310] 
conceive, in the obligations of im- 
partial neutrality, of stipulations by 
treaty, and of the law of nations. 
“L hope, Sir, you will find it con- 
venien by an early answer, to fe. 
remove the suspense in which the 
government of the Unitrd States is 
now held on the question above 
Stated. 
I shall close this letter by one 
remark on the singularity of your 
causing the publication of your 
note. As it concerned the United 
States, i it was properly addressed to 
its government, to which alone per 
tained the right of communica: cing 
jt in such time and manner as it 
should think fit to the citizens of 
the United States. 
I am, sir, with great resped, 
your most obedient servant, 
‘ - Timotny PICKERING. 
United States, Philad Lybic, Nov. 3. 
qa M. Adet, Ministe + Pl ‘nipotentiary 
of the French Republi:. 
Substance of the memorial presented by 
Citizen Adet ca the American Secre- 
tary for Foreign Affairs, previous 
to his announcing that he was no 
Longer to be considered as the Mi- 
nist-r of the French Republic. 
THE minister of the French re- 
peblic,’ through the whole of his 
note, speaks as aéting | under the 
xpress orders from the executive 
dire€tory. © After expressing the at. 
tachment of his goreqaman for the 
American people, he ‘comp!: ains, In 
the name of the direftery, of a vio- 
lation on the part of our execu- 
tive of the 17th article of the trea. 
ty of 1778. The first part cf that 
article stipulates, that the French 
shall be at ‘iberty to bring their 
prizes into cur ports, wiihourt its 
beiny lawful for any of our officers 
to take cognizance of their, validity, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
In contempt of this stipulation, he 
states that several French pr zes 
brought into our ports have been 
seized, tried, and restored to their 
original owners, with various de. 
grees of delay, vexation, injustice, 
and injury. He complains, that 
the English were suffered to arm 
in Our ports in various instances, 
and that the complainis of the 
agents of the French republic ever 
proved i ineffectual in stopping them. 
Persons suspected of having assisted 
in arming French privateers were 
immediately thrown into prison, 
while those concerned in arming 
British vessels were never molested : 
the executive in these instances ex- 
hibiting an evident partiality for 
the English, and no regard for the 
Mainienance of their “neutrality. 
The second stipulation in article 
7th, prohibits’ all English ships 
that shall have made French prizes 
from entering our ports, Our ex- 
ecutive have, in their construétion 
of this stipulation, confined its pro. 
hibitory effet to British vessels at. 
tempting to come in with their 
prizes. The minister protests, in, 
the name of the director:, against 
the propriety of this construétion, 
He considers it as an attempt to 
add to, not to explain, the article, 
Even on. the supposition that the 
article is doubtful, he insists on the> 
improprie ty of an ex porfe construc. 
tioh, - He cites sundry examples of 
English ships of war having en. 
tered our ports, contrary to this sti- 
pulation, having made them con- 
venient stations the better to annoy 
the French, ‘and having, even con- 
trary to the forced interpretation 
given to the 17th article by our ex. 
ecutive, brought their prizes into 
our ports, and there refitted them 
to cruize against the French. 
; The 
