dens on the other. Treaties of commerce have been found, by experience, to be among the most effective instruments for promoting peace and harmony between nations whose interests, exclusively considered on either side, are brought into frequent collisions by competition. In framing such treaties, it is the duty of each party, not simply to urge with unyielding pertinacity that which suits its own interest, but to concede liberally to that which is adapted to the interest of the other. To accomplish this, little more is generally required than a simple observance of the rule of reciprocity; and were it possible for the statesmen of our nation, by stratagem and manage. ment, to obtain from the weakness or ignorance of another, an over. reaching treaty, such a compact would prove an incentive to war rather than a bond of peace.

Our conventions with Great Britain are founded upon the principles of reciprocity. The commercial, intercourse between the two countries is greater in magnitude and amount than between any other two nations on the globe. It is, for all purposes of benefit or advantage to both, as precious, and in all probability, far more extensive than if the parties were still constituent parts of one and the same nation. Treaties betweens uch states, regu. lating the intercourse of peace between them, and adjusting interests of such transcendant importance to both, which have been found, in a long experience of years, mutually advantageous, should not be lightly cancelled or discontinued. Two conventions for continuing in force those above mentioned have been concluded between the plenipotentiaries of the two governments, on

the 6th of August last, and will be forthwith laid before the Senate for the exercise of their constitutional authority concerning them.

In the execution of the treaties of peace of November, 1782, and September, 1783, between the United States and Great Britain, and which terminated the war of our Independence, a line of boundary was drawn as a demarcation of territory between the two countries, extending over near twenty degrees of latitude, and ranging over seas, lakes, and mountains, then very imperfectly explored, and scarcely opened to the geographical knowledge of the age. In the progress of discovery and settlement by both parties since that time, several questions of boundary between their respective territories have arisen, which have been found of exceedingly difficult adjustment. At the close of the last war with Great Britain, four of these questions pressed themselves upon the consideration of the negotiators of the treaty of Ghent, but without the means of concluding a definitive arrangement concerning them.

They were referred to three separate commissions, consisting of two commissioners, one appointed by each party, to examine and decide upon their respec. tive claims. In the event of disagreement between the commissioners, it was provided that they should make reports to their several governments; and that the reports should finally be referred to the decision of a sovereign, the common friend of both. Of these commissions, two have already terminated their sessions and investigations, one by entire, the other by partial agreement. The commissioners of the fifth article of the

treaty of Ghent have finally disagreed, and made their conflicting reports to their own governments. But from these reports a great difficulty has occurred in making up a question to be decided by the arbitrator. This purpose has, however, been effected by a fourth convention, concluded at London by the plenipotentiaries of the two go vernments on the 29th of September last. It will be submitted, together with the others, to the consideration of the Senate.

While these questions have been pending, incidents have occurred of conflicting pretensions, and of dangerous character, upon the territory itself in dispute between the two nations. By a common under standing between the governments, it was agreed that no exercise of exclusive jurisdiction by either party, while the negotiation was pending, should change the state of the question of right to be definitively settled. Such collision has nevertheless recently taken place, by occur. rences, the precise character of which has not yet been ascertained. A communication from the Governor of the state of Maine, with accompanying documents, and a correspondence between the Secreta. ry of State and the Minister of Great Britain, on this subject, are now communicated. Measures have been taken to ascertain the state of the facts more correctly, by the employment of a special agent to visit the spot where the alleged outrages have occurred, the result of whose inquiries, when received, will be transmitted to Congress.

While so many of the subjects of high interest to the friendly relations between the two countries have been so far adjusted, it is matter of regret, that their views re.

specting the commercial intercourse between the United States and the British colonial possessions have not equally approximated to a friendly agreement.

