APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 405 



Government of the United States in the month of April last, could have 

 reached the Eussian Commander in those seas. Similar assurances 

 were given to the British Government by the Eussian Ambassador in 

 September; and the whole subject is now under negotiation at St. 

 Petersburg! 1. 

 Foreign Office, June 27^ 1823. 



38 No. 28. 



Mr. G. Canning to Sir G. Bagot. 



No. 12.] Foreign Office, July 13, 1823. 



Sir: I have the honour to inclose, for your Excellency'.s information, 

 the copy of a despatch received from His Majesty's Minister in America 

 upon the subject of tlie Eussian Ukase relating to the north-west coast 

 of America, also of a letter from the Ship-owners' Society upon the same 

 subject, and of a Memorandum of my reply to that letter. 



Your Excellency will observe from JNIr. Stratford Canning's despatch 

 that the {4overnnient of tlie United States are desirous to join with that 

 of His Majesty in bringing forward some proposition for the definitive 

 settlement of tliis question with Eussia. 



We have no precise information as to the views of the American Gov- 

 ernment, Mr. ]\ush not having yet received any instructions upon tlie 

 subject. It seems probable, however, that the part of the question in 

 which the American Government is iieculiarly desirous of establishing 

 a concert with this country is that which concerns the extravagant 

 assumption of maritime jurisdiction. Upon this point, it being now 

 distinctly understood that Eussia waives all her pretensions to the 

 practical exercise of the rights so unadvisedly claimed, the only ques- 

 tion will be as to the mode and degree of disavowal with which Great 

 Britain and the United States might be respectively satisfied. 



Upon this i^oint, therefore, such a concert as the United States are 

 understood to desire will be peculiarly advantageous; because, sujipos- 

 ing the disavowal made, there is no disposition on the part of His Majesty 

 to press hard upon the feelings of the Emperor of Eussia, and it would 

 certainly be more easy for His Majesty to insist lightly on what may be 

 considered as a point of national dignity, if he acted in this respect in 

 concert with another Maritime Power, than to exact any less degree, 

 either of excuse for the past or of security for the future, than that 

 other Power might think necessary. 



Great Britain and the United States may be satisfied jointly with 

 smaller concessions than either Power could accept singly, if the 

 demands of the other were likely to be higher than its own. 



I therefore think it best to defer giving any precise instructions to 

 your Excellency on this point until I shall have been informed of the 

 views of the American Government upon it. 



In the meantime, however, you will endeavour to draw from the Eus- 

 sian Government a proposal of their terms, as we should undoubtedly 

 come much more conveniently to the discussion, and be much more 

 likely to concert an Agreement u])on moderate terms with the American 

 Government if a proposal is made to us, than to agree in originating 

 one which vould be satisfactory at once to both Governments and to 

 Eussia. 



