That end of the lake from the river St. Marie to the Great Mana toulin, is included in the surveys of the two parties and is completed. I conceive that the survey effected this season upon Lake Huron will embrace by far the most essential parts of that lake to be surveyed, so far as it relates to the duties of this commission. Drummond's Island and Isle St. Joseph are of the most considerable interest, as well on account of their position as of territory; and more particular ly Drummond's Island. To this island, now in possession of the British, the United States have reasons to maintain a claim. The season having advanced so far as to become boisterous and inclement, which rendered the conduct of the survey uncertain; and, also, having concluded the survey commenced, we left Lake Huron and arrived on the river St. Clair on the sixth instant. The party is at present employed upon this river, but will soon be under the ne cessity of returning to Black Rock, on account of the inclemency of the weather. The British party left Lake Huron a few days before us and proceeded direct to Black Rock. SIR: Upon the return of the boundary line party of surveyors, from the north end of lake Huron to the river St. Clair, I had the honor to forward a letter, under date of October 13, 1820, describing the progress we had made during the past season. That letter having been ordered to the charge of the postmaster at Detroit, and supposing its receipt may be prolonged, I have thought it right to enclose a duplicate of the same. For the reasons stated in my letter of the 13th ultimo, we were then engaged in bringing the active labors of the survey for the season to a close; accordingly, when that duty was performed, we sailed from the St. Clair river, and arrived at Black Rock on the twentieth of the same month. At the latter place, the surveyors and draftsmen will be employed for some time, in the preparation of their notes of observation, and in the composition of their maps, for exchange and records, agreeably to the regulations of the board. I take great satisfaction in stating, that our operations, during the summer, have been in all respects prosecuted with industry and success, and that they have been sanctioned by the concurrence and assent of the commissioner (General Porter.) Our surveys have extended from the mouth of the Detroit river to the north end of lake Huron, and have embraced that district, excepting the small lake St. Clair, and river St. Clair, and those parts of lake Huron that are not essential to the duties of this commission. Upon a full exposition to General Porter of the surveys effected, and that which remains to be effected within the limits just mentioned, I have also the satisfaction to state, that he concurs with me in opinion that but little remains to be done, to bring to a close the performance of the sixth article of the treaty under which we act: and, from the arrangements that are anticipated, I do not doubt but what all the surveys that are necessary, from the parallel of latitude north 45° on the St. Lawrence river, through the lakes, to the north extremity of lake Huron, will, in the coming season, be completed; nor do I, at present, foresee any obstacles that may present a protraction of the boundary lines for that extent, by the decisions of the board, immediately thereafter. In furtherance of this view of the progress of our duties, General Porter has been pleased to confide to me the preliminaries he would establish to regulate such decisions; and their application to the various questions that suggest themselves, regardful of the best interests of the United States, is now a subject of study and investigation. The difficulty that occurred to prevent a settlement of the accounts of the late agent of the United States, (colonel Hawkins,) to wit, that they had not been acted upon by the board, was submitted by me, to the commissioner of the United States, in conformity to my instructions. In order to present a just understanding of what has transpired, relative to these accounts, I have reduced the same to a correspondence with General Porter. His promised reply in a few days will enable me to lay the result before the Department of State. I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, &c. JOS. DELAFIELD. Hon. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, Secretary of State. Mr. Van Ness to Mr. Adams. NEW YORK, November 25, 1820. SIR: Perceiving, by the newspapers, that the House of Representatives of the United States has requested of the President certain information relative to the proceedings and accounts of the commissioners and agents under the Treaty of Ghent, I am induced to write you briefly on the subject. It having appeared to me that no settlement of accounts was contemplated by the treaty, or expected by the government, until the final settlement at the close of the commission, it has been considered at least unnecessary to render any accounts. But being, at all times, not only willing, but anxious, to satisfy any branch of the government as to my public conduct or accounts, I herewith forward you an abstract of my accounts, except as to the expenses of the commis'sion for the present year. This is made out from papers which I have with me, but the vouchers are not here. I will, on my return home, arrange and forward them to your office. The amount of expenditures during the present year cannot be ascertained until all the accounts on both sides are settled and brought together, which it has not yet been possible to do. The agent left this city a few days ago, on his return home. He has proper vouchers to shew that the money which has been received by him has been expended for the purposes of the commission. I have, in the accompanying statement, put my salary at $4,444 44, as that is generally supposed