Executive Department
Washington, Jan'y 11^th, 1843

To the Hon. The Ho. Of Reps.

The executive hastens to reply to the reso-
lution of your honorable body of yesterday's date, asking information an re-
solution to the imprisonment of J. Antonio Navarro in Mexico
and the measures adopted for his release, etc.

The resolution is the first official announce-
ment that the Ex. has ever been favored with, of the
fact, that the subject of this inquiry is retained as a
prisoner in Mexico. His regrets in references to the disasterous ex-
pedition which led to it;
have been expressed in various communications
made at different times, which are herewith enclosed
marked No. 1, 2, and 3 and which embrace his public correspondence on the subject.
It will be remembered that
Congress has never authorized the Ex. to adopt
any measures either for the release of the
prisoners, nor has it ever made any prov-
ision for them. Inasmuch of the late Ex. was un-
authorized to fit out this expedition, the present Ex. did not feel
himself justified in placing the
country in greater involvement by adopting
any measure, but such as his defined
powers would sanction.

No. 3 will show that the Ex.
as far as he did interfere, acted as an in-
dividual without embarrassment to the
government; and if his efforts contributed at all
to the release of the prisoners he derived
sufficient gratification from the fact,
without promulgating to the world the
means by which it was effected.
He has not taken any step, nor has
he had any correspondence of an