The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-17 00:00:00

those acts which have given rise to complaints for which
no adequate cause is perceived. The undersigned feels
confident that when those acts shall have been considered
by her Majesty's Oovernment at home, as explained in his
note to Mr. Fox, of the 24th of December last, and in
connec!ion with the foregoing remarks, they will no
'Luger be viewed as calculated to excite the apprehension
of her Majesty's Government, that the faith of existing
arrangements is to be broken on the part of the United
States.
With regard to the second position assumed by Mr,
Fox, that the advance of the Maine posse along the Res- I
took to the mouth of Fish river, and into the valley of the
upper St. John, is at variance with the terms and spirit of
the agreements—the undersigned must observe that if at
variance with any of their provisions, it could only be with
those which secure her Majesty's provincd of New
13runswick against any attempt to disturb the possession
of the Madawaska settlement, and to interrupt the usual
cimmunications between New Brunswick and the Upper
Provinces. The agreement could only have referred to
the Madawaska settlements as confined within their actual
limits at the time it was subscribed. The undersigned,
in his note of the 24th of December last stated the reasons
why the mouth of the Fish river and the portion
of the valley of the St. John through which it passes,
could in no proper sense be considered as embraced in
the Madawaska settlements Were the United States
to admit the pretension set up on the part of Great Bri-
tain, to give to the Madawaska settlements a degree of
constructive extension that might, at this time, suit the
purposes of her Majesty's colonial authorities, those settle-
ments might soon be made, with like justice, to embrace
any portions of the disputed territory ; and the rights given
to the Province of New Brunswick to occupy them terr-
porarily, and for a special purpose, might, by inference
quite as plausible, give the jurisdiction exercised by her
.Majesty's authorities an extent which would render the
present state of the question, so long as it could be main-
t lined, equivalent to ma detieiora on ajac merit* uf-tharwhole
controversy in favour of Great 13ritair.
If the small settlement at Madawaska, on the tiorth side
of the St. John's, means the whole valley of that river—if a
boom across the Fishriver, and the station of a small posse
on the south sideof the St. John'. at the mouth of Fish river
is a disturbance of that settlement, which is twenty-five miles
below, within the meaning of the agr-cment, it is difficult
to conceive that there are any limitations to the pretensions
of her Majesty's Government under it, or hew the
State of Maine could exercise the preventive power with
regard to trespassers, which was, on her part, the great
object of the temporary arrangement. The movements
of British troops lately wi,nessed in the disputed terri-
tory, and the erection of military works for their protec-
tion and accommodation, of which authentic information,
recently received at the Department of State, has been
communicated to Mr. Fox, impart a still graver te-pect to the
matter immediately under consideration. The fact of those
military operations established beyond a doubt, left un-
explained, or unsatisfactorily accounted for, by Mr. Fox's
Dote of the 7th instant, continues an abiding cause of com-
plaint on the part of the United States against Her Ma-
jesty's colonial agents, as inconsistent with arrangements
whose main object was to divest a question, already suffi-
cieutly perplexed and complicated, from such embarrass.
ments as those with which the proceedings of the British
authorities cannot fail to surround it.

If, as Mr. Fox must admit, the objects of the late
agreements were the removal of all military force and
the preservation of the property from further spolia-
tions, leaving the possession and jurisdiction as they
stood before the State of Maine found itself compel-
IA to act against the trespassers, the President can-
not but consider that the conduct of the American
local authorities strongly and most favourably con-
trasts with that of the colonial authorities of her Ma-
,lsty's Government. While the one, promptly withdraw-
g its military force, has confined itself to the use of the
small posse, armed as agreed upon, and has done no act
not necessary to the accomplishment of the conventional
objects, every measure taken or indicated by the other
party, is essentially military in its character, and can be
justified only by a well-founded apprehension that hosti-
lities must ensue. _ _

