ly occupied by the late king Bassa, thence bending around at a right angle and running in the direction of Junk until it strikes the Junk river, thence along the line of our former purchase from the said Zoola, Lewis Crocker & Brother to the place of commencement, said description of above boundary is intended to include the territory known by the name of the Little Bassa country, over which Bah Gay is king, and no more, to have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises, together with all and singular the buildings, improvements and appurtenances thereof and thereto belonging, to the said commonwealth of Liberia. And I, the said Bah Gay, king of the Little Bassa country, do covenant to and with the said commonwealth of Liberia, that at, and until the ensealing hereof, I as king of Little Bassa territory had good right and lawful authority to sell and convey the aforesaid premises in fee simple. And I, the said Bah Gay, king of the Little Bassa country for myself, and my heirs, and successors, will forever warrant and defend the said commonwealth of Liberia against any person or persons claiming any part or parcel of the above named premises. "In witness whereof I, Bah Gay, have set my hand and seal at Marshall, this fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-five. BAH GAY, his X mark. [SEAL.] "Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of A. B. HENDERSON, J. P. A true copy, "PROCLAMATION. come: "KNOW YE, That this day king Bah Gay, rightful sovereign of the Little Bassa country, until relinquished to the commonwealth of Liberia as per deed dated at Marshall Junk, 15th day of February, 1845, has this day subscribed to the constitution and laws of this commonwealth, thereby incorporating himself and people with the people of these colonies, and entitled to the care and protection of this government. "Be it therefore understood, that any improper interference either by colonists or natives, calculated to disturb the peace and quiet of the said Bah Gay or any of his people, will be promptly noticed and punished by this government. "Given at Monrovia, this the fifth day of April, 1845. J. J. ROBERTS. A true copy, J. N. LEWIS, Col. Sec." "PURCHASE OF THE SINOU COUNTRY. “This Indenture made this 27th day of February, A. D., 1845, between Joseph J. Roberts, agent of the American Colonization Society and Governor of the commonwealth of Liberia, on the one part, witnesseth, that in consideration of the one thousand dollars paid to the Sinou chicfs, by certain commissioners in the year 1836, and for certain presents, and the protection extended to the Sinou people, we, the undersigned king and chiefs aforesaid, do by these presents confirm the purchase of certain territory by the Mississippi state colonization society in the year 1836, and by this instrument do further grant, cede and transfer, and by these presents have granted, ceded and transferred to the American Colonization Society, the entire Sinou country without reservation, to have and to hold forever, viz: commencing at the entrance of the Sinou river, and running along the sea beach in a northerly direction commercial regulation exacting money from Englishmen. Davidson having refused to pay anchorage, the collector seized goods sufficient to satisfy the law, and he left here on the 14th, of course to report to some man-of-war he may fall in with, while on his way to Monrovia or Sierra Leone. Yesterday, the 15th, a three-masted man-of-war boat (En about fifteen miles, thence easterly || harbor duties, nor comply with any into the interior about thirty miles, thence southerly about fifteen miles, thence westerly about thirty miles to the place of beginning. To have and to hold forever the aforesaid territory, and to exercise political power and control over the persons and property of whatever description within said territory, and we the undersigned bind ourselves, our heirs and assigns forever, to warrant and de-glish) came in our harbor, took posfend the said American Colonization Society or the commonwealth of Liberia, against any person or persons claiming any part of said territory. "In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year first above written. 66 Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of THOMAS WILSON, his X mark. GEORGE SANDS, A true copy, SEIZURE OF THE SCHOONER JOHN BASSA COVE, GRAND BASSA, DEAR SIR: I feel myself constrained to forward you a few lines, by express, in order to inform you of the state of affairs down here. Judge Day has no doubt wrote you of the intelligence brought by Captain Cortland, and Mr. Davidson, of the Little Ben, from Sierra Leone, to wit: that Commodore Jones instructed them to pay no more session of my schooner, the "John Seys," and after sporting with her by sailing up and down in our harbor, yesterday afternoon, and running races with their own boat, as if, seemingly, to aggravate and defy us on shore, they then ran out some distance, anchored for the night, and this morning they are bearing her off for the leeward. I had my papers all on board, and the Colonial flag flying, all of which they disregarded. There was nothing on board to amount to suspicion that she is a slaver. She has in a great many oil casks, all of which have had oil in them, and some are now full; moreover I had just put a fine cargo of English and American goods on board, and she was to have sailed to leeward on a trading voyage this day. I am pretty certain they will bring her back so soon as their spree is over; but then is it not likely she will be robbed of every valuable thing, for which English tars are famous? They forbid to let the captain go on board yesterday, and though they were told by the mate that he was the captain, that he was astern in the canoe, yet they refused to let him on board; two of them took aim at him with their muskets, and he was obliged to return or could not get his crew-men to venture further. I would like to be advised what to do if they return here. Should I receive her, and as I know she will be robbed of every valuable thing on board by them, how shall I proceed || Grand Bassa, by an English man-ofin this particular? Please excuse me for writing so badly, I have a great deal to write, in a few hours, and can't take due pains. I will let you know in future what is the result of my tour to Young Sess, from which place I returned last week. Please return me a few lines by the Krooman. Your ob't servant, STEPHEN A. BENSON. His Excellency, J. J. ROBERTS. A true copy. war cutter, of the colonial schooner "John Seys," owned by Major S. A. Benson, of Bassa Cove; for particulars, as far as they came to our knowledge, I beg to refer you to Mr. Benson's letter to me, a copy of which is herewith inclosed. What pretext they will offer, in justification of this gross outrage on the property of inoffensive and dedefenceless people, is impossible for us to conjecture. I presume, however, it will be put on the footing of a J. N. LEWIS, Col. Sec. reprisal for the seizure of the goods mentioned above: if so, how contemptible the conduct, and it proves to a demonstration, the existence of a plan to draw us into collision with the British people. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, An English trader, as admitted by himself, is instigated by a British officer, to come among us, to violate our laws, and if any attempt is made to enforce them, they make it a pretext to seize a vessel and cargo worth several thousand dollars, as an indemnity for goods valued at twelve dollars, and without making any application to the authorities for redress. What is their ultimate aim, unless to Monrovia, April 17, 1845. SIR-Mr Davidson, of the English schooner Little Ben, of Sierra Leone, arrived here last evening from Edina, and, I understand, (I have not seen him,) complains that the collector of Grand Bassa seized a few pieces of cloth to secure the harbor dues of said schooner, which Davidson refused to pay, on the grounds, he says, that Commander Jones has given notice to British traders on the coast, that such charges are illegal, the colonial authorities not possess-put an end to colonization, to effect ing sovereign and independent rights, the destruction of the colonies, are not authorized to impose custom destroy our commerce along the duties; therefore they should be recoast, to give British merchants the sisted. He has left for the windward, monopoly, which is very likely, or I am told, to report the case to Com- to drive us from the face of God's mander Jones. earth, I cannot imagine. I hope by the first vessel from the U. S. to receive something definite from the Board, in regard to the subject. April 18th, the crisis has arrived. Information has this morning reached us of the seizure, in the harbor of I am, sir, respectfully, Rev. WM. McLAIN, NOTES.-In order to make room for the above interesting letters, we have deferred the receipts of the past month to the next number. For the letter of Commander Jones, referred to in the letters of Governor Roberts, see the 3d page of the cover. British opposition-Seizure of the of Liberia any authority whatever to exercise jurisdiction over the territory purchased by the American Colonization Society for the use and benefit of the said commonwealth. Since that doctrine was promulgated authoritatively, if we can credit British traders, Mr. Jones has instructed them not to regard the laws of Liberia, and has pledged the, squadron under his command to protect them in resistance of the port regulations. Accordingly, a trader, going into Bassa Cove, and landing goods for trade, refused to pay the customary duties: the collector, in the proper discharge of his duty under the laws of Liberia, seized enough of his goods to pay the duties; after which the trader left to report the case to Commandant Jones, and to invoke his promised aid. Shortly after this a British cutter enters the harbor, and seizes a vessel, with a valuable cargo on board, belonging to a citizen of Liberia. Such is the plain history In our last number, we published a letter from Governor Roberts, and one from Mr. Benson, giving an account of the seizure by the British of the colonial schooner "John Seys." On the cover we also published a letter from Commandant Jones, of the British navy, exhibiting the ground which the British government have assumed with respect to the rights, privileges, and national existence of Liberia. This letter will be found in another column of our present number. We consider it of such importance as to demand a permanent place among the facts and principles admitted or disputed in the establishment and progress of Liberia. The light which this letter throws on the subsequent action of the British squadron on that coast must not be unobserved. The letter plainly denies to the commonwealth of the affair. But here the history, comes to a pause. as far as our information extends, || In what instance have the "Liberian What they did authorities" "assumed" power improperly? They have never attempted to restrict British commerce except according to laws regularly enacted by the colonial council, sanctioned and approved by the American Colonization Society, and they have never attempted to extend these laws over any territory except that which they owned, and for which they could show a good and sufficient title. The evidence to prove that Liberia has a clear and valid title to the Bassa Cove Point, about which there has been some dispute, and to which Mr. Jones alludes, is sufficiently strong to convince any person not blinded by some adverse interest. On the contrary, there is no documentary evidence that Captain Dring, or Captain Spence before him, ever purchased the territory at that point. Governor Roberts has often demanded proof of their having made such purchase, and they have never been able to present it. The natives declare that they never sold their land to any British subject; and the most that Captain Spence claimed, was that he had purchased the right to establish a factory and trade at that point. This may be a correct estimate of the intentions of the British government. But there are some things apparent which we are at a loss how to explain in consistency with it. For example: in Lord Aberdeen's letter, dated January 31, 1844, to Mr. Everett, he says that "Her Majesty's naval commanders afford efficient protection to British trade against improper assumption of power on the part of the Liberian authorities." The evidences that the commonwealth of Liberia purchased the Bassa territory in 1836, prior even to any contract with Captain Spence, have been furnished to the British commanders on that coast, and by them undoubtedly laid before their government at home. Most of these eviden |