ed States ship George Washington, having under her convoy for Tunis the ship Peace and Plenty. There was no alternative for the detention of those two vessels at Algiers, owing to severe weather to unload and ballast; the which, and the fitting out of six sail of the largest corsairs, occupied the marine entirely for nineteen days. They sailed on the 5th instant; and since I have not heard more of them. I suppose the westerly winds have drove them to the east. We have finally paid all our debt to the regency on the annuities. We are square for six years from the 5th September, 1795, to the 5th September, 1801. We owe to the B. and B. of Algiers fifteen fathom and some rope yarns ; and I have besides given bills to captain Shaw, on the Secretary of State, for eight fathom and some strands and rope yarns. This information please to forward to the Secretary of State, and communicate the same to the captains of the United States frigates which should be at or call at Gibraltar. 1 am, sir, &c. O'BRIEN. N. B. The Washington, from Tunis, will run down the other shore, and offer convoy to all that will be ready to accept of her protection, MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE SENATE RELATIVE TO TREATY WIth great brITAIN, AND BRITISH DEBTS. MARCH 29, 1802. THE Commissioners who were appointed to carry into execution the 6th article of the treaty of amity, commerce and navigation between the United States and his Britannick majesty, having differed in opinion as to the objects of that article, and discontinued their proceedings, the Executive of the United States took early measures, by instructions to our minister at the British court, to negotiate explanations of that article. This mode of resolving the difficulty, however, proved unacceptable to the British government, which chose rather to avoid all further discussion and expense under that article, by fixing at a given sum the amount for which the United States should be held responsible under it. Mr. King was consequently authorized to meet this proposition; and a settlement in this way has been effected by a convention entered into with the British government, and now communicated for your advice and consent, together with the instructions and correspondence relating to it. The greater part of these papers being originals the return of them is requested at the convenience of the Senate. TH: JEFFERSON. The documents transmitted with the above message were returned; and copies of them could not be procured.] MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE SENATE RELATIVE TO CONVENTION WITH GREAT BRITAIN RESPECT ING BOUNDARY. OCT. 24, 1803. I LAY before you the convention signed on the 12th day of May last, between the United States and Great Britain, for settling their boundaries in the northeastern and northwestern parts of the United States, which was mentioned in my general message of the 17th instant; together with such papers relating thereto as may enable you to determine whether you will advise and consent to its ratification. TH: JEFFERSON. Convention between the United States of America and His Britannick Majesty. In order that the boundaries between the territories of his Britannick majesty, and those of the United States of Ame rica may be more precisely ascertained and determined, than has hitherto been done, the parties have respectively named their plenipotentiaries, and given them full powers, to negotiate and conclude a convention for this purpose, that is to say: His Britannick majesty has named for his plenipotentiary, the right honourable Robert Banks Jenkinson, (commonly called lord Hawkesbury,) one of his majesty's most honourable privy council, and his principal secretary of state for foreign affairs; and the President of the United States, by and with the consent of the Senate thereof, has appointed for their plenipotentiary, Rufus King, Esq. their minister plenipotentiary to his said majesty; who have agreed upon, and concluded the following articles : ART. 1. The line hereinafter described shall, and hereby is declared to be the boundary, between the mouth of the river St. Croix and the bay of Fundy, that is to say, a line beginning in the middle of the channel of the river St. Croix at its mouth (as the same has been ascertained by the commissioners appointed for that purpose) thence through the middle of the channel between Deer Island on the east and north, and Moose Island and Campo Bello Island on the west and south, and round the eastern point of Campo Bello Island, to the bay of Fundy; and the islands and waters northward and eastward of the said boundary, together with the island of Campo Bello, situate to the southward thereof, are hereby declared to be within the jurisdiction, and part of his majesty's province of New Brunswick; and the islands and waters southward and westward of the said boundary, except only the island of Campo Bello, are hereby declared to be within the jurisdiction and part of Massachusetts, one of the said United States. ART. II. Whereas, it has become expedient that the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, mentioned and described in the treaty of peace between his majesty and the United States, should be ascertained and determined, and that the line be tween the source of the river St.Croix,and the said northwest angle of Nova Scotia, should be run and marked according to the provisions of the said treaty of peace; it is agreed, that for this purpose commissioners shall be appointed in the following manner, viz. one commissioner shall be named by his majesty, and one by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and the said two commissioners shall agree in the choice of a third; or if they cannot agree, they shall each propose one person, and of the two names so proposed, one shall be taken by lot in the presence of the two original commissioners; and the three commissioners so appointed, shall be sworn, impartially to ascertain and determine the said