APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 367 



No. 2. 



The King's Advocate to the Marquis of Londonderry. — (Received Novem- 

 ber 22.) 



Doctors' Commons, November 20, 1821. 



My Lord: I am liononred with your Lordship's commands signified 

 in Mr. Phmtas' letter of the 15th instant, transmitting a note from the 

 Eussian Envoy, inclosing a printed copy of an Edict for regulating 

 foreign trade with the Aleutian Islands, and other possessions on the 

 north-west coast of America, appertaining to Eussia. 



And your Lordship is pleased to request that I would take the tenour 

 of the Eegulations therein contained into consideration, and rexiort 

 thereon for your Lordship's information. 



In obedience to your Lordship's directions I have the honour to report 

 that it appears to be the object of this communication to obtain indi- 

 rectly from His Majesty's Government an acknowledgment of territo- 

 rial rights which are assumed by Eussia over a portion of sea that may 

 become of great importance with reference to the trade of that part of 

 the world, and the discoveries which are now directed to that quarter. 



The communication indirectly asserts an exclusive right in the sover- 

 eignty "(I' wwe mer fermec, sur l'esi)ace de mer, dont les possessions" 

 (from Behring's Straits to 51° north, on the west coast of America, and 

 45° north on the coast of Asia) "ferment les limites," and it proceeds 

 to announce as a qualified exercise of that right the exclusion of all 

 foreign ships, under pain of confiscation, from approaching within 100 

 miles of those coasts. 



The extent of territory so assumed is much greater than is ordinarily 

 recognized by the principles of the law of nations. And I humbly 

 submit whether it may not be expedient to declare the intention of His 

 Majesty's Government to adhere to those principles, with such obser- 

 vations as may be deemed expedient to deprecate any infringement on 

 the rights of commerce and navigation that may aflect Great Britain 

 or her subjects. 



I have, &c. (Signed) Christ. Eobinson. 



3 No. 3. 



Count Lieaen to the Marquis of Londonderry. — (Received November 30.) 



Le Comte de Lieveu presente ses compliments a Milord Londonderry, 

 et a I'hoQueur de transmettre ci-joint a son Excellence la copie qu'elle 

 lui a demandee de la depeche de M. le Comte de Nesselrode, eu date 

 du 7 Octobre, sub No. 29. 



Harley Street, Londres, le 29 Novembre, 1821. 



[iBclosure 1 in No. 3. — Circulaire.} 

 Count Nesselrode to Count Lieven. 



Saint-Petersbourg, le 7 Octohre, 18S1. 

 M. LE Comte : An moment de renouveler le privilege de la Compagnie Russe- 

 Am^ricaine, et de soumettre a uue revision des Regleraena concernant ses operations 

 commerciales, le Gouvernement a dii vouer une attention particnlifere aux plaintes 

 auxqnelles ont phis d'une fois donn^ lieu les entreprises de contrebandiers et aven- 

 turiers 6tranger8 sur les cOtes nord-ouest de TAm^rique appartenant a la Russie. 



