for the reasons given in another part of this Despatch, to intimate my belief, that they would be, her Plenipotentiaries have informed me that it will lead to fresh measures, of the same character, on her side: thus bringing on a state of things that can only terminate in rendering the Trade no longer worth the pursuit of either Country. If, on the other hand, the Trade remains as at present regulated, without any alteration by either party, although Britain, as I have had occasion to remark before, alleges that she is dissatisfied with it; she will let it have a further trial, and, in this event, will receive our Consuls on the terms mentioned in the 24th Protocol. This she will do, as I understand her intentions, notwithstanding the tenor of the 5th Article of her Counter-projet above mentioned, which would seem to make her consent to the reception of our Consuls dependent upon our acceptance of her 4 preceding Articles. I believe, moreover, that she would raise no obstacle on the score of expense, but grant to our Consuls Exequaturs free of all charge, as we grant Exequaturs to hers. This point I mentioned to the British Plenipotentiaries, and to its obvious justice they took no exception. There remains nothing further for me to impart to you on this subject. The Protocols that relate to it are the 23rd and the 24th.

The Hon. J. Q. Adams.

RICHARD RUSH.

(Inclosure a.)-Protocol of the 3d Conference of the American and British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade, February 5th, 1824.

Present-Mr. Rush, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Stratford Canning.

THE Protocol of the preceding Conference was read over and signed. In pursuance of previous agreement, Mr. Rush brought forward the propositions of this Government respecting the Trade between the British Colonies in North America and the West Indies and The United States, including the navigation of the St. Lawrence, by Vessels of The United States. On concluding the statement with which Mr. Rush introduced these proposals, in explanation of the views and antecedent proceedings of his Government, he gave in the three Articles which are hereunto annexed, (marked A.)*

The British Plenipotentiaries, in receiving the Articles thus presented to them for consideration, confined themselves to stating their first impressions as to the scope and extent of the American Proposals, and the extreme difficulty resulting therefrom, observing on such parts of the American Plenipotentiary's statement as appeared to them to call for immediate objection, or to admit of satisfactory explanation. Adjourned to Monday, the 16th instant, at 2 o'clock. W. HUSKISSON. STRATFORD CANNING.

RICHARD RUSH.

* See Page 554.

(Inclosure b.)-Protocol of the 16th Conference of the American and British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade, on the 8th June, 1824.

Present Mr. Rush, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Stratford Canning.

The Protocol of the preceding Conference was read over and signed. The British Plenipotentiaries, after further discussion in relation to Commercial Intercourse between The United States and certain of the British Colonies, gave in the annexed Counter-projet on that subject, in reference to what had passed at the preceding Conference, observing, at the same time, that the first 2 Articles of the proposal communicated by the American Plenipotentiary, in their 3d Conference with him, had, in their opinion, no necessary connection with the 3d, relating to the Navigation of the river St. Lawrence, and, that they conceived it would be more convenient to treat of them separately.

Adjourned to Tuesday, the 15th instant.

W. HUSKISSON.

STRATFORD CANNING.

RICHARD RUSH.

(Sub-Inclosure L.)—British Counter-projet on Commercial Intercourse, (annexed to 16th Protocol.)

His Britannick Majesty and The United States of America, being desirous to regulate, by mutual agreement, and on principles of just reciprocity, the Trade now open under their respective Laws, between The United States and the British Colonies in North America and the West Indies, have appointed Plenipotentiaries to negotiate and conclude a Convention for that purpose; that is to say, on the part of His Britannick Majesty, ; and on the part of The United States of America, ; which Plenipotentiaries, after duly communicating to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles:

I. The Subjects of His Britannick Majesty, and the Citizens of The United States, shall continue to have liberty to trade between the Ports of those States, and the open Ports of His Majesty's Possessions in North America and the West Indies, under the existing Laws and regulations of the High Contracting Parties. And whereas it is considered mutually advantageous to the Subjects and Citizens of both Parties, that all discriminating duties and charges reciprocally imposed and levied on the Vessels of each Nation and their Cargoes, in the Ports of the other, as aforesaid, should be withdrawn and altogether abolished, it is hereby agreed, that, upon the Vessels of The United States, admitted by Law into all, and every one of His Britannick Majesty's Colonial Ports, as aforesaid, and upon any goods, wares, or merchandize, lawfully imported therein, in the said Vessels, no other or higher duties of tonnage or import, and no other charges of any kind, shall be levied or exacted than upon British Vessels, including all Vessels of the Colonies themselves, or upon the like goods, wares, or

merchandize, imported into the said Colonial Ports from any other Foreign Port or Place whatever; and likewise, that, upon the Vessels of Great Britain, and of her Colonies, admitted by Law into all and every one of the Ports of The United States, and upon any goods, wares, or merchandize, lawfully imported therein in the said Vessels, no other or higher duties of tonnage or import, and no other charges of any kind, shall be levied or exacted than upon vessels of The United States, including all vessels of each and every one of the said States, or upon the like goods, wares, or merchandize, imported into The United States, from any other Foreign Port or Place whatever.

II. For the more perfect fulfilment of the intentions of the High Contracting Parties, they pledge themselves, hereby, to remove, with as little delay as possible, His Britannick Majesty on his side, and The United States on their side, all additional duties of tonnage in the light of Foreign tonnage duty, and all additional duties of import in the light of duties on goods imported in Foreign Vessels, at present existing, either against the Vessels of The United States and their Cargoes, admitted by Law into any of the British Colonial Ports, as aforesaid, or against British Vessels and their Cargoes, admitted by Law into the Ports of The United States, as well as all other discriminating duties and charges, of whatever kind they may be, intended by this and the foregoing Article, to be removed and altogether abolished.

