Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-04-08

nipotentiaries, on the part of the Uni
tea states OF America, have signed this
present treaty, and have causr;l to be
athXed thereto the seal of our arms
Done at London, this thirty first day
OF Dec. one thousand eight hundred and
six.
CSeGf1 (Signed) vAssALL HOLLAND,
| [Scaf] (Signed) AUCKLAND,
LSedL1 (Signed) JAMES MONROE,
local (Signed) WILLIAM PINKNEY.
The following is the official N1afe o,sg,,.r-
ed 6y Lords Holland and auckland IN
the american ministers h,.cvfouglv to
signing the treaty
Ihe undersigned Henry Richard Vassai'
lord Holland, and William lord Auckland
pienIpoIentiaries of his Britannia mates ".
have the honor to intern James Mon roe.
and William Pinckney, commissioners ex :
ltraordnary and plenpotentiarv of the u
>. of America, that they are now ready to
proceed to the signature of the treaty Of a.
NIFTY, commerce and navigation, on the arr
ticies OF which they have mutually agreed
But ct the same time they have it in COM
lnand iron his majesty to Call the attention
OF the commissioners of the u. s. to some
extraordinary proceedings which have late
! ly taken place on the contin, mt of Europe.
!
sentiments of his majesty's government,
| thereupon.
The proceedings ALLUDED to are certain
declarations and orders of the French 90
vernment issued at Berlin on The 2Ist of
November last.
In those orders the French government
seeks to justify or palliate IT'S own unjust
pretensions by imputing to Great Britain
/ principles which she never protested, and
practices which never existed. His ma
iJesty IS accused of systematic and gene.
raj disregard or the law of nations recog.
nized by civilized states, and more parti-
cuiarly OF an unwarrantable extension of
the right of blockade; whereas his maio sty
may confidently appeal to the world on his
u.Iform respect for neutral rights, and his
general and scrupulous adherence TO the
law OF nations without condescendina- to
contrast his conduct in these particulars
with that OF his enemy and with regard
to the only spec nc charge, 1t is notorious
| that he has never declared any ports, to be
in a state of blockade withru. allottinp IN
tn t object force sufficient to make che
! entrance into them manifestly dangerous.
| by such allegations, unfounned as they are.
the enemy attempts to justifybis prctensions
OF conhscating as lawful prize all produce
OF English industry or manufacture, tho il
| be the property of Deutrals of excluding
| from his harbours every neutra vessel
which has touched at any port OF his maieS-
| tvs dominions though employed in an in.
nocent commerce, and OF declaring Great
| Britain to be in a state of blockade though
his own naval ports and arscnals are actu-
ally block AIDED, and he is unable to station
any naval force whatever before any port
Of the United Kingdom
Such principles are III themselves extra
VACANT and repugnant to the law ofnations:
and the pretensons founded on them. though
professedly directed solely against Great
Britain, tend to alter the prac tice of war
| amongst civilized natsons, and utterly TO
subvert the rights and independence of neu-
trail powers.
The undersigned cannot therefore be
| lieve that the enemy will ever seriously at,
! tempt to enforce such system. If he
should, they are Confident that the good
sense of the American government will
perceive the fatal consequences Of such pre-.
tensions to neutral commerce, and tn at its
! spirit and regard to national honor will
! prevent its acquiescence in such palpable
violations OF its rights, and injurious in.
croachments on it's interest.
| If however the enemy should carry tt csc
threats into execution, and if neutral natl.
ons, contrary to all expectation, should
] acquesce m such uSurpatlons, his majesty
might probably be compelled, however re-
luctant!y, to retaliate in his just defence,
and to adopt, In regard to the commerce
Of neutral nations with his enemies, the
same measures which those shall have per-
mi.ted to be enforced against their com.
merce with his subjects The commissi..
! oners Of the u. S will therefore feel, that
at a moment when his majesty and All neu-
trail nations are threatened with such an
extension of the bclligerent preteDsiODs Of
bis enemies, he cannot enter into the stipu.
lations of the present treaty without an ez-
PLANTATION FROM the ". s. oftheir intention,
or reservation on the part Of his majesty,
in the case above mentioned, II il should
occur.
The undersigned considering that the
distance Of the American government rem
ders any immediate explanation on this
subject impossible, and animated by de-
sire of forwardn the ben, hcal work in
which they are engaged, are authorised by
lhis majesty TO Conclude the treaty without
delay. They proceed 20 the signature I'M
der the ful! pursuasion that before the tres-
~ shall be returned from America with the