STATEOPAPER S. 
_ gorce in fuch a termination of the 
 difcufions now depending, as may 
prevent any grounds of mifunder- 
ftanding in future, and may conti- 
nue and confirm that harmony and 
_ friendfhip which has happily fub- 
 ‘tifted between Great Britain and 
Spain; but we, at the fame time, 
feel it our indifpenfable. duty. to 
‘affure your ‘majefty of the determi- 
nation of this houfe to afford your 
majefty the moft zealous and effec- 
tual fupport in fuch meafures. as 
‘may become-requifite for maintain- 
ing ‘the dignity of your majefty’s 
crown, and the effential intereits of 
your majefty’s dominions. 
‘Subftauce of the Memorial prefented by 
 Lieutenait Mears to the Right 
\ ‘Aonourable W. Wyndham Gren- 
ville, due of His Majefty’s Prin- 
cipal Secretaries of State. With 
Explanations. ‘ é ; 
HIS memorial explains, m 
> general, the grounds that gave 
“rife to the prefent conteft with Spain ; 
shut the precife point, to be deter- 
mined before peace can be finally 
fertled, is fill involved in fome ob- 
feurity, ‘That fome of the fhips were 
feized, and others fuffered to proceed 
to trade unmoletted, is not eafily to 
_ bevaccounted for onthe principles 
_ of ‘the treaties that now fubfift be- 
_ tween the two nations. By the laf 
_ treaty of peace with Spain, a FREE 
TRADE, AND NO SEARCH, was the 
fine quad non on which it was con- 
_ eluded. The Spanith court, in her 
efént fituation, would. not then 
__ have ventured to inveit any of her 
‘officers with powers to. interrupt 
 L28y 
Britith {hips navigating the’ open 
‘ feas, and wantonly to infult the fag 
of Great Britain, as reprefented by 
the memorialiftat Nootka Sound, if - 
‘they had-not full fome latent claim 
to urge ‘which-has not yetbeen un- 
equivocally decided.—But to pro- 
ceed with the memorial. ~ 
About the beginning of the year 
1786, certain merchants, under the 
immediate protection of the Ba& 
India company, defirous- of -open- 
ing a trade with the N.W. coait of 
America, for {upplying the-Chinefe 
market with furs * arid ginfeng, 
communicated their defign to fir 
John Macpherfon, the governor ge- 
neral of India, who joined. in the 
»fubfcription for carrying it into ex- 
-ecution; and two veflels were pur- 
-chafed,.and placed under the direc- 
.tion of Mr. Mears, the memorialif. 
who had been a lieutenant in the 
-fervice of government. ~“ 
In March, the fame year, one of 
the veilels, named the Sea Otter; 
captain Tippin, was difpatched to 
Prince William’s Sound, and was 
foon followed by the other, named: 
the Nootka, commanded by Mr, © 
Mears himfelf, who, on his: arrival 
in Prince William’s Sound in Sep- 
tember, learned that the Sez Otter 
had’ left that place’ fome diys be- 
fore, and by future intelligence was 
affared, that the had beer Icf on 
the coaft of Kamfchatka, 
In Prince William’s Sound the 
Nootka wintered, and in the mean 
time her commander opened az ex- 
tenfive trade with the natives; and, 
having collected a cargo of furs, 
repaired to China in autumn 1787. 
In January, 1788, having dif- 
pofed of the Nootka, he, in con- 
* This trade was pointed out to merchants by captain King, in his concluding 
i svolume to the Voyages of captain Cook. 
junction 
