CONFIDENTIAL STATE PAPERS. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE SENATE RELATIVE TO EASTERN BOUNDARY ON BRITISH TERRITORY. FEB. 9, 1790. You will perceive from the papers herewith delivered, and which are enumerated in the annexed list, that a difference subsists between Great Britain and the United States relative to the boundary line between our eastern and their territories. A plan for deciding this difference was laid before the late Congress; and whether that or some other plan of a like kind would not now be eligible, is submitted to your consideration. In my opinion it is desirable that all questions between this and other nations, be speedily and amicably settled; and in this instance I think it advisable to postpone any negotiations on the subject, until I shall be informed of the result of your deliberations, and receive your advice as to the propositions most proper to be offered on the part of the United States. As I am taking measures for learning the intentions of Great Britain respecting the further detention of our posts, &c. I am the more solicitous that the business now submitted to you, may be prepared for negotiation, as soon as the other important affairs which engage your attention will perGEORGE WASHINGTON. mit. A List of Papers delivered to the Senate with the foregoing Message, in the Bundle marked A. No. 1. Resolve of the legislature of Massachusetts, dated July 6 and 7, 1784. No. 2. Deposition of John Mitchell, dated Oct..9, 1784. No. 3. Report of generals Lincoln and Knox to the governour of Massachusetts, dated Oct. 19, 1784. No. 4. Extract of a letter from the hon. John Adams to lieut. governour Cushing, dated Oct. 25, 1784. No. 5. Letter from governour Hancock to governour Parr, of Nova Scotia, dated Nov. 12, 1784. No. 6. Letter from governour Parr to governour Hancock, dated Dec. 7, 1784. No. 7. Letter from Rufus Putnam to the committee of Massachusetts, dated Dec. 27, 1784. No. 8. Report of the secretary for foreign affairs respecting eastern boundary, dated April 21, 1785. No. 9. Deposition of Nathan Jones, dated March 17, 1785. No. 10. Copy of a letter from governour Carlton to governour Hancock, dated June 21, 1785. No. 11. Letter from James Avery to governour Bowdoin, dated August 23, 1785. No. 12. Advice of the council of the commonwealth of Massachusetts to the governour, dated Sept. 9, 1785. No. 13. Letter from governour Bowdoin to governour Carlton, dated Sept. 9, 1785. No. 14. Report of the secretary for foreign affairs, dated Sept. 22, 1785. No. 15. Resolution of Congress, dated Oct. 13, 1785. No. 16. Copy of a letter from the hon. John Jay to the hon. John Adams, dated Nov. 1, 1785. List of Papers delivered to the Senate with the foregoing Message in the Bundle marked B. No. 1. The petition of James Boyd to the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America. No. 2. Copy of the proceedings of the legislature of the commonwealth of Massachusetts on the petition of James Boyd, and a letter of instruction to the delegates of that commonwealth in Congress, dated Nov. 10, 1786. No. 3. Copy of a declaration of John Mitchell, relative to a survey made by him in the year 1764, to ascertain the river known by the name of St. Croix. No. 4. Copy of a declaration of Nathan Jones, to the same effect as the preceding. No. 5. Copy of a plan delivered to capt. John Mitchell, surveyor, by his excellency Francis Barnard, Esq. then governour of the province of the Massachusetts Bay, for the direction of the said surveyor. No. 6. Copy of remarks drawn up by C. Morris, surveyor general, respecting the western limits of New Brunswick, and the property of the islands in the bay of Passamaquoddy. No. 7. Extract of a letter from his excellency John Adams, Esq. to his honour lieutenant governour Cushing, dated Auteuil, near Paris, Oct. 25, 1784. No. 8. Extract from the journals of Congress, May 20, 1785. No. 9. Extracts from sundry publications respecting the boundaries of Nova Scotia. A. No. 1. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. Resolve for appointing Agents to repair to the eastern part of this State, to inform themselves of Encroachments made by British Subjects; and instructing them how to proceed, July 7, 1784. WHEREAS the United States in Congress assembled, on the twenty-sixth day of January last past, recommended to the governour of this commonwealth to cause inquiry to be made whether encroachments had actually been made on the territories of this state by the subjects of his Britannick majesty, from the government of Nova Scotia and it appearing that great encroachments have been made on the said territories: : ge Resolved, That three gentlemen be appointed by the neral court, whose duty and business it shall be to repair to the eastern part of this state, and there inform themselves. what encroachments have been made by his said Britannick majesty's subjects, on the territories of this commonwealth; and if they find such have been made, that they make representation