152] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



desire that it should terminate. 

 By this arrangement, useless ex- 

 pense on both sides, and, what is 

 of still greater importance, the 

 danger of collision between armed 

 vessels in those inland waters 

 which wa? great, is prevented. , 

 " 1 have the satisfaction also to 

 state, that the Comnnssioners, 

 imder the fourth article of the 

 treaty of Ghent, to whom it was 

 referred to decide, to which party 

 the several islands in the bay of 

 Passaraaquoddy belonged, under 

 the treaty of 17'*^3, have agreed 

 in a report, by which all the 

 islands in the possession of each 

 party before the late war have 

 been decreed to it. The Com- 

 missioners acting under the other 

 article of the treaty of Ghent, for 

 the settlement of the boundaries, 

 have also been engaged in the 

 discharge of their respective du- 

 ties, but have not yet completed 

 them. The difference which arose 

 between the two Governments 

 under that treaty, respecting the 

 right of the United States to take 

 and cure fish on the coast of the 

 British provinces north of our 

 limits, which had been secured by 

 the treaty of 1783, is still in ne- 

 gotiation. The proposition made 

 by this Government, to extend to 

 the colonies of Great Britain the 

 principle of the convention of 

 London, by which the commerce 

 between the ports of the United 

 States and British ports in Eu- 

 rope had been placed on a footing 

 of equality, has been declined by 

 the British Government. This sub- 

 ject having been thus amicably 

 discussed between the two Govern- 

 ments, and it appearing that the 

 British Government is unwilling 

 to depart from its present regula- 



tions, it remains for Congress to 

 decide whether they will make 

 any other regulations, in conse- 

 quence thereof, for the protection 

 and improvement of our navi- 

 gation. 



" The negotiation with Spain, 

 for spoliations on our commerce, 

 and the settlement of boundaries, 

 remains, essentially, in the state 

 it held, by the communications 

 that were made to Congress by 

 my predecessor. It has been evi- 

 dently the policy of the Spanish 

 Government to keep the negotia- 

 tion suspended, and in this the 

 United States have acquiesced, 

 from an amicable disposition to- 

 wards Spain, and in the expecta- 

 tion that her Government would, 

 from a sense of justice, finally ac- 

 cede to such an arrangement as 

 would be ecjual between the par- 

 ties. A disposition has been lately 

 shewn by the Spanish Govern- 

 ment to move in the negotiation, 

 which has been met by this Govern- 

 ment, and should the conciliatory 

 and friendly policy, which has in- 

 variably guided our Councils, be 

 reciprocated, a just and satisfac- 

 tory arrangement may be expect- 

 ed. It is proper, however, to re- 

 mark, that no proposition has yet 

 been made, from which such a re- 

 sult can be presumed. 



" It was anticipated, at an early 

 stage, that the contest between 

 Spain and her colonies would be- 

 come highly interesting to the 

 United States. It was natural that 

 our citizens should sympathise in 

 events which affected their neigh- 

 bours. It seemed probable, also, 

 that the prosecution of the conflict 

 along our coast, and in contigu- 

 ous countries, would occasionally 

 interruj)t our commerce, and 



otherwise 



