Instructions Prepared for the Navy Department, 1815 or 16.

Captain Morris, with the Frigate Congress, to proceed without delay to the Gulph of Mexico, where he will of course take the naval command on the New Orleans Station.

He is—1. To protect our commerce in the Gulph of Mexico against the violence and depredations of pirates, not confounding, however, with pirates, armed vessels, under whatever flag, committing hostilities against a particular nation or nations only.

2. To protect our commerce against an exercise of force by the armed vessels, of whatever nation or country, not authorised by the belligerent right of search or the laws of blockade, as asserted by the United States. The entrance into, and departure of commercial vessels from, our ports is not to be interrupted or awed by the hovering of such armed vessels on our coast for the purpose.

3. To maintain the territorial rights of the United States within the marginal league; but no interruption is to be given to friendly vessels, under whatever flag, proceeding to ports of the United States.

4. To aid according to law in detecting anti suppressing the frauds of smugglers.

5. To prevent the entrance of the vessels under his command into ports of the Spanish maine, or Islands adjacent, whether in possession of the one or the other contending parties, except in cases of real emergency; the vessels so entering to observe, luring their necessary stay, the neutral obligations of the United States; to prevent any unnecessary cruises or approaches towards the Spanish coasts, which might favor suspicions of hostile or unwarrantable purposes; and to prevent unjustifiable violence of any sort by vessels under Iris command on vessels armed or unarmed, under whatever flag.

6. Not to allow any public vessel to transport or receive on board any private mercantile property, in which is to be classed specie and bullion; nor passengers of any description, without a sanction properly obtained.

7. Not to convoy or protect against a rightful seizure by belligerent vessels, under whatever flag, American or other vessels bound with contraband of war to ports of a country at war.

8. To communicate and co-operate, as occasions may justify and require, with the officer commanding the land forces of the United States, in repelling and defeating any invasion which may be made or attempted by any foreign armament.