The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-08 00:00:00

THE PRESlDtN'r's SPtteli.

Froin the Neu York C9tnoercial .9dre'rtiser cif Dec. 5.

NATIONAL INTELIAGENCEIi, EXTRA.
r t •
Washington, Dee. 2, 1817.
This day, at 12 o'clock, the PREtIDEyr of the
UN'er El 3 STAT-ES transmitted to both iiOnt.es of
Congress che'foll.wing Message, by Mr. Ji)s6.pl4
aoritt MONRoE, his SecretarY

Citizens of it e senate,'and of the House
if Repreventotir es,

At no ptuiucl of our p;,litleal existence had we
so LUttch cause to felicitate ourselves at the j)ros-
nerons andftaPpY condition of our country. The
abundant 'frWits of the earth ba've filled it with
plentY. An eXtensi've and profitahte commerce
. . ,
has greatly augmented our revenue. The public
creuit has attained an .extraordinary efevation.—
Our iireparation's for defence, in case of l'Uture
wars., fro:in which, by the e‘xperienCe of all na-
tions, we ought not to expect to be exempted, arse
advancing, under a well-digested system, with all
the dispatch which so important a work wifl
Our f'reeGo'vernment*, founded on the inte-

rest and affections of the people, has gainel, and
is daily gaini'ng', strength. Local jcalonsies are
rapidlY yielding
,to more generous, enlarged, and
enlightened views of national polky. For advan-
tages so numerous and highly important, it is our
duty to unite in grateful acknowledgments to that
Omnipotent Being from whoM they are derived,
and in unceasing prayer thAt he. Will endow us
With virtue and Strength to maintain and hand

ern clown, in their utmost purity, to our latcst

pogerity.

I have the sati'sfaction to inform you, that an
arrangement, which had been commenced by my
predecessOr, with the British Goverment, for

►he red►iction Of the naval force, by Great
Britain and the Unite►! States, on be Lakes, has
been concluded ; by which it is provided, that
neither p►trty shall keep in service on Lake Cham-
plain more ti►an one vessel ; on Lake Out

mote than one ; and on Lake Et ie and the Upper
Llkes, N►ore than two ; to be armed each with one
cannon only; and that all the other armed yes•
sets, of both parties, of which an exae: list is in-
terchanged, shall be dismantled. It is also agreed,
that the force retained shall be restricted, in its
duty, to the internal purposes of each party ; and
that the arrangement shall remain in force until

six months shall have expired, after notice given
by one of the parties to the other of its desire that

it tchottld tertnhwe. By this arrangement use..
less.expence, on both sides, and, what of still
greater importance, the ilanzer of collision be-
tween armed vessels, in those inland waters,

which was, great, is prevented.
1 have the satisfletion also to state, that the
Commissioners under the fourth Article of the
'Meaty of Ghent, to wbom it was referred to de-
cide to which party the several islands in the Bay
of I'assan►acluody belonged under the Treaty of
1783, have agreed in a Report, by which all the

,lands in the possession of each patty before the

hoe war-have been decreed to it.. The Commis-
sioners acting under the other Article of the
I'►eaWy of Ghent, for the settlement of the boun-
daries, have also been engaged in the discharge
of their respective duties, hut bare nut yet com-
pkted them. The difference which arose be-,
tweet) the two Governments under that Treaty,
respecting the right of the United States to
take and cure fish on the coast of the lirifiel►
provinces north of our limits, which had been
secured by the Tre4ty of 1753, is still in nego-
The proposition made by this Govern-
ment, to extend to the Colonies of Great Britain
the principle of the Convention of London, by
which the commerce between the ports of the
United States and British ports in Europe had
keen placed on a footing of equality, has been de-
clined by the British Government. This subject
having been thus amicably discussed between the

elation.

two Governments, and it appearing that the,
British Government ,is unwilling to depart from
its present regulations, it remains for Congress to
decide whether they will rn ke any other rcgnla-
tiOns, in conseqUence thereof, for the protection
and improvement of our navigation.

The negociation with Spain, for spoliations on
our commerce, fln►l the settlement of boundaries,
remains, essentially, in the state it held, by the

communications that were nitide to Congress by
my predecessor. It has heen evidently the policy
of the Spanish Government to keep the negotia-
tion su)ended, and in this the Unired States
have artplie3cvd, from an amicable dispOsition to•
wards Spain, and in thy expectation that live t3o-
vernment would, from a sense of justice, filially
accede to such an arrangement as world be etplai
between the parties. A di.iosition has heel) lately
she vie by toe Spanish Government to movein tlAt

negotiation, which has been Inct by this Govern-
ment, and, shoal(' the conciliatory and friendly
policy, which Las iuvariAly guided our councik.