BOUNDARIES.—BQOK l. 
25 
niehts on all its great rivers.. But this, interfered with the Bri¬ 
tish charters which extended indefinitely to the west; another 
map was published (probably under the direction of the minis¬ 
try) restricting France to much narrower limits. The dispute 
was settled by a-war in which France lost all her possessions 
in this quarter of the world. Canada Falling into the hands of 
Britain, and France fearing that the like fate might attend Lou¬ 
isiana, by a secret treaty of the 3d Nov. 1 7 62 , ceded to Spain c® 
much of this province as lies beyond the Mississippi, together 
with the isle of Orleans 5 and by the treaty of peace Which follow¬ 
ed in 1763, the whole territory of France and Spain, eastward 
of the river Mississippi to the river Iberville, thence through 
the middle of that river and the lakes Pontchartraiti to the sea* 
Was ceded to Great Britain. 
It will be recollected that during the American revolution, 
Spain taking part with the United States, conquered the Floridas 
from Great Britain, and they Were confirmed to her by the trea¬ 
ty of 1783; she thus re-attached to Louisiana, the part, which, by 
her joint act With France , had been separated from it, at the same 
period that Florida was ceded by Spain to Britain. That part of 
Louisiana once more Came under the government of the pro¬ 
vince. A separate one was formed of Florida of which Pensa¬ 
cola became the Capital., 
By the treaty of St. Ildefonso, Spain ceded back to the French 
republic, “ the colony or province of Louisiana, with the same 
extent that it actually had in the hands of Spain, and that it had 
when France possessed it, and such as it ought to be after the 
treaties subsequently entered into between Spain and other 
States.” This treaty was confirmed by that of Madrid 1801. T 6 
the United States, it was ceded by France on the 30th April 
1803, with a reference to the foregoing clause as descriptive of 
its limits. 
This brief exposition might be deemed sufficient, and the 
able view of the subject by Mr. Gallatin places it beyond doubt. 
It is a fact well known in this country, that the commandants 
at Baton Rouge and at Mobile had prepared to deliver up their 
posts to the United States, and that it was owing to some over¬ 
sight in the commissioners that possession was not actually taken,, 
D 
