The National Register.
London, England, 1813-01-17 00:00:00

JAN. 17

Great Britain, whilst the ships of war and merchant ships of the enemy
were received into the harbours of America.
. The American Government, assuming the repeal of the French
Decrees to be absolute and effectual, most unittqly required Great
Britain, in conformity to her declarations, to reveke her Orders in
Council. The British Government denied that the repeal, which
was announced in the letter of the French Minister for Foreign Af-
fairs, was such as ought to satisfy Great Britain; and in order to
ascertain the true character of the measure adopted by France, the
Government of the United States was called Linen ta produce the
Instrument, by which the alleged repeal et' the French Decrees had
been effected. If !hex Decrees were really revoked, such an in-
st rument must exist, and no satiefectory reason could be given for
withholding it.
At length, on the 9.lst of Mae, 1812, and not before, the American
Minister in London did pr duce a copy, or at least what purported
to be a copy of such an ina:rument.
It professed to bear date the 28th of April, 1811, long subsequent
to the dispatch of the French Minister of Foreign AO:airs of the sth
of August, 1810, or even the day named therein, viz. the Ist No—
vember following, when the oreratien of the French Decrees was to
cease. This inst cement expressly declared that these French Decrees
were repeated in consequence of the American Legislature having,
by their Act of the Ise et March, Pell, provitted, that British ships
and merchandise &Mould he excluded from the ports and harbours of
the United States.
By this intrumeat, the only document periduced by America as a
repeal of the French Decrees, it apnears beyond a possiudity of
doubt or cavil, teat the alleged repeal of the French Decrees was
conditional, as Great Britan hat asserted, and not absolute or final,
es had been maintained by America : that they were not repealed at
tile time they Isere stated to be repealed by the American Govern-
meot : that they were net repealed in conformity with a proposition,
simultaneously made to both Belligerents, but that in consequence
of a previous Act on the part of the American Government, they
were. repealed .n fivotir of one Belligerent, to the prejudice of the
ether : that the American Government having adopted measures re•
strictive upon the commerce of both Belligerents, in consequence
of Edicts issued by both, rescinded these measures, aa they affected
that Po..vei whieh was the aggressor, whilst they put them in full
ooeration aniline the put.:aggrieved, althouith the Edicts of both
P.owars coatinued in force; and, lastly, that they excluded the
ship of war beloneing to one Belligerent, whilst they admitted into
tf.eir parts anal herocura the ships of war belonging to tee other, in
vielation of oi.e of the plainest and most essential duties of a Neutral '
Ne:ien.
Althoueh the Instrument thus produced was by no means that
general and unqualified revocation of the Berlin and Milan Decrees
which Great Britain had continually demanded, and hot a 101 l right
to claim ; and although this Instrument, under all the circunn
etances of its appearance at that neenent, for the first time, was
open to the strongest suspicions of in; authmticity ; yet as the Mi-
nister of the UM e I State; ;reduced it, as purporting to be a copy
of the Instrument of revocation, the Government of Great Britain,
desirous of reverting, it' possible, to the ancient an i accustomed
principles of Maritime War, de,ermined upon revoking condition-
ally the Orders in Council. Accordingly, m the month of lime
last, his Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased to deLeare
in Council, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, that the
Orders in Council should he revoked, as far as respected the ships
and property of the United Steteo firma the Ist of ia uguat f 'Bowing.
This revocation was to continue ie name, provided the Government
of the United States should, within a time to he limited, repeal their
Restrictive Laws ai;ainst British commerce. His Majesty's Mini-
ster in America was exeresly ordered to declare to the Government
of the United States, " that this measure had been adopted by
" the Prince Regent, in the earnest wish and tope, either that the
" Government ef France, by further relaxations of its system,
" might render perseverance on the part of Great Britaie in retalia-
" tory measures uniceesaary," or it' this hope shenial prove delusive,
" that his Majesty's Government might be enabled, in the absence
" of ali irritating, and restrietiae regule!iens on either side, to enter
" with the Government of the. United States into amicable exple-
" :renown for the purpoae of ascertaining whether, it the necessity
" of retaliatory measures should untOrtunately continue to operate,
'' the particular maasures t, he acted upon by Great Britain could
61 be rendered more acceptable ta the American Government, than
" those hitherto pursed."
In order to provide for the contingency of a Declaration of War
on the part of the Unitee States, previous to the arrival in America
of the said Order :,f Re7ocetien. Instructions were s-nt to his Ma-
jesty'a Minister Plenipotentiary accredited to the United States (the
execution of which lnatructiens, in consequence of the disconti-
nuance of Mr. Foster's functions, were at a subsequent period en-
trusted to Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren), directing hint to pro-
pose a cessation of hostilities, should they have commenced ;I and

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trusted 10 ttllllll ral Olt
sr/mu &Jul saaa. •.
'tie pr')181)::.til (II au all ,Liaz.n.“, ••••••
pose a cessation of hostilities, should they have commenced; and
turther olfer simultincous repeal of the Orders in Cutnc.l on strictive iwnistires 00 both side', subsectociitly made by the Commingling
the one side, and of the Restrictive Laws on British ships and coin- of his Nl:rjesty's naval forces 00 the cua,t. Wo- re reedy-
rneree on the other. •ed in the same hostile spirit by the Go: of the Un::ecl States.
They were also respectively empowered to acquaint the American The sthpension of the practice of iinpr'3nient wus insisted op, ate
GoYernment, in reply to any inquiries with respect to the b:ockade ccoesig);ldence whicy pa=se,i Sul thot iedSion, as a jeC

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