When the property of which our citizens have been robbed is returned to them, then the ships will be delivered to the citizens of New York who own them.

JOSEPH E. BROWN.

[6.]

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Milledgeville, Ga., February 8, 1861.

His Excellency EDWIN D. MORGAN,

Governor of the State of New York, Albany, N. Y..

SIR: You are doubtless aware that the telegraph and newspapers of the city of New York, on the 22nd day of last month, conveyed to the country the intelligence that certain boxes of muskets, shipped for Savannah, were on that day seized by the police of the city of New York while on board the steamer Monticello. On Saturday, the 2nd day of the present month, Messrs. D. C. Hodgkins & Sons, of the city of Macon, who are citizens of this State and demand and are entitled to be protected by it, filed in this office satisfacotory evidence of the fact that 200 of said muskets were their property, and were seized by the police of the city of New York without warrant or legal authority from any court, and were taken from said ship and desposited in the State arsenal on Seventh avenue in said city. It is understood that the nembers of the police of New York who made the seizure were not appointed by the mayor and council of the city, but were appointed either direcly or indirectly by Your Excellency, and act under the immediate authority of the State. In this case, therefore, the citizens of this State have not only been robbed of their property by persons acting in official capacity under the authority of the State of New York, but one of the public aresenals belonging to that State has been made the repository of the plunder. Feeling it to be my duty to protect the persons and property of the citizens of this State against the lawless attacks or seizure of the officers of other States, as soon as the evidence in the case had been laid before me I addressed to Your Excellency, on Saturday, the 2nd of this month, be telegraph, a letter which, I was afterward informed by the telegraph line at Albany, had been delivered to Your Excellency, which letter was in the following words, viz:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Milledgeville, Ga., February 2, 1861.

His Excellency Governor MORGAN,

Albany, N. Y.:

SIR: I have before me satisfactory evidence of the fact that 200 muskets belonging to D. C. Hodgkins & Sons, citizens of this State, were placed on board the ship Monticello, at New York, for Savannah, and were seized by the police of that city on or about the 22nd of January last, and taken from the ship, and are ow detained in the State aresenal of the city. As Governor of Georgia, I hereby demand that the guns be immediately delivered, under your order, to G. B. Lamar, of New York, who is hereby appointed my agent to receive them. I trust no similar outrage may be perpetreted in future. You will oblige by communicating your decision immediately by telegraph.

Very respectfully, your obedient servnat,

JOSEPH E. BROWN,

To the abvre demand I had received no response at 9 p. m. on Treasury, the 5th day of this month. Feeling that Your Excellency had had sufficient time to inquire of your police officers as to the character of the seizure complained, of the unauthorized by you, and to direct the delivery