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W-. ' ' ?j?l \ y&QPfy 'mi** '' I ' II 'ill mill II I I II II I II I Ml I I III lliw ??IHI I il ????[???II ? MIIBIM III nail l !? I ?!? I !? I HI I WIIIWIIIIl' IWI1IMWI i I IIBBIIMI srrvoi.. I.J 7xV^> . , ' fCfoLUMDIA, (8, C.) TUESDAY, JANUARY S3, ? : ? -r-trnr ? n rrr-rnriwi irr-ii-.i? .n i uivrHBW ? mi'iiai bu ???iinr. fNo. 0,1 I 5 nmuwut.vfkRt.v ?V TIIOM48, WWRAIN, IN THH ?tc4>.vn ?TO?* ?r TUB IK)C*?OCCVm? HIT DAYM AVB I \V no I ' W All (>, ON fit C M A TllitiU N NT. ' iijfflVi Mi of Siibierlf>t!rt+~fytce Dollar* |>tr annum. pay* ?; nfiip iii ndvuni*?..X<? pupor to be tli>continuc<l, but ftt tlientn i<?n oniieTUlitirrii until all WTMumwi arepakl. ?V 1 1 1<< not ion of t lie Ya\ iji*', until ull Mre*mrr? arepakl. .,|?/| crtlnmenf not cxceed i?? fRurteeti Itim, iwiertcd . ' the rtrst time for ecvcnty?llVo eenu, utkl forty cent* for , f.K'U atibwqucnt ImcrtUm VjmmI In the miih' proportion | y? for a Itrnvr nmntrtr of IWM. v . > ;fJL iU'.'.l fi... l ? 1 4l~MufcU.UA JJ.... . 1 ? " 8TA.T?PAPB1W.,< ; Trnnnmittfd by (he President to tkeffennte with thr Convention of Commerce btiwcen the Uni * ? tM Stiitv* arid fireut-ltritain. fixirart ofa JftUcr from Mex?W. Clav rnvl flilhtln totlie Roc', of. tuato, dated jtotwlnp, May 18 181ft ', Having. had reason to bclie.ve, tliat the Jlri rrovernment Itnil abstained from answering ti'C i Mm inn mention 6f the joint commission at Cil.viif, of tm -^frrr ddy.of December, 1814. until they received official information of the ^ American rntificfltinnoi' the Treaty of Peace, Two thought it. advisable, goon after the event was know* <o tiff, to repair to tills cltr, in order flint we might ascertain the dinponition of this . government it to tho commercial intercourse ketweeu the two counties. '?* Hliortlv nftcrbur arrival here wo were invited by- lord t.asflereagh to an Interview with him. ? A minute of the suhtfnncc of tne conversation which took place on tliat occasion* as drawn up -and agreed toby the parties, is enclosed. We communicated to Mr. Goulburn, the next dav, >jJoiir answer upon the throe subjects to which the Conversation related. & In the interview with T.ord Castlerengh, ho ljnd dated, that four or five days might ho nr. ;lpssary on their part, to prepare for the pro tiOhcd conversation. ? Nearly force weeks hav p;c elnpKed without honring'further on tho sub fci t. we took what appeared to iih, a fit occasion to intimate our intention of leaving London. 'A few days after, we received an invitation from ;|he vice president of the board of trade, Air. jRobimwm, to call at his oflice on the 1 1th instant, ?We nccordin?ly attended, and were received by him nnd Messrs. (toulhuru nnd Adams, two ?f the Hritinh commissioners, who had negoci pM the treaty of (Jhent. " ,-i They opened the. convention by adverting t'> what had led to this interview, and professed .{themvelvoR to be ready to receive any proposi tions we inijtht choose to make. We otMf/y^j that in the tieatios which America had hereto* fore made, particularly with this country, res isting commc ivinl intercourse, there were Kobe Wflllv comprised too subjects, one, which res pected commercial regulations, applicable, to a date of p-V? ?? r*h*etbor, .vliich renin- 1 a the nghfa and duties of the par vies j one being at war, and the other remaining i at peace. Accordingly, our government hod instructed ns to bring forwanfboth .tliose sub jects. Aa to tho commercial iritercourae, .without o* thin time going into details, or minor points, which it tnijjht bo npccssaty in the progress of the nc-jfociution, to adjust, we would contejtt ourselves in this unofficial conversation* with pouching on the most important topics, wilich it seemed to undesirable to discuss and arrange. Tkeso were, tliat the two countries should res pective! v be placed on the footing of the nation Who most fnvored i that in the trade betweep ^America and the Ilritish European dominions, ell. discriminating duties, on tonnage and oil Merchandize, cither- imjiorfed or exported, l.hould be abolished j tjiatdhe trade between America and the llritish West-Indies, should be regtilafcd and placed, oti some more permanent biisip than the occasional acU of the colonial authorities | that tjio nature and kind of irfter course between America and the adjoining Jlri . fish provinces, should lie defiued and provided fori and that the trade with the llrltlsli India pru*e#sionA, should ho Opened to America on' lilici ;il ],i im ij.lcM. ?'