ORIGINAL. Provifional Articles BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY. ARTICLES Agreed upon, by and between Richard Ofwald, Efquire, the Commiffioner of His Britannic Majefty, for treating of Peace with the Commiffioners of the United States of America, in Behalf of his faid Majefty, on the one Part, and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, four of the Commiffioners of the faid States, for treating of Peace with the Commiffioner of His faid Majefty, on their Behalf, on the other Part, to be inferted in, and to conftitute the Treaty of Peace, propofed to be concluded between the Crown of GreatBritain and the faid United States; but which Treaty is not to be concluded until Terms of a Peace fhall be agreed upon between GreatBritain and France; and His Britannic Majefty fhall be ready to conclude fuch Treaty accordingly. WHE HEREAS reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience are found by experience to form the only permanent foundation of peace and friendship between states; it is agreed to form the articles of the propofed Baited dent. treaty, on fuch principles of liberal equity and reciprocity, as that partial advantages (thofe feeds of difcord) being excluded, fuch a beneficial and fatisfactory intercourfe between the two countries may be established, as to promise and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony. ARTICLE I. His Britannic Majefty acknowledges the faid United States, viz. New-Hampshire, Maf fachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Ifland and Providence knowledg Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, Newed to be Jersey, Pennfylvania, Delaware, Maryland, reign and Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and indepen- Georgia, to be free, fovereign and independent States; that he treats with them as fuch; and for himself, his heirs and fucceffors, relinquifhes all claims to the government, propriety and territorial rights of the fame, and every part thereof. And that all difputes which might arise in future, on the fubject of the boundaries of the faid United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are, and shall be their boundaries, viz. ARTICLE II. From the north-weft angle of Nova-Scotia, Boundaries viz. that angle which is formed by a line, eftablished. drawn due north from the fource of St. Croix river to the Highlands; along the faid Highlands which divide thofe rivers, that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from thofe which fall into the Atlantic ocean, to the northwesternmoft head of Connecticut river, thence down along the middle of that river, to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence, by a line due weft on faid lati tude, until it ftrikes the river Iroquois Ca. Boundaries taraquy; thence along the middle of faid ri- etablished, ver into Lake Ontario, through the middle of faid lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of faid communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of said lakė until it arrives at the water-communication between that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the middle of faid water-communication into the Lake Huron; thence through the middle of faid lake to the water-communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake Superior northward of the ifles Royal and Philipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of faid Long Lake, and the water-communication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the faid Lake of the Woods; thence through the faid lake to the most north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due weft course to the river Miffifippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the faid river Miffifippi until it fhall interfect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude. South by a line to be drawn due east from the determi nation of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the Equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouchi; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence ftraight to the head of St. Mary's river; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the Atlantic ocean. Eaft by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its fource, and from its fource directly north to the aforefaid Highlands which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean, from thofe which fall into the river St. Lawrence; comprehending all iflands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforefaid boundaries between Nova-Scotia on the one part, and Eaft-Florida on the other, fhall refpectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic ocean; excepting fuch iflands as now are, or heretofore have been within the limits of the faid province of Nova-Scotia. ARTICLE III. It is agreed that the people of the United Right of States fhall continue to enjoy unmolefted the fifiery fe right to take fifh of every kind on the Grand cured. Bank, and on all the other banks of Newfoundland; alfo in the gulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the fea, where the inhabitants of both countries ufcd at any time herefofore to fifh; and alfo that the inhabitants of the United States fhall have liberty to take fish of every kind on fuch part of the coaft of Newfoundland as Britifh fifhermen fhall ufe (but not to dry or cure the fame on that island); and alfo on the coafts, bays and creeks of all other of his Britannic Majefty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen fhall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unfettled bays, harbours and creeks of Nova-Scotia, Magdalen iflands, and Labrador, fo long as the fame fhall remain unfettled; but fo foon as the fame or either of them fhall be fettled, it fhall not be lawful for the faid fifhermen to dry or cure fifh at fuch fettlement, without a previous agreement for that purpofe with the inhabitants, proprietors or poffeffors of the ground. ARTICLE IV. It is agreed that creditors on either fide, Debts to fhall meet with no lawful impediment to the be paid, recovery of the full value in fterling money, of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted. ARTICLE V. mend to of confifca It is agreed that the Congrefs fhall earnestly Congres recommend it to the legislatures of the refpec- to recom tive states, to provide for the reftitution of all the fates eftates, rights and properties, which have been reftitution confifcated, belonging to real British fubjects, ted eftates and alfo of the eftates, rights and properties of perfons refident in districts in the poffeffion of his Majefty's arms, and who have not borne arms against the faid United States. And that perfons of any other defcription fhall have free liberty to go to any part or parts of any of of the thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months, unmolested in their endeavours to obtain the reftitution of fuch of their eftates, rights and properties, as may have been confifcated; and that Congrefs fhall also earnestly recommend to the feveral states a reconfideration and revifion of all acts or laws regarding the premises, fo as to render the faid laws or acts perfectly confiftent, not only with juftice and equity, but with that fpirit of conciliation, which on the return of the bleffings of peace fhould univerfally prevail. And that Congrefs fhall also earneftly recommend to the several ftates, that the eftates, rights and properties of fuch last mentioned perfons, fhall be restored to them, they refunding to any perfons who 'may be now in poffeffion, the bona fide price (where any has been given) which fuch perfons may have paid on purchafing any of the faid lands, rights or properties, fince the conVOL. I. Q3 |