The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-02-23 00:00:00

suasion that, before the treaty stall be returned from Anse
ries, with the ratification of the United States, the enemy
will either have formally aLandoned kie tacitly reins quished hi
unjust preteneioise, or that the Govennseut of the United
Slates, by its conduct ur amerences„ mill have even security
to Ills Majesty, Chat it will not submit to Such innovations
in the estafilished system of maritime law : and the Under-
signed have presented this note from an anxious widi dist d
shoidil he clearly utiderstood both sides, that. without
such shatulumuritt of his pretmisious on the part of the
enemy, or assurances of such conduct on the part of the
Uwited States, His Majesty will not comider himself bound
by the preaent signature of his Commissioaters to ratify the
treaty, or precluded from adopting such measures %Mei
scem necessary for counteracting the designs of the mewl.
The Undersigned cutout conclude, without expressing
their satisfaction at the prospect of accomplishing an object
so important to the interests tad friendly conacctiou of both
nations, and their just sense of the conciliator) dispositluo
manifested by the Cumniissioners of the United States,
during the whole course of the nemociation.
(Signed) VASSAL HOLLAND.
London, Dee. 31, 1806. AUCKLAND.
bler.lll.—Extesct of a Dispatch from the Honourable David
Erskine to Lord Viscount !Welch, dated Washington,
Starch 90, 1807.
In compliance with your Lordship's inatreetions, I eau-
tnunicated to this Covernmeot Ms Majesty's views relative
to the French Decree of the gist November, lack, 88 detailed
iu your dispatch to inn of the Bth January lest; mot eia-
ceived the answer which I have now the honour to inclose.

(Inclosure referred to in Nu. a.)
SIR, Department of State, truth 'March, lief/.
I 'nee laid before the Presiileut your letter of the I i!th in-
stant, eouansuoicating the views of His Britannic Majesty in
relation to the French Decree of November /Ist, leu6, and
to the principle of retaliation, theories the coseateree of
neutrals who may submit to the operation of that Decree
as also the measure actually taken, of prohibiting all neutral
commerce from port to port of his esetnim, not mile the
ports of Trance, but thole amnia odor tedious, as, idler
in 'titmice with Fra,we, or subject to lov du: own, h;ve, hy
measures of active °frame, or ty the eaelutiou of BMWs
taken a part in the preseut war.
The Presideat canton be inseusible, Sir, to the fcierdstip
nod confidence towards the United Staley, which ai e si‘ol-
fled by His Britannic !Majesty in this communicatioit.
In making this acknowledgment, however, the President
cousiders it not less on Iwo to sem:ere fur a sotto
of things, which, it is hoped, will never occur, the right of
discussing the legality of any particular measores, to which
resort may be had, on a ground of retaliation ; at this time,
it would suffice to observe, that it remains to be mole fully
ascertained in what seam the Decree in question will be ex-
plained, and to ohm extent it w ill be carried Mt.) exteutioo,
and consequently atwitter in any came the United States cam
be involved in questions concerning messures of retaliatiou,
soppused to accrue to one &Marcelo from such a 'reseed-
ing by another.
Rot it is worthy the justice sad liberality of the British
government to recollect, that, Wlthis the period of those
great (vents which continue to agitate Europe, instances
have occurred, in which the commerce of neutral nat.ons,
more especially of the United States, has experienced the se-
verest distresses fiNin its own urdrrs sad measures, saardfirat-
ly unautborived by the law of nations. The -reaped. It bleb
the United States owe to their neutral rights, and the isle-
rests they hare in maintaining them, will always he sufficient
pledgee, that no culpable sequieseroce on their part will
render them accessary to the proceediozs of one Belligerent
nation, through the rights of seutrals, against thecoinuseree
of its adversary.
With regard to the pea-ticalar order issued against the
trade of ueutrals from cue port to another of the euemies of
Creat Britain, no fair objection can lie against it, pronded
it be Wended on, and eufomed by, the actual blockade, as
autboeised by tile 14w et Nuttiest If, on the other hand,
the order has Metope, not to webs blockade, but to a sup-
pose.; illagality of the neutral trade from see to another of
the described ports, the remark is obvious that, on that et:F-
ruition, the order is superliumas, the trade beim', as inter-
dicted by the Law of Nations, liable at ad times, without
my such order, to the eaptute of British 0111,4711 mod the
contlemuation of British Courts and if not iuterdieted,
such, by the Law of natioos, it can no otbcr,ise bo made
illegal, than try a legal blockade of the ports ciatmehoadod
in the Order. 'lbis infereoce is app ecia to the cam
of a neutral trade between the ports of Frateee herself, since
it is mut a principle of the ackaowledged Law of Nations,
that neutrals may not trade from nue to mother port of the
same belligerent nation, and it would be as innovation en
that now not before attempted, to euland the prim ip!e to a
neutral trade between ports of differeut man:vies, confessed-
ly open in times of peace as well as of war.
lithe British Order refers, for its basis, to the principle of
retaliation against the Freoch Decree, it falls under the oh-
/weathers already mask us that ea sect, sad which and rot
be repeated. I have, ix.
(Signed) JAMES MADISON.
To the Hon. Lurid &skies, .ke. Le. be.
Ne. from the Host. David Erskine, to Lord
VisectendHovrick, dated Washiugtem, 31a1 Muck, ISO 7.
MT LORD—After I had eland the ?recedieg camber of
ray dispatches *bleb accompsny this, I rec. ived smother
letter from Mr. Madisoa, in answer to the connounicatioeut
which, in obrstience to your Lordship's orders, I reek to
this Goveromest, of His !Majesty's views, relative to the
Preach Degree of blockade, of the slat of November lasi, and
His Majesty's pirulobitor Oiders 'plait the andeal trade
from poet to port of his enemies
As i conserved it would be most prudent to wait for par
Lordship's iastructioes, I (lid nut send any reply to the let-
ter, bat li&WO sow the honorer to incise it to your Lordship.
flume the hoover to be, be.
Lord Viscount Howiek. D. M. LASKIN&
(Inelosare referred to in Ns. IVZ