* j(> In. regard to tho discriminating duties, we remarked (lint a pronation to abolish them, llrat came from (? rent -Uiilain, and a provision to flint effect, was inserted in the unratified treaty of U:oO. Congress, had taken up the matter nt their h?sf session, and passed an act, which we explained. We thought it desiraide that they should bo abolished, in order to prevent t.m?e ctdljsionsi nnd tjtat system of commercial Mfirhins in wlmli (lie two countries would pro* Inbly he involved by an adherence to thoij.? A- an exmople, we mentioned the great exfin d'ify, to which, as we undorsbKMl, the article of rot ton v. ;ih liable, by the JJritish lawp. when impiiiied in foreign vessel*, nnd which, if per si>ted in, v.ooid certainly lie met by somucoun fervailing re^hifioiis. ( rc?M?eet ff> lie trade to llritish. India, we o'nerved, that we !i;id no e'loivnlent to oflfcr for it : tl.r.t i( wns for Oiekt-lhitain fo consitlcr* whether a conimerre, roiitfietim' as it "few mod entirely in the e\rhani(c of our *pe$l|yfor India produce, un?4 not of a nature to dexerve the mod libei nl encouragement ? but, that we had rather enter info no sfipuhition on the sub? jecf, 4han be rcifricted to a direct intercourse, n< had been proved bv the unratified treaty, both on the outward audrcturii vovaae, . On the other subject, ,0m rig|,(a and dutien of 1^,^'S ?')?e bring Atf'war, and the other in a condition of pe?c^>fe proeeedeil to remark, that whiUt the proHfiect of a Ionic KMropean jieace appeared to tkinU to wa* the caw When t io tuwty of Uhent *a? e^nduded, it wes less leiporbint to provide foi quenfiona arising undey tins head, lltit It w*i impoitible to abut oiif e ves to tho demond rations every wlipre making nl a new war, whi^lj, if it p'iov'M assume a inrt ritime character, mi^ht ajraib menace the bar* monv and goml understanginu between the tWO" cdunti'iOi# It wot do?lrablef were fore, to anti J ' \ ' , V; ? ? **? cipatc 8c provide for tlie evil. The flret and moet important point wan that of impressment. Great llritain had always professed a willing nm to receive and consider any < proposition which America should bo disposed to make on that subject. It perhaps would be unprofitable at this tune to go into a discussion of the right, as to which wo would merely remark, that it was impossible that there could be a stronger conviction on the part of Great llritain, thai it was^ with her. than there was on the part of A merica, that it was on her hide.? it was belter to look to some practical arrangement, by which without- concession- of right by either party the mischiefs complained of on both shies might be prevented. To this end the attention of our ; uovcrninent hat been turned. Wo believed that Great-Britain had never heretofore contended that tho American4 government was boufUl to prohibit tlte merchants of the United Htates from employing foreign seamen, any more than it was round to forbid their ship)>ing contraband Article))* America, was however, now willing to tnife upon horeelt* such an obligation, and to exclude British seamen from her merchant service; and we believed such' an exclusion might be as effectually executed as our revenue laws. Ilere wo called their attention to the act which Congress had pawed on that subject, ami to the message of tho President to that bo dy towards t,he close of its last session, upon tho supposition, that if the exclusion of Britilh sevnen should be absolute and' entire, there woittd no longer ox'iHt any ground for the claim of impressment, and of courso no objection to it* abandonment. We stated that besides the motive which existed witji our government of hoarding against collision with Groat-Britain, another powerful one operated, that of encou raging our native seamen, nnd of not being obliged to rely on tho uuccrtnin supply of fo reigner*. '^'o this system as a substitute for that of impressment, it did not appear to us that Great-Britain could object, unless it was thought to Ih> impracticable in its execution. We had no doubt ourselves, that even admitting that there might be, as in cases of smuggling, occa sional instances of evasion of the system of ex clusion, it would nevertheless he upon tho whole much more favorable in its result to Great Uritain. This system would apply to, and ope rate upon, every American .'vessel j whilst that of impressment reached only the cases of those vessels with which it accidentally came in con tact. We were aware of the difficulties whldi had heretofore opposed a satisfactory arrange ment on thia subject. Still it was one of suclt vital importance, so tending to bring thetwH countries into collision, that it was impossible it should receive a consideration too euriwstanu too anxioui. - , v ? % The next point which it seemed to us import ant to settle, was the trade of America wijji the colonists of the enemies of Great-Britain.? Towards the end of the last European