Star.
London, England, 1828-01-08 00:00:00

" The affidavit of William Dalton, residing upon the
river Aroostic, relates to legal process having heen
instituted against him by magistrates acting under Bri•
fish authority, for the recovery of debts, or for a
misdemeanor. The affidavit ofJonathan Wilson relates
to the arrest at Woodstock, upon the Madawaska
river, within 65 miles of Rederickton, and of Mr.
Baker, for having interrupted the passage of the mail
from New Brunswick to Canada.
"The rivers Aroostic and Madawaska are to be found
on a reference to a map made by the British Commis•
sinners of boundary, under the sth article of the treaty
of Ghent, in that portion of.the territory of New Bruns-
wickenclosed between two lines of boundary, laid down,
the one by the British Commissioners, which runs by
M ars- hill„ ample Ap....thisairiato '• '
sionera,ivifiels ruos at the diabace of about one handred
and forty-four miles from Mars-hill. to the north of it.
" Whatever may have induced the Commissioners, on
both sides, to trace the lines above mentioned, as accord.
ing with the true intent of the boundary Aid down in
the Treaty of 1783, and subsequently io that of Ghent,
the Uovernments of Great Britain and. of the United
States have not yet been able to reconcile the different
reports of their Commissioners, and the territory in.
'which the proceedings have occurred lately, and which
form the *object of Mr. Clay's note, is still in dispute.
The sovereignty and jurisdiction over the territory keit
consequently remained with Great lit itain, having been
in the occupation and pomession of the Crown pre-
viously to the conclusion .01 the Treat) of 1783.
" The undefinerkor irsr unsettled claim of the United
States to a ,pottiop of t territory' cannot furnish any
pretext for an interference with, or an interruption of,
the'exercise of the' jurisdiction within that territory, by
magistrates, acting under Britsh authority, on* ;inn
at the citizens of the United States, who may chomsetp
reside in shose ancient settlements. The undessigwid,
therefore, is convinced that Mr. Clay will agree off+
him that there cannot be any grounds for complaint of
an undue and illegal exercise of jurisdiction, whatever
motive there may bt. for remonstrance against the seve-
rity with which the laws may have been executed.
a With regard to one of the affidavits transmitted by
the Governor of Maine, that of Jonathan Wilson,. it
appeits that he undertakes to relate the circumstances
attending the arrest of Bakee,ost the Madawaska, from
what he had been. told by Joshua Harvey, formerly
of Bangor, in the Stain of Maipe. The undersigned
tidos this iirportunity of communicating to the Secre.'
tary of State some circumstances attending that trans.-
action, with which he has been. made acquainted by his
Majesty's Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. In
a let er which the undersigned received on the 7th of
Qctotaer last from his Excellency, dated the 11th el
-ptember, he was informed that an alien of the name
01 Baker, residing in a British settlement on the Mada-
waska, had, on the 13th of July last, interrupted the
passage of the mail from New Brunswick to Canada,
by the long established road through that settlement.
Sir Howard Douglas transmitted to him, at the same
Lime, copies of depositions taken on oath respecting the
conduct of Baker ; and, feeling that it was his duty, as
Lieutenant Governor, not to abandon any eight of prac-
tical sovereignty which had been esercised in the dis-
puted territory, which had been held, occupied, and
located a; &laid] settlements, for any period within the
last century, or even later, he considered that the report
which had been made to him 'of the conduct of Baker
which was fit master for the cognizance of the law
officers of the CI own, and his Excellency accordingly
directed the Attorney General to take such measurer as
he might deem necessary to enforce the municipal laws
of the province, and to repress apd, to punish the dis•
orders which had been committed.,
41, The undersigned has not received from Sir Howard
Douglas any report jet, of the.proceedings against
Baker, subsequently to his arrest. He has the honour
to submit to the consideration of the Secretary of State
the accompanying docunienti, name; y--
" ' No. I. A report made to the Lieutenant Governor
by Mr. Morehouse, a Magistrate in the neighbourhood
of Madawaska.

" ' 2. The depositiat of Peter Sileste, relative to the
stopping of the mail.
" S. The deposition of William Perris, relative to
the flag of the United States having been hoisted by
Baker. _ _

" ' 4. and 5. The depositions of Abraham 'Chamber-
land and Peter Mar kee, relative to a paper circulated in
a settlement upon the Madawaska, for signatures
amongst the inhabitants, by which they were to bind
themselves to resist the Hi itish authority.
" •6. The opinion of the Attorney and Solicitor Ge-
neral of the Province.'
•• The Secretary of State will observe in the enclosed
depositions, that Baker and otheri asserted, that in the
measures which they took they would be supported by
the Government of the United States. It is hardly ne-
cessary for the undersigned to repeat the assurances
which he has received from the Lieutenant Governor of
New Brunswick, that his Excellency is convinced that
the Government ot the United States was not, in any
shape, awase of the intentions of Baker and his associates.
•• It is evident from the enclosed documents, that the
offensive conduct of Baker was not confined to stopping
the mail, but that he had hoisted the flag of the United
Stares, in defiance ot British claims, and had sought to
engage a party in an ancient British settlement to trans-
fer the possession to the United Stares.
" The undersigned has already communicated to the
Secretary of Stare sufficient proofs of the decided reso-
lution of his Majesty's Lieutenant Governor of New
Brunswick to maintain the disputed territory in the
same state in which his Excellency received it, after the
conclusion of the treaty of Ghent; and the undersigned
is convinced that a mutual spirit of forbearance ani•
mates the general Government of the United States. It
is painful to reflect upon the collisions of authority to
which both countries are so repeatedly exposed by the,
long delay which has taken place in finally adjusting,
tbe-lise of boundary on the north east frontier of the..
United States. In the present state of uncertainty, the
limits of the jurisdiction of each Government are pis-
apprehended and misunderstood by the class of persons

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