III. It being the desire and intention of the High Contracting Parties, to place the Trade in question on a footing of just reciprocity, they further agree, that, in case any of the existing enactments on either side, regulating the Navigation in this Trade, shall, contrary to expectation, be found, on further experience, to operate partially, and in such manner as to give to the Subjects or Citizens of the one Party engaged therein, a clear and decided advantage, to the manifest prejudice of the Subjects or Citizens of the other, in opposition to the intention above declared, each of the two Governments shall, in such case, and according as the case may be, receive and examine the representations made to it thereon by the other, and, the complaints being fairly substantiated, shall lose no time in adopting such additional laws and regulations as may correct the grievance complained of, in conformity with the principle herein laid down.

IV. The High Contracting Parties, being further desirous to promote and extend this Trade, in proportion as circumstances may, from time to time, allow, His Britannick Majesty, on his part, engages, that, whatever facility or advantage may hereafter be granted to any friendly State, either in Europe or in America, with respect to any Commerce, direct or circuitous, to be carried on between such State and His Majesty's Colonies in the West Indies or America, shall be, in like manner, granted to the Citizens of The United States; and The United States on their part, engage that, under this contingency, the

Subjects of His Majesty shall enjoy whatever facilities or advantages may, at any time, be granted by them to the Subjects or Citizens of the most favoured State, in any Trade carried on between the Possessions of that State in the West Indies or America, and The United States.

V. In consideration of the foregoing arrangements, His Britannick Majesty consents, that the Government of The United States shall be at liberty to appoint Consuls in His Majesty's open Colonial Ports in North America and the West Indies, and that Consuls so appointed on their behalf shall be received under the same conditions as those which are stipulated in the 4th Article of the Convention of Commerce, concluded in London, on the 3d July, 1815.

VI. The ratification of this Convention, &c.

(Inclosure c.)—Protocol of the 25th Conference of the American and British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trude, on the 22d of July, 1824. (Extracts.)

Present, Mr. Rush, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Stratford Canning. THE Protocol of the preceding Conference was read over and signed. It was agreed, in consideration of the numerous and complicated questions on which the Conferences had turned, that the Plenipotentiaries should meet again, and communicate with each other, prior to sending in to their respective Governments their final Reports of the present state of the negotiations, suspended by the necessity of referring to Washington on some of the subjects that had been presented for discussion. Adjourned.

W. HUSKISSON.
STRATFORD CANNING.

RICHARD RUSH.

(Inclosure d.)-Protocol of the 26th Conference of the American and British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade, on the 28th of July, 1824.

Present, Mr. Rush, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Stratford Canning.

THE Protocol of the preceding Conference was read over and signed. The Plenipotentiaries, after communicating with each other, in pursuance of the agreement taken at the preceding Conference, and persuaded that they had sufficiently developed the sentiments of their respective Governments, on the various subjects of their Conferences, separated under the circumstances which necessarily prevented for the present, any further progress in the negotiations. W. HUSKISSON.

STRATFORD CANNING.

RICHARD RUSH.

(Sub-Inclosure W.)-Paper on the Commercial Intercourse Question, from the British Plenipotentiaries.

THE British Plenipotentiaries present the following remarks, on the articles of Colonial Intercourse proposed by the American Plenipoten

tiary, at his 3d Conference with them. The first 2 articles have no necessary connection with the 3d, which relates to the navigation of the river St. Lawrence; and the British Plenipotentiaries are of opinion that it is more convenient to treat of them separately.

The proposal contained in the 2 articles on Colonial intercourse, is in substance as follows:-The trade between The United States and His Majesty's Colonies in North America and the West Indies, to continue, as at present, regulated by the respective Acts of Parliament and Congress, except that all discriminating charges on alien Vessels and their cargoes, concerned in that trade, should be withdrawn on both sides, and further, that all articles of United States' produce should be admitted into the Colonies, exactly on the same terms as the like productions of the Colonies themselves, or of the Mother Country.

To all but the last clause of this proposal, the British Government are willing to consent. To that condition they decidedly object.

The exceptionable condition amounts to no less than a stipulation that Great Britain shall renounce, in favour of The United States, and without a return on their side, the power of protecting the staples of her own subjects, by levying import duties on the like productions of a Foreign Country. In principle, such a proposition is evidently inadmissible. It could not be entertained with credit, by any Power on which it was calculated to operate exclusively. It is directly at variance with the practice of all Commercial, of all civilized States. It has no precedent in the Commercial relations subsisting between the British Dominions in Europe and The United States.

The specific grounds alleged in support of it, by the American Plenipotentiary, are, in the opinion of the British Government, wholly insufficient for that purpose.

They are understood to be, in effect, 1st: That American Vessels are subject to an export duty in the British West Indies, to which British Vessels are not equally liable: 2d, That, while all the Ports of The United States are open to British Vessels, only certain enumerated Ports of the British Colonies are open to Vessels of The United States: 3d, That American Vessels are confined to a direct trade between the place of export and the place of import, while British Vessels labour under no such restriction: 4th, That British Vessels, though confined to the same enumerated articles as American, in the direct trade, are not so confined in trading from Colony to Colony, or with the Ports of the Mother Country: 5th, That, while all articles of British Colonial produce are admitted into The United States, many important articles of American produce are excluded from the British West Indies: And, 6th, That, on those articles of American produce which are admitted into the British Colonies, import duties are levied,