62 RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO 



mander of the frigate Kreisser, about to sail for the Colonies, not to in- 

 sist too strictly upon the full distance of 100 miles, while at the same 

 time aft"ording the fullest protection to our industries, and proceeding 

 with all foreign ships engaged in pursuits injurious to them to the full 

 extent of marine jurisdiction. 



V. Kramer. 



Andrei Severin. 



[niclosnre,] 



Letter from the Minister of Finance to the Board of Administration of 

 the Russian American Company. Written from iSt. Petershurq, July 



18, 1822. 



The managing chief of the ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed 

 me that on presentation by our Government to the cabinets .of London 

 and Washington of the rules promulgated on tlie 4th day of Septem- 

 ber, 1821, concerning the limits of navigation and system of coastwise 

 intercourse along the shores of Eastern Siberia, northwestern America, 

 and the Aleutian and Kurile Islands and others, protests were entered 

 by the English and North American Governments against what they 

 called an extension of our domain, as well as against the rule forbidding 

 foreign ships from approaching the above-mentioned localities within 

 the distance of 100 Italian miles. 



In considering my report on these representations. His Majesty the 

 the Emperor, washing always to preserve the best possible understand- 

 ing with foreign powers, and having in view at the same time the pos- 

 sibility of acts of violence occurring between Eussian and American 

 vessels and the misfortunes which tlience might result, has deigned to 

 instruct the naval authorities to guide their action by his sentiments on 

 this subject. These instructions will be communicated to the com- 

 mander of the two Imperial shij^s ordered to sail this year for the 

 Northwest Coast of America. In the meantime I am authorized to 

 communicate to you the following: 



1. That Baron Tuyll von Seroskerken has been appointed as suc- 

 cessor to Mr. Poletica in the position of Imperial Russian Ambassador 

 and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United North American States, 

 and that he has already taken his departure for Washington in order 

 to consult with the Government there as to such measures as may prove 

 satisfactory to both and meet with mutual consent, avoiding all fiuther 

 difficulties concerning our mutual rights in connection with our posses- 

 sions on the Northwest Coast of America. His principal object will be 

 to abolish all cause of complaint on the part of our American Company 

 concerning the intrusive enterprise of certain subje(tts of the United 

 States, and also to relieve them of a strict observance of the edict dated 

 September 4, 1821, which in every other respect must be sustained. 



2. In order that Baron Tuyll's negotiations may be facilitated and 

 brought to a speedy conclusion, he has been furnished with a transcript 

 of the Russian American Com])any's views as to the rules we could ask 

 the Government of the American United States to observe, with a view 

 to the maintenance of friendly intercourse without injury to the vast 

 interests of our Company and those of the native inhabitants of that 

 country. The rules to be pro])ose(l will probably imply that it is no 

 longer necessary to prohibit the naxigation of foreign vessels for the 

 distance mentioned in the edict of September 4, 1821, and that we will 



