To the Honorable 
the Congress of the United States
of North America 

The Petition of Richard Downing Jennings of the
Island of St Eustatis, for himself and others his associates 
Subjects of their High Mightinesses the States General
of the United Provinces of the low Countries

Humbly sheweth

That your Petitioner and his associates being desirous to furnish to these
Unites States foreign Merchandizes which they then stood in need of, and
which by reason of their invaded Situation could not be directly obtained
without the most imminient peril formed the Design of eluding the Laws
and the arms of Great Britain

That for this Purpose in the Month of June 1770, they purchased a
sloop or Vessel valled The Lark, then lying at the Island of St Christophers
and laded her with Rum, Hardware, and other Articles useful to these States

That to elude the British Laws which not only forbad to other Na-
tions all trade with their Enemiees the Subjects of the said States,
but also with every port of the said States, even those in their
own possession, under the pain of Forfeiture and Confiscation,
your Petitioner and his associates contrives to have the said
Vessel and Cargo cleared at the Island of St Kitts as British Property
and as bound to the Port of Philadelphia, then supposed to be
in possession of the British Army, and to get a permit from
William Matthew Berot - the Governor of the said Island, agree-
ably to the said Laws.

That the said Vessesl was also rovided with Proper Dutch papers
from the said Island of St Eustatia, and in the Month of June ???
sailed from St Christophers, being really and truly bound to Egg Harbour
then within the Dominion and Possesion of these States, and
being really and truly consigned to Mssrs Andrew and James Caldwell
Merchants of the State of Pennsylvania, then residing at
Pottsgrove, whither they had fled from the City of Philadelphia
when it was taken Possession of by the British Trips.

That the said Vessel being on her said Voyage, and near the 
place of her destination, was compelled to take Shelter in the
Bay of Delaware, by the appearance of some Vessels supposed to be 
British, and the next day after leaving the said Bay to go to
Egg Harbour, and when near her said Port was taken by two
armed American Vessels, which were supposed by the Captain of
the said Sloop to be British, wherefore he answered when hailed
agreeably to his British Papers and delivered the said papers
to the Captors.

That in consequence thereof and also of the Deposition of the
Mariners of the said Vessel, whom from the very Nature of the said Voyage
it was necessary to decieve, not withstanding the Dutch Papers
aforesaid, the Original Letters and Orders of your Petitioner
on board her, and the Deposition of the Mate, that of the
Captain being rejected by the Judge, the said Vessel was con-
demned as Lawful Prize by the Court of Admiralty of the
State of New Jersey to which State she had been conducted by
the said Captors.

That your Petitioner therefore, entered his appeal, and
his Counsel being of Opinion that sufficient Evidence was 
given in the said Cause together with that of the Captain which
they advised him ought to have been admitted, and which in fact was
afterwards admitted by the Court of appeals, your Petitioner did not ???
time to obtain further Evidence of the Property and destination of the said
Vessel, as well to avoid delay which by the rapic Depeciation of the
Paper Mnoey daily reduced the Value of the Sales of the said Vessel, as
also by Reason of the dangers and accidents to which every transaction
in partts beyond sea is significantly exposed during the Confusions of the
present War.

That the said Court of Appeals, nevertheless, have confirmed the Decree
of the inferior Court to the utter astonishment and great loss of your petitioneer
and his associates, and have, as your Petitioner is informed assigned as a
Reason therefor, that there was no Necessity of obtaining British Papers
in order to elude their Crusiers, for that had she been cleared out
for Philadelphia from St Eustatia the Dutch Papers would have
been a sufficient Protection.

That the said Reason was not mentioned on the trial, either by
the Court or by the Counsel for Libellants, wherefore your
Petitioners Counsel had no opportunity of replying thereto

That the said Reason can only have originated in a misconception
of the Laws & Statutes of Great Britain, which as your Petitioner is advised,
believes & pledges himself to show, do, as is above set forth absolutely prohibit
all Commerce between St Eustatia, and any Part of the thirteen United
States of America, under the pain of Confiscation 


That your Petitioner is also able to show from good Evidence the Propterty and
Destination of the Vessel, as herein before set forth.

Therefore, as Subjects of a neutral power, greviously injured by the said
Determinations, your Petitioner on Behalf of himself & his associates
most humbly prays your Sovereign Wisdom to take the premises into
your mature consideration, and to direct a Suspension & Revision of
the said Decree, to the End that Justice may be done according to the
Laws and Rights of civilised nations, and also grant such further &
other relief as shall seem meet & agreeable to Equity & good Conscience, and
your Petitioner and his associates as in duty bound shall ever pray ???

Good (George?) Morris advocate for
Rich Downing Jennings
10m (?)  Lawes Advocate for
Rich D. Jennings



See also:
The Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1789-1800 ...
 By Maeva Marcus, James R. Perry, United States. Supreme Court
p120-134