satisfying the condition announced to me by general Armstrong.

I am not aware that this subject could have been brought before the British government in any other form than that which I have chosen. It would not, I think, have been proper to have applied for a revocation of the blockades in question, (at least, before it is ascertained that they are in existence) or to have professed, in my letter to lord Wellesley, to found, upon general Armstrong's communication, my inquiry as to their actual state. I have, however, supposed it to be indispensable (and have acted accordingly) that I should explain to lord Wellesley, in conversation, the probability, afforded by general Armstrong's letter, that a declaration by this government to the effect above mentioned, would be followed by the recall of the Berlin decree.

I cannot, perhaps, expect to receive from lord Wellesley an answer to my letter, in time to send a copy by the John Adams, now in the Downs or at Portsmouth; but I will send it by an early opportunity, and will take care that general Armstrong shall be made acquainted with it without delay.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

WM. PINKNEY.

P. S. March 23, 1810. Since the writing of this letter, lord Wellesley has sent me the answer (of the 2d instant) of which a copy is now enclosed. It was not satisfactory, and I pointed out its deficiencies to lord Wellesley in conversation, and proposed to him that I should write him another letter requesting explanations. He assented to this course, and I have written him the letter of the 7th instant, of which also a copy is enclosed. His reply has been promised very frequently, but has not yet been received. I have reason to expect that it will be sufficient; but I cannot think of detaining the corvette any longer. The British packet will furnish me with an opportunity of forwarding it to you; and I will send Mr. Lee with it to Paris, by the way of Morlaix.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

WM. PINKNEY.

From General Armstrong to Mr. Pinkney. Paris, Jan. 25, 1810.

SIR, A letter from Mr. Secretary Smith of the 1st of December last, made it my duty to inquire of his excellency the duke of Cadore, what were the conditions on which his majesty the emperor would annul his decree, commonly called the Berlin decree; and whether, if Great Britain revoked her blockades, of a date anterior to that decree, his majesty would consent to revoke the said decree? To these questions I have this day received the following answer, which I hasten to convey to you by a special messenger:

Answer.

"THE only conditions required for the revocation, by his majesty the emperor, of the decree of Berlin, will be a previous revocation, by the British government, of her blockades of France, or part of France (such as that from the Elbe to Brest, &c.) of a date anterior to that of the aforesaid decree."

I have the honour to be, &c.

JOHN ARMSTRONG.

Mr. Pinkney to Lord Wellesley. Great Cumberland Place, Feb. 15, 1810.

MY LORD,-In pursuance of the intimation which I had the honour to give to your lordship a few days ago, I beg to trouble your lordship with an inquiry, whether any, and if any, what blockades of France, instituted by Great Britain during the present war, before the 1st day of January, 1807, are understood by his majesty's government to be in force. I am not able at present to specify more than one of the blockades to which this inquiry applies; namely, that from the Elbe to Brest, declared in May, 1806, and afterwards limited and modified; but I shall be much obliged to your lordship for precise information as to the whole. I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

WM. PINKNEY.

Lord Wellesley to Mr. Pinkney. Foreign Office, March 2, 1810.

SIB, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 15th ultimo, wherein you request to be informed whether any, and if any, what blockades of France, instituted by Great Britain during the present war, before the first day of January, 1807, are understood by his majesty's government to be in force? I have now the honour to acquaint you, that the coast, rivers and ports from the river Elbe to Brest, both inclusive, were notified to be under the restrictions of blockade, with certain modifications, on the 16th of May, 1806; and that these restrictions were afterwards comprehended in the order of council of the 7th of January, 1807, which order is still in force.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

WELLESLEY.

Mr. Pinkney to Lord Wellesley. Great Cumberland Place, March 7, 1810.

MY LORD, I have had the honour to receive your lordship's answer of the 2d instant, to my letter of the 15th of last month, concerning the blockades of France, instituted by Great Britain during the present war, before the first day of January, 1807.

I infer from that answer, that the blockade notified by Great Britain in May, 1806, from the Elbe to Brest, is not itself in force, and that the restrictions, which it established, rest altogether, so far as such restrictions exist at this. time, upon an order or orders in council issued since the first day of January, 1807.

I infer also, either that no other blockade of France was instituted by Great Britain during the period above mentioned, or that, if any other was instituted during that period, it is not now in force.

May I beg your lordship to do me the honour to inform me whether these inferences are correct, and, if incorrect, in what respects they are so?

I have the honour to be, &c.

WM. PINKNEY.

Mr. Pinkney to Mr. Smith. London, Feb. 23, 1810.

SIR,-I have the honour to transmit enclosed a copy of a notification of the blockade of the "coast and ports of Spain, from Gijon to the French territory," received from lord Wellesley two days ago. I have not yet given any answer to this communication.

I have the honour to be, &c.

WM. PINKNEY.

Lord Wellesley to Mr. Pinkney. Foreign Office, February 20, 1810.

THE undersigned, his majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, has received his majesty's commands to inform Mr. Pinkney, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America, that the king has judged it expedient to signify his commands to the lords commissioners of the admiralty, to establish a strict blockade of the coast and ports of Spain, from Gijon to the French territory, which will be maintained and enforced according to the usages of war acknowledged and observed in similar cases.

Mr. Pinkney is therefore requested to apprize the American consuls and merchants residing in England, that the whole of the Spanish coast above mentioned is, and must be considered as in a state of blockade; and that from this time all the measures authorized by the law of nations, and the respective treaties between his majesty and the different neutral powers, will be adopted and executed, with respect to vessels attempting to violate the said blockade after this notice.

The undersigned requests Mr. Pinkney to accept the assurances of his high consideration.

WELLESLEY.

Mr. Pinkney to Mr. Smith. London, March 21, 1810. SIR,-On the 27th of December, Mr. Brownell delivered to me your letters of the 11th, 14th, and 23d of the preceding month, and on the Saturday following I had a

conference with the marquis Wellesley, in the course of which I explained to him fully the grounds upon which I was instructed to request Mr. Jackson's immediate recall, and upon which the official intercourse between that minister and the American government had been suspended.

Lord Wellesley's reception of what I said to him was frank and friendly; and I left him with a persuasion that we should have no cause to be dissatisfied with the final course of his government on the subjects of our conference.

We agreed in opinion that this interview could only be introductory to a more formal proceeding on my part; and it was accordingly settled between us, that I should present an official letter to the effect of my verbal communication.

Having prepared such a letter, I carried it myself to Downing-street a few days afterwards, and accompanied the delivery of it to lord Wellesley with some explanatory observations, with which it is not, I presume, necessary to trouble you. You will find a copy of this letter enclosed, and will be able to collect from it the substance of the greater part of the statements and remarks which I thought it my duty to make in the conversation above mentioned.

Although I was aware that the answer to my letter would not be very hastily given, I certainly was not prepared to expect the delay which has actually occurred. The President will do me the justice to believe, that I have used every exertion, consistent with discretion and the nature of the occasion, to shorten that delay; which, though not ascribable, as I persuade myself, to any motive unfriendly or disrespectful to the United States, may, I am sensible, have been productive of some disadvantage. A copy of the answer, received on the day of its date, is enclosed.

Between the delivery of my letter and the receipt of the reply, I had frequent conversations with lord Wellesley, some of which were at his own request, and related altogether to the subject of my letter. The rest were on other subjects; but Mr. Jackson's affair was incidentally mentioned in all. A particular account of what was said on these several occasions would scarcely be useful,and could not fail to be tedious. It will, perhaps, be sufficient to ob