520 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



imposed by the act of May the first 

 last, accordingly cease from this 

 day, in relation to France. French 

 armed vessels may therefore be 

 admitted into the harbours and 

 waters of the United States, any 

 thing in that law to the contrary 

 notwithstanding. 



It also follows, that if Great 

 Britain shall not, on the second of 

 February next, have revoked or 

 modified in like manner her edicts, 

 violating the neutral commerce of 

 Uie United States, the third, 

 lourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, 

 ninth, tenth, and eighteenth sec- 

 tions of the act to interdict the 

 commercial intercourse between 

 the United States and Great Bri- 

 tain and France, and their depen. 

 dencies, and for other purposes, 

 shall in conformity with the acts 

 first above mentioned, be revived 

 and have full force and effect, as 

 far as relates to Great Britain and 

 her dependencies, from and after 

 the said second day of February 

 next. Unless therefore you shall 

 before that day be officially noti- 

 fied by this department of such 

 revocation or modification, you 

 will, from and after the said day, 

 carry into effect the abovemen- 

 tioned sections, which prohibit 

 both the entrance of British 

 vessels of every description into 

 the harbours and waters of the 

 United States ; and the importa- 

 tion into the United States of any 

 articles the growth, produce, or 

 manufacture, of the dominions, 

 colonies,anddependenciesofGreat 

 Britain ; and of any articles what- 

 ever brought from the said domi- 

 nions, colonies, and dependencies. 

 I am respectfully, sir, your obe- 

 dient servant, 



Albert Gallatin. 

 To the Collector of the Customs 



of the district of- 



Treasury Department, 

 13th Nov. 1810. 



Your letter of the tenth instant 

 has been received. All goods 

 imported from the dominions of 

 Great Britain, and arrived in the 

 United States, subsequent to the 

 second of February, will, in my 

 opinion, become forfeited, accord- 

 ing to the provision of the law of 

 May the first, 1810. If Great 

 Britain shall not on that day, 

 have revoked her edicts to the 

 manner contemplated by that act, 

 it follows, that if no knowledge 

 of such revocation shall have been 

 obtained on that day, goods 

 imported as aforesaid must be 

 seized by the custom-house offi- 

 cers ; although it be also true, 

 thatiftherevocationshaveactually 

 taken place before that day, no 

 forfeiture will have occurred, and 

 the goods must in that case be re- 

 sfored, whenever the fact of such 

 revocation is known. The incon- 

 venience of the detention of the 

 goods in that case is understood, 

 but cannot, under the existing law, 

 be avoided, except through the in- 

 tervention of the courts, who may 

 direct an immediate restoration of 

 the property on satisfactory bonds 

 for its value being given, to abide 

 the final decision of such courts. 

 I have the honour to be, respect- 

 fully, &c. 



(Signed) Albert Gallatin. 



VII. SOUTH AMERICA. 



1. Declaration of the Provinces of 

 the Caraccas. 



It has pleased Almighty God, to 



grant to every country alike, the 



natural right ofils own sovereignty. 



These provinces planted by Spain, 



fostered and protected by her 