Department of State, tr9th March, 19n7.
SlR—Farther reflection cm the tenor and tendency of the
Order of His BritaleaSe Majesty, communicated by year
letter of the 16111 instant, which was answered by Mine et
the tab, ladnees me torments that important subject.
Fromm the dillieulty of *imputing that the Order ca.s hare
for its basis either a legal blockade, isopumble to be extend-
ed to all the ports described in the Order, or a supra:4 ib
legality of the trade between thine poets, an illegality wheel
has Inver bees applied hi the British Government or its Ad-
miralty Comte, to me accustomed trade men betwerayorts
of a belligerent cation, and is uttsely at vermin.* with the
conduct of both, is reference to a trade between a helhgereat
amine sal its albeit s a ameasity sense a result et ascribing
the Order to the policy of cumatervailing, through the cam-
mace d neutrals, the Preach Deane at the dist of Novem-
ber last
la this view et the Order, it demands, on the part of the
Vaned states, the most serious anemia)e both to its principle
and to its operation.
With respect to its principle, it will cot be contested. thet
&retaliation by one saline oil its teensy, abide is to operate
throng's the iatereat ifs nation sot its roemi, essentially
mines, not only that the iiijary niflicted should be hailed h
the abefailre of iajury sustained, hot turd every Widish/eft
step Meech a case should be preceded by an eureepoualde
intuited the Neatral party, in some mode or other to pat
se mid to the inematility musgfelly prvdeocd. Were it ne-
ts* t rendre, that•the Reach Decree is to be etrinced
the seer is wheels it is calm, seed that, in violation ado,
treaty broseco France sad the toiled States, the en note
of the helm will Ger be exempted; the British unlit bent
pereme ay i• r*. import, and norneolete ;n ire eneenteue,
might at Cy ts regarded by the 1. sited States se &promise:4g
preasateee sad srotn di the But the uncertaiary as
to teal of that Decree, and wl.ilst a presumptiset
offered itself, that the Deere., if aro. id ....Ai executed in tin
ardenetil extent, might not embrace the coonverce of the
Atates t they are bourn! by jetties to their oder,
as well as by respect for their rights, to conmder the trdish
order s a ground far mimes complaint soil remosetrance
Shook% it prove that the Decree had sot the nit anirg meribed
to it, and poticolarly, should the mime: of Prune ter her
isectsrs with the tasted &ram, except then trade feint the
spite:ion ut the Decrat, She write of OA 1301 eh Covert.-
mein nil' r•pcieed to 801 severer rernereutt it -.di
take Ito t ter of an orignal aggre,ion, a,n tersnah to
the Pre;.sh I:uremia:ad a Ate mend w ith that issimoid br
itse:f, for n tali, t nos tweasmes, and wdl desire r wet, antis-
maraliereatia. • from the evetettiteethe that it see a parka