246 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



I will only add, that your mes- 

 sage seems to promise the congress 

 some statement upon those sub- 

 jects. 



Edm. Randoiph. 



The president of the United States. 



Jllessage from the president of the 

 United States, to the Senate. 



United States, I6th Jpril, nOl. 



Gentlemen of the senate, 



THE communications which I 

 have made you during your 

 present session, from the dispatches 

 of our minister in London, contain 

 a serious aspect of our aflFairs with 

 Great Britain. But as peace ought 

 to be pursued with unremitted zeal, 

 before the last resource, which has 

 so often been the scourge of nations, 

 and cannot fail to check the ad- 

 vanced prosperity of the United 

 States, is contemplated, I have 

 thought proper to nominate, and do 

 hereby nominate John Jay, as an 

 envoy extraordinary of the United 

 States to his Britannic majesty. 



My confidence in our minister 

 plenipotentiary in London continues 

 undiminished ; but a mission like 

 this, while it corresponds with the 

 solemnity of the occasion, wiil an- 

 nounce to the world a solicitude for 

 a friendly adjustment of our com- 

 plaints, and a reluctance to hostility. 

 Going immediately from the United 

 States, such an envoy will carry 

 with him a full knowledge of the 

 existing temper and sensibility of 

 our country ; and will thus be 

 taught to vindicate our rights with 

 firmness, and to cultivate peace 

 with sincerity. 



G. Washington. 



Memorial from Mr. Jay, the Ame- 

 rican minister plenipotentiary at 

 the British court, to lord Grenville. 



THE undersigned envoy of the 

 United States of America hag 

 the honour of representing to the 

 right hon. lord Grenville, his Bri- 

 tannic majesty's secretary of state for 

 the department of foreign affairs : 



That a very considerable number 

 of American vessels have been ir- 

 regularly captured, and as impro- 

 perly condemned, by certain of his 

 majesty's officers and judges. 



That, in various instances, these 

 captitres and condemnations were 

 so conducted, and the captured 

 placed under such unfavourable cir- 

 cumstances, as that, for want of the 

 securities required, and other obsta- 

 cles, no appeals were made in some 

 cases, nor any claims in others. 



The undersigned presumes that 

 these facts will appear from the do- 

 cuments which he has had the ho- 

 nour of submitting to his lordship's 

 consideration ; and that it will not 

 be deemed necessary at present to 

 particularize these cases, and their 

 merits, or detail the circumstances, 

 which discriminate some from 

 others. 



That great and extensive injuries 

 having thus, under colour of his 

 majesty's authority andcommissions, 

 been done to a numerous class of 

 American merchants, the United 

 States can for reparation have re- 

 course only tothe justice, authority, 

 and interposition of his majesty. 

 That the vessels and property taken 

 and condemned have been chiefly 

 sold, and the proceeds divided a- 

 mong a number of persons, of 

 whom some are dead, some unable 

 to make retribution, and others, 

 from frequent removals, and their 



particular 