war, questions growing out of that trade hail been terminated by the conquest of tliOHe colonies by Great-Britain, but many of them havinc been restored at the peace, the disputes which here tofore existed might again arise, 'lite former arrangements on this subject might, with some modifications, serve as a basis. Wo then stated, that we did not intend, in this preliminary and unofficial conversation, to discuss the other points belonging to this branch of tho subject. A definition of blockades wus desirable hud could not, it seemed, be attend ed with much difficulty, as we believed that there was no real difference between the two countries with respect to the abstract principle. Hut we apprehended that the dispute* which mj^ht hereafter take plnce on that subject, would arita almost exclusively from questions of fact, w.hich no previous definition could prevent. As in tlio event of war, Great-Britain might desire to know the disposition of our government on the subject of privateers and prize*, we would only now sav, that the.principle which might be adopted w)tn respect to Great-llritain, whether of admission or exclusion, must equnlly and impartially apply to all the parties to the war. These wtreill tho topics noticed by us, and we enforced and illustrated them by various other observations. The Hritish gentlemen, professing not to have expected those points t<? In* brought forwnrd which applied to ft belligerent state Of one of the parties, expressed a wish to know whether, in our view, the two subject* were inseparable, and whether w o could not come to an agree* incut on (hose topics, which were probably less difficult to be adjusted, leaving other* for further consideration and future arrangement ? We replied, that heretofore they had always aeen blended together by our government and that we Intended to bring them all for consideration t that at present, however, wo only ore (tented them for consideration ? as it would oe prema ture at this time to make any of them a sow* ?iwi? awl that whether a treaty, omitting some of them, would be acceptable,' must depend on its Mperal tenor, and upon the extent and im portance of the sutycct* which might be com* prehended jn the arrangement. Their proceeded to remark, that some of the subjects had been always found to involve ex treme difficulty, .particularly that of impress ment i thaiureat-Hritaio was certainly prepared at all times, to recelvo and to consider any pro position that America might be disposed to make In relation to it) but one of tho gentlemen re? marked, that from the deep interest which was .felt by Orcat-Ilritaln In it, she must view with great jealousy, by which he said he meant vigi lance, any such proposition? that tb* enquiry which their had juat made as to our willingness to separate the two subjecfo, proceeded from a wish to ascertain whether it were likely that any practical rpsult could be speedily obtained, if they entered upon the negotiation at this time. On the subject of discriminating duties men* tloncd by uw, thcjr gait!' their government would receive favorably the prb)>o?inou for a mutual abolition of thbih. Am to the trade with India, their government was not at All disposed to shut us out (Vo^n it.? In regard to tiio trade to- the WesMgVdies, considering the difficulties which had heretofore presented themselves in placing it, by treaty, >upon a footing satisfactory to both l*artics, they feared it would not now "bo prac ticable to enter into any stipulation respecting it, which should ? meet the views of tnetwo countries. Tlie interview terminated by their Mating, that they would report to the cabinet the sub stance of what' had passed between us, and by their plcdgjhg thmnselves to do nit in their power to' 'afford uh nn early answer. On the 16th instant, having boon ngafh invi ted by the vice-president of tlie heard of trade to call it hi* office, we accordingly attended, anil wm received by tlie same gentlemen. ? They staled that they lind reported to (lie cabi net iyhty liad passed at ?lie Innt interview, and were bow prepared to give us an answer on the several topics to which tlie conversation related. In doing this, they would observe tlie order which had been marked out by iih. 1st*, On the commercial intercourse between the two countricH, they were authorised to state, that their government was ready to treat with Us dn the footing of the most favored nation $ ? and were also willing to enter into any arrange ment by which all tlwcriminnting duties on im portations and tonnage should be mutually done away. They we're willing to admit us to the enjoyment of the trade with British India, un plugged bv the restriction on the outward voy age contained in the unratified treaty, hut (mist still twist on that contained in (he treaty of 1794, op the return voyage. Considering that we had candidly stated, that wc had no equivalent to offerJ Qtcept what was to be found in the trade itself, they would expect fur this concession, n Spjrit of accommodation on our side, in other parts of tifa' commercial arrangement, the fur trade, or sOmc other. 