result from the plans you have already sanctioned, when merely by avoiding false objects of expense, we are able, without a direct tax, without internal taxes, and without borrowing, to make large and effectual payments towards the discharge of our public debt, and the emancipation of our posterity from that mortal canker, it is an encouragement, fellow citizens, of the highest order, to proceed as we have begun in substituting economy for taxation, and in pursuing what is useful for a nation, placed as we are, rather than what is practised by others under different circumstances. And whensoever we are destined to meet events which shall call forth all the energies of our coun trymen, we have the firmest reliance on those energies, and the comfort of leaving for calls like these, the extraordinary resources of loans and internal taxes. In the mean time, by payments of the principal of our debt, we are liberating, annually, portions of the external taxes, and forming from them a growing fund, still further to lessen the necessity of recurring to extraordinary resources. The usual account of receipts and expenditures for the last year, with an estimate of the expenses of the ensuing one, will be laid before you by the Secretary of the Treasury.

-No change being deemed necessary in our military establishment, an estimate of its expenses for the ensuing year, on its present footing, as also of the sums to be employed in fortifications, and other objects within that department, has been prepared by the Secretary at War, and will make a part of the general estimates which will be presented to you. Considering that our regular troops are employed for local purposes, and that the militia is our general reliance for great and sudden emergencies, you will doubtless think this institution worthy of a review, and give it those improvements of which you find it susceptible.-Estimates for the naval department, prepared by the Secretary of the Navy for another year, will in like manner be communicated with the general estimates. A small force in the Mediterranean will still be necessary to restrain the Tripoline eruizers: and the uncertain tenure of peace with some other of the Barbary powers, may eventually require that force to be augmented. The - nécessity of procuring some smaller vessels for that service, will raise the estimate; but the dif ference in their maintenance will soon make it a measure of economy-Presuming it will be deemed expedient to expend annually a convenient sum towards providing the naval defence which our situation may require, I cannot but recommend that the first appropriations for that purpose, may go to the saving what we already possess. No cares, no attentions, can preserve vessels from rapid decay, which lie in water, and exposed to the sun. These decays require great and constant repairs, and will consume, if continued, a great portion of the monies destined to naval purposes. To avoid this waste of our resources, it is proposed to add to our navy yard here a dock, within which our present vessels may be laid up dry, and under cover from the sun. Under these circumstances experience proves that works of wood will remain scarcely at all affected by time. The great abundance of running water which this situation possesses, at heights far above the level of the tide,, if emploved as is practised for lock navigation, furnishes the means for raising and laying up our vessels, on a dry sheltered ...bed. And should the measure be found useful here, similar depositories for laying up, as well as for building and repairing vessels, may hereafter

be undertaken at other navy yards, offering the same means. The plans and estimates of the work, prepared by a person of skill and experience, will be presented by you without delay; and from these it will be seen that scarcely more than has been the cost of one vessel is necessary to save the whole, and that the annual sum to be employed towards its completion may be adapted to the views of the Legislature as to naval expenditure. To cultivate peace, and maintain commerce and navigation in all their lawful enterprizes; to foster our fisheries as nurseries of navigation, and for the nurture of man, and protect the manufactures adapted to our circumstances; to preserve the faith of the nation by an exact discharge of its debts and contracts, expend the public money with the same care and economy we would practise with our own, and impose on our citizens no unnecessary burthens; to keep in all things within the pale of our constitutional powers, and cherish the federal union, as the only rock of safety; these, fellow citizens, are the landmarks by which we are to guide ourselves in all our proceedings. By continuing to make these our rule of action, we shall endear to our countrymen the true principles of their constitution, and promote an union of sentiment and of action, equally auspicious to their happiness and safety. On my part you may count a cordial concurrence in every measure for the public good; and on all the information I possess which may enable you to discharge to advantage the high functions with which you are invested by your country. (Signed) Thomas Jefferson.

