Pocket. A chart of the whole coast, minutely and beautifully laid down-all the soundings &c, and with particular instructions how to make an effectual attack upon Texas. Galveston of course I presume is prominent. I requested Capt B. to dispatch forthwith a messenger with the papers. l\fany are in Spanish. You should have a Spanish translator in your Cabinet, if possible. The Brig, I presume, being U. S. property, should not be condemned, and the payment of freight and demurrage to the Capt. would have a good effect in the U. S. I should advise it, if in conformity to custome. Of this I am not informed; Col. Potter no doubt is. Should you not immediately, by an Executive decree, constitute an admiralty court, with one or more Judges to sit at New Washington and determine upon the character of Captures? This, I presume, is indispensable to make a capture legal according to the laws of Nations; for otherwise every Captain is his own judge, and will necessarily condemn, a course which will be offensive to other Nations. The confidence which I have had the honor of enjoying at your hands, emboldens me to throw in my rough views, on the model of a Court, which if it adds nothing to your own views, but Col Potter's especially, as I presume the subject is familiar to him, will do no injury. I should therefore, if I had not the aid of counsel, frame a decree thus:- "To all whom it may concern. Be it known That in conformity to the plenary powers in the Executive Government, vested by the Convention of the Republic of Texas; and from the necessity of having a proper tribunal to determine and decide upon all maritime captures, and admiralty cases generally, the Executive Government aforesaid, have found it necessary to constitute a court of Admiralty, and do hereby constitute and establish the Said Court, to consist of one Judge, whose duty it shall be, whenever a vessel is captured and brought into any of the po,rts of this Republic, to repair to the Said port, there to summon three disinterested persons to hear the evidence, which may be produced on both sides, as to the validity or invalidity of the Capture, and decide thereon, under the instructions of the Court, as to the rules which govern Courts of Admiralty generally, which are to be considered untill a further code is provided as follows,- "All captured property, which, from the evidence adduced, is manifestly the property of the Government of Mexico, or of the citizens thereof, is and shall be considered a legal
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