William Johnson

“ The general policy of the law is, to discountenance every contribution, even of the minutest kind, to this traffic in our ports; and the act of engaging seamen, is an unequivocal preparatory measure for such an enterprise. ”

“ On her voyage thence to the coast of Africa, she is pursued by hostile vessels, and in the chase sustains damage, which compels her to put into Baltimore to refit. There she encounters Gunn, her original and equitable owner, but who finds in her nothing of her original character, but what served to identify his vessel, and expose to him how his confidence had been abused, and his property forfeited, through his own indiscretion, in conveying her to Maher. ”

“ These are, the answer and claim to it, and a retraction of that claim, from which it appears, that during the whole time these material men were furnishing this vessel, she was under arrest by the Court of Admiralty, under a libel, claiming her as American property, in her home-port, which claim, the retraction of the answer filed to the libel fully admits. There was, then, to say the least of the facts, enough to put reasonable men upon inquiry. ”

“ The causes of forfeiture alleged in the libels, comprise all those contained in the 1st section of the act of 1794, and those of the 2d section of the act of 1818, with the exception of the offence of being laden for the prohibited trade.
The claims filed to this libel, were,
1. That of one Vinente, a Spanish subject, who alleges her to be a regularly documented Spanish vessel, engaged in traffic sanctioned by the laws of Spain. This claim goes both to vessel and cargo.
2. Of certain seamen, who demand compensation for their wages from the proceeds of the vessel. ”