JB/044/077/001

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1825. Feby. 12
Constitutional Code

U.S. Senate
Canning's Remarks
Morn. Chron. Feby. 4, 1824.
House of Commons. Feby. 3d.

Mr. Canning. ... I am particularly desirous of saying
Something regarding the Treaty with the U.S. to which indeed my
Noble friend adverted, but the documents he supposes on the Table
of this House found their way into the American Newspapers. In the
beginning of the last Session a proposal was received from the U.S.
to join by treaty in putting an end to the illicit Slave Trade by conceding
to each force an immaterial & limited right of search. The
treaty for this purpose was drawn up by the Minister of the United
States, & in the course of negociation it received at our hands some alterations
of minor importance. By the Constitution of the U.S. the power of ratification does lie in the Executive Minister but in the Ex. Mr. & the Senate in conjunction: of the inconvenience
of such a regulation, this case affords a proof, but such being
the fact, we have no reason to complain that tho' the ratification
had been given by his Majesty, it was refused by the U.S. except on
the condition of alteration. What is singular is, that one of the changes
proposed, & that the most material was of wh if the original draft
of the treaty. I need only say of it that it was an alteration which
withdrew all the reciprocity on which that treaty was founded.
The stipulation had been that search shd be permitted to American
ships in the West Indies, & the British Ships on the coast of America.
The Government of the U.S. withdraws the last so that the mutual
right of search wd be conceded in our possessions in the W. Indies, but
denied on the coast of the U.S. As a matter of justice to the W. Indies it
was impossible to acquiesce in this proposal since it wd admit by implication
that the Slave laws were evaded by our colonists which I deny & were not evaded by the Americans on their own coast. The course we took then was this:– The
U.S. had made an alteration which we cd not admit, & we proposed to cancel the first treaty
& sent out feel powers to negociate another treaty verbatim like the former, with the simple
exception of the world America. The refusal to ratify such a new treaty on the part of the
U.S. I really think cd not stand the test of public discussion. By raising the offence of slave
trading into piracy we gave a test of our sincerity which admits of no contradiction. It seems to
me therefore that after a little cool reflection the Americans will feel that they have no choice
but to adopt the course we have recommended. I have much satisfaction in adding that the
whole discussion was carried on with the utmost amity & I have myself not the slightest doubt
that the personal feeling of the Executive of the U.S. is entirely with this Country."

Identifier: | JB/044/077/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 44.
Date_1	1825-02-12	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	044	Main Headings	constitutional code
Folio number	077	Info in main headings field	constitutional code
Image	001	Titles	morn chron. feby 4 1824
Category	collectanea	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d6 / e1 / f65
Penner	john flowerdew colls; richard doane	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	13862
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