Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, this 7th day of June, in the Year of our Lord 1827, and of the Independence of The United States the 51st. By the President: H. CLAY, Secretary of State. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. LETTERS of the Secretary of the Treasury of The United States, explanatory of the Proclamation of the President, prohibiting intercourse with certain British Colonial Ports. March and April, 1827. SIR, (1.)—Circular to the Collectors of Customs. Treasury Department, March 17th, 1827. I SEND, herewith, a Copy of the President's Proclamation, dated this day, by the effect of which you will perceive that the trade between The United States and certain Colonial Ports of Great Britain as opened by the Act of Congress of the 1st of March, 1823, entitled, "An Act to regulate the Commercial Intercourse between The United States and certain British Colonial Ports," is closed; and that the provisions of the Act of April the 18th, 1818, entitled "An Act concerning Navigation," and those of the Act of May the 15th, 1820, entitled "An Act supplementary to an Act entitled An Act concerning Navigation," are in force. These several Acts have heretofore been transmitted to you, at periods when their provisions were in operation: but Copies of them are again enclosed for your information and government.* As British Vessels from some of the Ports specified in the 1st Section of the Act of the 1st of March, 1823, may now be within The United States, and consequently must have arrived anterior to the date of the Proclamation, the President directs that all such British Vessels be allowed to depart from our Ports, with their cargoes. As others may arrive between the date of the Proclamation and the time of its reaching you, he also directs that, as to these, the forfeitures and penalties of the aforesaid Acts of April the 18th, 1818, and May the 15th, 1820, be not enforced; but that they too be permitted to depart. And if, after you shall have received the Proclamation, British Vessels should arrive within the Ports of The United States from some one or more of the said British Colonial Ports, in ignorance of the existing prohibition which the Laws impose to their entry, the President further directs, that, in the case of all British Vessels so arriving, prior to the first day of July next, you cause notice to be given to them, as soon as possible, of the prohibition, accompanied by orders * See Commercial Treaties, Vol. 3. for their departure within 24 hours, without unlading; upon their failure to comply with which orders, you will proceed to enforce against them the provisions of the Acts last recited. In case of all British Vessels arriving within our Ports, from any of the aforesaid British Colonial Ports, after the 1st of July, you will forthwith enforce against them the provisions of those Acts. I have the honour to remain, &c. The Collectors of Customs. RICHARD RUSH. SIR, (2.)-The Secretary of the Treasury to the Hon. J. Barney. Treasury Department, March 26th, 1827. YOUR Letter of the 19th instant was laid before the President, and has received from him every consideration. You are altogether right in supposing that there exists in the Executive branch of the Government every disposition to mitigate the operation of restrictive measures on innocent and unintentional transgressions of the Law. The Proclamation of the 17th of this month was issued, in necessary compliance with the Act of Congress which directed it to be issued; and the Circular Instructions from this Department which followed the Proclamation, went as far in softening its operation in the first instance, as it was thought the Law would warrant. It follows hence, that your suggestion that the instructions may be modified, in such a manner as to admit into our Ports American property in British Vessels, coming from the interdicted Ports, cannot be acceded to, whatever wishes might exist upon the occasion; the prohibitions of the Act of the 18th of April, 1818, being too broad and unequivocal to justify it. How far American property, so arriving, may or may not become the subject of the remitting power, vested in the proper branch of the Government, after the Penalties of the Law shall have duly attached to it, is a point that can in no case be determined beforehand. I have the honour to remain, &c. The Hon. John Barney, Baltimore, Md. SIR, RICHARD RUSH. (3.)-Circular to the Collectors of Customs. Treasury Department, 28th April, 1827. By direction of the President, I have to inform you, that the prohibitions of the Act of the 18th of April, 1818, are not considered as extending to Passengers who may arrive on board of British Vessels. Those, therefore, who are bona fide such, may be allowed to land with their baggage, care being taken that this construction of the Act be not abused by a violation of any of its provisions. I am, &c. RICHARD RUSH. The Collector of Customs. SUMMARY STATEMENT of the Tonnage of The United States, 1789 to 1825. (Annexed to the Report of the Committee on Commerce, of the House of Representatives of The United States, of 22d January, 1827.) Total Tonnage of every the Coasting ployed in the Fisheries. Employed Employed description. Treasury Department, Register's Office, January 22d, 1827, JOSEPH NOURSE, Register. ✦ Note.—The variation in the Tonnage between the Years 1817 and 1818, was caused by corrections made in the Registered Tonnage in this Office. STATEMENTS relative to the Trade between The United States and the West Indies. (Enclosed in a Letter Statement exhibiting the Value of the Imports from the West Indies into The United States, in man Statement exhibiting the quantity of American and Foreign Tonnage entered into, and departing from The United States to the West India British West Indies West Indies, generally 425,884 443,098 8,900 9,692 418,998 422,861 16,485 22,195 342,161 379,001 23,408 32,202 404,800 443,366 25,519 28,554 415,331 438,233 25,364 26,364 426,903 458,596 28,785 28,625 Treasury Department, Register's Office, February 20, 1827, JOSEPH NOURSE, Register. |