With such feelings and convictions, the President could
not see, without painful surprise, the attempt of Mr. Fox,
under instructions from his Government, to give to the
existing state of things a character not warranted by the
friendly disposition of the United States or the conduct of
the authorities and people of Maine—much more is he sur-
prised to find it alleged as a ground for strengthening military
firce and preparing for a hostile collision with the unarmed
inhabitants of a friendly state, pursuing within their own
borders their peaceful occupations, or exerting themselves
in compliance with their agreements to protect the pro-
perty in dispute from unauthorised spoliation.
The President wishes that he could dispel the fear
that these dark forebodings can be realized. Unless
her Majesty's Government shall forthwith arrest all
military interference in the question—unless it shall
epply to the subject more determined efforts than
have hitherto been made to bring the dispute to a
certain and pacific adjustment, the misfortunes predicted
by Mr. Fox in the name of his Government, may most
unfortunately happen. But no apprehension of the conse-
quences alluded to by Mr, Fox can be peymitted to divert
the sairpecopii t'ii i thitea'States from the
performance of their duty to the State of Maine. The duty
is as simple as it is imperative. The construction which is
given by her to the treaty of 1783 has been, again and again,
and in the most solemn manner, asserted also by the
Federal Government, and must be maintained, unless
Maine freely consents to a new boundary, or unless that
construction of the treaty is found to be erroneous by the
decision of a disinterested and independent tribunal,
selected by the parties for its final adjustment. The Pre-
sident, on assuming the duties of his station, avowed his
determination, all other means of negotiation failing, to
submit a proposition to the Government of Groat Britain
to refer the decision of the question once more to a third
party.
In all the subsequent steps which have been taken upon
the subject by his direction, he has been actuated by the
same spirit. Neither his disposition in the matter, nor his
opinions to the propriety of that course, have un-
dergone any change. Should the fulfilment of his
wishes be defeated, either by an unwillingness on
the part of her Majesty's Government to meet
the offer of the United States in the spirit in
a hich it is made, or from adverse circumstances of any de-
scription, the President will, in any event, derive
great satisfaction from the consciousness that no
effort on his part has been spared to bring the ques-
tion to an amicable conclusion, and that there has
been nothing in the conduct either of the Govern-
ment and people of the United States, or of the State
of Maine, to• justify the employment of her Majesty's
forces as indicated by Mr. Fox's letter. The President
cannot, under such circumstances, apprehend that the
responsibility for any consequences which may unhappily
ensue, will, by the just judgment of an impartial world,
be imputed to the United States.
The undersigned avails himself, &c. &c.
JOHN FORSYTH.
To the Hon. H. S. Fox, Esq.

MR. FO TO MR. FORSYTH.
Washington, March 26, 1840.
The undersigned, her Britannic Majesty's Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, has had
the honour to receive the official note of yesterday's
date addressed to him by Mr. Forsyth, Secretary
of State to the United States, in reply to a note dated
the 13th instant, wherein the undersigned, in conformity
with instructions received from his Government, had anew
formally protested against the acts of encroachment and
aggression which are still persisted in by armed bands in
the employment of the state of Maine within certain portions
of the disputed territory.
It will be the duty of the undersigned immediately to
transmit Mr. Forsyth's note to her Majesty's Government
in England, and until the statements and propositions
which it contains shall have received the due considera-
tion of her Majesty's Government, the undersigned will
not deem it right to add any farther reply thereto,
excepting to refer to, and to repeat, as he
now formally and distinctly does, the several declarations
which it has from time to time been his duty to make to the
Government of the United States with reference to the
existing posture of affairs in the disputed territory, and to
record his opinion, that an inflexible adherence to the
resolutions that have been announced by her Majesty's
Government, for the defence of her Majesty's rights pend-
ing the negotiation of the boundary question, offers to her
Majesty's Government the only means of protecting these
rights from being in a continually aggravated manner
encroached upon and violated.
Thd undersigned avails himself of this occasion to re-
new to the Secretary of State of the United Series the
assurance of his distinguished consideration.
H. S. FOX.
The Honourable John Forsyth, &c.

After a discussion in which Messrs. Davis, 'Webster,
and Williams, participated, the Message was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations, and ordered to be
printed ; and 10,000 additional copies were ordered.
Tho Senate then adjourned.

UNITED STATES' THEATRICALS.
(From the New Yurh Herald of the lit inst.)
STATE OF THEATRICALS IN THE UNITED STATES.—
With one or two exceptions, theatricals are in a wretchedly
low state in this country. Mince the matter, as some
may, it is now seen that Charles Kean made a signal
failure in this country ; he is now in the South (not play-
ing) either on his way to, or at Havannab. Vandenhoff
and his daughter did nothing of any account at their recent
engagement at the Park. The Tremont Theatre, Boston,
and the Camp-street Theatre, New Orleans, are closed,
and would have been money in the managers' pockets, if
the Park here, the Chesnut in Philadelphia, and the St.
Charles, New Orleans, had each closed three nwnths
since, so bad has been the times, and so little inclination
has the public felt either to see or support theatricals for
th,. past six months.
la many parts of the country the actn pt
upon two-third and half salaries, and a good ve
benefit beenis putan
astounding novelty. Every troupe, operatic anreddballet, has
been broken up, and the individuals scattered
in Ha-
De Begnis over the
country to shift for themselves. .
Mr. and Mrs.
vannah, Seguin and his lady arc doing a good business at
Charleston, with Latham and Ab.bc.,nt.g
concerts in this
Martyn and Manvers have been
proceedgtvt to Boston to do
city with tolerable eclat,°Ad
the same there. Miss P
they are now playing
TINA ad Guibelei have joined
with Shirreff and Wilson qind
4:11
pe'olPkitce latter opened there on
to nether at the Park ;
saiiiion of Lonjomecu" to a
M ,nday night in the
Wilson and Shtrreff
crw,
(Ica house, with great success;