Star.
London, England, 1825-03-24 00:00:00

STATE PAPERS.
Lord Liverpool and Mr. Canning laid the following
before both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday night s
OPINION OF THE EMPEROR OP RUSSIA WITH RESPECT TO
THE FIRST ARTICLE OF THE TREATY OF GHENT, EN-
TERED INTO BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNI-
TED STATES.
Haring been requested by Great Britain and by the
United States to pronounce an opinion as arbitrator,
upon the differences which have arisen between those
Powers as to the interpretation of the first Article of the
Treaty concluded between them at Ghent, December
21., 1814, the Emperor has examined into all the acts,
statements, and notes, by which the respective Plenipo-
tentiaries have made known to the Imperial Department
for Foreign Affairs the arguments which each party
advances in support of his own view of the right inter-
pretation of the said article.
After having maturely weighed the observations.
brought forward by each party ; considering that the
British. and American Plenipotentiaries have demanded
'.that the discussions should be brought to a close; con-
sidering that the former, in his note of the Bth (20th) of
O.:tober, 1821, and thi latter, in his' note' of the 4th
(16th) of November following, have declared that it is
upon the construction. of the text of Me Article as it is
written, that the arbitration is to be founded ; and that
neither of them have referred to the general principles
of the law of nations and of maritime law, hut as se-
condary considerations :
The Emperor is of opinion go that the question is only
to be decided according to theliteral and grammatical
meaning of the first article of the Treaty of Ghent."
With respect to the literal and grammatical meaning
of the first article of the Treaty of Ghent—considering
that the paragraph, upon the meaning of which doubts
have arisen, is couched in the following terms:—
"AU territory, places, and possessions whatsoever, taken by
either party from the other during the war, or which may be taken
after the signing of this treaty, excepting only the islands hereinafter
mentioned, shall be testored without delay. and without causing
any destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery, or other pub-
lic property. originally captured in the said forts or places, and which
shall-remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of this
treaty, or any slaves or other private property. And all archives,
records, deeds, and papers, either of a public nature or belonging'to
Private persons, which in the course of the war may have fallen Into
the hands of the officers of either party, dull be, as far as may be
practicable, forthwith restored, and delivered to the proper authori-
ties and persons to whom they respectively belong."
Considering that, in this paragraph, the words " ori-
ginally captured. and which• shad remain therein upon
the exchange of the ratifscation of this Treaty," form an*
incidental phtase, which can only grammatically refer
to the substantives, or to the matters which ,precede;
that ems the. first article of the Treaty of Ghent does
t prohibit the contracting parties from carrying away
from those places, for the restitution of which it stipu-
' sates, any public property, but such as may have been
originally captured therein, and which may have been ac-
tually there at the moment of the exchange (y- the ratifi-
cations; but prrlibits the removal from the said places
of any private property whatever. That, on the other
hand, these two prohibitions are applicable only to the
places the restitution of which is stipulated for in the
article :—The Emperor is of opinion, " that the United
States of America are entitled to claim from Great
Britain a just indemnification for all private property
which the British forces may have carried away, and
RS the question relates to Slaves more especially, for all
the slaves that the Br itish forces may have carried away
trom the places mist territories of which the treaty
stipulates the restitution, in quitting these same places
and territories.
" That the United States are entitled to consider as having been
so carried away, all such slaves as may, lave been transferred from
the above-mentioned territories to British vessels within the waters
of the said territories, and who, for this reason, may-not have been
restored.
" But that, if there should be any American slaves who were
carried away from territories of which the first article of the
treaty of Ghent has not stipulated the restitution to the United
States, the United State* are not entitled to a.. indemnification
for the said slaves." _ _ .

The Emperor znnreover declares, that he
exercise xt.e office of a mediator
been tendered to him by the two
gotiations as they mar be obliged
sequence of the subitration they
nib Imperial Majesty.
Doukas

Mr. Alderman WOOD opposed the Bill. He was
sure it would raise the price of coals, and that, he
thought, ought to be a sufficient, reason to discounts.
Dance any 13i11.
Mr. JOHN SMITH declared that he should oppose
the Bill on account of the compulsory clause, for such
that clause must be called which went to ordain that
Colliers should not unload hs the stream.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said, that unless this clause were
struck out,he should oppose the going into a Committee.
Mr. Alderman'! HO M PSON hoped this clause N ould
be kit out.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY opposed the Bill.
After a few words frbm Captain Goatoon and Sir E. Hamm
the House divided—
For the Amendment . .
Against it
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65

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Majority in favour of the Bill —34
The Bill was then read a second time, and the C.oaandttee

appointed.
Sir J. BRYDGES presented a Petition, fromi Bermondsey,
against the South London Docks.—Referred to the Committee on
the said M.

MARGATZ 111PROVEMBNT BILL.
Oa the order of the day being read for the third Reading of
tills Bill,
Mr. WILBRAHAM opposed , the motion because
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the IN interfered with the privileges of the Cinque Parts.
Mr. CALCRAI.7 stated that it was very unusual to
oppose a Bill in the present stage. The Committee
had sat fur several days, and it was then that any ob-
jection should have been made to
.the clauses, The
object of the &I, to which the HMI. Member ohjoolod. was is
take the jurisdiction of Margate from Dover, riberstin Simi*
presided as Judge, and give it to the Quarter Seim et Cams.
bury—(Hear,laearl.—The House divided es the Bill.
'For the Third Reading . . 46
Against it • 14
Majority in favour —3B
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Tito Bill was then icail a third time and passed.
A Message from the Lords announced their Lordships' -isent to

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several public and prireate Bills. . .
)Ir. CA LCR Arr presented a Petition from St. James's Parlsh
opium the Equitable Loan Company's MlL—Laid on dr tible.
The Hon. Member then pressiated a Petition from &.
Bethnal Green .in favour of the Metropolitan Wow Wails
Laid on the table.
On the motion-of-Dr. Lesunioros, the House resolved itself lute
a Committee of the whale Haute upua Divorce its
Counsel were called In and beaid at the Bar, uud witneavei. were
examined in support lithe 161E'
Dr. LUSHLNGTON presented a Peados from the Pi-loosen
In the King's Bench Prison, in favour of the Equitable Lo,lo.9iii.
Sim J. NEWPORT presented a Petition from the citylif Wake::
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triperor mnreover declares, that he is ready to Si... answruLta presems........— ..,-- ___ ___,,77
.;_.7.. __ _
rt.e office of a mediator, which has already Petition from cm- V 74 ihrldlesea
Mr. BYNO the
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clered to him by the two Powers) in such ne- ford,ia fewer of the Ship Canal .
Water Company, against she. Metropolitan Water Calunneit till.
ias they may be obliged to enter into, in con- Mr. rnEE hi AN FL& preseateS . a Petitionkm. s '
.Gravel
of . the at bitration they have requested from Amnion Water Works, ageism She llietrepalinta Wrier Oornfiry
rial Majesty. Sir F. BURDETT presented a Petition- Ire, al .th•• Arsatiasegas
b. reinitiates, eh.e led of April, teas. of Leedom, grim die &pita* Loan pin. - -
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