2. V:30. Answered the Letter from Mr B.
Galloway, of Hagerstown Maryland, concerning, Mr W. P.
Dana, and his daughter,
after having postponed it for sometime in expectation of having his
Letter which I gave to Lord
Kinnaird returned to me— I think it best however to delay
no longer— Received a Letter of 29. March from General Scott at Liverpool, and one
of the 30th: from Mr Maury— The General had
received my despatches, and the Packet for Mr Ludlow at New-York,
and promises to dispose of them as I requested in my Letter— Mr Maury’s Letter says the General sailed on
the 29th. in the Franklin for Baltimore.—
Went into London with Mrs Adams— Called at Count Munster’s house 21. Piccadilly,
to see and converse with him, at the request of Mr
Bussche-Hünnefeldt, but the Count was not at home— Went to
the Office at Craven Street, and Mrs Adams
went to visit Mrs
King and Mrs Bourke, the Danish Minister’s Lady.— At the Office
I found a Letter from Baron
Rehausen, the Swedish Minister, recommending to me a Swede
named Charles Hammelin late a
subaltern officer in the Swedish service, who was sentenced to be shot
for rashness in sacrificing lives by defending an untenable Post. He was
pardoned, but dismissed from the service, and wishes to go to America,
to enter the Service of the United States— The man came, himself, and
appeared to be in great distress— But he understands not a word of
English and scarcely a word of French. I told him that though very
desirous to serve him, I could not see the smallest prospect of his
obtaining a Commission in America— He went apparently much disappointed.
There was also a Petition from William
Webb, stating himself to be a native American Sailor, and
a convict on board of a hulk at Woolwich; sentenced to seven years
transportation, for stealing some fowls worth half a guinea; but he says
he bought them— He prays me to interpose with the British Government to
obtain his pardon, and then to send him to America— Also a Letter from
Captain Stuart requesting
a French Passport which was sent him. Mr Bennet of Alexandria
came, and mentioned that he expected to go in about a fortnight to
France previous to returning to America. I enquired of him what his
prospects were, with regard to his petition to the Lords of the Treasury
for indemnity, on account of the plunder of Alexandria, by the British
frigates in 1814— He said they gave him fair words, and that they had
now referred the memorial to Captain
Gordon (the pillager) to report upon the facts— He
evidently yet flatters himself that he will get something— Mr
Caldecott came at three O’Clock the time I had appointed—
He is a Surgeon, Apothecary and Man midwife,—who wishes to remove with a
wife and five children to America— He came for advice and
information, what his prospects of thriving by his profession would be—
I gave him all the information that I could, and particularly urged him
not to form sangwine expectations of success, if he should go—and
reminded him how much the medical department was already crowded in
America— He asked if there would be any chance of his obtaining
employment in that line in the American army or navy.— I told him none
during the Peace, and probably none even in case of War, which would
comfortably maintain himself, a wife, and five children. I referred him
to Mr Bennet who was present, and whose
opinions were not more favourable to the prosecution of the project than
mine— He said he would reflect further upon the subject, and if he
should finally conclude to go, he would apply to me again. He asked me,
if I would give him in case he should go a letter of recommendation, to
some person who might advise him, and I promised to give him a Letter
for Dr
Mitchill at New-York. When he and Mr Bennet were gone I wrote a Note Mr
Hamilton, the Under Secretary of State, enclosing to him
Webb’s petition, requesting a decision of this Government upon it— I
took it with me, down to the foreign Office, to leave it there in case I
had not found him— But he was there, and received me.— I gave him the
Note, and Petition, which he finally took, though in the first instance
he wished me to take it back and address it to Mr Beckett the
Under-Secretary in the Home Department— But I told him I had in this
instance followed precisely the course recommended to me on a former and
exactly similar case, by Mr Morier— I enquired also of
Mr Hamilton, whether foreign Consuls
residing here enjoyed any exemption from the payment of taxes— Mr Maury had written to me, requesting this
information— Mr Hamilton told me they were
not entitled to any such exemption. Count Lieven the Russian Ambassador sent in his name, and
I immediately came away, and returned to Craven 421Street— Left Bode’s Uranographia
to be bound— Settled the Account of Williams
the Stationer, and took with me the Book of minutes of Office charges—
It was about seven when we reached home, and I found an answer from
Captain Stuart to the answer I had written him relating to Pio.
