The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-19

Great anxiety having been excited by a
different construction which many believed
the decree to be susceptible of, the minister
of the u. States at Paris requested of the
minister of Marine, who Was charged with
its execution, anv explanation Of the sense in
which it was understood by his government.
who assured him that it was not intended
that it should in any degree interfere with
the provisions of the treaty of 1900, between
the u. States and France.
We relied also upon the fact, not only that
no countenance had been given by any prac-
tice or judicial decision, in France, to diff
tercnt Construction, but that the practice was
in precise conformity with the view above
suggested, and that IN cause, In which the
Question had been formally brought into dis
cussion, the court had sanctioned the conclu-
sion, that the treaty between the two natl
ons was to be exactly fulfilled, and that the
decres was to be SO construed as not to in
fringe it.
We think it proper to confne ourselves to
the passage alluded to in OUR former letter,
and not to enter in this communication, in a
ny other respect, on tile subject Of the paper
with which it is connected.
We have the honor to be,
With the highest consideration;
A Sir,
Your mos obedient servants.
(Signed) JAMES MONROE,
WIN. PINKNEY.
Mr.. Canning to Meisrs. Monroe e. Pink,iey
FOREIGN OFFICE, October %, 1907.
Gentlemen,
The considerations which have
hitherto suspended our commune alton on
the subject Of the treaty, returned from A
merica, having ceased, by the termination
of the discussion between Mr.. Monroe and
myself, respecting the encounter between the
Leopard and the Chesapeake; I have now
the honor to transmit to you the answer
which have been commanded by his ma
Jesty to return 70 your note OF the oath OF Ju-
ly.
/ have the honor to be,
With high consideration,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient humble servant,
(Signed) GEORGE CANNING.
1uessrs Monroe and PiHk"ey,}
The undersigned, his majesty's principal
secretary of state for foreign affairs, in re-
turning an answer to the official note with
which -Messrs. Monroe and Pinkney have
accompanied their communication of the CO.
py of the treaty, which has been sent back
unratihed from America, is commanded in
the first place, to inform the American COM
missioners, that his majesty cannot profess
himself to be satisfied that the American go
vernment has taken any such effectual steps
with regard to the decree of France, by
which the whole of his majesty's dominions
are declared in a state of blockade, as to do
away the ground of that reese rvation which
was contained in the note delivered by his
majesty's commissioners at the time of the
signature ofthe treaty but that, reserving
to himself the right of taking, in consequence
of that decree, and of the omission of any
effectual interposition on the part of neutral
nations to obtain it's revocation, such a mea-
sure of retaliation as his majesty might
judge expedient, it was nevertheless the de-
sire and determination Of his majesty, if the
treaty had been sanctioned by the ratification
I of the President of the United States, to
have ratified it on his majesty's part; and 20
have given the fullest extent to all its stipu-
lationS.
Some of the considerations upon which the
Refusal|of the President of the United States
to ratify the treaty is founded, are such as
can be matter OF discussion only between
the American government and its comrnissi-
oners: since it is not for his majesty to in
quire whether, in the conduct Of this nego-
citation, the commissioners of the u. States
have failed to conform themselves, in any
respect, to the instructions of their govern
ment.
In order to determine the course which
MS majesty has to pursue in The present stage
of the transaction, it is sufficient that the
treaty was considered by those who signed
it as a complete and perfect instrument No
engagements were entered into on the part of
his majesty as connected with the treaty, ex-
cept such as appear upon the face of it.
Whatever encouragement may have been gi-
ven by his majesty's commissioners to the
hope expressed by the commissioners of the
United States, that discussions might there
after be entertained, with respect to the i'm
pressment of British seamen from merchant
vessels, must be understood to have had in
view the renewal of such discussions, not as
forming any part of the treaty then signed,
Gas the American commissioners appear to
nave been instructed to assume) but sepe-
rately, and at some subsequent period more
favorable to their successful termination.
But the alterations proposed by the presi-
dent of the United States in the body of the
treaty, thus formally concluded, appear to
require more particular observation.
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