86 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



March 5, 1806, is said to have been 2273, 1 

 and "By official returns lodged in the De- 

 partment of State we know of 6257 im- 

 pressed American seamen." 2 



The number given in "Niles Register," 

 6257, given by other authorities as 6057, 

 there is reason to believe was grossly exag- 

 gerated. 



On Feb. 6, 1813, the Massachusetts 

 House of Representatives passed the fol- 

 lowing order : 



"Whereas the President in his message 

 has made known to the people of the 

 United States that the British Orders in 

 Council have been repealed, except the 

 claim of the right to take British subjects 

 from the merchant ships of the United 

 States and, whereas all the European 

 powers as well as the United States recog- 

 nize the principle that their subjects have 

 no right to expatriate themselves, and that 



1 Mahan, Influence of Sea Power on the War of 1812, 

 vol. i, p. 128. 



2 Niles Register. 



