acted and concluded by our aforesaid commissioner, procurator and plenipotentiary, and that we will never suffer any person to violate the same, in the whole or in part, or to act contrary thereto. In testimony and confirmation of all which, we have caused our great seal of Great Britain to be affixed to these presents signed with our royal hand.

Given at our palace at St. James's, fourteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and in the twenty-third year of our reign.

I David Hartley, the minister above named, certify the foregoing to be a true copy from my original commission, delivered to the American ministers, this nineteenth day of May, 1783.

(Signed)

D. HARTLEY.

ORDER IN COUNCIL May 14, 1783, read to and left with the American Ministers, this twenty-first day of May, 1785, by D. HARTLEY, ESQ.

At the Court of St. James's, May 14, 1783.

Present, the King's most excellent majesty in council.

Whereas by an act of parliament passed this session, intituled, "An Act for preventing certain Instruments from being required from Ships belonging to the United States of America, and to give to his Majesty, for a limited time, certain powers, for the better carrying on Trade and Commerce between the Subjects of his Majesty's Dominions and the Inhabitants of the said United States," it is among other things enacted that during the continuance of the said act, it shall and may be lawful for his majesty in council, by order or orders to be issued and published from time to time, to give such directions, and to make such regulations with respect to duties, drawbacks or otherwise, for carrying on the

trade and commerce between the people and territories belonging to the crown of Great Britain, and the people and territories of the said United States, as to his majesty in council shall appear most expedient and salutary; any law, usage or custom to the contrary notwithstanding; his majesty doth, therefore, by and with the advice of his privy council, hereby order and direct, that any oil or any unmanufactured goods or merchandizes, being the growth or production of any of the territories of the said United States of America, may (until further order) be imported directly from thence into any of the ports of this kingdom, either in British or American ships, by British subjects, or by any of the people inhabiting in and belonging to the said United States, or any of them, and such goods or merchandizes shall and may be entered and landed in any port in this kingdom, upon payment of the same duties as the like sort of goods are or may be subject and liable to, if imported by British subjects in British ships from any British island or plantation in America, and no other, notwithstanding such goods or merchandizes, or the ships in which the same may be brought, may not be accompanied with the certificates or other documents heretofore required by law; and it is hereby further ordered and directed, that there shall be the same drawbacks, exemptions, and bounties on merchandizes and goods exported from Great Britain into the territories of the said United States of America, or any of them, as are allowed upon the exportation of the like goods or merchandize, to any of the islands, plantations or colonies belonging to the crown of Great Britain in America; and it is hereby farther ordered and directed, that all American ships and vessels which shall have voluntarily come into any port of Great Britain since 20th of January, 1783, shall be admitted to any entry made, shall be entitled, together with the goods

and merchandises on board the same ships and vessels, to the full benefit of this order; and the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, are to give the necessary directions herein, as to them may respectively appertain. WM. FAWKENER.

MR. HARTLEY's observations and propositions, left with the AMERICAN MINISTERS the 21st May, 1785.

A proposition having been offered by the American ministers, for the consideration of his Britannic Majesty's ministers, and of the British nation, for an entire and reciprocal freedom of intercourse and commerce between Great Britain and the American United States, in the following words, viz.

"That all rivers, harbors, lakes, ports and places belonging to the United States, or any of them, shall be open and free to the merchants and other subjects of the crown of Great Britain and their trading vessels, who shall be received, treated and protected, like the merchants and trading vessels of the state in which they may be, and be liable to no other charges or duties:

"And reciprocally that all rivers, harbors, lakes, ports, and places under the dominion of his Britannic Majesty, shall be open and free to the merchant and trading vessels of the said United States, and of each and every of them, who shall be received, treated and protected, like the merchants and trading vessels of Great Britain, and be liable to no other charges and duties, saving always to the chartered companies of Great Britain, and such exclusive use and trade of their respective ports and establishments, as neither

the other subjects of Great Britain, or any of the most favored nation participate in:"

It is to be observed that this proposition implies a more ample participation of British commerce than the American States possessed even under their former connexion of dependence upon Great Britain, so as to amount to an entire abolition of the British Act of Navigation with respect to the thirteen United States of America; and although proceeding on their part from the most conciliatory and liberal principles of amity and reciprocity, nevertheless it comes from them as newly established states, and who, in consequence of their former condition of dependence, have never yet had any established system of national commercial laws, or of commercial connexions by treaties with other nations, free and unembarrassed of many weighty considerations, which require the most scrupulous attention and investigation on the part of Great Britain, whose ancient system of national and commercial policy is thus suddenly called upon to take a new principle for its foundation, and whose commercial engagements with other ancient States may be most materially affected thereby. For the purpose therefore of giving sufficient time for the consideration and discussion of so important a proposition, respecting the present established system of the commercial policy and laws of Great Britain, and their subsisting commercial engagements with sovereign powers, it is proposed that a temporary intercourse of commerce shall be established between Great Britain and the American States, previously to the conclusion of any final and perpetual compact. In this intervening period, as the strict line and measure of reciprocity from various circumstances cannot be absolutely and completely adhered to, it may be agreed that the commerce between the two countries shall revive, as nearly as can be upon the same: footing and

terms as formerly subsisted between them; provided always, that no concession on either side, in the proposed temporary convention, shall be argued here after in support of any future demand or claim. In the mean time the proposition above stated may be transmitted to London, requesting (with his majesty's consent) that it may be laid before parliament for their consideration.

It is proposed therefore, that the unmanufactured produce of the United States should be admitted into Great Britain without any other duties (those imposed during the war excepted) than those to which they were formerly liable. And it is expected in return that the produce and manufactures of Great Britain should be admitted into the United States in like manner.

If there should appear any want of reciprocity in this proposal, upon the grounds of asking admission for British manufactures into America, while no such indulgence is given to American manufactures in Great Britain; the answer is obvious, that the admission of British manufactures into America is an object of great importance, and equally productive of advantage to both countries; while, on the other hand, the introduction of American manufactures into Great Britain can be of no service to either, and may be productive of innumerable frauds, by enabling persons so disposed, to pass foreign European goods, either prohibited or liable to great duties by the British laws, for American manufactures.

With regard to the West Indies, there is no objection to the most free intercourse between them and the United States. The only restriction proposed to be laid upon that intercourse, is prohibiting American ships carrying to those colonies any other merchandize than the produce of their own country. The same observation be made may restriction as upon the former. It is not meant to affect the

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