poses in view, can be derived from the use of His Majesty's Coasts, has no other limit than that which is necessarily prescribed by a regard to the important considerations to which I have adverted. His Royal Highness is willing to make the utmost concession which those considerations will admit; and in proof of the sincerity of this disposition, I have received His Royal Highness's Instructions to acquaint you, that if, upon examination of the local circumstances of the Coasts, which I have had the honour to propose, the American Government should be of opinion that neither of them, taken separately, should afford, in a satisfactory degree, the conveniences which are deemed requisite, His Royal Highness will be willing that the Citizens of The United States should have the full benefit of both of them, and that, under the conditions already stated, they should be admitted to each of the Shores, which I have had the honour to point out.

In consenting to assign to their use so large a portion of His Majesty's Coasts, His Royal Highness is persuaded that he affords an unquestionable testimony of his earnest endeavour to meet, as far as is possible, the wishes of the American Government, and practically to accomplish, in the amplest manner, the objects which they have in view. The free access to each of these Tracts cannot fail to offer every variety of convenience which the American Fishermen can require in the different branches of their occupation; and it will be observed, that an objection which might possibly have been felt to the acceptance of either of the Propositions, when separately taken, is wholly removed by the offer of them conjointly; as, from whatever quarter the wind may blow, the American Vessels engaged in the Fishery will always have the advantage of a safe Port under their lee.

His Royal Highness conceives that it is not in His Royal Highness's power to make a larger concession than that which is now proposed, without injury to the essential rights of His Majesty's Dominions, and some of the chief interests of His Majesty's own Subjects. But it will be a source of sincere satisfaction to His Royal Highness, if, in the arrangement which I have the honour to submit, the Citizens of The United States shall find, as His Royal Highness confidently believes that they will find, ample means of continuing to pursue their occupation with the convenience and advantage which they desire. I have, &c.

The Hon. James Monroe.

CHARLES BAGOT.

SIR,

No. 29. Mr. Monroe to Mr. Bagot.

Department of State, Washington, 7th January, 1817.

I HAVE had the honour to receive your Letter of the 31st of December, proposing an accommodation of the difference between our Governments, relative to the Fisheries comprised in the first branch

of the IVth Article of the Treaty of 1783, by the allotment of both the Coasts, comprised in your former Propositions.

Having stated in my Letter of the 30th of December, that, according to the best information which I had been able to obtain, neither of those Coasts had been much frequented by our Fishermen, or was likely to be so in future, I am led to believe that they would not when taken conjointly, as proposed in your last Letter, afford the accomdation which is so important to them, and which it is very satisfactory to find it is the desire of your Government that they should possess. From the disposition manifested by your Government, which corresponds with that of The United States, a strong hope is entertained that further inquiries into the subject will enable His Royal Highness the Prince Regent to ascertain, that an arrangement on a scale more accommodating to the expectation of The United States will not be inconsistent with the interest of Great Britain.

In the mean time, this Government will persevere in its measures for obtaining such further information, as will enable it to meet yours in the conciliatory views which are cherished on both sides.

THE day before yesterday I had an interview with Lord Castlereagh, when he informed me that the British Government had come to a determination respecting the commercial part of the proposals for the negotiation of a further Treaty, which I had made last September. That they were still not prepared to abandon their ancient Colonial System, but they were willing to extend to The United States the benefits of the Free Port Act, to the same extent that they were now enjoyed by the Vessels of European Nations, and to give a partial admission of our Vessels to the Island of Bermuda and to Turk's Island. And, with regard to the intercourse between The United States and the adjoining British Provinces, they would renew a proposal heretofore made, founded altogether upon the principle of reciprocity, which proposal he read to me from a Paper which he said was not quite finished, but which would be sent me in the course of the next day. Last evening I received a Note from Mr. Hamilton, the Under Secretary of State in the Foreign Department, with a Draft of 4 Articles, a Copy of which, hastily made, I now enclose, as Mr. Everett leaves Town this morning. The part read to me by Lord Castlereagh was the IVth Article, excepting the last paragraph.

I do not think it possible to make any thing out of these Articles to which I can, under my present Instructions, agree. I therefore enclose Copies of them, with the request of immediate further Instructions.

Lord Castlereagh informed me, that they had received information that the Act of Congress, prohibiting the clearance of Foreign Vessels for Ports to which Vessels of The United States are not admitted, had passed; and he repeated the assurance that this Government considered it as perfectly proper, and as giving them no cause of complaint or dissatisfaction. It seem to me, however, that the very slight and partial concessions in the enclosed Articles, are intended to counteract its effects, and this opinion contributes to caution me against subscribing to them without your further orders. Lord Castlereagh's offer is to make them supplementary to the Convention of 3rd July, 1815, and to be in force for the same time.

The Hon. James Monroe.

I am, &c.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

(Enclosure.)-Four Articles proposed by Viscount Castlereagh. ART. I. His Britannic Majesty consents to extend to The United States the provisions of the Free Port Act, as established by the 45th Geo. III. Cap. 57, (except as far as relates to Negro Slaves, which under the Abolition Acts, can no longer be lawfully exported from any British Possession to any Foreign Country) that is to say, that any Sloop, Schooner, or other Vessel whatever, not having more than one deck, and being owned and navigated by Subjects of The United States may import into any of the Free Ports in His Majesty's Possessions in the West Indies, from The United States, any of the articles enumerated in the above Act, being of the growth or production of The United States; and any coin, bullion, diamonds, and precious stones, and the said Articles being of the growth or production of The United States; and also all other articles imported into the said Free Ports, by virtue of this Convention from The United States, shall be subject, in all respects, to the same Rules, Regulations, and Restrictions, and shall enjoy the same advantages, as to re-exportation, as are now applied to similar articles when imported by authority of the said Act, from any other Foreign Country, and re-exported from the said Possessions of His Majesty. His Britannic Majesty further consents, that any Vessel of The United States as above described, may export from any of the said Ports to The United States, rum, of the produce of any British Colony or Possession, and also all manner of goods, wares, or merchandise, which shall have been legally imported into those Possessions of His Majesty in which the said Free Ports are established, except masts, yards, or bowsprits, pitch, tar, and turpentine; and also except such iron as shall have been brought from the British Colonies or Plantations in America.

