The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-14

~ stuat Oh the DrltlSn commissioners, and
proposes to extend, as you were appraised bv
our letter of the Sd of january, would be at
tempted by them, for the term of the treaty,
| the privileges of trade and inland navigation,
| secured by the Sd article of the treaty OF
1894, othe territories of the contracting par
| ties to the north and south of. the dividing
line established by the 5th article, in other
words, to Louisiana and the territories of
the Hudson's Bay Company, with the excep
ton only of the actual settlements of that
company and their immediate neighborhood.
This, ifagreed to, must undoubtedly be con-
sidered as a concession to. Great-Britain !;
| although the proposed arrangement throws
open to us for the first time the territories of
the Hudson's Bay although they still insist
| that their admission into the trade of Louisi-
ana is necessary consequence of our ac-
QUESTION oft, coupled with the third article
OF the treaty of 1894 and although they
| sometimes intimate that the independent
| tribes of savages who inhabt that vast re-
gion, have right to carry OH within it their
usual traffic with whom they please, and Of
course to authorize continuance of the
customary British trade to which this article
relates; and, ifnot absolutely to authorize it,
| at least to give to Great Britain claim up
on the United States for recognition of it
| Especially in connection with the treaty of
l794) upon fair terms and equivalents. We
| resisted this proposal by every considerati-
on which has been stated by you, or has &C.
| Cured to ourselves We dwelt particularly
upon the high motives of duty and the ur-.
gent views of policy, connected with the
public tranquility, as suggested by recent
facts, or by the state and peculiar populations.
as far as they were known, of the country to
the westward of the Mississippi, as well as
| by the nature and character of the traffic it
self, which were likely to influence our 60
vernment against any plan, which should
admit British, or any other foreign traders,
into 1T. We were not able. however. to pro-
duce any disposition to dispense with this
demand, and had abundant reason to appre-
bend that a rejection of it by the United
States, would be considered here as an I'M
friendly act, without an adequate motive,
| and might prevent the completion of any sa-
tisfactory arrangement of. the other points
embraced by the proposed convention. Still
| II the consideration of this subject should be
| resumed, we shall not fail to renew our eff
forts, whatever may be the prospect of sue
cess, to reconcile this government to the fai-
lure of this favorite object, unless the in
structions we may receive from you should
appear to point to different course.
| There is another feature in this article
which it is proper to notice, 1t relates to
a subject with which you are already fami-
| liar, the mode of calculating the ad vaiorem
! duties on goods imported into the u. States,
under the third article of the treaty of 1894.
The calculation is understood 10 be made up
Z! On the value i'll Canada, not upon the>value
at the place of original expectation. This is
complained of, not as a hardship merely, but
as plain infringement OF the treaty. The
! object is not perhaps ofsuch value as to make
| a perseverance in this doubtful practice de-
sirable, and it is certain that the eXplanati-
OH, if made at this time (and ifnot made now
it will probably be pressed hereafter with
Increased zeal, as being demanded by good
faith,) will be received in this country as the
effect of a just and liberal policy towards g.
Britain. The remaining provisions of the ar
ticle in favor of G.. Britain are OF no impor-
lance, and will perhaps be best explained
by the enclosed copy of an extra official
communication with regard to the Canada
trade" made to us by lord Holland and lord
Auckland some time ago.
The 9Th article of the project relates to a
trade by sea, between some port or ports of
the British Northern provinces and the u.
States, in the vessels of either party. The
article is not such as we entirely approve,
but connected with an act of parliament,
which it was proposed to pass immediately,
and Of which the draft was shewn to us BY
the British commissioners it would perhaps
so near to accomplish the object of our go
vernment Our project contained am article
upon this subject proposing an open trade in
native productions, with the same system of
duties as is contained in our treaty. We
were told that, although well disposed to-
wards our object, it was impossible for the
government to venture at present upon a
measure striking so plainly and essentially at
their colonial system, that with the aid of
| the good understanding between the two
countries, which would grow out of the adj
justment of all points of difference, their
plan would be found in its practical effect to
be nearly, ifnot altogether as convenient and
beneficial to us as our own and that, by ia
king form as little calculated as possible,
to alarm the advocates of rigorous monopoly,
it was the more likely to become the success
full means ofintroducing more enlightened O.
pinions, and more liberal practice into the
whole colony system of this country.
The 9Th article merely presrcibes the du
ration of the commercial articles of the on
! venton.
/ We ought to add that we had inserted in
our project upon the subject of boundary an
article relative to Grand Menan, but found
it impracticable to retain it the British
commissioners had been induced to believ c
Il - l..