The points not yet quite settled, are the territory round the places in the Indies, and neutralisation of St. Vincent's Apparently these will not create much difficulty.

Holland has yet hardly done any thing in her negociation.

Spain offers for Gibraltar to restore West Florida and the Bahamas. An addition is talked of the island of Guadaloupe, which France will cede to Spain in exchange for the other half of Hispaniola, and Spain to England; but England, it is said, chose rather Porto Rico. Nothing yet concluded.

As soon as I received the commission and instructions for treating with Sweden, I waited on the Ambassador here, who told me he daily expected a courier on that subject. Yesterday he wrote a note to acquaint me that he would call oni me to-day, having something to communicate to me. Being obliged to go to Paris, I waited on him, when he showed me the full powers he had just received, and I showed him mine. We agreed to meet on Wednesday next, exchange copies, and proceed to business. His commission has some

, polite expressions in it, to wit : that bis Majesty thought it for the good of his subjects to enter into a treaty of amity and commerce with the United States of America, who had established their independence so justly merited by their courage and constancy; ' or to that effect. I imagine this treaty will be soon completed ; if any difficulty should arise, I shall take the advice of my colleagues.

I have this day signed a common letter to you, drawn up by my colleagues, which you will receive herewith. We have kept this vessel longer for two things, a passport promised us from England, and a sum to send in her ; but she is likely to depart without both, being all of us impatient that congress should receive early intelligence of our pro- , ceedings; and for the money, we may probably borrow a frigate.

I am now entering on my 78th year; public business has engrossed fifty of them; I wish now to be for the little time I have left, my own master. If I live to see this

peace concluded, I shall beg leave to remind the congress of their promise then to dismiss mę. I shall be happy to sing with old Simeon, Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. With great esteem, &c.

c B. FRANKLIN.

(Enclosed in the foregoing.).

No. I. ARTICLES agreed upon by and between Richard Oswald, esq. the commissioner of his Britannic Majesty, for treating of peace with the commissioners of the United States of America, on the behalf of his said Majesty on the one part; and Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, two of the commissioners of the said states, for treating of peace with the commissioner of his said majesty on their behalf, on the other part.

To be inserted in, and to constitute the treaty of peace, proposed to be concluded between the crown of Great Britain and the said United States : but which treaty is not to be concluded, until his Britannic Majesty shall have agreed to the terms of peace

between France and Britain, proposed or accepted by his most Christian Majesty; and shall be ready to conclude with him such treaty ac. cordingly. It being the duty and intention of the United States not to desert their ally, but faithfully, and in all things, to abide by and fulfil their engagements with his most Christian Majesty,

Whereas reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience are found by experience to form the only permanent foundation of peace and friendship between states, it is agreed to frame the articles of the proposed treaty, on such principles of liberal equality and reciprocity, as that partial advantages (those seeds of discord) being excluded, such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two countries may be established, as to promise and secure to both the blessings of perpetual peace and harmony.

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1st. His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be free, sovereign, and independent states; that he treats with them as such; and for himself, his heirs and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, proprietary, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof: and that all disputés which might arise in future, on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States, may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are, and shall remain to be their boundaries, viz.

The said states are bounded north, by a line to be drawn from the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, along the high lands, which divide those rivers which empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the northernmost head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, and thence due west in the latitude forty-five degrees north from the equator, to the northwesternmost side of the river St. Lawrence, or Cadaraqui; thence straight to the south end of the lake Nipissing, and thence straight to the source of the river Mississippi, west by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river Mississippi, from its source to where the said line shall intersect the thirty-first degree of north latitude; south by a line to be drawn due east from the termination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the equator to the middle of the river Appalachicola or Catahouchi; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's river; thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the Atlantic Ocean; and east by a line to be drawn along the middle of St. John's river, from its source to its mouth in the Bay of Fundy; comprehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries, between Nova Scotia, on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean.

2d. From and immediately after the conclusion of the proposed treaty, there shall be a firm and perpetual peace between his

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Britannic Majesty and the United States, and between the subjects of the one and the citizens of the other: wherefore all hostilities, both by sea and land, shall then immediately cease; all prisoners on both sides shall be set at liberty; and his Britannic Majesty shall forthwith, and without causing any distinction, withdraw all his armies, garrisons, and fleets, from the said United States, and from every post, place, and harbor, within the same, leaving in all fortifications the American artillery that may be therein and shall also order and cause all archives, records, deeds, and papers, belonging to either of the said states, or their citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith restored, and delivered to the proper states, and persons to whom they belong. Sd. That the subjects of his Britannic Majesty, and people of the said United States, shall continue to enjoy unmolested, the right to take fish of every kind on the banks of Newfoundland, and other places where the inhabitants of both countries used formerly, to wit, before the last war between France and Britain, to fish, and also to dry and cure the same at the accustomed places, whether belonging to his said majesty, or to the United States; and his Britannic Ma jesty, and the said United States will extend equal privileges and hospitality to each other's fishermen as to their own.

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4th. That the navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, shall for ever remain free and open, and that both there, and in all rivers, harbors, lakes, ports, and places, belongs ing to his Britannic Majesty, or to the United States, or in any part of the world, the merchants and merchants' ships, of the one and the other, shall be received, treated, and protected, like the met chant and merchants' ships of the sovereign of the country; that is to say, the British merchants, and merchant ships, on the one hand, shall enjoy in the United States, and in all places belonging to them, the said protection and commercial privileges, and be liable only to the same charges and duties as their own merchants and merchant ships; and on the other hand the merchants and merchant ships of the United States, shall enjoy in all places belonging to his Britannic Majesty, the same protection and commercial privileges, and be liable only to the same charges and duties of British merchants and merchant ships, saving always to the chartered trading companies of Great Britain, such exclusive use and trade, and their respective posts VOL. II. T

and establishments, as neither the subjects of Great Britain, nor any of the more favored nations participate in.

Paris, 8th October, 1782. A true copy of which has been agreed on between the American commissioners and me, to be submitted to his Majesty's consideration.

RICHARD OSWALD..

Alteration to be made in the treaty, respecting the boundaries of Nova

Scotia, viz.

East, the true line between which and the United States shall be settled by commissioners, as soon as conveniently may be after the

war.

Copy of Pass given to the ship Washington to carry over the preliminary articles..

George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all Admirals, Vice Admirals, Captains, Commanders of our ships of war or priva teers, Governors of our Forts and Castles, Custom-house Comptrollers, Searchers, &c. to all and singular our officers and military, and loving subjects whom it may concern, greeting, Our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby strictly charge and require you, as we do likewise pray and desire the officers and ministers of all princes and states in amity with us, to permit and suffer the vessel, called the Washington, commanded by Mr. Barney, belonging to the United States of North America, to sail from either of the ports of France to any port or place in North America, without any lett, hindrance, or molestation whatsoever, [but on the contrary affording the said vessel all such aid and assistance as may be necessary. Given at our court at St. James's the tenth day of December, 1782, in the twenty-third year of our reign-By his majesty's command,

(Signed)

THOMAS TOWNSHEND.