CORRESPONDENCE OF THE YEARS 1822-1825 RELATIVE TO THE 

 UKASE OF 1821 AND THE TREATIES OF 1824 AND 1825. 



31. de Poletica to Mr. Adams. 



[Translation.] 



Washington, January 30 [February 11], 1822. 



Tlie undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary 

 of His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, in consequence of orders 

 which have lately reached him, hastens herewith to transmit to Mr. 

 Adams, Secretary of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs, a 

 printed copy of the regulations adopted by the Russian-American Com- 

 pany, and sanctioned by His Imperial Majesty, relative to foreign com- 

 merce in the waters bordering the establishments of the said com^^any 

 on the northwest coast of America. 



The undersigned conceives it to be, moreover, his duty to inform Mr. 

 Adams that the Imperial Government, in adopting the regulation, sup- 

 poses that a foreign ship, which shall have sailed from a European port 

 after the 1st of March, 1822, or from one of the ports of the United 

 States after the 1st of July of the same year, can not lawfully pretend 

 ignorance of these new measures. 

 The undersigned, etc., 



Pierre de Poletica. 



[The inclosure referred to is the ukase of September 4, 1821. It is 

 in the English language. An exact copy appears at page 16 of this 

 volume.] 



Mr. Adams to M. de Poletica. 



Department of State, 



Washingtou, February 25, 1822. 



Sir : I have the honor of receiving your note on the 11th instant, in- 

 closing a printed copy of the regulations adopted by the Russian Ameri- 

 can Company, and sanctioned by His Imperial Majesty, relating to the 

 commerce of foreigners in the waters bordering on the establishments 

 of that company upon the northwest coast of America. 



I am directed by the President of the United States to inform you 

 that he has seen with surprise, in this edict, the assertion of a terri- 

 torial claim on the part of Russia, extending to the fifty-first degree of 

 north latitude on this continent, and a regulation interdicting to all com- 

 mercial vessels other than Russian, upon the i)enalty of seizure and 

 confiscation, the approach upon the high seas within 100 Italian miles 

 of the shores to which that claim is made to apply. The relations of 

 the United States with His Im])erial Majesty have always been of 

 the most friendly character; and it is the earnest desire of this Govern- 

 ment to preserve them in that state. It was expected, before any act 

 which should define the boundary between the territories of the United 

 States and Russia on this continent, that the same would have been ar- 

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