The records of Congress show that, as a whole, the business was not remunerative, because there were constant appeals from people interested.

In response to this importunity, Congress at one time paid a bounty of twenty-five dollars a head for all prisoners taken.

At other times it reduced the import duties on cargoes captured and landed by privateers.

Indeed, it is estimated by a careful student, that the losses to the Government in the way of direct expenditures and remission of revenues through the privateering system, amounted to a sum sufficient to have kept twenty sloops of war on the sea throughout the period of hostilities, and there is little doubt that such vessels could have actually accomplished more in the direction of harassing the enemy than the privateers.

A very grave objection to the privateering system, however, was the fact that the promise of profit to sailors engaged in it was so great, that all adventurous men flocked into the service, so that it became almost impossible to maintain our army or to man our ships.