Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-08
xAssAcHvsErrs LHeIsLAruRx.
House of Representatives.
GREPoR7-coNTINyED.

las they were usually cailed)wer erat''
edto American sealpen; but this IN the
end, afforded only partial remedy 'of
the mischief. The government OF Tue
United States, however, having con-
victon of tie intrinsic difficulties OF the
subject, and placing confidence in the
assurances of Great Britain, IN the Ike
manner as they required her to place
confidence in theirs, of a sincere desire
to remedy the evil, still avoided the al
ternat live of war. With mutual expla-
nations & putual .forbearancc, our ccnn'
try still advanced in its prosperous Ca
:eer,
The practice Of impressment still con-
tinued to be subject OF complaint and
negotiation, and no arrangement was
effected till the year 1906. This I'm
purtant measure demands distinct con-
sideratlon.
Your committee find, that in that year
Messrs. Monroe and Pinkney, who had
been appointed by president j. fferson,
ministers to the court of Great Britain,
commenced their negotiation on the sub
iect of imprcssments, as we'll as the o.
Their subjects OF controversy between the
two countries. 1t was proposed by the
British commissioners, that the treaty OF
1894 should be made the basis of the
negotiation but this proposal was not
acc1ded to by our ministers. See NO,
SO.
1t appears that in the conferences the
British commissioners manifested the
strongest repuguance to a formal rcnun-~
citation OF their claim; but proposed as
a substitute, that our seamen should be,
furnished with documents, the nature
and form of which should be settled by
treaty, and that these documents should
completely protect the seamen; but that
subject to such projections, Great Bri-
tain should have the right to impress
her own seamen. See No. IS
1t also appears by the correspondence
OF our ministers, that the temper which
the British commissioners brought Into
the negotiation corresponding with that
which had been manifested towards our
ministers by all who were in official sta
tons, as we'll as by the public in gene
raj, was DIS friendly and respectful to Oh.
government and country, as could be
desired" See No 81 }
The result of this negotiation was an
adjustment of ali the differences between
the two Countries, The important sub.
ject of impressments, in particular, was
definitely arranged by note signed by
the British ministers, which is s,bioin-
ed to this report. (See No. SIS
BY this paper, as it was distinc,ly ,un
derstood and explained by the parties,
Messrs. Monroe and Pinekney expires,
their conviction that tho subject Of i'm
pressment is placed almost if not alto
gether, on as good footing as they
should have done, had the project VII ch
they themselves had offered to the Bli.
fish government been adopted. See
No. Sc
And they were further of opinion, that
the ground on which the subIect was
thus placed, was both honorable and
adyan,ag Gus to the United States" and
that it contained concession never be-
highly favorable to our interests. See
No 81.
Such appears to have been the dispo-
sitioh Of Great Britain, and such was the
arrangement made on this difficult and
important subject. This adjustment
how ever advantageous as it seems to
baye been in the opinion OF our minis
teys, your committee fnd, was rejected
by our government. Why it was thus
rejected, it is net the part ofyour com
mi,tee to intimate the enlightened peo-
pie of this commonwealth, happily, arc
able to judge, and will Judge for them
selves.
From this time the practice of i'm
pressment was not wholly abandoned by
Grsat Britain !; but from the year 1907,
it appears to- have been gradually les.
senine. SO inconsiderable- grievance,
indeed, did it appear to be in the year
1909, that when settlement Of our diff.
icrencss with Great Britain was made
with the British ninister.efr. Erskine,
the impressment Of our seamen was not
made q condition of the Arrangement /
bn, (the affair Of the Chesapeake frigate
being adjusted) upon the repeal of the
orders in council only, the intercourse !
between the two countries was renew
cd
This arrangement, it is well known,
was not carried into effect, and the inter-
course with Great Britain was again
terminated. Still however, the govern.
men, Of the United States did no, appear
to consider the subjcc, ofimpressments
as an obstacle to a renew OF the inter-
course, much less as necessary cause
Of war. For in the month IF July 1911,
(about eleven months before the wary
: the Secretary OF State informed the Bli-
lish minister lMr. FOSTER that should