to the steps he had already taken, but would pursue such others as he might deem necessary. I have now, however, to inform you, that on my arrival here, and in consequence of my having officially informed Mr. Pulis of what had taken place at Tunis, he has, as the only alternative to prevent a war, withdrawn his claim, and the ship has been restored to the bey's ambassador at this place, whereby our relations with that regency are again placed on the same friendly footing on which they were before this unfortunate occurrence took place.

I shall sail on my return to Tunis immediately, in the vessel which brought me here; having thus brought the difficulty which had arisen to an amicable conclusion, on terms which I trust will be satisfactory to my government. Very respectfully, I have the honour to be, &c.

C. D. COXE.

MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DEC. 28, 1810.

I LAY before the House a report from the Secretary of State, complying with their resolution of the 21st inst. JAMES MADISON.

Department of State, December 28, 1810.

SIR,-In pursuance of the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 21st of this month, I have the honour of laying before you:

1st. A copy (marked A) of a decree of the emperor of France, transmitted to this department by general Armstrong.

2d. A copy (marked B) of a correspondence with general Turreau.

3d. A copy (marked C) of a communication, just received from general Armstrong, in relation to the duties lately imposed by the emperor of France.

With the highest respect and consideration, I have the honour to remain, &c.

To the President of the United States.

(A.)

R. SMITH.

Translation of a Decree of the 15th (9) July, 1810.

THIRTY or forty American vessels may import into France (under license) cotton, fish oil, dyewood, salt fish, cod fish, hides and peltry. They may export wine, brandy, silks, linens, cloths, jewelry, household furniture, and other manufactured articles. They can only depart from Charleston and New York, under the obligation of bringing with them a gazette of the day of their departure, (American gazette) moreover a certificate of the origin of the merchandise, given by the French consul, containing a sentence in cypher: the French merchants who shall cause these vessels to come must prove that they are concerned in the fabricks at Paris, Rouen, and other towns.

(B.)

TRANSLATION.

General Turreau to Mr. Smith. Washington, November 27,

1810.

SIR, Since our last conversation relative to the certificates of origin given by the consuls of his majesty in the United States, I have collected and read over the different orders of my court on that subject, and asked of the consul general of France those which he might have received directly on this part of the service, so essential for the security of your exportations.

It results from the instructions which I have received directly, and from those that have been sent to the consul general, that the consuls of his majesty in the United States do not deliver, or must not hereafter deliver, under any pretext, any certificate of origin to American vessels destined for any port other than those of France: that they deliver them and will deliver them hereafter to all American vessels destined for the ports of France, loaded only with the produce of the United States: that all the certifi

cates anterior to the last instructions attributed to the consuls of his majesty, and which it is pretended were given for colonial produce, that evidently came from England, have been challenged as false (argues de faux) in as much as the English publickly fabricate papers of this sort at London.

This, sir, is all that it is possible for me to say to you at present respecting certificates of origin.

cannot doubt but that the government of the United States will see in these regulations of my court an intention, distinctly pronounced, of favouring the commercial relations between France and the United States in all the objects of traffick which shall evidently proceed from their agriculture or manufactures.

You will readily perceive, sir, that in giving this latitude to the mutually advantageous relations of the two friendly people, the emperor cannot depart from the system of exclusion against English commerce without losing the advantages which his majesty and the allied powers must necessarily expect from it.

I have the honour to be, with high consideration, &c. TURREAU.

Hon. Robert Smith, Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State to General Turreau. Department of State, Nov. 28, 1810.

SIR,-I have had the honour of receiving your letter of yesterday, stating that the French consuls in the United States are at this time authorized to deliver certificates of origin only to such American vessels as are bound to some port of France, and as are laden with the produce of the United States.

It will afford satisfaction to cur merchants to know, and therefore I have to request you to inform me, whether in American vessels having such certificates of origin, they can export to France every kind of produce of the United States, and especially cotton and tobacco.

In addition to the intelligence communicated in your letter in relation to the certificates of origin, I have the honour of asking from you information upon the following questions:

1st. Have not the French consuls been in the practice, under the authority of the French government, of delivering in the ports of the United States certificates of origin for American vessels, bound to the ports of France, and of her allies, and laden with either colonial produce, or the produce of the United States?

2d. Have the French consuls in the United States lately received from the French government instructions not to deliver such certificates of origin for American vessels, and at what time did they receive such instructions?

3d. At what time did the French consuls cease to issue certificates of origin to American vessels, in pursuance of instructions from their government, in cases of destination to ports of the allies of France?

These facts being connected with questions interesting to our merchants in foreign tribunals, your goodness will pardon the resort to your aid in ascertaining them.

I have the honour to be, &c.

General Turreau, &c. &c. &c.

R. SMITH.

TRANSLATION.

General Turreau to Mr. Smith. Washington, December 12, 1810.

SIR, If I have not replied sooner to the letter which you did me the honour to write to me on the 28th of last month, it is because I have sought information from the consul general of his majesty, whether he had not received directly instructions more recent than those which I had transmitted to him, and also to enable me to give a positive answer to the questions contained in the letter referred to above.

I reply, sir, to the first of your questions-that M. M. the consuls of his majesty to the United States have always delivered certificates of origin to American vessels for the ports of France: they did it in execution of a decree of his majesty of the 1st of Messidor, of the year eleven.

M. M. the French consuls have also delivered them to. vessels destined for neutral or allied ports, whenever they

have been required of them. This measure was sanctioned and authorized by a circular despatch of his excellency the minister of foreign relations, under date of the 20th of April, 1808. This despatch prescribes the formalities to be gone through for the certificates delivered in such cases.

I proceed now, sir, to reply to the second of your questions.

By a despatch of his excellency the duke of Cadore, of the 30th of August last, received by the "Hornet" the 13th of last month, and of which information was given the same day to the consuls and vice consuls of his majesty, they are expressly prohibited from delivering certificates of origin for merchandise of any kind or under any pretext whatever, if the vessels are not destined for France.

This reply to your second question, sir, furnishes you with a solution of the third. The consuls and vice consuls of his majesty will have ceased to deliver certificates of origin to vessels for any other place than France, immediately on the receipt of this circular, which will reach them a few days sooner or later, according to the greater or less distance of the places of their residence.

sion.

Concerning cotton and tobacco, their importation into France is, at this moment, specially prohibited; but I have reasons to believe (and I pray you, meanwhile, to observe, sir, that they do not rest upon any facts) that some modifications will be given to this absolute excluThese modifications will not depend upon the chance of events; but will be the result of other measures, firm and pursued with perseverance, which the two governments will continue to adopt to withdraw from the monopoly and from the vexations of the common enemy a commerce, loyal (loyal) and necessary to France as well as to the United States.

Accepi, sir, the renewed assurance of my high consideration.

TURREAU.