to be the amount. But the commissioners of his Britannic Majesty under the Treaty of Ghent receive 1200l. sterling, equal to $5,333 28; and it is believed to be not only just, but in accordance with the Treaty, that the commissioners appointed on the part of the United States should receive the same salary. This principle has been most conclusively recognized by the United States in the case of the agents, whose salaries were raised from $3,000 to $4,444 44 per annum, to make them equal to the pay of the agents on the part of Great Britain. The propriety of an equality of compensation to the commissioners is certainly, to say the least, equally strong, as they are the joint officers of the two govern ments. I have never claimed, on my personal account, any thing over my salary, whatever that may be; and such, I know, is the fact as to the agent. The commissioners under the fifth article of the Treaty have held two sessions the present year. With respect to the progress which has been made by the commission, I understand the agent has already given to the government all the information which it would be in my power to communicate. If any statement of the moneys drawn by me from the Treasury shall have been laid before the House of Representatives, previous to the receipt of this communication, I beg leave respectfully to request that copies of my letter and statement may be also transmitted to that body. I have the honor to be, with great respect, C. P. VAN NESS. Hon. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, Secretary of State. Abstract of Moneys received and paid out by C. P. Van Ness, Commissioner under the fifth article of the Treaty of Ghent. Received from the United States, in the years 1816, 17, 18, 19, and 20 $82,444 00 Paid out for the United States: To Mr. Bradley, agent of the United States, To John Johnson, towards salary and ex- To F. L. Hasler, for salary and expenses, including transportation of instruments, who acted as astronomer under the commission about a year 40,437 83 791 92 2,297 35 3,183 27 For expresses 105 00 To Andrew Ellicott, who acted as astronomer in the summer of 1819, after Mr. Hasler left the service 670 00 11 00 To physician for attending to Mr. Ellicott, who was taken ill on the lines To 5 years' salary, at $4,444 44 per annum 22,222 20 69,718 57 Balance to be applied to the expenditures of 1820, $12,725 45 Mr. Delafield to the Secretary of State. NEW YORK, November 27, 1830. SIR: In addition to my previous communications respecting the progress of the boundary line commission under the sixth and seventh articles of the treaty of Ghent, I have the honor to submit some facts, that it did not heretofore occur to me were material at this time to communicate; and which will hereafter be presented more in detail, when the accounts of the past season are in readiness to exhibit. I allude more particularly to the names of persons now employed by the Commissioner or Agent, the purposes for which employed, their terms of service, and compensation. In order that the Department of State may be entirely possessed of such information as I have upon these points, I have the honor to enclose a list, containing the names, the services, and salaries, and compensation, of all persons employed during this season, by the Commissioner of the United States, under the above articles of the treaty of Ghent. This list is collected, so far as it respects the principal persons employed, from the proceedings of the Board; and is otherwise ex pressed with as much certainty as can be ascertained, until the acCounts of the last season are rendered by the Commissioner. To those accounts I must beg leave to refer, for the most exact and detailed information that may be desired. My own duties have not required the employ of either additional boatmen or extra establishment of any kind, as I constantly remained present with the party of surveyors. And, I take pleasure in stating, that the agency with which I have the honor to be charged has not essentially increased the expenses of this commission. Upon this subject, i beg leave to add, that, if it should seem fit to place the compensation of the Agent upon a footing with other officers of the Board, the extra expenses incurred would be amply covered by such compensation; a course that would be the more gratifying, because it would enable me to dispense with an account for contingent or extra expenditures, and thus conform to a system, that I believe to be the wish of this Board to adopt, which is, to confine its extra expenditures exclusively to disbursements, necessarily accruing, whilst the party is actually employed upon the boundary line, in the prosecution of the surveys. I have been unwillingly led to make any observations upon the subject of my own compensation, but the state of the appropriation for the agent, and the tenor of my appointment recognizing extra expenses to be allowed, have induced me to this explanation. When I parted with the Commissioner at Black Rock, it was his intention to forward the accounts of the past season to me, that I might present them at the proper Auditor's Office, and they were in preparation for that purpose. I am in daily hope of the receipt of these accounts and shall hasten to lay them before the Department. I have, &c. Hon. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, JOSEPH DELAFIELD. Names of persons forming the Board of Commission under the sixth and seventh articles of the treaty of Ghent, on the part of the United States, and of persons employed by them, their services and salaries, for the year 1820. Peter B. Porter, Commissioner Joseph Delafield, Acting Agent, Donald Frazer, secretary Persons employed by the Commissioners. William Bird, principal surveyor James Ferguson, trigonometrical surveyor - Salary $4,444 2,200 2,000 1,000 1,000 |