POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL 87 



the nation has a right to the service of all its 

 citizens in time of war, ordered that Mr. 

 Pickering of Salem, Mr. Tillinghast of 

 Taunton, and Mr. Watson of Belfast be a 

 committee to consider and report what 

 measures are proper to be taken to ascer- 

 tain the number of seamen of this common- 

 wealth impressed by any foreign nation." 

 The committee thus appointed reported 

 in substance that while the official reports 

 of Mr. Madison and Mr. Monroe showed 

 6057 cases of impressed American seamen, 

 there were in the report so many cases of 

 duplication, such an absence of particulars 

 of birth and residence, as to make the 

 reports unreliable and valueless. That 

 in pursuance of the order of the Massachu- 

 setts House of Representatives they had 

 summoned before them merchants and 

 shipmasters from Boston, Portland, Salem, 

 Marblehead and other seaports, men of all 

 shades of political belief, and questioned 

 them as to their knowledge of cases of 

 impressed American seamen. 