At the commencement of the last session of Congress, they were informed of the sudden and unexpected exclusion by the British government, of access, in vessels of the United States, to all their colonial ports, except those immediately bordering upon our own territories. In the amicable discussions which have succeeded the adoption of this measure, which, as it affected harshly the interests of the United States, became a subject of expostulation on our part, the principles upon which its justi. fication has been placed have been of a diversified character. It has been at once ascribed to a mere recurrence to the old long established principle of colonial monopoly, and at the same time to a feeling of resentment because the offers of an act of Parliament, opening the colonial ports upon certain conditions, had not been grasp. ed at with sufficient eagerness by an instantaneous conformity to them. At a subsequent period, it has been intimated that the new exclusion was in resentment, be. cause a prior act of Parliament of 1822, opening certain colonial ports under heavy and burdensome restrictions to vessels of the United States, had not been reciprocated by an admission of British vessels from the colonies, and their cargoes, without any restriction or discrimination whatever. But, be the motive for the interdiction what it may, the British government have manifested no disposition, either by negotiation or by corresponding legislative enactments, to recede

from it, and we have been given distinctly to understand that neither of the bills which were under the consideration of Congress at their last session would have been deem. ed sufficient in the concessions, to have been rewarded by any relaxation from the British interdict. It is one of the inconveniences inseparably connected with the attempt to adjust by reciprocal legis. lation interests of this nature, that neither party can know what would be satisfactory to the other; and that after enacting a statute for the avowed and sincere purpose of conciliation, it will generally, be found utterly inadequate to the expectations of the other party, and will terminate in mutual disappoint.

ment.

The session of Congress having terminated without any act upon the subject, a proclamation was issued on the 17th of March Jast, conformably to the provisions of the 6th section of the Act of 1st March, 1823, declaring the fact that the trade and intercourse autho. rized by the British act of Parliament of 24th June, 1822, between the United States and the British enumerated colonial ports, had been by the subsequent acts of Parliament of 5th July, 1825, and the order of Council of 27th July, 1826, prohibited. The effect of this proclamation, by the terms of the act under which it was issued, has been, that each and every provision of the act concerning Navigation, of 18th April, 1818, and of the act supplementary thereto, of 15th May, 1820, revived, and is in full force. Such, then, is the present condition of the trade, that, useful as it is to both parties, it can, with a single momentary exception, be carried on directly by the ves.

sels of neither. That exception itself is found in a proclamation of the Governor of the Island of St. Christopher, and of the Virgin Is. lands, inviting, for three months from the 28th of August last, the importation of the articles of the produce of the United States, which constitue their export portion of this trade, in the vessels of all nations. That period having already expired, the state of mutual interdiction has again taken place. The British government have not only declined negotiation upon this subject, but by the principle they have assumed with reference to it, have precluded even the means of negotiation. It becomes not the self respect of the United States, either to solicit gratuitious favours, or to accept as the grant of a favour that for which an ample equivalent is exacted. It remains to be determined by the respective governments, whether the trade shall be opened by acts of reciprocal legislation. It is in the mean time satisfactory to know, that apart from the inconveniences resulting from a disturbance of the usual channels of trade, no loss has been sustained by the commerce, the navigation or the revenue of the United States, and none of magnitude is to be apprehended from this existing state of mutual interdict.

With the other maritime and commercial nations of Europe, our intercourse continues with little variation. Since the cessation, by the convention of 24th June, 1822, of all discriminating duties upon the vessels of the United States and of France, in either country, our trade with that nation has increased, and is increasing. A disposition on the part of France has been manifested to renew that negotia.

tion; and, in acceding to the proposal, we have expressed the wish that it might be extended to other objects, upon which a good under. standing between the parties would be beneficial to the interests of both. The origin of the political relations between the United States and France, is coeval with the first years of our independence. The memory of it is interwoven with that of our arduous struggle for national existence. Weakened as it has occasionally been since that time, it can by us never be forgot. ten; and we should hail with exultation the moment which should indicate a recollection equally friendly in spirit on the part of France. A fresh effort has recently been made by the minister of the Uni. ted States residing at Paris, to obtain a consideration of the just claims of citizens of the United States, to the reparation of wrongs long since committed, many of them frankly acknowledged, and all of them entitled, upon every principle of justice, to a candid examination. The proposal last made to the French government has been, to refer the subject, which has formed an obstacle to this consideration, to the determination of a sovereign, the common friend of both. To this offer no definitive answer has yet been received: but the gallant and honourable spirit which has at all times been the pride and glory of France, will not ultimately permit the demands of innocent sufferers to be extinguished in the mere consciousness of the power to reject them.

