Payment of the six per cent. Stock of 1820.. 2,000,000

2,265,588 07

Estimated amount of the Debt, 1st January, 1823.... 90,777,431 60

Note. The following Sums, included in the above Statement, were surrendered on the 1st October, and exchanged five per cent. Stock issued in lien thereof, under the Act of the 20th April. 1822, viz.

(4.)—ESTIMATE of the Amount of Treasury Notes out

standing 1st October, 1822.

Total Amount issued (as per No. 4, of last Report)
Cancelled, and reported on by the first Auditor

Outstanding

Of which there appears to be in small Notes

Notes bearing Interest...

...

Treasury Department, Register's Office, December 2, 1822.

JOSEPH NOURSE, Register.

(5.)—STATEMENT of the Stock issued under the Act of Congress, entitled "An Act supplementary to the Act for the Indemnification of certain Claimants of Publick Lands in the Mississippi Territory," passed on the 3d March, 1815.

Amount of Claims awarded per Statement (5) of last Report 4,282,151 124

Whereof there was paid in for Lands per Do.. 2,442,535 39
Paid in since......

5,000 00

SIR,

JOSEPH NOURSE, Register.

CIRCULAR to the Collectors of Customs in The United States, relative to the treatment of Belligerent Armed Vessels, and their Cargoes, belonging to France and Spain, and to Spanish America, in the Ports of The United States. Treasury Department, 30th July, 1823. As it is probable that, in the progress of the War which now exists between France and Spain, the publick and private armed Vessels of one, and perhaps of both Belligerents may, by stress of weather, pursuit of enemies, or some other urgent necessity, be forced to enter the Ports and Harbours of The United States, it becomes the duty of the Government to prescribe the manner in which they shall be treated whilst they remain within its jurisdiction.

As there exists, upon this subject, no legislative enactment, the question must be decided by the Conventional Engagements which The United States have contracted with the Belligerent Parties.

*

By the 8th Article of the Treaty between The United States and Spain, it is provided that the publick and private Vessels of Spain, when forced by stress of weather, pursuit of Enemies, or any other urgent necessity, to seek shelter or harbour, may enter into any of the Rivers, Bays, Roads, or Ports, belonging to The United States, and shall be received with all humanity, and enjoy all favour, protection, and help, and be permitted to refresh and provide themselves, at reasonable rates, with provisions and all things needful for the subsistence of their persons, or reparation of their ships, and prosecution

* Art. VIII. Treaty between The United States and Spain. San Lorenzo el Real, 27th October, 1795.

In case the Subjects and Inhabitants of either Party, with their Shipping, whether Publick and of War, or Private and of Merchants, be forced, through stress of weather, pursuit of Pirates or Enemies, or any other urgent necessity for seeking shelter and harbour, to retreat and enter into any of the Rivers, Bays, Roads, or Ports, belonging to the other Party, they shall be received. and treated with all humanity, and enjoy all favour, protection, and help; and they shall be permitted to refresh and provide themselves, at reasonable rates, with victuals, and all things needful for the subsistence of their persons, or reparation of their Ships, and prosecution of their Voyage, and they shall no ways be hindered from returning out of the said Ports or Roads, but may remove and depart when and whither they please, without any let or hindrance.

of their voyage: and they shall be no ways hindered from departing from the said Ports or Roads, but may remove and depart when and whither they please, without any let or hindrance.

With France, The United States have no Treaty Stipulations upon the subject. The obligations of neutrality, however, impose upon them the observance of the same course of conduct towards both Belligerents, unless Spain has a right, by Treaty, to exclusive privileges. A reference to the provisions of the 8th Article of the Treaty above recited, proves that no exclusive privileges have been granted to her. It becomes, then, the duty of The United States to treat the Public and Private Armed Vessels of both Parties in the same manner.

Assuming the provisions of the Article referred to, as the rule by which the conduct of The United States is to be regulated, I am instructed by the President to direct :—

1st. That the Public and Private Armed Vessels of France and Spain, with their Prizes, may, under the circumstances described in the said Article, enter the Ports, Harbours, and Waters of The United States, and repair any damages which they may have sustained; but no increase of arms or munitions of war, or of the number of men on board, can be lawfully made.

2d. That such Prizes cannot be condemned or sold within the jurisdiction of The United States, and, consequently, cannot be admitted to entry at the Custom Houses, nor permitted to enter into the general consumption.

3d. That they may, at any time, depart from The United States, without let or hindrance.

4th. That, when Prize Vessels have been wrecked, or so disabled as not to be rendered seaworthy, their cargoes may be re-shipped in any other Vessel which shall not enjoy an exemption from capture, not enjoyed by such Prize Vessels. For example: if France, in the progress of the War, shall conform to the rule, that free Vessels make free goods, the Cargoes of Vessels captured by either Belligerent, when re-shipped in Neutral Vessels, will enjoy an exemption from capture which the Prize Vessels did not enjoy.

5th. During the time that Prize Vessels may remain in the Ports of The United States, they shall be subject to such inspection, and such superintendence, by the Custom House Officers, as may be necessary to prevent smuggling of any kind.

The same rules are to be observed in relation to the public and private Armed Vessels of Spain and of the Independent Governments established in Spanish America, and their Prizes, when brought within the jurisdiction of The United States.

I remain, with respect, your obedient Servant,

WM. H. CRAWFORD.

