APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 391 



En cousdqueuce I'Eiupereur a charge sou Cabinet de declaier a M. le Due de 

 Wellington (sans que cette declaration puisse prejudicier en rieu a ses droits, si elle 

 u'6toit point accept^^e) qu'il est pret a fixer, an moyen d'uue negociatiou amicale et 

 sur la base des convenances mutuelles, les degres de latitude et de longitude que les 

 deux Puissances regarderont comme dernicres liniites de leurs possessions et de leurs 

 Etablisseuiens sur la cote nord-ouest de TAmerique. 



Sa Majeste Impdriale se plait a croire que cette negociatiou pourra se terminer 

 sans difficult^ a la satisfaction rt^ciproque des deux Etats, et le Cabinet de Russie 

 pent assurer d^s k present M. le Due de Wellington que les mesures de precautiou et 

 de surveillance qui seront prises alors sur la partie Rnsse de la c6te d'Amerique, so 

 trouveront entierement conformes aux droits derivant de sa souverainete, ainsi 

 qu'aux usages 6tablis outre nations, et qu'aucune plainte legitime ne pourra s' Clever 

 centre elles. 



V^RONE, le 11 {2S) Novembre, 1822. 



[Inclosure 3 in No. 15.] 

 The Duke of Wellington to Count Lieven. 



Verona, Novemher 2S, 1822. 



M. LE COMTE : Having considered the paper which your Excellency gave me last 

 night on the part of his Excellency Count Nessclrode on the subject of our discussions 

 on the Russian Ukase, I must inform jou that I cannot consent, ( n the part of my 

 Government, to found on that paper the negotiations for the settlement of the 

 question which has arisen between the two Governments on this subject. 



We object to the Ukase on the grounds: 



1. That His Imperial Majesty assumes thereby an exclusive sovereignty in North 

 America of which we are not prepared to acknowledge the existence or the extent. 

 Upon this point, however, the Memorandum of Count Nesselrode does afford the 

 means of negotiation, and my Goverument will be ready to discuss it either in London 

 or St. Fetersburgh whenever the state of the discussions on the otiier question 

 arising out of the Ukase will allow of the discussion. 



The second ground on which we object to the Ukase is that His Imperial Majesty 

 thereby excludes from a certain considerable extent of the open sea vessels of other 

 nations. 



We contend that the assumption of this power is contrary to the law of nations, 

 and we cannot found a negotiation upon a paper in which it is again broadly asserted. 

 We contend that no Power whatever can exclude another from the use of the open 

 sea. A Power can exclude itself irom the navigation of a certain const, sea, &c., by 

 its own act or engagement, but it cannot by right be excluded by another. This we 

 consider as the law of natious, and we cannot negotiate upon a paper in which a 



right is asserted inconsistent with this principle. 

 26 I thiuk, therefore, that the best mode of proceeding would be that yon should 



state your readiness to negotiate upon the whole subject, without restating the 

 objectionable principle of the Ukase, which we cannot admit. 



Ever yours, &c. (Signed) Wellington. 



No. 16. 



Tlie Dulce of Wellington to Mr. G. Canning. — [Received December 9.) 



No. 44.] Verona, November 29, 1822. 



Sir : Since I wrote to you yesterday I have bad another conversa- 

 tion with the Russian Ministers regarding tlie Ukase. 



It is now settled that both the Memorandums which I inclosed to you 

 should be considered as non arenus, and the Eussian Ambassador in 

 Loudon is to address you a uote in answer to that of the late Lord 

 Londonderry, assuring- you of the desire of the Emperor to negotiate 

 with you upou the whole questiou of the Emperor's claims in North 