thereof to the governour of Nova Scotia, and request him in a friendly manner, and as a proof of that disposition for peace and harmony which should subsist between neighbouring states, to recall from off the said territory the said subjects of his Britannick majesty so found to have encroached thereon; that they receive any communications on the said subject which may be made by the said governour of Nova Scotia, and make report of their proceedings herein to the general court. Resolved, That his excellency the governour make a commission under the seal of the commonwealth, to the agents to be appointed as aforesaid to transact the said business, and transmit to the said governour of Nova Scotia a copy of these resolves. A. No. 2. THE subscriber, an inhabitant of Chester, in the state of New Hampshire, voluntarily makes the following declaration, to wit: That I was employed by his excellency Francis Bernard, Esq. governour of the province of Massachusetts Bay, in April, 1764, as a surveyor, in company with Mr. Israel Jones, as my deputy, Mr. Nathan Jones, as commanding officer of a party of troops, and captain Fletcher as Indian interpreter, to repair to the bay of Passamaquoddy, to assemble the Indians usually residing there, and from them to ascertain the river known by the name of the St. Croix. We accordingly assembled upwards of forty of the principal Indians upon an island then called L'Atereel in the said bay of Passamaquoddy. After having fully and freely conversed with them, upon the subject of our mission, the chief commissioned three Indians to show us the said river St. Croix, which is situated nearly six miles north, and about three degrees east of harbour L'Tete, and east north east of the bay or river Schoodick, and distant from it about nine miles upon a right line. The aforesaid three Indians, after having shown us the river, and being duly informed of the nature and importance of an oath, did in a solemn manner depose to the truth of their information respecting the identity of the said river St. Croix, and that it was the ancient and only river known amongst them by that name. We proceeded conformably to this information in our surveys; and in August following I delivered to governour Bernard, three plans of the said river St. Croix, and the said bay of Passamaquoddy. JOHN MITCHELL, Surveyor. Suffolk, ss. Boston, October 9, 1784. The above named John Mitchell personally appeared, and on solemn oath declared that the above by him subscribed is true. Before me, EZEKIEL PRICE, Justice Peace. True copy.-Attest, JOHN AVERY, JUN. Secretary. A. No. 3. Boston, October 19, 1784. SIR,-In obedience to your excellency's commission, bearing date July 12, 1784, the subscribers, two of the commissioners named therein, proceeded the latter end of August to the bay of Passamaquoddy, and there endeavoured to inform themselves of what encroachments had been made by the subjects of his Britannick majesty on the territories of this commonwealth. They beg leave to inform your excellency that a very considerable number of British subjects are settled at a place called St. Andrews, on the eastern bank of the river Schoodick, which in the opinion of your commissioners is clearly within the limits of this state. By your excellency's leave they will recite a short state of facts on which this opinion was formed. There are three very considerable rivers which empty themselves into the bay of Passamaquoddy, which is from five to seven leagues wide. The eastern river falls into the bay about a league from the head of it, and perpendicular to the eastern side; the middle river falls into the bay far on the westerly side of the head of it, and in a direction parallel therewith; the western river falls into the bay about six leagues from the head of it, on the westerly side, and nearly perpendicular to it: all of which, in late British maps, are called St. Croix. The first is, by the Indians, called Maggacadava, the second Schoodick, and the third Cobbscook. From every information the subscribers could obtain, on an inquiry of the Indians and others, the eastern river was the original St. Croix. This is about three leagues east of St. Andrews, where the British inhabitants have made a settlement. Soon after the subscribers received their commission they wrote to Mr. Jay, requesting him to give them information whether the commissioners for negotiating the peace confined themselves, in tracing the boundaries of the United States, to any particular map, and if any one, to what. Since their return they received his answer, mentioning that Mitchell's map was the only one that the commissioners used, and on that they traced the boundaries agreed to. This in the opinion of the subscribers is a fact which must facilitate an equitable decision of the matter; though Mitchell's map is not accurate, at least in the description of the eastern parts of this state. He has described but two, instead of three rivers which empty themselves into the bay of Passama |