CORRESPONDENCE relating to the Claims of American Citizens upon Great Britain, under the Treaty of Ghent, of 1814, and Convention of St. Petersburgh, of 1822, for Slaves and Property captured during the War between Great Britain and The United States.* SIR. Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. to J. C. Herries, Esq. Foreign Office, April 30, 1825. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Canning to transmit to you, to be laid before The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, Extracts from two Despatches, dated 14th September, and 15th December last, with Copies of their Enclosures, received from Mr. Jackson, His Majesty's Commissioner at Washington, under the Convention signed at St. Petersburgh, on the 12th July 1822, for carrying into effect the 1st Article of the Treaty of Ghent. These Papers contain a statement of the amount, and nature of the Averages agreed upon by the Board, as compensation for the Slaves for whom indemnification may be granted under the Convention; and also a Copy of the Definitive List of the Claims delivered in by the American Secretary of State. J. C. Herries, Esq. (Extract.) I am, &c. George Jackson, Esq. to Mr. Secretary Canning. Washington, September 14. 1824. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you a certified Extract from the Journal of the Board, by which you will see both the amount and the nature of the Averages which have been definitively fixed and agreed upon between the British and American Commissioners. The Right Hon. George Canning. (Extract.) GEORGE JACKSON. Board of Commissioners, September 11, 1824. THE Board having conjointly examined the testimony which was laid before them, under the authority of the President of The United States, and such other testimony as has been produced pursuant to the Convention, going to prove the true value of Slaves at the period of the exchange of the Ratifications of the Treaty of Ghent, and having conferred thereon, they unanimously agreed upon, and fixed the following Averages, to be allowed as compensation for each and every Slave, for whom indemnification may be due under the Convention; as follows, (that is to say) For all Slaves take from the States of Louisiana 580 Dollars. For states of Alabama, } Georgia and South Carolina For all those taken from the States of Virginia, 390 Dollars. 280 Dollars. JAMES BAKER, Secretary. Presented to the House of Commons May 2nd, 1825, (Extract.) George Jackson, Esq. to Mr. Secretary Canning. Washington, December 15, 1824. I HAVE now the honour to inform you of the re-assembling of the Board pursuant to adjournment, on the 8th instant, and to enclose the Copy of a Letter received three days afterwards from the Secretary of State, transmitting the definitive List, beginning with Maryland, and going South to Louisiana, an abstract of which I have also the honour to subjoin. The Right Hon. George Canning. GEORGE JACKSON. The Hon. J. Q. Adams, to the British and American Commissioners. (Extract.) Washington, December 9, 1824. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, agreeable to the Third Article of the St. Petersburgh Convention, and in consequence of the information in your Letter of the 13th of September last, that you had fixed upon the average Value of Slaves, a definitive List of the Slaves, and other private property, for which the Citizens of the United States claim indemnification, which list is made up of several distinct abstracts for the respective States and Districts where the losses are stated to have been sustained. The British and American Commissioners. J. QUINCY ADAMS. Claims for Slaves and Property, as stated in the Definitive List. SPEECH of The Lords Commissioners on the Prorogation of the British Parliament, on Wednesday July 6, 1825. MY LORDS, AND GENTLEMEN, The business of the Session being now brought to a conclusion, we are commanded by His Majesty to express the great satisfaction which He feels in releasing you from your laborious attendance in Parliament. His Majesty returns you His warmest acknowledgments for the zeal and assiduity with which you have prosecuted the inquiries into the State of Ireland, which He recommended to you at the opening of the Session. It is a particular gratification to His Majesty, that the tranquillity and improved condition of that part of The United Kingdom have rendered the extraordinary powers with which you had invested His Majesty no longer necessary for the Public Safety. His Majesty is happy to be able to announce to you, that He receives from all Foreign Powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this Country, and of their desire to maintain the general Peace. While His Majesty regrets the continuance of the War in the East Indies with the Burmese Government, He trusts that the gallant exertions of the British and Native Forces, employed in Operations in the Enemy's Territory, may lead to a speedy and satisfactory termination of the Contest. GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, We have it in command from His Majesty to thank you for the Supplies which you have granted to Him for the Service of the present Year, and at the same time to express the satisfaction which He derives from the reduction you have found it practicable to make in the burthens of His People. MY LORDS, AND Gentlemen, His Majesty has commanded us to assure you, that He is highly sensible of the advantages which must result from the Measures you have adopted, in the course of this Session, for extending the Commerce of His Subjects, by the removal of unnecessary and inconvenient restrictions, and from the beneficial relaxations which you have deemed it expedient to introduce into the Colonial System of this Country. These Measures, His Majesty is persuaded, will evince to His Subjects in those distant Possessions the solicitude with which Parliament watches over their welfare: they tend to cement and consolidate the Interests of the Colonies with those of the Mother Country; and His Majesty confidently trusts that they will contribute to pro mote that general and increasing Prosperity on which His Majesty had the happiness of congratulating you on the Opening of the present Session, and which, by the Blessing of Providence, continues to pervade every Part of His Kingdom. PAPERS RELATING TO THE BURMESE WAR. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by His Majesty's Command, 24th February, 1825. (Enclosure.) The Vice Roy of Do. ...... 24th Feb. -1453 Do.......24th March Pegue to the Bengal Government (Received 17th March, 1824.) 458 No. 1.-The Governor-General in Council to the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company. (Extract.) Fort William, in Bengal, Nov. 21, 1823. YOUR Honourable Committee is aware that for some years past the Burmese have gradually been encroaching on the South Eastern frontier of Chittagong, and advancing pretentions to the Jungles frequent. ed by our elephant hunters, though unquestionably situated within the established British boundaries. In pursuance of this system of encroachment and aggression, the Burmese Local Authorities in Arracan set up a claim to the Island of Shapuree, or, as they term it, Shein-ma-bu, situated at the extreme point of the narrow strip of main land forming the Southern portion |