The House will notice that %his was in 1800. Spoliation had been going on for seven years. and if there had been war existing the French officers would surely have known it. but there is no allusion whatever in these papers to a condition of war existing between the French Government and the Government of the United States. The condemnation could have been made on the ground of war. if any war existed. and the American vessel would have been a good prize for her French captors. but instead of putting it upon that ground. they simply make the evasive and flirfetched declaration that the sealed letter which this vessel bore was not signed by the proper naval officers. and also that the captain. who acknowledged that he was originally a subject of Great Britain. but who had been naturalized for more than twenty years. did not happen to have his naturalization certificate about him! The condemnation sets forth that she had not the crew list required according to the regulation established by the French Government as necessary for American ships. and also that there was not sufficient evidence on board that the cargo actually belonged to the men who had shipped it from Norfolk. Va.. which was a clumsy attempt to establish a violation of neutrality.
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naturalized naturalization