openness and sincerity with which the government of this country is disposed to treat with the Americans.

The commission is passing with as much dispatch as the forms of office will allow, but I thought it material that no delay should happen in giving you notice of the determination of his Majesty's council upon this subject. You will receive the commission very soon after this reaches you. I am, with great regard, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, T. TOWNSHEND.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO THE HON. ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

"The negociations for peace have hitherto amounted to little more than mutual professions of sincere desires, &c.; being obstructed by the want of due form in the English commissions appointing their plenipotentiaries. The objections made to those for treating with France, Spain, and Holland, were first removed; and by the enclosed it seems that our objections to that for

The Commission here following.

COMMISSION under the Great Seal of GREAT BRITAIN, empowering RICHARD OSWALD, Esq. to treat with the COMMIS STONERS of the THIRTEEN United States of AMERICA.

GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, To our trusty and well beloved Richard Oswald, of our city of London, Esq. greeting, Whereas by virtue of an Act passed in the last session of parliament, intituled, an Act to enable his Ma

treating with us will now be removed also; so that we expect to begin in a few days our negociations. But

jesty to conclude a peace or truce with certain Colonies in North America therein mentioned, it is recited, that it is essential to the interest, welfare, and prosperity of Great Britain and the Colonies or Plantations of New Hampshire, Massachusett's Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in North America, that peace, intercourse, trade and commerce, should be restored between them; therefore, and for a full manifestation of our earnest wish and desire, and of that of our parliament, to put an end to the calamities of war, it is enacted, that it should and might be lawful for us, to treat, consult of, agree and conclude with any Commissioner or Commissioners, named or to be named by the said Colonies or Plantations, or any of them respectively, or with any body or bodies corporate or politic, or any assembly or assemblies, or description of men, or any person or persons whatsoever, a peace or a truce with the said Colonies or Plantations, or any of them, or any part or parts thereof, any law, act or acts of parliament, matter or thing to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding; Now know ye, that we, reposing especial trust in your wisdom, loyalty, diligence, and circumspection, in the management of the affairs to be hereby committed to your charge, have nominated and appointed, constituted and assigned, and by these presents do nominate and appoint, constitute, and assign you the said Richard Oswald to be our Commissioner in that behalf, to use and exercise all and every the powers and authorities hereby entrusted and committed to you the said Richard Oswald, and to do, perform, and execute all other matters and things hereby enjoined and committed to your care, during our will and no longer, according to the tenour of these our letters patent; And it is our royal will and pleasure, and we do hereby authorise, empower, and require you the said Richard Oswald, to treat, consult of, and con

there are so many interests to be considered and settled in a peace between five different nations, that it will

clude, with any Commissioners or persons vested with equal powers, by and on the part of the Thirteen United States of America, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusett's Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in North America, a peace or a truce with the said Thirteen United States, any law, act or acts of parliament, matter or thing to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And it is our further will and pleasure, that every regulation, provision, matter or thing, which shall have been agreed upon between you the said Richard Oswald and such Commissioners or persons as aforesaid, with whom you shall have judged meet and sufficient to enter into such agreement, shall be fully and distinctly set forth in writing, and authenticated by your hand and seal on one side, and by the hands and seals of such Commissioners or persons on the other, and such instrument so authenticated, shall be by you transmitted to us, through one of our principal Secretaries of State. And it is our farther will and pleasure, that you the said Richard Oswald, shall promise and engage for us, and in our royal name and word, that every regulation, provision, matter, or thing, which may be agreed to and concluded by you our said Commissioner, shall be ratified and confirmed by us, in the fullest manner and extent; and that we will not suffer them to be violated or counteracted, either in whole or in part, by any person whatsoever. And we do hereby require and command all our officers, civil and military, and all others our loving subjects whatsoever, to be aiding and assisting unto you the said Richard Oswald, in the execution of this our commission, and of the powers and authorities herein contained. Provided always, and we do hereby declare and ordain, that the several offices, powers and authorities hereby granted, shall cease, deter

be well not to flatter ourselves with a very speedy couclusion." enoten jasisinb

SIR,

TO THE HON. ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

mine, and become utterly null and void, on the first day of July, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, although we shall not otherwise in the mean time have revoked and determined the same. And whereas in and by your commission and letters patent, under our great seal of Great Britain, bearing date the seventh day of August, last, we nominated and appointed, constituted and assigned you the said Richard Oswald to be our Commissioner, to treat, consult of, agree and conclude, with any Commissioner or Commissioners named or to be named by certain Colonies or Plantations therein ́specified, a peace or truce with the said Colonies or Plantations; Now know ye, that we have revoked and determined, and by these presents do revoke and determine our said commission and Jetters patent, and all and every power, article, and thing, therein contained. In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent.

Witness our self at Westminster, the twenty-first day of September, and the twenty-second year of our reign.

Paris, Oct. 1, 1782. I certify, that the adjoining is a true copy of the commission, of which it purports to be a copy, and which has been shown to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Jay.

RICHARD OSWALD,

The Commissioner therein named.

portunity, and have only time allowed to write a few lines.

In my last of the 26th past, I mentioned that the nego. ciations for peace had been obstructed by the want of due form in the English Commissions, appointing their pleuipotentiaries. In that for treating with us the mentioning our States by their public name had been avoided, which we objecting to, another is come, of which I send a copy inclosed. We have now made several preliminary propositions, which the English minister, Mr. Oswald, has approved, and sent to his Court. He thinks they will be approved there, but I have some doubts. In a few days, however, the answer expected will determine. By the first of these articles the King of Great Britain renounces for himself and successors all claim and pretension to dominion or territory within the Thirteen United States; and the boundaries are described as in our instructions; except that the line between Nova Scotia and New England is to be settled by Commissioners after the peace. By another article the fishery in the American Seas is to be freely exercised by the Americans, wherever they might formerly exercise it while united with Great Britain. By another, the citizens and subjects of each nation are to enjoy the same protection and privileges in each other's ports and countries respecting commerce, duties, &c., that are enjoyed by native subjects. The articles are drawn up very fully by Mr. Jay; who I suppose sends you a copy; if not, it will go by the next opportunity. If these articles are agreed to, I apprehend little difficulty in the rest. Something has been mentioned about the refugees and English debts, but not insisted on, as we declared at once, that whatever confiscations had been made in America,