, 1840-04-25
Mn. Fox TO Mr.. FORSYTH.

"Ns va ios lofOs
The undersigned, her Britanic Majesty
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PIenipo-
tertiary, has been instructed by his govern
ment to make the following communication
to the Secretary of State of the United
States, in reference to the boundary negotia-
ton, and the affairs of the disputed territory.
Her Majesty's government have had I'M
der their consideration the official note adj
dressed to the undersigned by the Secretary
of State of the United States, on the Gath OF
December, in reply to a note from the under
signed of the Cd of November preceding.
in which the undersigned protested. in the
name OF this government, against the extern
sive system OF aggression pursued by the
people of the State of Maine within the dis
puted territory, to the prejudice of the rights
of Great Britain, and in manifest violation of
the provisional agreements entered into be-
tween the authorities of the two countries
at the beginning of the last year.
Her Majesty's government have also had
their attention directed to the public mes
sage transmitted by the Governor of Maine
to the Legislature of the State, on the Sd Of
January of the present year.
Upon q consideration of the statements
contained in these two official documents, her
Majesty's government regret to find that the
principal acts of encroachment which were
denounced and complained of on the part of
Great Britain, so far from being either dis
proved, discontinued, or satisfactorily ex-
planned by the authorities of the State of
Maine, are, on the contrary, persisted in,
and publicly avowed.
Her Majesty's government have conse-
-,,a-<1-.~ 49, H. ,,l
formally 10 protest against those acts Of en-
croachment ard aggression.
Her Majesty's government claim and ex-
pect from the good faith of the government
of the United States, that the people of
Maine shall replace themselves in the situa-
ton in which they stood before the agree
ments of last year were signed-that they
shall therefore retire from the valley of the
St. John, and confine themselves to the val
ley of the Arostock; that they shall occupy
that valley in a temporary manner only, for
the purpose as agreed upon, of preventing
depredations; and that they shall no con-
struct Notifications, nor make roads of per-
manent settlements.
Until this be done by the people of the
State of Maine, and SO long as that people
shall persist in the present system of agrees
sion, her Majesty's government will feel it
their duty to make such military arrange
ments as may be required for the protection
of her Majesty's rights. And her Majesty's
government deem it right to declare that if
the result of the unjustifiable proceedings of
the State of Maine should be a collision be-
tween her Majesty's troops and the people
of that State, the responsibility of all the
consequences that may ensue therefrom; be
they what they may, will rest with the people
and government of the United States.
The undersigned has been instructed to
add to this communication, that her Majesty's
government are only waiting for the detailed
report of the British commissioners recently
employed to survey the disputed territorr,
which report, it was believed, would be COM
pleted and delivered to her Maiesty's gov
eminent by the end of the present month in
order to transmit to the government of the
United States a reply to their last proposal
upon the subject of the boundary negotiation. |,
The undersigned avails himself Of this &C.
casion to renew to the Secretary of State of
the United States the assurance of his dis
tinguished consideration. H. S. FOX. |,
Hon. John Forsyth, &c.