Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-04-14

own jurisdiction for preventing the clan.
destine departure OF its scamen or its sol
diers in neutral vessels. Add il is very
i ineligible TO the US. iuasmuch as Il will
be difficult to enforce the prohibition, whe.
Their we regard the embarkstioa Of such
persons in British ports, or their landing
on the American shores; and inasmurh as
the inefacacy of regulations for such pur-
poses, though made with due sineerity z
care, may become source OF secret Jea-
lousy ard dissaticfacsion, if not of contro
veYsy and reproach.
The article is copied from tina, ia the
arrangement {of which you have q copy
DISCUSSED and brought near 60 eonela.
sion between Mr.. King and the British
misis.ry, and you are authorised 60 accede
to- it, on the suppositiou that it may again
be insisted on. II is to be recolleeted,
however, that the article was then under.
stood to be the only price given for rein.
gushing the impressment OF American
seamen. The other offers now substituted
will justify you 10 pressing the omission
of the original one.
On Articie6 70 The law of nations does
not. exact of neutral powers the prohibition
specified in this article. On the other hand,
it does not restrain. them from prohibiting a
trade which appears on the. face of the official
papers proceeding from the custom house to
be intended toyiolate the lawsof nations, and
from which legitimate considerations of pru-
dence may also dissuade government. All
that can be reasonably expected BIZ belligerent
from neutral powers is>that their regulations
on this subject be Impartial and that their
stipulations relative to it,, when made in time
of war at least, should not preclude an i'm
Partially. ~, s
1t is not certain what degree Of value Great
Britain may put on tits article, connected, as
it essentially is, with the article which limits
the list Of contraband. 1t will at least miti-
gate her objection to such limitation. With
the range given to contraband by her construc-
ton of the law of nations, even as acquiesced
in by the y. States, a stipulation of this sort
would be utterly inadmissible.
The last article, in making this city the
place for exchanging the ratihcations, con-
suits expedition In putting the treaty into
operation, since the British ratification can be
forwarded at the same time with the instru-
ment itself. And it is otherwise reasonable,
that as the negotiation and formation of the
treaty will have taken place at the seat of the
British government, the concluding formality
should be at that of the government of the
US
In addition to these articles which, with
the observations thereon, Il ann; charged by
the president to communieate TO you as his
instructions, he leaves you at liberty to in
seitS any others which may do no more than
place British armed vessels, with their prizes,
on an equality within our ports and jurisdic-
ton with those of France. This would only
stipulate what would probably be done by gra-
tuitous regulations here, and as it would no
doubt be acceptable to Great Britain, it may
not only aid in reconciling her to the principal
objects desired by the United States, but may
induce her to concur in the furtserinsertion
of articles, corresponding with those5i in the
convention of fSoO with Frances which re-
guIate more precisely and MORE etfectually,
the treatment Of vessels of the Neutral party
on the high seas.
Ise4ise occasion viii he proper also, for calling
the attention of the british government to the
reasonableness Of permitting American con-
suls, to reside in every part of her dolninlons,
where, and,so long as she permits our citizens
to trade, It is not denied that she has ma
tural right to refuse such a residence, and
Il that she is free by her treaty with us, to re-
/ ese9e i inpther than her European domlnlons.
But {he exception authorised with respect to
| the residence of consuls elsewhere, having
: = e.. Jo lee,
! where, the refusal ofthe one ought manifestly
to cease with the refusal of the other. When
our vessels and citizens are allowed to trade
TO ports IN the NVeS(- Indies, there is the aame
reason for a contemporary admission of con-
.sgls to take care Of it, as there is for their
admission in ports where the trade is perma-