On the 23d December, the Governor and Council of Esse quibs and Demerara, and the Districts thereunto bea longing, published a Proclamation notifying to the Inhabitants, that Anthony Meertens, the newly-appoint ed Governor-General of those Colonies, had arrived with the Batavian Troops, and after the Colonies had been duly surrendered to the Batavian Republic, had appeared in the Council assembled, and delivered his Commission from the Batavian Directory, as Governor General, which Commission is as follows:

The Directory of the Batavian Republic, to all to whom these presents may come, health. Be it known, that, having judged it necessary for the advantage and service of the country to appoint a Governor General for the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara, we hereby name and appoint such a governor, in the person of Anthony Meertens, on whose abilities, fidelity, and vigilance, we can perfectly rely, charging him to conduct himself in his post faithfully, according to the oath he has taken to his countty, and agreeably to the duty of a good and faithful governor-general, according to the instructions he has received, or shall hereafter receive, hereby commanding all, and every one to acknowledge, respect, and obey the above-named Anthony Meertens, in the before-mentioned capacity, and to render him every aid and assistance in whatever he may judge for the advantage of the colony. Done at the Hague the 11th May, 1802-Samuel Van Hoogstraaten, V. P.

The governor and council then order, that the said Anthony Meertens shall be acknowledged and obeyed as governor-general of the colonies of Demerara and Essequibo, by all the colleges within the said colonies. They add, that all the inhabitants within the same are ipso facto released, by the restoration of the colonies to the Batavian Republic, from the oath of fidelity which they took to his Britannic Majesty at the time of their sur render, and they require them in consequence to

take an oath of fidelity to the governor-general of the following tenor:-"I promise and swear, that "I will be faithful to the directory of the Bata"vian Republic, as the supreme authority to " which I am subject; to the council of the Ame❝rican colonies and possessions, and to the gover"nor-general of these colonies, that I will render "them all due obedience, that I will take no part "in any conspiracies, cabals, or factions; but, on "the contrary, support the general tranquillity, "safety, and welfare, with all my power, and re"sist every thing that may tend to disturbance or injury, and, on all occasions, conduct myself as "becomes a good and peaceable citizen, and in"habitant, without suffering either favour or af"fection, hope or reward, fear of the loss of pro"perty or life, or any other motive to induce me *to swerve from my duty.”—All the imbabitants of Demerara who shall not have taken this oath and signed their names to it in a register, before the last day of January, and those of Essequibo who shall not have taken it, and signed in the same manner, before the last day of February, will be compelled to leave the country.

Remonstrance of the Civil and Military authorities of Constance against the Article published by the Moniteur, relative to the English agent, Mr. Moore. (Vol. z. p. 881.)

Several gazettes, both French and German, have repeated after the Moniteur, the official journal of France, an article from Constance, dated 15th December, which concerns Mr. Moore, an English gentleman, his stay, and his occupations at Constance. The facts contained in that article being immediately connected with this city, cannot be so well ascertained any where else as here. Of these facts the following only are strictly true :1st. Mr. Moore has been in this city, but he left it the 15th December, consequently ten days before the date of the said article. 2d. One Rocket went from Constance to London. 3d. The ci-devant Bailly Wagner lodged at the Aigle until he had hired a private house. 4th. Mr. Moore lived here in the most quiet manner. All the rest of the article is a direct falsehood: and it is difficult to conceive how any correspondent could have ventured to furnish the French Official Journal with an article in which there are more lies than lines. The Imperial Commandant of this chy and the directors of the police have though themselves bound in honour and in duty to make the present declaration.-Constance. Jan. 2d. 1803.

DOMESTIC.

