Messrs. Barriere have been victims of a seizure in their stores on Canal street-seizure executed under the promise of early payment, but which has been remitted until the time when the war should be over, which delay is inadmissible, as it might be only the result of a contract between both parties, and Messrs. Barriere are not willing to submit to this.

I beg you, therefore, general, to order the restitution of the goods seized from the depot of the custom-house, and belonging to Messrs. Barriere Brothers, as well as the immediate payment of those which have been taken from their store by order, if I am right, of the surgeon-general of the army.

Please accept the assurance of my high consideration.

COUNT MEJAN,

Consul of France.

[Inclosure No. 2.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, New Orleans, November 1, 1862.

Count MEJAN,

Consul of France:

SIR: I have your letter of October 31 in regard to the taking by the U. S. authorities of the blankets of Messrs. Barriere & Co. Mr. Barriere has misinformed and meshed you by the statement that they were taken without information to him. The medical director of the department had need of blankets for the sick in hospital. The sudden appearance of cold weather and the delay of steamers from the North had rendered the supply insufficient. It became, then, a necessity that blankets should be procured. Mr. Barriere had almost the only blankets of which we knew. The medical director called upon him and desired to purchase these blankets. He refused to sell them unless he could be paid money in hand at an exorbitant price. He was informed that the money would soon be paid at a fair price, but that the blankets must be had. He then peremptorily refused to sell. Therefore, yielding to the inexorable law of necessity, I directed the blankets to be taken for the purpose indicated, for military purposes. I should have done the same thing had they belonged to the most loyal citizen of the United States. I know of no treaty or obligation of national courtesy that requires the French citizen to be put, in time of war at least, upon any better or different footing than the citizen of the Government in which he finds himself, in regard to matters of trade, commerce, and property. I do not now advert to rules which may govern military service. A receipt was given Messrs. Barriere & Bros. for the blankets, as soon as an account of them could be taken, in the form given to loyal citizens of the United States as a voucher by the Government; and in the usual course of business I should have directed a payment to be made to him at the earliest possible moment, but I am now hindered from so doing by the tone and demands of your letter. You do not demand payment; you demand restitution of the articles. This last will not be acceded to. The blankets are now covering sick and wounded soterest I must care fof commerce, which, of course, lie more nearly to the heart of a commercial agent.

I beg leave to suggest to the French consul that woods of characterization of my acts, such as "arbitrary" and "flagrant violation of trusts" are not worthy of a place in a correspondence between himself and the chief of this department. The act was not arbitrary,