88 APPENDIX TO BRITISH COUNTER CASE. 



54 others (whom he named to be Messrs. Adams, Laurens, and 

 Jay,) to treat of and conclude a peace; that full powers were 

 given to them for that purpose, and that the Congress promised in 

 good faith to ratify, confirm and cause to be faithfully observed the 

 treaty they should make. But that they could not treat separately 

 from France." 



And whereas haying received assurances of His Most Christian 

 Majesty's sincere disposition towards peace, and Paris having been 

 mutually fixed upon as the most convenient place, at which all parties 

 might assemble for the purpose of entering upon negotiation, we 

 have already sent our trusty and well beloved Thomas Grenville Esq. 

 to that capital with full powers to commence a negotiation with the 

 Court of France and the other belligerent Powers in Europe; Now 

 in consequence of the overtures above mentioned on the part of per- 

 sons thus stating themselves to be deputed by the assembly of dele- 

 gates of the revolted colonies, and out of our earnest desire to put an 

 end to the calamities of a war, which has so long subsisted ; and be- 

 cause it has also been reported to us by one of our Principal Secre- 

 taries of State, that the said Benjamin Franklin Esqr. had expressed 

 a strong desire "' of keeping the treaties of peace distinct between the 

 several parties, though going on at the same time;" We have taken 

 these premises into our consideration, and have thought fit by our 

 commission under our Great Seal of Great Britain to constitute you, 

 the said Richard Oswald our commissioner for concluding a peace, 

 and have caused you to be furnished with such papers and informa- 

 tion as may enable you to interchange overtures of peace, giving you 

 at the same time the following instructions for your conduct in the 

 execution of the important trust we have reposed in you. 



1st. On the receipt of these our instructions together with our 

 commission you will forthwith enter upon a conference with the 

 American commissioners or as many of them as may be assembled, 

 and you will inform them of our purpose in granting you our com- 

 mission with full powers, a copy whereof you will deliver to them, 

 at the same time declaring that you shall be ready to produce the 

 original when desired. You will moreover deliver to them a copy of 

 the Act of Parliament, upon which the powers granted you by our 

 commission are founded. 



2. You will then express our wishes, that the mutual powers of 

 treating and concluding may be so general and definitive, that matters 

 may thereby be brought to a speedy and determinate issue. With 

 this view you will desire to be informed of, and to see the nature 

 and extent of the authority, with which the commissioners are in- 

 vested by the Congress; And we hereby authorize you to admit any 

 persons, with whom you treat, to describe themselves by any title 

 or appellation whatever, and to represent their superiors, from 

 whom they state themselves to derive authority, under any denomi- 

 nation whatever. 



3. These preliminaries being settled, you will declare, that you 

 are ready and desirous to learn any ideas and intentions they (the 

 American commisioners) may have for carrying into effect with 

 most speed and certainty our earnest wishes to restore peace and 

 amity between our kingdoms and the said American colonies. 



4. In case you find the American commissioners are not at liberty 

 to treat on any terms short of independence, you are to declare to 