On Wednesday his Majesty held a levee at Saint James'. At one o'clock the grand convocation of the clergy of England arrived from Westminster Abbey, having previously finished the holding of the convocation in the Jerusalem Chamber. It was attended by his Grace the Archb. of Canterbury, bishops of Winchester, London, Ely, Litchfield, St. Asaph, Hereford, Rochester, Bath, and Wells, Bristol, Rev. Drs. Glasse, Gordon, Tattersall, and Fisher, Rev. Mr. Moore, Rev. Mr. Nares, and the Rev. Dr. Vincent, dean of Westminster, who was appointed prolocutor to the convocation, in which capacity he delivered to his Majesty the address of the clergy, on the meeting of the new Parliament.

Downing Street, Jan. 29.-The King has been pleased to appoint William Drummond, Esq. to be his Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Sublime Ottoman Porte.The King has also been pleased to appoint Hugh

Elliot, Esq. to be his Majesty's Envoy Extraordi nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the court of Naples. The King has been pleased to appoint Anthony Merry, Esq. to be his Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America.-The King has been pleased to appoint Edward Thornton, Esq to be his Majesty's secretary of Legation at the Hague.

Crown Office, Jan. 29-Members returned to serve in this present parliament.-Borough of GattonPhilip Dundas, of New Norfolk Street, Grosvenor Square, Middlesex, Esq. in the room of James Dashwood, Esq. who has accepted the office of steward of his Majesty's manor of East Hendred, in the county of Berks.

Whitehall, March 20, 1802.-The King has been graciously pleased to give and grant unto his Excellency Thomas Earl of Elgin, his Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Sublime Porte, his roval license and permission to receive and wear the insignia of the Order of the Crescent, given to him by the Ottoman Emperor. -dug. 21. The King has also been graciously pleased to give and grant unto his Excellency Sir John Boriase Warren, Karonet, Knight of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Rear-admiral of the White Squadron of his Majesty's Fleet, and his Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the court of St. Petersburgh, his royal license and permission to receive and wear the insignia of the Order of the Crescent, transmitted to him by the Ottoman EmperorAnd also to command, that these his Majesty's concessions and declarations, together with the relative documents, be registered in his College of

Arms.

Bankrupts.-Wood, W. Liverpool, flour-dealer.— Teesdale, J. the Younger, Boston, merchant. Presgrave, E. Spalding, merchant.-Prickett, T. Warwick-lane, scrivener.-Burnett, S. Petersfield, victualler.-Wright, T. Leeds, merchant Calion,

G. Sheffield, linen-draper.-Hull, W. Upper Boddington, Northampton, and L. Hull, Banbury, cow-dealers.-Rogers, W. Dipley Mill, Southampton, miller and malster.-Quagle, M. Liverpool, merchant.-Porter, R. C. Kingston-upon-Hull, iroumonger.-Boorman, J. Headcorn, timber-merchant.-Jackson, F. Basinghall-street, factor.-Cooke, J. Manchester, merchant.-Toy, E. Plymouth-dock, draper.-Jeffery, J. Bristol, cutler.Garwood, J. Royston, victualler.-Pennington, L. Warrington, corn-dealer.

Births. On the 9th ult. at Hains Castle, Lady Errol, of a daughter. On the 29th ult, at Cottle's House, Wilts, the Lady of B. Hobhouse, Esq. M.P. of a daughter.-Marriage.-On the 20th Gen. Geat to Miss Temple French.

ult.

Fe. Inf.

Cav.
Inf.

Tot Ba.

20 27 2

7

4

7 22 3 32

5

21

5

5

25

-

6

5 20

Total.... 35 132 4171

Maj.

