DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 173 



understood that, whilst our proposals were declined, it was alto- 

 gether in a friendly spirit, and that no complaint would be made, as 

 had frequently been intimated, at our resorting to any just and right- 

 ful regulations of our own which we might deem necessary to meet 

 theirs, in relation to these islands. I rejoined, that I thought it 

 probable that some such regulations would, before long, in addition 

 to those existing, be adopted. 



Having earnestly endeavoured to fulfil all my instructions, in their 

 full spirit of anxiety for a different result upon this subject, my duty 

 appears now to have arrived at its close. 



No. 45. 18W, May 27 : Extract from Letter from Mr. Adams (Sec- 

 retary of State] to Mr. Rush (Envoy ', &c., at London). 



DEPARTMENT or STATE, May 97. 1820. 

 ******* 



I have the honour of transmitting, herewith, a copy of the laws 

 passed at the last session of Congress, which closed on the 15th 

 instant, among which you will find one, page 116, entitled "An Act 

 supplementary to an Act concerning Navigation," which has an im- 

 portant bearing upon our commercial relations with Great Britain. 



The subject to which that Act relates has so recently and so 

 fully been discussed between the two Governments, that it may 

 be superfluous, though it cannot be unseasonable, to assure the Brit- 

 ish Cabinet, as you are authorised to do, that it was adopted with a 

 spirit in nowise unfriendly to Great Britain ; and that, if at any time 

 the disposition should be felt there to meet this county by arrange- 

 ments founded on principles of reciprocity, it will be met, on the 

 part of the United States, with an earnest wish to substitute a sys- 

 tem of the most liberal intercourse, instead of that of counter-pro- 

 hibitions, which this Act has only rendered complete. 



No. 46. 1828, October 10: Extract from Reprint of Letter from Mr. 

 Rush (at London] to Mr. Gallatin (at Paris]. 



******* 



I have said that it does not appear that England has ever yielded 

 up any exclusive rights to any part of the island.^ Perhaps to this 

 assertion there is an exception, and, as far as I have yet examined 

 the treaties between England and France, but a single one. The 

 exception will be found in the " treaty of peace, good correspondence, 

 and neutrality in America." between the two nations, of November 

 16, 1686. By the 5th article of this treaty it is provided, " that 

 both Kings shall enjoy all the rights &c they are now possessed of 

 in America," France in point of fact holding settlements and posses- 

 sions in Newfoundland at that time. By the 6th article it is stipu- 

 lated " that the subjects of neither shall trade, fish &c within the pre- 

 cincts of the other, and if any ship be found so doing it shall 

 102 be confiscated." Now, I deduce from this treaty an argument 

 of some weight in favour of our position. It is seen that when 



