He
immediately applied to the parliament of that place, who ordered his
discharge. This took place after five days' actual imprisonment. I
arrived at Bordeaux a few days after his liberation. As the Procureur
General of the King had interested himself to obtain it, with uncommon
zeal, and that too on public principles, I thought it my duty to wait
on him and return him my thanks. I did the same to the President of the
parliament, for the body over which he presided; what would have been an
insult in America, being an indispensable duty here. You will see by the
enclosed printed paper, on what grounds the Procureur insisted on Mr.
Barclay's liberation. Those on which the parliament ordered it, are not
expressed. On my arrival here, I spoke with the minister on the subject.
He observed, that the character of Consul is no protection in this
country, against process for debt: that as to the character with
which Mr. Barclay had been invested at the court of Morocco, it was
questionable whether it would be placed on the diplomatic line, as it
had not been derived immediately from Congress; that if it were,
it would have covered him to Paris only, where he had received his
commission, had he proceeded directly thither, but that his long stay at
Bordeaux, must be considered as terminating it there.
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