FROM THE GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS TO THE GO

Sir,

VERNOR OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, }

Boston, Sept. 9, 1785.

I am informed by a gentleman, who is an inhabitant in the eastern part of this Commonwealth, that the government of New Brunswick hath asserted a claim to Moose, Dudley, and Fred Islands; but I flatter myself he has extended his ideas beyond the real fact; for he mentions only the conduct of the Sheriff of your county of Charlotte, (Mr. Wyer,) grounded on the advice and direction of Judge Ludlow, in advertising and directing the inhabitants of Moose Island to attend the Courts at St. Andrews as jurymen, upon pain, in case of refusal, of forfeiting their estates.

As I am not informed that your Excellency has interposed your authority, I am inclined to believe that my informant had been premature in forming an opinion, that the government of New Brunswick had given its sanction to a measure, altogether unexpected and insupportable. I have, however, given your Excellency this information, assuring myself, that your Excellency will take order effectually to prevent the abovementioned, and every other encroachment on the territorial rights and sovereignty of this Commonwealth, and of the United States.

With regard to the lands lying to the east of the river Schoodic, and between that and the river St. Croix, or as the Indians call it Maggacadava, relative to which some of the subjects of Great Britain, under your immediate government, appear to have adopted an improper

opinion, it is a matter before Congress, who, I am assured, will give instructions to their Minister at the Court of London, to assert and maintain their just claims as set forth in the treaty agreed to between the two nations.

I have the honor to be, &c.

JAMES BOWDOIN.

His Excellency, THOMAS CARLETON, Esq.

FROM JOHN JAY TO JOHN ADAMS.

New York, November 1, 1785.

Dear Sir,

It will, I am persuaded, give you pleasure to receive the enclosed act of Congress, of 14th ult. for compensating the services of our friend Dumas, and alleviating the uneasiness and anxiety which seems for some years past to have oppressed him on that account.

I have already sent him a copy of it, but lest that may miscarry, and that you also may be informed of it, I enclose a duplicate copy.

I have the honor to be, &c.

JOHN JAY.

FROM JOHN JAY TO JOHN ADAMS.

New York, November 2, 1785.

3

Dear Sir,

Mr. Houdon, the celebrated statuary of Paris, who

has taken a bust of general Washington, and is to make

his statue for Virginia and perhaps another for the United States, is the bearer of this.

His character as an artist being high, and in other respects, as far as I can learn, unexceptionable, I take the liberty of introducing him to you. Not understanding English, he will be much a stranger in London, and your friendly offices of course will be the more acceptable and grateful to him.

I am, dear Sir, &c.

JOHN JAY.

FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOHN JAY.

Grosvenor Square, Westminster, August 25, 1785.

Dear Sir,

Yesterday I had a long conference with Mr. Pitt for the first time. He never had proposed any interview with me, and I had delayed to request him to appoint any time, after the first ceremonial visit, for two reasons, because that while Parliament was sitting, his time and mind were so engaged, that it was impossible he should attend in earnest to the affairs of the United States, and because I expected that a little time would bring, both from America and Ireland, intelligence which would somewhat lessen that confidence, with which the Ministry and the nation were elated. Such intelligence has now arrived. The twenty resolutions have been in effect given up, that they might not be rejected by the Irish Parliament; and the Massachusetts act of navigation has appeared, together with advices from Virginia, Philadelphia, New York, and various other parts of the United

States, which have excited a serious apprehension that all have the same principles and views.

I shall not attempt to give you the conversation in detail, yet it is necessary to give some particulars, from which you may judge how much or how little may result from the whole. He asked me what were the principal points to be discussed between us? I answered, that I presumed the Marquis of Carmarthen had laid before the King's servant some papers, which I had done myself the honor to write to him. He said he had. I replied, that those letters related to the evacuation of the posts upon the frontier; to the construction of the armistice; and to a treaty of commerce; and that besides these, there were the negroes carried off contrary to the treaty, and some other points, which I had particularly explained to Lord Carmarthen. He said that the carrying off the negroes was so clearly against the treaty, that they must take measures to satisfy that demand, if we could prove how many were carried off. I told him that Sir Guy Carleton could easily ascertain the number, and that Colonel Smith, who negotiated with Sir Guy, could do the same, and that I had the evidence of their proceedings ready to produce whenever it was wanted. He entered then into the subject of the armistice, and we were longer on this point than we needed to have been. I observed to him that Mr. Blowers's construction was demonstrably absurd, because it would place the whole 'coast of America in the period of five months; the coast of the United States certainly was not between the Canary islands and the Equator, and, therefore, could not be included in the period of two months; it is neither in the Channel nor North seas, and therefore,

cannot be within the period of twelve days; consequently, if it is not in the period of one month, it must be in that of five months, an idea that never could have been entertained a moment by either of the contracting parties. Mr. Pitt said he thought that was clear, and that this point might be easily settled; but, as to the posts, says he, that is a point connected with some others, that I think must be settled at the same time. I asked him what those points were? He said, the debts; several of the States had interfered against the treaty, and by acts of their legislatures had interposed impediments to the recovery of debts, against which there were great complaints in this country. I replied to this, that I had explained this at great length to the Marquis of Carmarthen; but that I might now add, that Congress had, very early after the peace, proposed an explanation of the article, as far as it respected the interest of debts contracted before the war, they had instructed their Ministers at Paris to propose such an explanation to this Court; that we had proposed it, through Mr. Hartley first, and the Duke of Dorset afterwards, and that I had renewed the proposition to my Lord Carmarthen, upon my first conference with him; but that we had never received any answer. I thought it was best there should be an explanation; for I was persuaded that an American jury would never give any interest for the time which run during the war. Mr. Pitt said, that would surprise the people here, for that wars never interrupted the interest nor principal of debts, and that he did not see a difference between this war and any other, and the lawyers here made none. I begged his pardon here, and said, that the American lawyers made a wide differ