ness the prince regent, acting in the name and on the be half of his majesty. The undersigned cannot but express his sincere regret that the measure in question should have failed to produce a more favourable impression on Mr. Russell's mind: As his majesty's minister in America has been fully instructed to explain to the American government the motives which have influenced his majesty's government upon this occasion, the undersigned is commanded by the prince regent to abstain at present from entering into a discussion of those arguments against the declaration, which Mr. Russell has deemed it expedient to bring forward in his note of the 25th. The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity of renewing to Mr. Russell the assurances of his great consideration. Foreign Office, May 3, 1812. 1 CASTLEREAGH. BRITISH ORDER IN COUNCIL OF JUNE 23, 1812, WITH THE CORRESPONDENCE RELATING THERETO. [These papers have heretofore been laid before Congress, but they are again submitted as they have a relation to the report now made.] Mr. Russell to Mr. Monroe.* London, June 26, 1812. SIR, I have the honour to transmit to you, enclosed, an order in council issued by this government, on the 23d of this month, and copies of two notes from lord Castlereagh of the same date, accompanying the communication of it to me, and also a copy of my note to him, of this day in reply. I can but regret that in this document any reservation has been made of a power of restoring the orders of the 7th of January, 1807, and of the 26th of April, 1809, to their full effect, whenever it shall be judged expedient so to do, as such reservation manifests an intention to main [* We republish the first letter, because it differs from, and contains much more, than that of the same date, published in p. 83.] tain the principle on which they were founded, and in which I conceive the United States can never acquiesce. Had this reservation not been made, the revocation of those orders would, perhaps, accompanied as it is, with the verbal explanations of lord Castlereagh, alluded to in my note to him, have been considered to be as precise and complete as could reasonably, under every view of the subject, have been expected. The reservation itself, although ungracious in appearance, will I trust, prove harmless in effect, and, I presume, this government will be long deterred by its experience, from carrying into practice a principle to which it appears to be determined so ostentatiously to adhere in the abstract. I am, sir, &c. JONA. RUSSELL. Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Russell. Foreign Office, June 23, 1812. [See page 86.J Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Russell. Foreign Office, June 23, 1812. [See page 86.] At the Court at Carlton House, the 23d of June, 1812, present, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent in Council. [See page 83.] Mr. Russell to Lord Castlereagh. 18, Bentinck Street, June 26, 1812. [See page 87.] Mr. Russell to the Secretary of State. 1812. London, July 2, [See page 88.] Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Russell. Foreign Office, June. 29, 1812. [See page 88.] Mr. Russell to Lord Castlereagh. 18, Bentinck Street, July 1, 1812. [See page 89.] MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO CONGRESS. JULY 20, 1813. THERE being sufficient ground to infer, that it is the purpose of the enemy to combine with the blockade of our ports, special licenses to neutral vessels or to British vessels in neutral disguises, whereby they may draw from our country the precise kind and quantity of exports essential to their wants, whilst its general commerce remains obstructed; keeping in view also the insidious discrimination between different ports of the United States; and as such a system, if not counteracted, will have the effect of diminishing very materially the pressure of the war on the enemy, and encouraging a perseverance in it, at the same time that it will leave the general commerce of the United States under all the pressure the enemy can impose, thus subjecting the whole to British regulation, in subserviency to British monopoly: I recommend to the consideration of Congress the expediency of an immediate and effectual prohibition of exports, limited to a convenient day in their next session, and removable in the mean time, in the event of a cessation of the blockade of our ports. JAMES MADISON. SIR. J. B. WARREN'S PROCLAMATION. By the Right Hon. Sir John Borlase Warren, Bart. K. B. Admiral of the Blue, and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels employed and to be employed on the American and West Indian Station, &c. &c. PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS his royal highness the prince regent hath caused his pleasure to be signified to the right honourable the lords commissioners of the admiralty, to direct that I should institute a strict and rigorous blockade of the Chesapeake, the Delaware, and the ports and harbours of New York, Charleston, Port Royal, Savannah, and the river Mississippi, in the United States of America, and to maintain and enforce the same, according to the usages of war in similar cases, and the ministers of neutral powers have been duly notified, agreeably to the orders of his royal highness, that the measures authorized by the law of nations, would be adopted and exercised with respect to all vessels which may attempt to violate said blockade : And whereas, in obedience to his royal highness' commands, I did without delay, station a naval force off each of the before mentioned bays, rivers, ports, and harbours, sufficient to carry his royal highness' order for the blockade thereof into strict and rigorous effect; but finding that the enemy, by withdrawing his naval force from the port of New York, and establishing at the port of New London, a naval station, to cover the trade to, and from the port of New York, thereby endeavouring to prevent, as far as in his power, the execution of his royal highness' said orders; and also finding, that the enemy has, through the medium of inland carriage, established a commercial intercourse between the said blockaded ports and the rivers, harbours, creeks, bays, and outlets contiguous thereto, whereby the full effect of the said blockade has been to a certain degree prevented; in order to put a stop to the same, I do, by virtue of the power and authority to me given, and in obedience to the orders I have received, declare, that not only the ports (heretofore proclaimed) are still continued in a state of rigorous blockade, but that I have also ordered all that part of Long Island Sound, being the sea-coast lying within Montaug Point, or the eastern point of Long Island,and the point of land opposite thereto, commonly called Black Point, situate on the sea-coast of the main land, together with all the ports, harbours, creeks, and entrances of the east and north rivers of New York, as well as all the other ports, creeks and bays, along the sea-coast of Long Island, and the state of New York, and all the ports, harbours, rivers and creeks, lying and being on the sea-coasts of the states of East and West Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lower counties on the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and all the entrances from the sea into the said river of Mississippi, to be strictly and rigorously blockaded: And I do therefore, by virtue of the power and authority in me vested, declare the whole of the said harbours, bays, rivers, creeks, and sea-coasts of the said several states to be in a state of strict and rigorous blockade. And I do further declare, that I have stationed on the sea-coast, bays, rivers, and harbours of the said several states, a naval force, adequate and sufficient, to enforce, and maintain the blockade thereof, in the most strict and rigorous manner. And I do hereby require the respective flag officers, captains, commanders, and commanding officers of his majesty's ships and vessels, employed and to be employed, on the American and West Indian station, and all others whom it may concern, to pay the strictest regard and attention to the execution of the said orders of his royal highness the prince regent, and also to the execution of this order. And I do caution and forbid, the ships or vessels of all, and every nation in peace and amity with the crown of Great Britain, from entering or attempting to enter, or from coming out, or attempting to come out, of any of the ports, harbours, bays, rivers, or creeks before mentioned, under any pretence whatsoever; and that no person hereafter may plead ignorance of the measures which his majesty has been reluctantly compelled to adopt, in order to force his enemy to put an end to a war, on their |