STATE PAPERS. 



247 



particular circumstances, not easily 

 reached by civil process. 



Tiiat as for these losses and inju- 

 ries, adequate compensation, by 

 means of judicial proceedings, has 

 become impracticable ; and consi- 

 dering the causes which combined 

 to produce them, the Uiited States 

 confide in his majesty's justice and 

 magnanimity, to cause such com- 

 pensation to be made to these inno- 

 cent sufferers, as may be consistent 

 with equity : and the undersigned 

 flatters himself, that such principles 

 may without difficulty be adopted, 

 as will serve as rules whereby to as- 

 certain the cases and the amount 

 of compensation. 



So grievous are the expences and 

 delays attending litigated suits, to 

 persons whose fortunes have been 

 ■, ' 60 materially affec;ed ; and so great 

 is the distance of Great Britain from 

 America,thattheundersitrned thinks 

 he ought t0 express his anxiety, that 

 a mode of proceeding as summary 

 and little expensive may be devised, 

 as circumstances and the peculiar 

 hardship of these cases may appear 

 to permit and require. 



And as (at least in some of these 

 cases) it may be expedient and ne- 

 cessary, as well as just, that the sen- 

 tences of the courts of vice-admi- 

 ralty should be revised and corrected 

 by the court of appeals here, the 

 undersigned hopes it will appear 

 reasonable to his majesty to order 

 that the captured in question (who 

 have not already so done) be re ad- 

 mitted to enter both their appeals 

 and their claims. 



The undersigned also finds it to 

 be his duty to represent, that the 

 irregularities before-mentioned ex- 

 tended not only to the capture and 

 condemnations of American vessels 



and property, and to unusual per- 

 sonal severities, but even to the im- 

 pressment of American citizens, to 

 s?rve on board of armed vessels. 

 He forbears to dwell on the injuries 

 done to these imfortunate indivi- 

 duals, or 0.1 the emotions which 

 they must natLirally excite, either in 

 the breasts of the nation to whom 

 they belong, or to the'just and hu- 

 mane of every country. His reli- 

 ance on the justice and benevolence 

 of his majesty, leads him to indulge 

 a pleasing expectation, that orders 

 wdl be given, that Americans, so 

 circumstanced, be immediately li- 

 berated, and that persons honoured 

 with his majesty's commissions do 

 in future abstain from similar vio- 

 lences. 



It is with cordial satisfaction that 

 the undersigned refl.-cts on the im- 

 pressions which such equitable and 

 conciliatory measures would make 

 on the minds of the United States, 

 and how naturally they would in- 

 spire and cherish these sentimiMits 

 and dispositions, which never fail to 

 preserve, as well as to produce re- 

 spect, esteem, and friendship. 

 (Signed) 



John Jay.. 

 London, July SO, 179*. 



Aimver of Lord Grcnullle to the 

 above memorial. 



THE undersigned secretary of 

 state has liad the honour to lay 

 before the king the minL'^terial note, 

 which he has received from Mr. Jay, 

 envoy exti-aordmai-y and minister 

 plenipotentiary from tlie United 

 States of America, respectmg the 

 alleged irregularity ot the capture 

 and condemnation of several Amr- 

 rican vessels, and also respectmg tlie 

 K 4« circum* 



