MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



539 



includes the militia of the pro- 

 vince of Buenos Ayres itself. 

 Their supply of arms and mu- 

 nitions of war is ample. 



Their navy is small, and some 

 of their vessels are laid up in 

 ordinary. Their private armed 

 vessels are subjected to very 

 strict regulations, agreeably to 

 their prize code, which is among 

 the original papers presented and 

 herewith delivered. It may be 

 proper in this place to introduce 

 the subject of the irregular con- 

 duct of the privateers under the 

 patriot flag, against which the 

 commissioners were directed to 

 remonstrate. Having taken an 

 opportunity of explaining to Mr. 

 Tagle, the Secretary of State, 

 the proceedings of our govern- 

 ment relative to Amelia Island 

 and Galveston, agreeably to tlieir 

 instructions, the commissioners 

 embraced a suitable occasion to 

 urge the just cause of complaint, 

 which the malpractices of private 

 armed vessels, wearing the patriot 

 colours, had furnished our go- 

 vernment; on both topics they 

 had long and interesting conver- 

 sations. With the conduct of 

 the government respecting Ame- 

 lia Island and Galveston, Mr. 

 Tagle expressed himself perfectly 

 satisfied ; and he disclaimed for 

 his government any privity or 

 participation in the lodgments 

 made at those places, by persons 

 acting in the name of the patriots 

 of South America. 



In reference to the acts of 

 cruisers under the patriotic flags, 

 he said he was sensible that great 

 irregularities hadoccurred, though 

 his government had done every 

 thing in their power to prevent 

 them, and were willing, if any 



instance of aggression were point- 

 ed out, to direct an inquiry into 

 the case, and if the facts were 

 established, to punish those con- 

 cerned, and redress the injured 

 individuals. He professed his 

 readiness to adopt any measures 

 that would more effectually pre- 

 verit a recurrence of such acts, in 

 which he expressed his belief that 

 the privateers of Buenos Ayres 

 had rarely participated, though 

 the character of the government 

 had suffered from the conduct of 

 others. He stated that they had 

 on one occasion sent out some of 

 their public vessels to examine 

 all cruisers wearing the Buenos 

 Ayrean flag, to see that they 

 were lawfully commissioned, and 

 to ascertain whether they had 

 violated their instructions. 



Amongst the causes of dissatis- 

 faction to which I have alluded, the 

 preponderance of the capital has 

 been mentioned. Its great weight 

 in the scale of national affairs is 

 to be ascribed to its greater 

 exertions in the national cause. 

 These are owing to its com- 

 parative wealth, and to its active, 

 intelligent, and enterprising po- 

 pulation. The armies that have 

 been raised in this city and 

 the neighbouring country, with 

 the supplies in money, and mu- 

 nitions of war drawn from these 

 sources, have been truly extra- 

 ordinary. 



It would be a difficult task to 

 make an exact calculation, or to 

 form even a probable estimate, 

 but all seemed to concede the 

 superior merit claimed on account 

 of their exertions, when compared 

 with their wealth and population ; 

 and it is not unlikely that Buenos 

 Ayres has, in consequence, as- 

 sumed 



•V 



