418 PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. [D. 



D. 



Official Documents relative to the Dispute between Great 

 Britain and Spain in 1790.* 



Message from the King of Great Britain to Parliament, May 5th, 1790. 



George R. 



His majesty has received information that two vessels, belonging 

 to his majesty's subjects, and navigated under the British flag, and two 

 others, of which the description is not hitherto sufficiently ascertained, 

 have been captured at Nootka Sound, on the north-western coast of 

 America, by an officer commanding two Spanish ships of war; that the 

 cargoes of the British vessels have been seized, and that their officers and 

 crews have been sent as prisoners to a Spanish port. 



The capture of one of these vessels had before been notified by the 

 ambassador of his Catholic majesty, by order of his court, who, at the 

 same time, desired that measures might be taken for preventing his majes- 

 ty's subjects from frequenting those coasts, which were alleged to have 

 been previously occupied and frequented by the subjects of Spain. Com- 

 plaints were also made of the fisheries carried on by his majesty's subjects 

 in the seas adjoining to the Spanish continent, as being contrary to the 

 rights of the crown of Spain. In consequence of this communication, a 

 demand was immediately made, by his majesty's order, for adequate satis- 

 faction, and for the restitution of the vessel, previous to any other dis- 

 cussion. 



By the answer from the court of Spain, it appears that this vessel and 

 her crew had been set at liberty by the viceroy of Mexico; but this is 

 represented to have been done by him on the supposition that nothing but 

 the ignorance of the rights of Spain encouraged the individuals of other 

 nations to come to those coasts for the purpose of making establishments, 

 or carrying on trade, and in conformity to his previous instructions, re- 

 quiring him to show all possible regard to the British nation. 



No satisfaction is made or offered, and a direct claim is asserted by the 

 court of Spain to the exclusive rights of sovereignty, navigation, and 

 commerce, in the territories, coasts, and seas, in that part of the world. 



His majesty has now directed his minister at Madrid to make a fresh 

 representation on this subject, and to claim such full and adequate satis- 

 faction as the nature of the case evidently requires. And, under these 

 circumstances, his majesty, having also received information that consid- 

 erable armaments are carrying on in the ports of Spain, has judged it 

 indispensably necessary to give orders for making such preparations as 

 may put it in his majesty's power to act with vigor and effect in support 

 of the honor of his crown and the interests of his people. And his 



* The following papers, with the exception of the last, are taken from the London 

 Annual Register for 1790. The translations of the Spanish notes are evidently mad« 

 with little care. See chap. ix. of this History. 



