of Common Pleas of the city of Philadelphia, and an alderman of the said city, did depose and say:

That, on the twenty-eighth of February last, he chartered the brig John Henderson, Captain Ephraim White, of the port of Philadelphia; which was loaded by him, and cleared out for Hamburgh, but was actually bound, with the consent of the owners and underwriters, for London; that she was so cleared for Hamburgh to protect her from French cruisers; and on this account he had resolved to take no passengers, nor any letters unless from persons well known, and in whom there could be great confidence; she was not advertised; but, as had been his practice, the deponent informed the Secretary of State and the British minister of this opportunity, in like manner as, on a former occasion, of sending a vessel to Spain, he had informed the Spanish minister,

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minister. A few days after, Mr. Liston's Secretary, Mr. Thornton, called on the deponent, and asked if he would permit a special messenger, a confidential person, whom they wished to send to England, to go in this vessel. The deponent told Mr. Thornton that, although the vessel would be cleared out for Hamburgh, and her papers carry that appearance, she certainly was intended to proceed for London; that he had determined not to take passengers, and feared the vessel might be endangered by having such a person with dispatches on board. Mr. Thornton assured the deponent that the messenger was a confidential person, that the dispatches with which he would be intrusted were of great consequence, that they would be taken great care of, and would be leaded in order to be sunk in case of danger of capture. Mr. Thornton did not inform the deponent of the nature of the dispatches; but as the deponent thought there would be an advantage in intrusting his own private dispatches to so confidential a person, he consented to take him, and so informed Mr. Thornton, adding, at the same time, that he would charge the messenger with his own dispatches. A few days after, while the brig was loading, a person called on the deponent, and said he was the person recommended by Mr. Thornton to go in the brig. He was a hardy, lusty, brawny, weather-beaten man, and much resembled one of the king's messengers formerly seen by the deponent, who addressed him as such, but was immediately informed he was not the person. The deponent conducted him from the counting-house to the parlour, and offered him some refreshment, which he accepted; and, considering him as a person in whom the British minister confided, the deponent intrusted him with the secret of the voyage, and his intention of committing his private dispatches to his care; the deponent particularly mentioned that, although cleared for Hamburgh, the vessel would actually proceed to London; but requested him, however, to be perfectly silent on this business, which he engaged to attend to. While drinking some porter, he appeared sociable; and, on the deponent's remarking, that, although he had mistaken his name, he was impressed with an idea of having seen him before, he told the deponent, No; that he was a back-countryman; that he had long lived among the Indians, and was with them during the last war; that he was well known to the Spaniards; that his name was captain Chisholm; that he had been an interpreter to the Indians last winter in this city;

that

that the Spaniards had frequently imprisoned and treated him cruelly in Pensacola; that they dreaded him, and he hated them, and was now determined to take his full revenge on them. He added, that his influence with the Indians was such that he could do with them as he pleased, that he knew every part of the Mississippi; that there was no man in America who knew the forts and their exact situation so well as himself, and that he was now going to London to accompany and conduct a squadron to the attack of Pensacola. The deponent smiled at the idea, and regarded it as a quixotism, and not the real object of his voyage:-he said he was serious, and that nothing would be more easily executed; that the Spaniards had no posts of any consequence on the whole of the Misissippi; that one hundred, or one hundred and fifty, a mere handful of men, might destroy them all. He appeared anxious to give an opinion of his own consequence as a British officer. Soon after, he called on the deponent, and introduced as his respectable and confidential friend, Mr. Christian Jacob Huetter, who was to accompany him on this expedition, and requested a passage for him in the brig. The deponent was then impressed with the danger of permitting such a man as Chisholm to go in the brig, and stated strongly to Chisholm his fears; he replied that the deponent need not be afraid, for he was furnished with other papers fully sufficient to cover his design: he then shewed the deponent a number of letters, unsealed, from Mr. Liston to persons in Hamburgh, stating him to be a person going there on a land speculation, and one for a person in London, who the deponent then supposed to be either one of the under secretaries of state or Mr. Liston's private agent, calling him, "the person of whom I have written to you elative to the land-business." This letter was not directed to the person by an official description. These, and the strong assurances of care with his dispatches, induced the deponent to consent to their going in the vessel. The brig was prevented from sailing on the day first intended, but their baggage was put on board, and Sunday the 19th of March, was fixed positively for her sailing. She had dropped down the river, and the captain had called on the deponent and received his dispatches; the private dispatches of the deponent had been delivered by him to Chisholm, who he supposed was then on board; but the same evening the deponent was surprised by Doctor Rogers calling on him to enquire for Chisholm, who, he said, was still in town. Doctor Rogers wished to ask him some further questions concerning the Welch Indians, of whom Chisholm,