250 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., PRIOB TO TREATS OV L818 



of receiving the first draughl is not of a magnitude to be made a 

 subject of controversy, ami convinced thai their Government is too 



sincerely desirous of that auspicious result to approve of its being 

 delayed lor a moment upon any question of etiquette, the undersigned 

 have the honor to enclose herewith the projet of a treaty, accom- 

 panied with some observations upon several of the articles, which 

 may more fully elucidate their objects in proposing them. 



The British plenipotentiaries stated in their last note that they 

 had no other propositions to offer, nor other demands to make, than 

 those contained in their note of the 21st ultimo, which, with the 

 reference to their former declaration respecting the fisheries, contains 

 only two propositions, viz : that of fixing the boundary from the Lake 

 of the Woods to the Mississippi ; and that of adopting, with respect 

 to the other boundaries, the basis of uti possidetis. 



In answer to the declaration made by the British plenipotentiaries 

 respecting the fisheries, the undersigned, referring to what passed in 

 the conference of the 9th August, can only state that they are not 

 authorized to bring into discussion any of the rights or liberties 

 which the United States have heretofore enjoyed in relation thereto. 

 From their nature, and from the peculiar character of the treaty of 

 17S3. by which they were recognised, no further stipulation has been 

 deemed necessary by the Government of the United States to entitle 

 them to the full enjoyment of all of them. 



The undersigned have already, in their last note, explicitly declined 

 treating on the basis of uti possidetis. They cannot agree to any 

 other principle than that of a mutual restoration of territory, and 

 have accordingly prepared an article founded on that basis. They 

 are willing even to extend the same principle to the other objects in 

 dispute between the two nations; and in proposing all the other 

 articles included in this jwojet, they wish to be distinctly understood 

 that they are ready to sign a treaty placing the two countries, in 

 respect to all the subjects of difference between them, in the same 

 state they were in at the commencement of the present war; reserving 

 to each party all its rights, and leaving whatever may remain of con- 

 troversy between them for future and pacific negotiation. 



******* 



The article fixing a limitation for captures at sea does not seem 

 to require any comment. 



The undersigned present their entire projet in this specific form, 

 with the full expectation of receiving from the British plenipoten- 

 tiaries their explicit answer respecting all the articles embraced in 

 it. and a projet alsc reduced to specific propositions and embracing 

 all the objects which they intend to bring forward. 



The undersigned renew to the British plenipotentiaries the assur- 

 ance- of their high consideration. 



John Quincy Adams, 

 J. A. Bayard, 

 H. Clay, 



Jonathan Eussell, 

 Albert Gallatin. 



To the Plenipotentiaries of Ilis Britannic Majesty, &c., &c., &c. 