SIR,

(2.)

Treasury Department, 18th August, 1823. IN consequence of representations made to the Secretary of State by the Chargé d'Affaires of His Most Christian Majesty, resident in The United States, that the determination of His Majesty's Government not to capture Spanish or Foreign Merchant Vessels, except for violating an effectual Blockade, is more advantageous to neutrals, than the principle that Free Vessels make Free Goods, and still more advantageous to the adverse Belligerent, the President has instructed me to direct, that in the Cases described in the 4th Regulation of the Circular of the 30th July last, the Cargoes of captured Vessels shall not be permitted to be reshipped from the Ports of The United States in Neutral Vessels.

I remain, with respect, &c.

WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD.

CORRESPONDENCE respecting the Political and Commercial Relations between Russia and Turkey.

No.

LIST OF PAPERS.

Page

1. Count Nesselrode to the Reis Effendi..St. Petersburgh .th May, 1823. 850 2. Count Nesselrode to Visct. Strang

ford....

3. Visct. Strangford to the First Inter

..St. Petersburgh..7th May,

851

preter of the British Embassy......Constantinople.. 25th May, 857 4. Visct. Strangford to the Reis Effendi..Constantinople.. 11th Aug.

--

859

MONSIEUR,

(1.)-Count Nesselrode to The Reis Effendi.

St. Pétersbourg, le Mai, 1823. J'AI reçu la Lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'écrire par l'intermédiaire du Vicomte de Strangford, et je me suis empressé de la mettre sous les yeux de l'Empereur.

Sa Majesté Impériale m'a donné ordre d'y faire la réponse suivante: Elle se félicite sincèrement d'y voir énoncer l'intime conviction, que le maintien et la continuation de la Paix entre les deux Empires, out toujours formé l'objet de ses vœux.

La Porte Ottomane a du en acquérir la preuve depuis longtems. L'Empereur a réclamé des droits que les Traités lui assurent, il a signalé avec franchise, les dangers auxquels la violation de ces Traités exposoit l'Empire Ottoman; mais jamais des vues hostiles ne l'ont animé, et lorsque même au milieu d'une déplorable complication, ses avertissemens et ses conseils étoient méconnus, il n'a fait adresser au Divan, par son Ministère et par ses Alliés, que des représentations et des propositions qui attestoient encore une véritable sollicitude pour les intérêts même de La Porte.

C'est donc avec raison que l'Ambassadeur de Sa Majesté le Roi dé la Grande Bretagne a assuré le Gouvernement Turc des dispositions

toujours amicales de l'Empereur, et de la modération qu'il fait présider à sa politique.

Les sentimens de Sa Majesté Impériale ne changent pas. Elle a appris avec satisfaction par la Lettre de votre Excellence, que La Porte Ottomane ténoit à l'exécution des Traités, que, fidèle à l'usage, et respectant les Droits de la Russie, elle lui notifioit la nomination des nouveaux Hospodars dans les deux Principautés, qu'elle avoit donné aux Troupes Turques l'ordre d'évacuer complètement ces Provinces, et qu'elle les feroit jouir des prérogatives que les Traités leur accordent. Ce premier pas de la Porte vers l'ajustement définitif des différens qui se sont élevés entre les deux Puissances ne pouvoit qu'être agréable à Sa Majesté Impériale. Il lui permet de croire, que les autres points qui sont à régler, le seront incessamment d'une manière conforme aux intérêts de son Empire, et aux Droits que lui garantissent les Traités. Les progrès successifs de Lord Strangford dans la Négociation qui lui est confié, joints au témoignage des faits et à la scrupuleuse exécution des ordres donnés par La Porte, pour l'entière évacuation de la Valachie et de la Moldavie, offriront ainsi à l'Empereur la possibilité de renouer ses anciennes relations avec le Gouvernement Turc. Ce n'est qu'alors que le rétablissement d'une Légation Russe à Constantinople pourra avoir lieu. Cette Légation seroit chargée à cette époque, de vouer tous ses soins à la Négociation générale, qui avoit été ouverte avant les évènemens de l'Année 1821, et de la poursuivre sur la même base et d'après le même mode, car cette Négociation n'ayant aucun rapport avec les différens actuels, ne pourra être reprise que quand ceux-ci seront entièrement applanis. Mais c'est ce dernier résultat qu'il s'agit avant tout d'amener. Les véritables intérêts de La Porte Ottomane le demandent, et pour prouver jusqu'à quel point il entre dans les vues de l'Empereur, Sa Majesté Impériale m'autorise à ne pas consigner dans la présente Lettre, les observations que devoient motiver plusieurs passages de l'Office de votre Excellence, et plus d'une mesure adoptée en dernier lieu le Gouvernement Turc.

par Lord Strangford fera connoître au Divan la pensée de l'Empereur à ce sujet.

Mon Auguste Souverain se flatte qu'un procédé semblable de sa part, et le but des nouvelles Communications de l'Ambassadeur d'Angleterre seront appréciés par La Porte. J'ai l'honneur d'être, &c,,, Le Reis Effendi, LE COMTE DE NESSELRODE.

(2.)—Count Nesselrode to Viscount Strangford.

La Lettre que votre Excellence a bien voulu m'écrire en date du 28 Février, et celle du Reis Effendi qui s'y trouvoit jointe, me sont 3 1 2