Great Britain, under the mediation of the emperor of Russia, to negociate and sign a treaty of commerce with Great Britain, and to negociate and sign a treaty of commerce with Russia, together with the message of the president of the 7th June, have directed me to enclose you a copy of two resolutions passed by the senate, and to request that you will be pleased to appoint such time to receive the committee as may entirely comport with your own convenience. The committee sincerely lament, that your indisposition for some time past has been such as would have rendered it improper to have addressed you upon this subject at an earlier period; and are now much gratified to learn that you are so far restored to your health as to be enabled to attend to your official duties. Accept my best wishes for a perfect restoration of your health, and assurance of my high respect. JOSEPH ANDERSON, President's Reply. J. Madison presents his respects to Mr. Anderson, and informs him that he will, on Friday next, at 11 o'clock, receive the committee of the senate instructed to communicate to the president their resolution of the 16th ult. The committee are apprised, by his late message to the senate, of the grounds on which he will be obliged to decline the proposed conference with the committee upon the matter of that resolution. Wednesday, July 14, 1813. After the report was read, the appointment of Mr. Gallatin was negatived, by a majority of one vote. The appointments of Mr. Adams and Mr. Bayard were agreed to by large majo rities. $6. The following message to the senate from the president of the United States, was received on the same day with that communicating the nomination of the embassadors to Russia. To the Senate of the United States. The Swedish government having repeatedly manifested a desire to interchange a public minister with the United States, and having lately appointed one with that view, and other considerations concurring to render it advisable at this period to make a correspondent appointment, I nominate Jonathan Russell, of Rhode-Island, to be minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Sweden. May 29th, 1813. JAMES MADISON. * See this message in page 145. After the reading of the message, the following resolution. was agreed to, and the secretary ordered to lay it before the president. Resolved, That the president of the United States be requested to cause to be laid before the senate the correspondence which may have passed between the United States and the king of Sweden, respecting the interchange of public ministers between the said governments. The following message and report was received in answer. To the Senate of the United States. I transmit to the senate a report of the secretary of state, complying with their resolution of the third instant. Washington, June 7th, 1813. JAMES MADISON. The report and documents are as follow: The secretary of state, to whom was referred the resolution of the senate of the 3d inst., requesting the president to cause to be laid before the senate, the corresspondence which may have passed between the United States and the king of Sweden, respecting the interchange of public ministers, has the honour to report to the president, that no direct correspondence has taken place on the subject. In reference to the object of the resolution, the secretary of state submits several extracts of letters from Mr. Speyer, consul of the United States at Stockholm, and a letter from Mr. Beasley, commissary of prisoners at London, by which the wishes and intentions of the Swedish government in relation to the interchange of ministers have been made known to this department. Respectfully submitted, JAMES MONROE. Department of State, June 7th, 1813. (Copy.) Mr. Beasley to the Secretary of State. Sir, London, December 12, 1813. Referring to my letter of the 10th instant, I have now the honour to transmit a copy of the letter which I informed you that I had received from Mr. Speyer, and of that which I stated it was my intention to address to him, on the subject of our relations with Sweden. Notwithstanding the present apparent irritation of the Swedish government, I have been assured by Mr. De Kantzow, and I learn from other sources, that it has invariably manifested the most friendly disposition towards the United States. Those American vessels which have sought shelter in its ports have experienced perfect protection. British cruisers are not allowed within its territories to dispose of prizes they make from the United States; and in some instances the protection of Swedish convoy has been afforded to American vessels passing through the sound. Indeed this circumstance, Mr. De Kantzow informed me, had been mentioned to him by lord Castlereagh with no satisfaction. I fear, however, that the art and intrigues of our enemy will, if not speedily counteracted, produce a state of things equally unfriendly. I collect from various quarters that considerable dissatisfaction is entertained by the Swedish government that the United States have not appointed a minister near it. The jealousy which has long existed between Sweden and Denmark, is said to have contributed no little to the feeling to which this mission has given rise, seeing that the United States have had a minister near the Danish government. Mr. De Kantzow seemed anxious to know whether a minister was or would be appointed; and I am inclined to believe that his stay here is prolonged on that account. The crown prince is fond of court and splendour; the government is poor; and to