northwest angle of Nova Scotia, pursuant to the provisions of the said treaty of peace, and likewise to cause the said boundary line between the source of the river St.Croix, as the same has been determined by the commissioners appointed for that purpose, and the northwest angle of Nova Scotia to be run and marked according to the provisions of the treaty aforesaid; the said commissioners shall meet at Boston, and have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think fit; they shall have power to appoint a secretary, and employ such surveyors, and other assistants as they shall judge necessary: the said commissioners shall draw up a report of their proceedings, which shall describe the line aforesaid, and particularize the latitude and longitude of the place ascertained and determined as atoresaid to be the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, duplicates of which report, under the hands and seals of the said commissioners, (or of a majority of them,) together with duplicates of their accounts, shall be delivered to such per sons as may be severally authorized to receive the same in behalf of their respective governments; and the decision and proceedings of the said commissioners, or of a majority of them, made and had as aforesaid, shall be final and conclusive. ART. III. It is further agreed, that the said commissioners, after they shall have executed the duties assigned to them in the preceding article, shall be, and they hereby are authorized, upon their oaths, impartially to ascertain and determine the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, according to the provisions of the aforesaid treaty of peace, and likewise to cause the boundary line, described in the said treaty of peace, between the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, and the said,northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, to be run and marked pursuant to the provisions of the said treaty; the said commissioners shall meet at Boston, and have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think fit; they shall have power to appoint a secretary, and employ such surveyors and other assistants as they shall judge necessary; the said commissioners shall draw up a report of their proceedings, which shall describe the boundary line aforesaid, and particularize the latitude and longitude of the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river; duplicates of which report, under the hands and seals of the said commissioners, or of a majority of them, together with duplicates of their accounts, shall be delivered to such persons as may be severally authorized to receive the same in behalf of their respective governments: and the decision and proceedings of the said commissioners, or of a majority of them, made and had as aforesaid, shall be final and conclusive. ART. IV. It is further agreed, that the aforesaid commissioners shall be respectively paid in such manner as shall be agreed between the two parties; such agreement to be settled at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this convention; and all other expenses incurred by the said commissioners shall be defrayed jointly by the two parties, the same being previously ascertained and allowed by the said commissioners; and in the case of death, sickness, or necessary absence, the place of any commissioners shall be supplied in the same manner as such commissioner was ap pointed, and the new commissioner shall take the same oath, and do the same duties. ART. V. Whereas, it is uncertain whether the river Mississippi extends so far to the northward as to be intersected by a line drawn due west from the Lake of the Woods, in the manner mentioned in the treaty of peace between his majesty and the United States, it is agreed, that instead of the said line, the boundary of the United States in this quarter shall, and is hereby declared to be, the shortest line which can be drawn between the northwest point of the Lake of the Woods, and the nearest source of the river Mississippi; and for the purpose of ascertaining and determining the northwest point of the Lake of the Woods, and the source of the river Mississippi that may be nearest to the said northwest point, as well as for the purpose of running and marking the said boundary line between the same, three commissioners, upon the demand of either government, shall be appointed and authorized upon their oaths to act, and their compensation and expenses shall be ascertained and paid, and vacancies supplied in the manner provided in respect to the commissioners mentioned in the preceding articles; and the decisions and proceedings of the said commissioners, or of a majority of them, made and had pursuant to this convention, shall be final and conclusive. In faith whereof, we, the undersigned ministers plenipotentiary of his Britannick majesty, and of the United States of America, have signed this present convention, and caused to be affixed thereto the seals of our arms. Done at London, this 12th day of May, 1803. HAWKESBURY, [SEAL.] DOCUMENTS. Mr. Madison to Mr. King. Department of State, Washington, July 28, 1801. SIR,-By the treaty of peace the mouth of the St. Croix is supposed to be in the bay of Fundy. But as the commissioners have in their decision settled the mouth of that river (called the Schoodick) to be Passamaquoddy Bay, at a place called Joes Point, it is left undetermined to which nation the islands in the last mentioned bay and the passages through them into the bay of Fundy, belong. It appearsto have been the intention of the two nations, in adjusting their limits at the peace, to make navigable waters, where they were the boundary, common to both, by a divisional line running through the middle of their channels. Hence it is believed, that, if it be true that one of the passages -from the mouth of the river intended as the St. Croix, into Fundy bay, be seldom and imperfectly navigable, and the other constantly and completely so, it will be most con |