Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-01-11

Tie american Pis,Hhotem.iaric8 to the Sc
cre!ary Of STATE.
LONDON. 81 July, 1915.
We b've the honor to transmit a con-
vcntion for regulating the commercial in
tercourse between the u. States and Great
Britain, which we concluded this day with
the British penipotcntiaries.
Messieurs Clay and Gailatin's despatch
of the 18th May last, h informed you of
the preliminary steps taken by them on
that subject. Mr.. Adams arrived IN Lon
don on the 25th of May, and CT the 5th of
June we were invited by Messrs. Rob nson,
Goulburn and Adams. to . eet them on tie
9Th. At this conference after mutual ex-
hioit'on OF our powers, and some general
observations. we delivered to them our
projet of a commercial convention, a copy
ofwhich (marked ~ is herewith en-; Iosed.
They promised to take it into immediate
consideration and on the 9th, informed us
that they would prepare and transmit to US
a contre frGet.
Believing that there was no prospect of
an immediate arrangement on the SUBJECT
OF seameD, and knowing that without it no
treaty. detiring the rights and duties of bel
ligereni ), I'd .u.rals was admissible, we
excluded all that = latci to that branch of
the subject from our Pr jet, and confined il
to objects purely commercial.
We took the 81 article Of the treaty of
1891, respecting the Intercourse with Can
ida, IS the basis of the corresponding art
Gle, emitting. according to our Instructions,
whatever related to the Indian trade. In
drawing the other articles. we were princi-
palv guided 10y the unratitied treaty Of
iN,-e c,.,f 10,
!. by the secretary Of state, ia his despatch
of May Goth 1907. and by the act of Con-
gress, of 81 March last. for abolishng IL
Discriminating duties. From the previous
explicit declarations of the British plcai-
Potent, iies, we deemed il useless to offer
any article on the subject OF the intercourse
with the w st-India Islands, aud only in
serted a clause, 10 prevent the application
to that intercourse of the provisions con-
.cmplate@ by the convention.
On the 10th. the British plenipotentiaries
addressed to us 4 note, enclosing their con-
s~s hr4jet, (marked y; and en- the 17th
we transm tied our answer, (markcd 81.
The whole subject was discussed at arge
in conference held on the 19,h and 21st.-
The british plenipotentiaries, in note of
the Goth. (.naIked y stated the substance
Of their answer to ours OF the 18th. In the
additional clause to the Cd article OF the
tontre trojet, On rkcd 81 and afterwards
on the same day we transmitted our note
(marked s..
il will be perceived by these notes that
we h al cone to all understanding as to the
intercourse between the u. States and the
British territories in Europe, and that we
disagreed on points the intercour. with
Canada placing. generally, both Countries
ON the footing of the most favored nations
end the intercourse with the British East
indies.
On the first point the British plenipo-
eentiaries persisted ia refusing to admit
chat the citizens of the u. States should
have the right to take their produce down
the river SAINT L1Wrence to Montreal, and
down the river ChGmtly Tor SoreD TO the
s lint Lawrence. And with ut that per-
mission the article WAS useless TO us, aud
unequal in Us pr ,ctlcal operation. The
provision that the importation Of our pro-
tuce into Canada sh uld not be prohibited,
tm.ess the proh.b ton extended generally
70 al similar articles. afforded US no securi-
" , as no similar ar.cles are imported
into Canada from any other foreign coun-
try whist the corresponding provision,
resDectng tie importation into the United
States, through Canada, Of the produce <
manu- Gu e5 Of 9. Britain, otualy pre-
v mel us from prohibiting such an impor
taton since this could noL be done without
extending the prohibition to the inporta~
u ~ of al similar articles, either Of Bril-
tish or other foreign growth OF manufac-
tlre. So tle Atlantic ports cf the UONcd
S,atfs.
The article for placing respectively the
two countries On the fOoting Of the most ia
W rcd u..tiJn, limited as was insisted on by
tne British picHpotentlarIes, to the inter
course Detw Ell the II. States and the Ea-
topsan territories Of G.. Britain, was unne-
cthaly SINCE all that appeared desirable
on SOAR subj Ct was secured by the second
sfticle and a provision Of that nature,
u less Offering some obvious advantage,
Jwas deemed embarrassng on account
Z Of the d. iiiCulties attached 10 its cXccuti-
on.
With this yicw of the two subjects, and
fmiing that to arrange them IN satisfdc-
tory manner was impracticaEle, We propo.
sd 80 our note &c the 2lst 20 omit altogeth-
e. the articles relating 70 them.
Cnthe s4iblcct OF tie Intercourse with
Tala, the bri ish plenipotcnt arcs, contra
rg 10 l3e lnpressioa made in The unofficial
l.snyer.ayon OF Mcssts. Clay aud Gailatm,
had ias l.el on our OH -ial conferences,
tlatoar d.oissou to that trade was, on the
81. lrt If g.. Brit. Isl, 4 concession altogether
lr4.ui,ous and for which, particularly as