say nothing of the two great spoliators, the example of Denmark is immediately before it. I beg to add, that the result of all the information I can collect, is, that the fate of all the American property, now in the dominions of Sweden, will depend on the course which the government of the United States may pursue on this critical and delicate emergency. I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, your most obedient humble servant, R. G. BEASLEY. Extract of a letter from John Speyer, Esq., consul of the United States at Stockholm, to the Secretary of State; dated (No. 10.) Stockholm, 18th January, 1812. The minister of foreign affairs, in the course of our conversation yesterday, mentioned that both the king and prince royal were desirous to maintain and extend the friendly relations and commercial intercourse now subsisting between us, and intend to send a minister or charge des affaires to the United States.He would name the person designated for that mission, were it ascertained whether he accepted of it. Extract of a letter from the Same to the Same, dated (No. 11.) Stockholm, 21st January, 1812. The gentleman mentioned in my No. 10, as intended to be sent to the United States, is Mr. Kantzow, who lately returned from Brazils, where he resided charge des affaires of the king several years; he had before been consul-general of Sweden, in Portugal. He informed me yesterday, that he was to go as charge des affaires, which he refused, but consented to accept the appointment of minister. From the personal knowledge I have of Mr. Kantzow, I think him well calculated to contribute to the good understanding of our respective governments. Mr. Speyer to the Secretary of State. (Extract.) Stockholm, 31st March, 1812. On the 24th the minister of foreign affairs told me that the king had, on that day, directed him to inform me, that he would send Mr. Kantzow as minister resident to the United States. I understand that Mr. Kantzow is to leave this with his family, early in May, by way of England. Same to the Same. (Extract.) 18th May, 1812, Orebro. Mr. Kantzow, who is appointed minister to the United States, is still here; he expects to receive his instructions soon, when he will set out on his (Extract.) voyage. From the Same to the Same. Stockholm, 25th September, 1812. Mr. Kantzow has received his credentials as minister resident at Washington, and was despatched from Orebro on the 15th ult. He is now in London, and will probably remain there next winter. The prince royal informed me the 4th inst. that he had directed Mr. Kantzow to represent to the English government, his desire to see a good understanding restored with the United States. (Extract.) From the Same to the Same, dated Stockholm, 25th September, 1812. As this government expect the appointment of a minister or a charge des affaires in return for Mr. Kantzow's mission, I have not presented the commission as consul for this place. I am apprehensive, it might be ungraciously received here, after their notification of the appointment of a minister. Previously to the receipt of this message, a motion had been submitted by Mr. Goldsborough, which was amended as follows, and the resolution, together with the nomination of Mr. Russell, were referred to Mr. Goldsborough, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. King, to inquire and report thereon. Resolved, That the president of the United States be requested to inform the senate, whether any communication has been received from Jonathan Russell, admitting or denying the declaration of the duke of Bassano to Mr. Barlow, that he had informed his predecessor of the repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees at the date of that decree. The committee, on the 7th of June, reported, "that, in pursuance of the order of the senate, the committee met the secre`retary of state, by appointment, at the office of the department of state, when they were informed by the secretary, that there was no official denial or admission of Mr. Jonathan Russell, that the allegation of the duke of Bassano to Mr. Barlow referred to was true; but that he (the secretary) had a private letter from Mr. Russell, subsequent to the allegation of the duke of Bassano, in which he understood that allegation to be unequivocally denied." On the 14th, the subject was referred to another committee, consisting of Mr. Wells, Mr. Giles, and Mr. King, with instructions to confer with the president on the subject of the nomination, and report thereon. In answer to a note of the chairman of the committee, communicating a transcript of the resolution of the senate, and inquiring when it would be convenient for the president to receive the committee, Mr. Madison appointed next day, at 11 o'clock. Being prevented, however, by a severe indisposition from seeing them, on the 23d the secretary of state wrote the following letter to the committee. Gentlemen, Department of State, June 23d, 1813. The indisposition of the president continuing, I am instructed by him to express to you his great regret at the delay to which it has already subjected the proceedings of the senate on the nomination of the minister plenipotentiary from the United States to Sweden. To prevent any further delay from that cause, he has authorized me to confer with you on that subject, and to communicate to you any information which you may be desirous of obtaining from the executive relating to it. I will have the honour to meet you, for this purpose, at such place and hour as you will have the goodness to appoint. |