APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



331 



[Incloaure in No. 10.] 



Letter from the Minister of Finance to the 

 Board of Administration of the Eiissian- 

 American Company. IVjitten from St. 

 Petersburg, Jnly IS, 1822. 



The Managing Chief of the Ministry of 

 Foreign Aftairs has informed me that on 

 presentation by our Government to the 

 Cabinets of London and Washington of 

 the Rules promulgated on the 4th day of 

 September, 1821, concerning the limits of 

 navigation and system of coastwise inter- 

 course along the shores of Eastern Siberia, 

 North-western America, and the Aleutian 

 and Kurile Islands and others, protests 

 were entered by the English and North- 

 American Governments against what they 

 called an extension of our domain, as well 

 as against the rule forbidding foreign 

 ships from approacliing the above-men- 

 tioned localities within the distance of 



100 Italian miles. 

 26 In considering my Report on 



these representations, His Majesty 

 the Emperor, wishing always to preserve 

 the best possible understanding with for- 

 eign Powers, and having in view at the 

 same time the possibility of acts of vio- 

 lence occurring between Russian and 

 American vessels, and the misfortunes 

 which thence might result, has deigned 

 to instruct the naval authorities to guide 

 their action by his sentiments on this 

 subject. These instructions will be com- 

 municated to the commander of the two 

 Imperial ships ordered to sail this year 

 for the north-west coast of America. In 

 the meantime, I am authorized to com- 

 municate to you the following : 



1. That Baron Tuyll von Seroskerken 

 has been appointed as successor to Mr. 

 Poletica in the position of Imperial Rus- 

 sian Ambassador and Minister Plenipo- 

 tentiary to the United North-American 

 States, and that he has already taken his 

 departure for Washington in order to 

 consult with the Government there as to 

 such measures as may prove satisfactory 

 to both and meet with mutual consent, 

 avoiding all further difficulties concern- 

 ing our mutual rights in connection with 

 our possessions on the north-west coast 

 of America. His principal object will be 

 to abolish all cause of complaint on the 

 part of our American Company concern- 

 ing the intrusive enterprise of certain 

 subjects of the United States, and also to 

 relieve them of a strict observance of the 

 Edict dated 4th September, 1821, which 

 in every other respect must be sustained. 



2. In order that Baron Tuyll's negotia- 

 tions may be facilitated and broughlr to a 

 speedy conclusion, he has been furnished 

 with a transcript of the Russian-Ameri- 

 can Company's views as to the Rules we 

 could ask the Government of the Ameri- 



[Inclosure in No. 10.] 



Offices of the Ministry of Finance, 2nd Divi- 

 sion, 3rd Table, to the Chief Manager of 

 the Russian- American Company. 



[Received July 18, 1822.] 



(No. 938. Secret.) July 18, 1822. 



The Head of the Ministrj^ of Foreign 

 Affairs has informed me that, on our Gov- 

 ernment communicating to the Cabinets 

 of London and Washington the Regula- 

 tions for the limits of navigation, and for 

 communication by sea along the shores of 

 Eastern Siberia, North-western America, 

 and the Aleutian, Kurile, and other 

 islands, approved by His Imperial Maj- 

 esty on the 4th September, 1821, the 

 English and North-American Govern- 

 ments made representations against what 

 they term the extension of our dominions, 

 as well as against the rules forbidding 

 foreign ships to come within 100 Italian 

 miles of the above-mentioned places. 



On these representations beingreported 

 to the Emperor, His Imperial Majesty, 

 being anxious to do all in his power to 

 preserve the best understanding in his 

 relations with foreign Powers, and espe- 

 cially wishing to prevent the occurrence 

 of conflicts between Russian and Amer- 

 ican ships, which might lead to unpleas- 

 antness, was pleased to give instructions 

 to the Department of the Navy in accord- 

 ance with these views, in connection with 

 the sending of two ships this year to the 

 north-west coast of America. Hia Im- 

 perial Majesty at the same time gave 

 orders for the following steps to be taken 

 meanwhile: 



1. Baron Tuyll von Seroskerken is to 

 be appointed Imperial Russian Envoy 

 Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten- 

 tiary to the United States of North Amer- 

 ica in place of M. Poletica, and is to pro- 

 ceed to Washington, without delay, to 

 concert with the American Government 

 measures to be taken by common consent 

 to prevent any further dispute on the sub- 

 ject-of the extent of the respective juris- 

 dictions of Russia and the United States 

 on the north-west coast of America, to 

 put an end to the complaints of our Amer- 

 ican Colonies of the proceedings of cer- 

 tain citizens of the United States, and by 

 this means to make it unnecessary to 

 enforce to their full extent the Regiila- 

 tions of the 4th September, 1821, which 

 we should otherwise have to apply 

 rigorously. 



2. In order that Baron Tuyll may be 

 enabled the more easily to carry out the 

 mission intrusted to him, the Russian- 

 American Company are to furnish me as 

 soon as possible with a statement of the 

 measures which we might call upon the 



