seizure and confiscation, the goods of enemies. found on board neutral vessels. American vessels had been declared exempt from that part of the decree of the 9th May, which authorized the seizing of vessels going to an enemy's port with provisions, by the decree of the National Convention of the 28th July, 1793.

"On the appearance of the decree of the 9th of May, the American minister at Paris remonstrated against it, as a violation of the treaty of commerce between France and the United States. In consequence thereof, the Convention, by a decree of the 23d of the same month, declare, "that the vessels "of the United States are not comprehended in the regulations of the 9th of May." M. Le Brun, the minister of foreign affairs, on the 26th of May, communicated this second decree to our minister, accompanying it with these words, "You will there "find a new confirmation of the principles from "which the French people will never depart, with "regard to their good friends and allies the people "of the United States of America." Yet two days only had elapsed, before those principles were departed from; on the 28th of May, the Convention repealed their decree of the 23d. The owners of a French privateer that had captured a very rich American ship, the Laurens, found means to effect the repeal, to enable them to keep hold of their prize. They had even the apparent hardiness to say before hand, that the decree of the 23d would be repealed.

"The American minister again complained. So on the first of July the Convention passed a fourth decree, again declaring, "That the vessels of the "United States are not comprized in the regulations of the decree of the 9th of May; conformably to the 16th [it should be called the 23d] article of the treaty concluded the 6th of Febru

66 ary,

ary, 1778." The new minister for foreign affairs, M. Desforgues, accompanies this new decree of July 1st, with the following expression-" I am very happy in being able to give you this new "proof of the fraternal sentiments of the French "people for their allies, and of their determination to maintain to the utmost of their power the "treaties subsisting between the two republics;" yet this decree proved as unstable as the former; on the 27th of July it was repealed.

"The next decree on this subject was that of the joint committee of the 15th of November, 1794, already mentioned. Then followed the decree of the Committee of Public Safety of the 4th of January, 1795, (14 Nivôse, 3d year) repealing the 5th article in the decree of the 15th November preceding, and in effect the articles in the original decree of the 9th of May, 1793, by which the treaty with the United States had been infringed. It is not necessary for the secretary to add, that the decree of the 4th January, 1795, has been repealed by the decree of the Executive Directory of the 2d of July, 1796, under colour of which are committed the shocking depredations on the commerce of the United States which are daily exhibited in the newspapers. The agents of the Executive Directory to the Leeward Islands (Leblanc, Sonthonax, and Raimond) on the 27th of November passed a decree for the capturing all American vessels bound to or from British ports. The secretary presumes this is not an arbitrary, unauthorized act of their own, but that it is conformable to the intentions of the Executive Directory; the privateers of the French republic in Europe, having captured some American vessels on the same pretence; and the consul of the republic at Cadiz having explicitly avowed his determination to condemn American vessels on that ground,

B b 4

ground, pleading the decree of the Directory for his authority.

"The secretary has already intimated that the decree of the 15th November 1794, was not followed by the extensively good effects expected from it. By a communication from Mr. Skipwith, of the 10th of last September (the latest communication from him, in answer to the secretary's request for information) it appears that the claims for detention of 103 American vessels by the embargo at Bourdeaux remained undetermined: no funds having been appropriated for the payment of them; and that none of the bills drawn by the colonial administration in the West Indies had been paid to him the treasury having tendered payment in assignats at their nominal value, and afterwards in another species of paper, called mandats, which had suffered a great depreciation even before they were put into circulation; both of which modes of payment were refused to be accepted. The progress made by Mr. Skipwith in the adjustment of other claims, so far as known to the secretary, will appear in the annexed statement, copies of which were transmitted ten months ago to the officers of the principal collectors of the customs, from the department of state, for the information of our mercantile citizens.

"That nothing might be left undone which could be accomplished by the executive, the attention of General Pinckney, the present minister of the United States to France, was particularly. directed to the subject of these claims; but the interval which has elapsed since his departure, has not admitted of any interesting communication from him on this business.

"In connection with other spoliations by French armed vessels, the secretary intended to mention

those

those committed under a decree, dated the first of August 1796, issued by Victor Hugues and Lebas, the special agents of the executive directory to the Windward Islands, declaring all vessels loaded with contraband articles of any kind, liable to seizure and confiscation with their entire cargoes; without making any discrimination in favour of those which might be bound to neutral, or even to French ports. This decree has been enforced against the American trade without any regard to the established forms of legal proceedings. as will appear from the annexed deposition of Josiah Hempstead,' master of the brigantine Patty of Weathersfield, a copy of the decree also is annexed.

"The secretary has received a printed copy of another decree of the same special agents to the Windward Islands, dated the 13th Pluvôise, 5th year, answering to February 1st, 1797, authorizing the capture of all neutral vessels destined to any of the Windward or Leeward Islands, in America, which have been delivered up to the English, and occupied or defended by emigrants, naming Martinique, St. Lucie, Tobago, Demarara, Berbice, and Esequibo; and to leeward, Port-au-Prince, St. Marc, L'Arcahaye, and Jeremie; declaring such vessels and their cargoes to be good prize, as well as all vessels cleared out vaguely for the West Indies, a copy of this last decree, will be added to this report as soon as it shall be translated. All which is respectfully submitted.

"TIMOTHY PICKERING.”

"Department of State, }

WASHINGTON's.

WASHINGTON's RETIRING.

WE are come to the epocha, when General Washington retired from public life; I shall, therefore, insert his farewel address to the people of the United States, which appeared in September last; and shall place after it some of those publications, which, while they tend to throw some light on his character and conduct, will prove to my readers, that his "grateful fellow citizens" did not always look upon him as a God.

"To the PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES.

"Friends and Fellow Citizens,

"The period for a new election of a citizen, to administer the executive government of the United States, being not far distant, and the time actually arrived, when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person, who is to be cloathed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprize you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those, out of whom a choice is to be made.

"I beg you, at the same time, to do me the justice to be assured, that this resolution has not been taken, without a strict regard to all the considerations appertaining to the relation, which binds a dutiful citizen to his country; and that, in withdrawing the tender of service which silence in my situation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest; no defici

ency