The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-19

its stipulations, was to expire two years af
| ter the signature OF preliminary articles, fol-
concluding the then existing war between G.
Britain and France. He wished to know
whether we considered the treaty as actually
expired / said, that did presume there
could be but one opinion on that point in res
pect to the commercial part of the treaty
which was, that it had expired : that the
first ten articles were made permanent; that
other articles had been executed, but that
then, being limited to definite period which
had passed, must be considered as expiring
with it. He said it seemed to him doubtful
whether the stipulation of the treaty had
been satisfied by what had occurred Since
the peace: that fair construction of it
might possibly require an interval of two
years peace after the war, which had not ta-
ken place in point of form, much less so in
fact, for the state of things which existed be-
tween the countries through that period, was
far from being a peaceable one. / Uniformed
his lordship, that the distinction had never
occurred to us, though certainly it would re-
ceive from our government all the conslde-
ration which it merited, especially if it was
relied on, OH his part. After some further
conversation, he seemed to admit, that the
construction he had suggested, of the stipu-
iation referred to, was rather forced one !;
that by the more obvious import of the arti-
Gle, the commercial part Of the treaty must
be considered as having expired. What
then, SAYS he, is the subsisting relation be-
tween the two countries Are we in the
state we were, at the close of the American
war? BY what rule is our intercourse to be
governed respecting tonnage, imposts and
the like said, that the law in each coun-
try, as presumed regulated these points.
He replied, that the subject was ncverthe-
less under some embarrassment here. He
asked, how far it would be agreeable to our
government to stipulate that the treaty of
1894, should remain in force until TWO wears
should expire after the conclusion of the
present war told hislordship that had
no power to agree to such a proposal that
the President, animated by a sincere desire
to cherish and perpetuate the friendly rela-
tons subslstng between the ,wo countries,
had ocen disposed to postpone the regulate
on OF their general commercial system till
the period should arrive, when each parry
enjoying the blessings of peace, might find
itself al liberty TO pay the subject the a.ten-
ton 1t Inerite.: that he wished those regu-
iatlons 70 ne founded in the permanent inter-
esrs, justly and hDeraIIy viewed, of both
countries that nc sought !or the present on
ly, 10 remove certain topics Which produced
IIrlLatIon la the intercourse, SaCi as the i'm
Pressment o. seamen, and in our commerce
with other powers, parties to the present
war, according to project which / had had
the honor to present his predecessor some
months since, with which l presumed MS
lordshlp was acquainted. He seemed dssi-
rouS to decline any conversation on this lat
ter subject, though it was Clearly to be in
terred from whar lie said, to be his opinion,
that the policy which our government seem
ed disposed To pursue in respect To the gene
raj system, could not otherwise than be a
greedble to his. He then added, that his go
vernment might probably, for the present,
adopt the treaty OF 1894, as the rule IN lbs
own concerns, or iii respect to duties Oh I'M
portations fromsour country, and, as under
stood him, all other subjects to which it ex-
tended; III which case he said, if the treaty
had expired, the ministry would take the
responsibility on itself, as there would be no
law to sanction the measure that in So do
ing, he presumed that the measure would DE
well received by our government, and a ST.
milar practice in what concerned Great-Dri-
tain, reciprocated. l observed, that Oh chat
particular topic, l had no authority 20 say a.
ny thing specially, the proposal being alto
Sether new and unexpected that l should
communicate 1t to you, and that l doubled
not that 1t would be considered by the pre-
Sident with the attention it merited MOT
wishing, however, to authorize an inter
ence that that treaty should ever form a ba-
SIS OF future one, between the two Countries,
repeated some remarks winch had made
to lord HawheSbury, III the interview
which we had, just before lac left the de
partment OF foreign affairs, by observing,
that In forming new treaty, we must begin
de novo ; thai America was a young and
thriving country that at the time that trea-
ty was formed, she had had little experience
OF her relations with foreign powers that
ten years had since elapsed, great portion
ca the term within which she had held the
rank OF separate and independent nation
and exercised the powers belonging to it
that our interests were better understood on
both sides at this time, than they then were
that the treaty was known to contain things
that neither liked chat / spoke with conf
dence OH that point, on our part that in ma
king new treaty, we might engraft from
that into 1t, what suited us, omit what We
disiiked, and add what Jhe experience Of our
respective interests might suggest to be pro-
per and being equally anxious 20 preclude
the inference OF any sanction to the mari
time pretensons of Great. Britain under
that treaty, in respect TO neutral commerce.
deemed it proper to advert again to the
project, which i had presented sometime
since, for the regulation OF those points, to
notice It's contents, and express AN earnest
wish that his lordship would find leisure and
be disposed to act on it. He excused himself
again from entering into this subject, from
the weight and urgency of other business the
difficulty of the subject, and other general
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