And whereas, by an Act passed in the 48th year of His Majesty's Reign, Cap. 125, rice, grain, and flour, are added to the articles previously allowed to be imported into the said Free Ports, it is agreed,

that those articles may be imported from The United States into the said Free Ports, in Vessels of The United States, as above described; and it is agreed, on the part of The United States, that any facilities granted in consequence of this Convention, to American Vessels in His Majesty's said Colonies and Possessions, shall be reciprocally granted, in the Ports of The United States, to British Vessels of a similar description, engaged in the intercourse so allowed to be carried on; and that if, at any future period, during the continuance of this Convention, His Britannic Majesty should think fit to grant any further facilities to Vessels of The United States, in the said Colonies and Possessions, British Vessels trading between the said Colonies and Possessions and The United States, shall enjoy in the Ports of the latter equal and reciprocal advantages.

It is further agreed, that articles imported into the said Free Ports of The United States, by virtue of this Convention, shall pay the same Duties as are or may be payable upon similar articles when imported into the said Free Ports from any other Foreign Country. And the same rule shall be observed on the part of The United States, in regard to all Duties chargeable upon all such articles as may, by virtue of this Convention, be exported from the said Free Ports of The United States. But His Britannic Majesty reserves to himself the right to impose higher Duties upon all articles so allowed to be imported into the said Free Ports from The United States, or from any other Foreign Country, than are or may be chargeable upon all similar articles when imported from any of His Majesty's Possessions.

II. His Britannic Majesty engages to allow the Vessels of The United States to import into the Island of Bermuda the following articles, to wit: tobacco, pitch, tar, turpentine, hemp, flax, masts, yards, bowsprits, staves, heading boards, and plank, timber, shingles, and lumber of any sort: bread, biscuit, flour, pease, beans, potatoes, wheat, rice, oats, barley, and grain of any sort; such commodities being the growth or production of the Territories belonging to The United States of America. And to export from the said Island, to The United States, in Vessels of the said States, any goods or commodities whatsoever, which are now by law allowed to be exported from His Majesty's Colonies and Possessions in the West Indies, to any Foreign Country or Place in Europe. And also, sugar, molasses, coffee, cocoa nuts, ginger, and pimento; and, also, all goods, the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, upon the same terms, and subject to the same Duties only, as would affect similar articles when imported from The United States into Bermuda, or exported from Bermuda to The United States, in British Ships. And it is agreed, on the part of The United States, that a similar equality shall prevail in the Ports of the said

States, with regard to all British Vessels trading in similar articles between The United States and the Island of Bermuda.

III. It is agreed that Vessels of The United States may resort to Turk's Island, for the purpose of taking in Cargoes of salt, for The United States; and that the Vessels, so resorting to the said Islands, shall be allowed to import tobacco and cotton wool, the produce of the said United States, upon the same terms, and subject to the same Duties, as British Ships when engaged in a similar intercourse. It is agreed, on the part of The United States, that a similar equality shall prevail in the Ports of the said States, with regard to all British Vessels trading in the same articles between The United States and the said Turk's Island.

IV. It is agreed, that the Navigation of all lakes, rivers, and water communications, the middle of which is, or may be, the boundary between His Britannic Majesty's Territories on the Continent of North America, and The United States, shall, with the exception hereinafter mentioned, at all times be free to His Majesty's Vessels, and those of the Citizens of The United States. The Inhabitants of His Britannic Majesty's Territories in North America, and the Citizens and Subjects of The United States, may freely carry on trade and commerce, by land or inland navigation, as aforesaid, in goods and merchandize, the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the British Territories in Europe or elsewhere, or of The United States, respectively, within the Territories of the 2 Parties respectively, on the said Continent (the Countries within the limits of the Hudson's Bay Company only excepted,) and no other or higher duties, or tolls, or rates of carriage or portage, than which are or shall be payable by Natives respectively, shall be taken or demanded on either side. All goods or merchandize, whose importation into The United States shall not be wholly prohibited, may freely, for the purposes of commerce, abovementioned, be carried into the said United States, in the manner aforesaid, by His Britannic Majesty's Subjects; and such goods or merchandize shall be subject to no other or higher Duties than would be payable by Citizens of The United States, on the importation of the same in American Vessels into the Atlantic Ports of The United States; and in like manner, all goods and merchandize, the growth, produce, or manufacture, of The United States, whose importation into His Majesty's said Territories in America shall not be entirely prohibited, may freely, for the purposes of the commerce above-mentioned, be carried into the same by land, or by means of such lakes, rivers, and water communications, as abovementioned, by the Citizens of The United States; and such goods and merchandize shall be subject to no other or higher Duties than would be payable by His Majesty's Subjects on the importation of the same from Europe into the said Territories.

No Duty shall be levied by either Party, on peltries or furs, which