PERTAINING TO NEGOTIATION OF TREATY OF 1783. 227 



of our independence, seems at first industriously to be avoided. But 

 our refusing otherwise to treat, at length induced them to get over 

 that difficulty, and then we came to the point of making propositions. 

 Those made by Mr. Jay and me before the arrival of the other 

 gentlemen, you will find in the paper A, which was sent by the British 

 Plenipotentiary to London for the King's consideration. After some 

 weeks, an under secretary, Mr. Strachey, arrived, with whom we had 

 much contestation about the boundaries and other articles which he 

 proposed and we settled; some of which he carried to London, and 

 returned with the propositions, some adopted, others omitted or 

 altered, and new ones added, which you will see in paper, B. We 

 spent many days in disputing, and at length agreed on and signed 

 the preliminaries, which you will see by this conveyance. The British 

 Minister struggled hard for two points, that the favors granted to the 

 royalists should be extended, and all our fishery contracted. We 

 silenced them on the first, by threatening to produce an account of 

 the mischief done by those people, and as to the second, when they 

 told ns they could not possibly agree to it as we requested it, and 

 must refer it to the Ministry in London, Ave produced a new article 

 to be referred at the same time, with a note of facts in support of it, 

 which you have. C. Apparently it seemed, that to avoid the discus- 

 sion of this, they suddenly changed their minds, dropped the design 

 or recurring to London, and agreed to allow the fishery as demanded. 

 ******* 



B. Franklin. 



Extracts from Richard OsicahVs Journal of Peace Negotiations. 

 Mr. Townshend to Mr. Oswald.' 1 



Whitehall 1st September 1782. 

 Rd. < )sw Ai.D. Esq. 



Sir: I have received and laid before the King your Letters of the 

 17tb L8th and L'lst Instant together with the three Packets of Papers 

 containing conversations with Doctor Franklin and Mr. Jay, and 

 your observations thereupon enclosed in your letter of the 17th. And 

 I am commanded to signify to you His Majesty's approbation of your 

 conduct in communicating to the American Commissioners the 4th 

 Article of your Instructions, which could not but convince them, that 

 the negotiations for Peace, and the. cession of Independence to the 

 Thirteen United Colonies, were intended to be carried on and con- 

 cluded with the Commissioners in Europe. Those Gentlemen having 

 expressed their satisfaction concerning that article it is hoped thej 



will not entertain a doubt of His Majesty's determimit ion to exercise 



in the fullesl extent the Powers with which the Act of Parliament 



hath invested him: by granting to America full, compleat and uncon- 

 ditional Independence, in the most explicit manner as an Article of 

 Treaty. Put you are at the same tune to repre-ent to them, if neces 



sarv. that the King is not enabled by thai Act to c^W Independence, 



unconnected with a Truce or Treaty of Peace; and that therefore 



the Cession of Independence cannot Btand aa a single, separate Article, 



'This paper and those following down t<> ami Inclusive of Mr. Oswald's letter 

 tn Mr. Townshend, dated November '-'■", L782, air taken from his .Journal. 



H21MW —& Doc K70, 61-3, V 1 2 16 