'Hie trade with the British West Indies, they stated, had always been a subject of great diffi culty* and their government was not prepared ? y change in that colonial policy, to li*d?o long adhered $ but they would !- "Wild not form any obstacle to with their North were ttidy to re psltions we might a desire to plaice it related" to ^ es should be at was not necessa been always attend Still they were wit ty, and with candor, to proposition! we might With regard to blockades, they could not think it nccesoffry in enter into any treaty definition of them, oa toe questions which might hereafter arise on that aubject (according lo our own statement) woul(l relate rather to the fact, than to tlie principle, on which the two governments socmen to agree. Indeed, they thought that sueha definition might tend to weaken, as im plying u doubt of the correctness of the prin Iclwe. - ??? '??&*"> V&W' 'In relation to the trade with enemies, besides the intrinsic difficulty Of the question, as here* tofore experienced in all attempts to trrange it, there was another, Arising out of their want of information, as to whether France had adopted any, and what, system of colonial policy* stneo (lie restoration of the .colonies. It nifght be, that she had opened their trade to foreign na tion* in peace as in war, in which cane the ques tions that had heretofore existed could not (>c a* gitat?d again. - Improssmenthwl, they continued, of all this class of subjects, been found most difficult to ar range. They were aware Itow important it was considered in both countries, and how, in both, it touched public sensibility. As heretofore, they were' now ready to rccelve and consider au v proposition our government might make re* snccting it. And oven without utiy treaty stip ulation, their goveriinient was now anxiously engaged In devising means to prevent tic abus cs of which we complain. If the law which we had mentioned, at the last interview, should lie elVectual in its object, it would doubtless do away a great motive with them for impressment. Still they were bound to consider, with the most vigilant attention, any pro|>ositioii for the aban donment of what they must consider a l ight es sential to thoir safety. 'Hint law did not, how ever, as they understood, settle the oucAtion. who were to be considered as Mritisn subjects, a question on which the two countries might not be able to come to understanding. With regard to our ideas respecting priva teers and thoir prizes, they were certainly fair and unexceptionable. As they had hinted at some accommodation in the fur trade, or in other parts of the com mercial arrangement, for their supposed conces sion respecting the India trade, we thought the occasion suitable fur stating that we were posi tively instructed not to consent to the renewal of tho trade between lit itiah subjects and th? Indians within our territories. We stated that the disposition of our government on this sub feet did not proceed from commercial, but poli tical considerations, 'they did not insist upon it, nor seem to think, that the determination of' our government would pvevont an arrangement of the Canada trade; One of them inquired, whether we expected, in like manner, to be ex* eluded from the trade with the Indians in their t?rrit0rjes ? To which we replied, certainly. ? " ? W* ' y,V, ?? , We explained the Uw for the exclusion of fo reign seamen from our servlce/and mentioned (luit thtf naturalisation of (teamen would lie al most altogether prevented, in future by the ne cecity of a continued residence of five year*. W'6 stated t tliat we were authorised to enter ip to stipulations that' would* forbid tlte employ men* of such Biimh teamen at* might, under our law*, be hereafter naturalized, but that we could not <to it with respect to those who1 were already naturalized* We bad; thought, that m to them, nn exception might be maue, permit ting, on both hides, the voluntary employment of Huch seamen, natives of one country, as might hnvo huretofore been naturali'/.cd under the taw m of the other country. We added, that the number of Hritish seamen already na turalized, which could constitute, a? it ap|>eared to uh, the only difliculty in an arrangement, wan very inconsiderable. Dr. Adams concur red in the opinion, thut they were not many, We made