cability of the business of the said Commission being concluded within the period assigned; Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the President of The United States, are desirous that the time originally fixed for the duration of the Commission should be extended, and to this end have named Plenipotentiaries to agree upon the best mode of effecting this object, that is to

say;

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, John Fiennes Crampton, Esquire, Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington; and

The President of The United States, William L. Marcy, Secretary of the State of The United States; who have agreed as follows::

ARTICLE I.-The High Contracting Parties agree that the time limited in the Convention above referred to, for the termination of the Commission shall be extended for a period not exceeding four months from the 15th of September next, should such extension be deemed necessary by the Commissioners or the umpire, in case of their disagreement, it being agreed that nothing contained in this Article shall in anywise alter or extend the time originally fixed in the said Convention, for the presentation of claims to the Commissioners.

ARTICLE II. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at London as soon as possible within four months from the date thereof.

In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their

arms.

Done at Washington, the seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fiftyfour.

(L. 8.)

JOHN F. CRAMPTON.

(L. s.)

W. L. MARCY.

August 20.-The Commissioners attended to-day, and delivered several opinions on the cases submitted to them, and held a long conference with the umpire.

August 22.-The Commissioners adjourned to Monday, the 25th of September, instant.

September 25.-Mr. Hannen asked permission for Alexander McLeod, who was desirous of leaving for Canada, to make a statement relative to his claim before the Commissioners.

In the claim of the brig "Lawrence," Colonel Aspinwall, was heard as agent of the claimants, and the case was adjourned to Friday, October 6th.

September 26.-The Commissioners being unable to agree in the cases of the " Enterprise," "Hermosa," and "Creole ;" the "Washington," "Argus," and "Director," as well as in the case of the Messrs. Laurent, severally delivered their opinions.

These cases were then ordered to be committed to the decision of the umpire.

September 27. In accordance with the permission of the Commissioners, given on the 25th ult., Mr. McLeod made a statement before them relative to his claim, it being understood that the question, whether or not the claim was properly before the Commission, should not be prejudiced by such proceeding.

Mr. Bates called, and had a consultation with the Commissioners, and the case of the Messrs. Laurent was assigned for hearing, before the umpire, for Thursday, October the 5th instant.

October 4.-Further hearing was had in the claim of Henry Schieffelin by Mr. Lovell, special agent for the claimants.

October 5.-Agreeably to the appointment made on the 27th ultimo, hearing was had on the claim of the Messrs. Laurent, before the umpire, and the case was submitted.

The claims of the "Washington," "Argus" and others, were assigned for hearing on Wednesday, the 11th instant.

October 6.-In the case of the brig "Lawrence," Colonel Aspinwall, special agent of the claimants, had a further hearing.

General Thomas submitted a paper relative to the case of the brig "Confidence."

He also read a letter from the State Department, relative to the suits brought for violations of the Revenue Laws, on which certain claims before the Commission are founded, and relative to the return of duties on coals used at sea, on which drawback is claimed.

The claim of the "Evelina," was brought up for hearing, and the case submitted. Discussion was had as to the amount of damages in the case of the "Tigris and Seamew."

October 10.-Mr. Spinks appeared, and Wednesday, November 1st, was assigned for the reopening of the case of Messrs. Platt and Duncan.

October 11.-Hearing was had before the umpire by the respective agents in the claims of the "Washington," "Argus," and others, as to the interpretation of the Convention of 1818, relative to the fisheries, and the cases were severally submitted.

The case of the "Enterprise" was assigned for hearing on Wednesday, October the 18th instant. The claims of the "Prince of Wales," the "Amelia," the "Brookline," of James Young, and of William Patterson, the barque "John A. Robb," and the schooner "Fidelity," were severally disallowed.

The claim of the Hudson Bay Company for drawback was allowed.

October 12.-The Commissioners conferred together on the Slave cases, and delivered opinions on several of the claims which had been submitted to them.

October 13.-The Commissioners met at the office to-day, according to appointment with the umpire and the agents, to discuss some questions of evidence as to which they entertain doubts.

October 14.-The Commissioners conferred together on the cases of the "Confidence" and "Evelina," Mr. Hornby being of opinion that the evidence in the former case showed that The United States' vessel "The Constitution," was running before the wind, with stern sails set, on a dark night, at the rate of 9 knots an hour; while that in the latter, irrespective of there being no papers in it, disclosed a mere sea risk. Mr. Hornby proposed that the Commissioners should take the opinion of some naval men in the case of the "Confidence," which Mr. Upham declined to do.

October 16.-The umpire attended to-day to confer with the Commissioners on the case of the Messrs. Rogers and the "John."

October 18.-The Commissioners attended at the office to-day for the purpose of going through the evidence which had been submitted in the case of the "Lawrence." Colonel Aspinwall and Mr. Hannen attended to furnish such explanation as might be required.

October 19.-In the claims of the brig "Enterprise" and "Creole," and the schooner "Hermosa," hearing was commenced before the umpire.

October 21.-Hearing was continued in the "Enterprise," "Hermosa," and "Creole," and the cases were submitted.

The claim of Messrs. King and Gracey, Mr. Barry, agent for the claimants, was assigned for hearing on the 25th of October instant; of Mr. Kenworthy on the 1st, and Messrs. Dawson and others on the 2nd of November next.

October 23.-In the claims of the "Jubilee," for salvage, of the "Robert," the "Elvira," and the "Olive Branch," the

Commissioners decided the evidence to be incomplete, and they were accordingly dismissed.

The claims of the "Crosthwaite," of the Ship Owners' Society, in the case of the "Ann," the "Duckenfield," the "Science," the "Prosperity," and of the Anglo-Mexican Mint Company, were, for the same reason, also dismissed.

October 24.-The Commissioners met to confer on several of the claims. Mr. Bates, the umpire, attended.

October 25.-Hearing was had as to the claims of Messrs. Barry and others for return of duties on woollen goods levied contrary to the provisions of the Treaty of Commerce of

1815.

Mr. Hannen, by leave, presented, for the use of the umpire, the opinion of Dr. Phillimore in the claim of Charles Uhde, as applicable to the question raised in the case of the Messrs. Laurent.

General Thomas was to reply in writing to the same.

October 26.-The Commissioners met to confer on several of the cases submitted.

October 27.-The Commissioners met to deliver their opinions in several of the cases. The agents attended, after which the Commissioners held a long conference with the umpire.

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October 28.-The Commissioners delivered their opinions relative to the "Frances and Eliza," "Baron Renfrew,” Tigris and Seamew," the "Lady Shaw Stewart," and the "Albion," and these cases were severally referred to the umpire for decision.

The claim of the barque " Pearl" was disallowed.

The Commissioners, having disagreed upon the claim of the "Beaver," it was referred to the umpire for decision.

October 30.-The Commissioners met to investigate the evidence submitted in several of the cases.