696 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



conciliation, with which it was pro- 

 posed, has instructed me to express 

 his satisfaction, should such a happy 

 termination of that affair take place; 

 not only as having removed a pain- 

 ful cause of difference, but as af- 

 fording a fair prospect of a com- 

 plete and cordial understanding 

 being re-established between the 

 two countries. 



The favourable change in the 

 relations of his majesty with the 

 United States, which has been pro- 

 duced by the act (usually termed 

 the Non-Intercourse act) passed in 

 the last session of Congress, was 

 also anticipated by bis majesty, and 

 has encouraged a further hope, that 

 a reconsideration of the existing 

 differences might lead to their sa- 

 tisfactory adjustment. 



On these grounds and expecta- 

 tions, I am instructed to communi- 

 cate to the American government, 

 liis majesty'sdetermination of send- 

 ing to the United States, an envoy 

 extraordinary invested with full 

 powers to conclude a treaty on all 

 the points of the relations between 

 the two countries. 



In the mean time, with a view to 

 contribute to the attainment of so 

 desirable an object; his majesty 

 would be willing to withdraw his 

 orders in council of January and 

 November, 1807, so far as respects 

 the United States, in the persuasion 

 thiit the president would issue a 

 proclamation for the renewal of the 

 intercourse with Great Britain, and 

 that whatever difference of opinion 

 should arise in the interpretation of 

 the terms of such an agreement 

 will be removed in the proposed 



negotiation. 



1 havethehonour tobe, &c. &c. 

 D. M. Erskine. 

 flpn, Robert Smith, 8cc. Sjc, 



No. IV. 



MR. SMITH TO MR. ERSKINE. 



Department of State, April 18, 

 1809. 



Sir, — The note which I had the 

 honour of receiving from you this 

 day, I lost no time in laying before 

 the president, who, being sincerely 

 desirous of a satisfactory adjust- 

 ment of the differences unhappily 

 existing between Great Britain and 

 the United States, has authorised 

 me to assure you that he will meet 

 with a disposition correspondent 

 with that of his Britannic majesty, 

 the determination of his majesty to 

 send to the United States a special 

 envoy, invested with full powers 

 to conclude a treaty on all the 

 points of the relations between the 

 two countries. 



I am further authorised to assure 

 you, that in case his Britannic ma- 

 jesty should in the mean time with- 

 draw his orders in council of Janu- 

 ary and November, 1807, so far as 

 respects the United States, the pre- 

 sident will not fail to issue a procla- 

 mation by virtue of the authoritj^, 



and for the purposes specified, in the 

 eleventh sectionof thestatute, com- 

 monly called the Non-Intercourse 

 act. 



I have the honour, &c. 

 (Signed) R. Smith. 



No. V. 



MR. ERSKINE TO MR. SMITH. 



Washington, April 1 9, 1 809p 

 Sir,.— In consequence of the ac- 

 ceptance, by the president, as slatt- 

 ed in your letter dated the 18th 

 inst. of the proposals made by me 

 on the part of his majesty, in my 

 letter of the same day, for the re- 

 newal of the intercoufse between 



the 