'Inv. Co

ment of their country's allies, the surrender of its bulwarks, and the exposure of its very existence as an independent nation; as they were reconciled to all these sacrifices for the sake of obtaining the "bless"ings of peace," they will certainly excuse us, if, before we cast away that dear bought "blessing" merely for their sakes, we take time to enquire, whether or not we have justice on our side.-There is no doubt, that a war dissolves allexisting treaties from the very nature of war; and, all treaties being dissolved by war, mere peace does not renew them. "Then," say the merchants of Honduras, "by the same rule,

Spain may demand Gibraltar or Jamaica, "because the treaties of 1667 and 1713 "were not renewed at Amiens." Not so. There are some points, which, when once ceded, do not require to be renewed after a war; but there are others that do. Treaties, or parts of treaties, as we ob. served, on a former occasion, cease of themselves the moment they are fully executed. Gibraltar was not only ceded but taken possession of. The stipulation was executed, and its force was at an end. But, if Spain had, by a stipulation of the same treaty, obtained or reserved the privilege of selling oranges in the town, or of keeping a number of persons to dig stones out of one of the quarries, such a stipulation would have been found to be unexecuted at the breaking out of the war between England and Spain, and would, of course, have ceased to be any longer binding upon England, until again positively renewed.-The erroneous conclusion of the Honduras merchants (or rather their lawyer), proceeds from their confounding a right of dominion with a right of convention, which are not more different in their origin than in their nature and effects. The right of dominion (like that of Gibraltar for instance), once ceded, need not be renewed after any subsequent war; because it is a complete right, and requires neither the act nor the will of any other power to preserve the existence or enjoyment of it. But all rights, which are not rights of dominion, which are encroachments on that right, which are to be exercised in the dominions of another power, which require not only the past but the present and the future consent of that power, and an active continuance of his permission, must be renewed after a war. Such are rights of commerce, of fishery, of drying fish, of cutting wood, &c.-The Master of the Rolls, in his defence of the treaty, rightly took this line of arguing, but he fallaciously contended, that our right to cut wood at Honduras was like a right of dominion, and therefore need not be renew

ed.* He did not distinguish between those rights, which are to be exercised in one's own dominions, and, therefore, require the inter ference of one power only; and those rights, which are to be exercised in the dominions of another power, and which require the consent of two parties-a circumstance which, in the affairs of nations, always implies a covenant of some kind or other. The proof that this doctrine is sound, is, that, in all treaties, the right of dominion, once ceded, is seldom, if ever, renewed; and, that rights of the other species, if meant to be revived, are always renewed specifically: nor is there, we believe, an instance of the contrary, and, it is well known, that the practice of nations is the law of nations.-The argument of the ministers, is, that we have kept possession dur, ing the war, and that, as (according to VATTEL), at a peace, every thing is to remain in statu quo, if not altered by specifie articles, we still have the right to possess. But, is this really and truly the meaning of VATTEL? We think not. "The state of "things at the instant of making the treaty " is held to be legitimate, and any change "to be made in it requires an express spe"cification in the treaty; consequently all "things not mentioned in the treaty, are to "remain as they were at the conclusion of it."t True, and all we have to determine, is, what, as relative to the present point, was "the state of things" at the instant of making the treaty of Amiens? Why, the war had abrogated the convention of 1786; it was in that state at the conclusion of the peace, and as this state was not changed by any express specification in the treaty, the convention remained abrogated, and the right ceased. But, say the ministers, we kept possession during the whole of the war. Granted; but, though the possession was preserved, the nature of it was changed. From being possessors by covenant, as friends and allies, you became possessors without covenant, as adversaries and as enemies, which is clearly proved by the attempt actually made by the other party to drive you out. Peace came: as we had clearly and unequivocally acknowledged, in 1783 and 1786, the whole right of sove reignty and dominion to be in the King of Spain, the Spaniards said nothing, in the treaty of Amiens, about Honduras: on their part, there was no occasion for any stipulation on the subject: they knew that we were, at that moment, in forcible posi session of the exercise of a privilege to cut wood, and of a part of their shore in South

* See his speech, Vol. II. Supplement, p. 1346. † Vattel, L. IV. Sect. 21.