some furthur explanations* aiid ft ?in 1 1 v told them that, considering tliQ disposi tions which we had been happy to meet with in them, we would now say, thut we would enter fpon the negotiation, ichcrving to ourselves, However, the right, as ouj powers were several, ns well as joinU to withdraw from it, if circum stances should make it eligible to do mo, and to leave to Mr. Adams, v/hoin we daily expected, to conclude it. The interview closed, by their undertaking to provide themselves immediately with the ne cessary powers to proceed ill the negotiation ; and by an (insurance, that they would continue to do all in their power to bring it to a speedy and successful issue. Extract of a minute of a conversation which took- place at fsml Cattlereag/i'*, between hit Lordship and wtfessrs. Clay and Oallatint A pril 10, 1 K 1(1. " Lord Oastlercagh then called tho attention of the American commissioners tu a communi cation made by them at (iheut relativo to their Kwer to treat on t]ie commercial intercourse tween the two countries. He sniil, before ho gave an answer to that communication, ho should l>e glad. if it were agreeable to the Ameiicuu commissioner*, t'.at there should he an unoflici al conversation between them ami the British commissioners, who negotiated the treaty of peace, together with Mr. Hobiuson, whom he would associate with them for that purpose, to uncertain if it were likely, that some general principles could be agreed upon to form the ba sis of a treaty of commerce. He should prefer, that this conversation, like that which he under stood had taken place in the former negotiation between Lords Holland & Auklatttf, and Messri. Monroe and Plnknev, should be free from offi cial forms, and thought such a course best calcu lated to ascertain if it were likely that the two government* could come to any practical result oh thie interesting, subject* ' ? It war obwrttd ty one of tlie American commissioners, that |t|ch ? conversation would be On terms of inequality, the American com missioners beingr invested with powers, and the other gentlemen having none y unless it was un derstood, not only that it should be considered as entirely unofficial, but that the same gentle men should afterwards be commissiunedto con cludes treaty, If it were thought that one could be formed. 1?qrd Castlerfeagh remarked ift re ply, that such was ccrtaiiuj his indention. ? " The conversation ended in ait understand ing that the American commissioners would con sul t together upon the Ihr^ copies mentioned by Lord Castler^agh, AjMfcommunicate on tho following JUy <Oir. Ooulbwrn the result of their delUw$tions." ' 'Che. American Plenipotentiaries to the Secreta ry of Mat*. 1. ON DON, JULY A, 181.1. Sir? We have the honor to transmit a con vention for regulating the commercial inter course between the United States and ("treat Britain, which we concluded this day with the Uritiah plenipotentiaries. Messrs. Clay and Oi^lstin's despatch of tho 18th May last, has Informed yon of the prelimi nary steps taken by them on 'that subject.' Mr. Adams arrived in London on tho fttftn of May, (ind on the 3th of June, wo were invited by Messrs, Hobinson, Ooulburn and Adams, to meet them on the 7th. At this conference after a mutusl exhibition of <Hir powers, and omne ge neral observations, we delivered to them our project of a commercial convention, a copy of which, (marked 1) is herewith enclosed. They Rromised to take it into immediate eonsidera on | Slid on the 0th, informed us that they would prepare and transmit to us a contra projeh Believing that there was no prospect of an immediate arrangement on the. subject of sea men, and knowing that without it imtreatv, de fining tho rights'turi duties of belligerents and neutrals wart admissable, we excluded all tliat related to ths.t branch of the subject from our project and confined it to otyccts purely com mercial. We took the 3d article of the treaty of 1794, respecting the intercourse with Cftnada, as the basts of the corresponding article, emitting, ac cording to our im?trticlfons, whatever related to the Indian trade, fn drawing the other articles we wett principally guided by the unratified treaty of i 80(1, by the Tust rue lions giveti in rela tion to it by the secretary of state, In his des patch of May CO, 1807, and by the act of con gress of Ad of March last, for aoolivhinx all dis criminating duties. From the previous explicit, declaration of the British plempotenfifltieti, wo deemed it useless to offer tiny article on the sub ject of the intercourse with 'tho Wont -India isl ands) and only inserted a clause, to prevent the application to that Intercourse of the provisi on* contemplated by the convention.