A new treaty of amity, navigation, and commerce, has been concluded with the kingdom of Sweden, which will be submitted to the Senate for their advice with

regard to its ratification. At a more recent date, a minister plenipotentary from the Hanseatic Republics of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Bremen, has been received, charged with a special mission for the negotiation of a treaty of amity and commerce between that ancient and renowned league and the United States. This negotiation has accordingly been commenced, and is now in progress, the result of which will, if successful, be also submitted to the Senate for their consideration.

Since the accession of the Emperor Nicholas to the imperial throne of all the Russias, the friendly dispositions towards the United States, so constantly manifested by his predecessor, have continued unabated; and have been recently testified by the appointment of a minister plenipotentiary to reside at this place. From the interest taken by this sovereign in behalf of the suffering Greeks, and from the spirit with which others of the great European powers are cooperating with him, the friends of freedom and humanity may indulge the hope, that they will obtain relief from that most unequal of conflicts, which they have so long and so gallantly sustained; that they will enjoy the blessing of self-government, which by their sufferings in the cause of liberty they have richly earned; and that their independence will be secured by those liberal institutions, of which their country furnished the earliest example in the history of mankind, and which have consecrated to immortal remembrance the very soil for which they are now again profusely pouring forth their blood. The sympathies which the people and government of the United

States have so warmly indulged with their cause, have been acknowledged by their government, in a letter of thanks, which I have received from their illustrious President, a translation of which is now communicated to Congress, the representatives of that nation to whom this tribute of gratitude was intended to be paid, and to whom it was justly due.

ved indications of intestine divisions in some of the republics of the south, and appearances of less union with one another, than we believe to be the interest of all.Among the results of this state of things has been that the treaties concluded at Panama do not appear to have been ratified by the contracting parties, and that the meeting of the Congress at Tacubaya has been indefinitely postponed. In accepting the invitations to be represented at this Congress, while a manifestation was intended on the part of the United States, of the most friendly disposition towards the Southern Republics by whom it had been proposed, it was hoped that it would furnish an opportunity for bringing all the nations of this hemisphere to the common acknowledgment adoption of the principles, in the regulation of their international relations, which would have secured a lasting peace and harmony between them, and have promoted the cause of mutual benevolence throughout the globe. But as obstacles ap-. pear to have arisen to the re-assembling of the Congress, one of the two ministers commissioned on the part of the United States has returned to the bosom of his country, while the minister charged with the ordinary mission to Mexico remains authorized to attend at the conferences of the Congress whenever they may be resumed.

In the American hemisphere the cause of freedom and independence has continued to prevail; and if signalized by none of those splendid triumphs which had crowned with glory some of the preceding years, it has only been from the banishment of all external force against which the struggle had been maintained. The shout of victory has been superseded by the expul. sion of the enemy over whom it could have been achieved. Our friendly wishes, and cordial good will, which have constantly follow. ed the southern nations of America in all the vicissitudes of their war of independence, are succeeded by a solicitude, equally ardent and cordial, that by the wisdom and purity of their institutions, they may secure to themselves the choicest blessings of social order, and the best rewards of virtuous liberty. Disclaiming alike all right, and all intention of interfering in those concerns which it is the prerogative of their independence to regulate as to them shall see fit, we hail with joy every indication of their prosperity, of their harmony, of their persevering and inflexible homage to those principles of freedom and of equal rights,, which are alone suited to the genius and temper of the American nations. It has been therefore with some concern that we have obser

and

A hope was for a short time entertained, that a treaty of peace actually signed between the governments of Buenos Ayres and Brazil, would supersede all further occasion for those collisions between belligerent pretensions and neutral rights, which are so commonly the result of maritime war,