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Savannah 11th January 1818

D.B. Mitchell Esq.

Sir,

Altho you do not state particularly in you letter of the 2d inst. that the Africans detained by you had been brought within the jurisdictional limits of the State of Georgia, yet I take it for granted that you are under the impression that such is the fact. The act of Congress to which you have reference provides that in all cases [crossed out: the] Negroes Seized shall be delivered over to the State Authority to be dealt with according to the provisions of the Laws of such State. Now if the Negroes in question were first brought into this State, the effect of the act of Congress would be in my opinion, to divest the original owners of any right or title which they may have had, and at once gave to the State a right to the possession of the Negroes. Until recently as you know, there was no act of this State in relation to property of this description which could be carried into effect. That part of the Act of the unclear States, which required the commander of the national vessels to deliver over the Negroes to the overseers of the poor& to make report