America; but, as they knew, that we no longer possessed either by treaty, they, of course, regarded us as occupiers or conquerors, and, as all places occupied or conquered are, by the treaty of Amiens, to be restored, what we possessed at Honduras must of necessity be restored. The log wood lawyer goes upon the point of possession, but he does not appear to consider its nature, and that our possession, not being grounded on a right of dominion, but on a right of an inferior kind, must, to be good and valid, be specifically revived. The instances which he brings of Gibraltar, Canada, and Newfoundland have already been noticed; but what is the case as to the fisheries in the Gulph of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland? The French, aware of the principle we have stated, have not neglected to renew their rights, of this sort, by the treaty of Amiens! * Shall we be told, that there is a distinction here; and that the French did not possess the use of the fisheries during the war as we did that of the logwood districts? Who knows this? Who knows, that there were not French fishermen on the Banks every day in every season during the war? And, the poor fishermen of St. John's know, to their sorrow, that there was one part of the war when the French were completely masters of all the Banks. The French government knew this; but, it also knew, that we claimed the right of dominion in the fisheries in question, and therefore, it wisely renewed its conventional right to the use of them, which right had been abrogated by the war. This pretext of a right of possession, founded on a successful resistance of the Spaniards during the war, was, we think, sa tisfactorily replied to in a letter to Sir Frederick Eden: "We traded to Honduras,

we built huts and cut wood there, by permission of the King of Spain; a per"mission secured to us by treaties existing

before the war. From the commence"ment of the war, the permission ceased; and, do you really imagine, Sir, that our continuing to cut wood without permission, during the war, is a conclusive "proof of our having a right to continue "to cut wood during the peace? Because a tenant has kept forcible possession of your house for a long time after the expiration of his lease, shall he thereon "found a right to possess it for ever?" We call upon the logwood lawyer to answer these questions.-As to the quotation from Mably it is expressly limited to rights of dominion, and is, in itself, very true: but, the

See Art. XV. Register, Vol. I. p. 326
See the article we allude to, p. 111.

inference (like that of the Master of the Rolls) extended to the case of Honduras, which has nothing to do with a right of dominion, is false. This distinction we take to be the hinge of the question.-Suppose, then, it is true, that the Spaniards have ordered us to quit Honduras, what argument have we to oppose to such an order? Can we say we are possessors by covenant? They will ask what covenant. Suppose we say, by the treaty of 1783, or by the convention of 1786? They will reply: those covenants. were dissolved by the war, and you have not renewed them. Shall we next say, that we have kept possession during the war? Granted, say they; but you did so against our will; you did so as enemies and not as friends, by force and not by treaty; and, as you have not desired to continue your possession by a new treaty, we beg leave to exercise our right as Sovereigns, and to bid you depart, in which we are justified by the law of nations, and by your conduct. You were so sensible that your right here was purely a right of convention, and that, after every war, it merely depended upon continuing it by specific treaty, that you never failed so to continue it, at the end of every war, from 1670 to 1783; and, as you have not observed this precaution at Amiens, you have forfeited your right, and we insist upon the exercise of ours. We should be glad to hear the reply of the logwood lawyer and the Master of the Rolls.

AMERICAN STATES AND LOUISIANA. -In p. 136 of this sheet, will be found the message of Mr. Jefferson, President of the United States of America, to the two Houses of Congress, at the opening of their session, which began, it appears, on the 15th of Dec. last. A paper like this embraces, of course, a great number of important objects. In order to form a right judgment relative to which, we beg leave to recommend, to such of our readers as may not be conversant in American affairs, to peruse the articles respecting that country, which will be found in the body and in the Supplement of Vol. I. of this work, and which are, in some sort, necessary to explain the views of the President, with respect both to foreign and domestic concerns. But, in the topics of this message, there is one, in which we, our readers, and our country, are more immediately interested: we mean that of the cession of Louisiana to France. "The cession," says the President, "of "the Spanish province of Louisiana to "France, which took place in the course "of the last war, will, if carried into effects "make a change in the aspect of our foreign re