one thousand feven hundred and ninety-five, between the United States, and the nations or tribes of Indians called the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chippewas, Putawatimies, Miamis, Eel River, Weeas, Kickapoos, Piankafhaws, and Kafkafkias, it was ftipulated that no perfon fhould be permitted to refide at any of the towns or hunting camps of the faid Indian tribes as a trader, who is not furnished with a license for that purpose, under the authority of the United States; which latter ftipulation has excited doubts whether in its operation it may not interfere with the due execution of the faid third article of the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation: and it being the fincere defire of his Britannic Majefty, and of the United States, that this point fhould be fo explained as to remove all doubts, and promote mutual fatisfaction and friendship: and for this purpofe his Britannic Majesty having named for his commiffioner, Phineas Bond, Efq. his Majefty's conful general for the middle and fouthern tates of America (and now his Majesty's charge d'affaires to the United States); and the prefident of the United States having named for their commiffioner Timothy Pickering, Efq. fecretary of state of the United States, to whom, agreeable to the laws of the United States, he has entrusted this negotiation they, the faid commiflioners, having communicated to each other their full powers, have, in virtue of the fame, and conformably to the spirit of the last article of the faid treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, entered into this explanatory article, and do by these presents explicitly agree and declare, That no ftipulations in any treaty fubfequently concluded by either of the contracting parties with any other state or nation, or with any Indian tribe, can be understood to derogate in any manner from the rights of free intercourfe and commerce fecured by the aforefaid third article of treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, to the fubjects of his Majefty, and to the citizens of the United States, and to the Indians dwelling on either fide of the boundary line aforefaid; but that all the faid perfons shall remain at full liberty freely to pafs and repafs, by land or inland naviga tion, into the refpective territories and countries of the contrac ting parties, on either fide of the faid boundary line, and freely to carry on trade and commerce with each other, according to the ftipulations of the faid third article of the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation.

This explanatory article, when the fame fhall have been ratified by his Majefty and by the prefident of the United States, by and with the advice and confent of their fenate, and the refpective ratifications mutually exchanged, fhall be added to and make a part of the faid treaty of amity, commerce, and naviga

tion,

tion, and fhall be permanently binding upon his Majesty and the United States.

In witness whereof we, the faid commiffioners of his Majesty the King of Great Britain and the United States of America, have figned this explanatory article, and thereto affixed our feals. Done at Philadelphia, this fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and ninety-fix.

P. BOND, (L. S.) TIMOTHY PICKERING, (L. S.)

And whereas the faid explanatory article has by me, by and with the advice and confent of the fenate of the United States on the one part, and by his Britannic Majefty on the other, been duly approved and ratified, and the ratifications have fince, to wit, on the fixth day of October laft, been duly exchanged: now, therefore, to the end that the faid explanatory article may be executed and obferved with punctuality and the moft fincere regard to good faith on the part of the United States, I hereby make known the premises; and enjoin and require all perfons bearing office, civil or military, within the United States, and all others, citizens or inhabitants thereof, or being within the fame, to execute and obferve the faid explanatory article accordingly.

In teftimony whereof I have caufed the feal of the United States to be affixed to thefe prefents, and figned the fame with my hand.

Given at the city of Philadelphia, the fourth day of Novem ber, in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and ninety-fix, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twenty-first.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1796.

THIS day, at twelve o'clock, the Prefident of the United States met both houses of Congrefs in the reprefentatives' chamber, and delivered to them the following address:

Fellow Citizens of the Senate, and of the House of Reprefen tatives,

IN recurring to the internal fituation of our country, fince I had the pleafure to addrefs you, I find ample reafon for a renewed expreffion of that gratitude to the Ruler of the Univerfe, which a continued feries of profperity has so often and fo justly called forth.

The acts of the laft feffion, which required fpecial arrangements, have been, as far as circumftances would admit, carried into operation.

The meeting of the deputies from the Creek nation at Oolerain, in the ftate of Georgia, which had for a principal object the purchase of a parcel of their land by that ftate, broke up without its being accomplished: the nation having, previous to their departure, inftructed them against making any fale; the occafion, however, has been improved, to confirm, by a new treaty with the Creeks, their pre-exifting engagements with the United States, and to obtain their confent to the establishment of trading houfes and military pofts within their boundary, by means of which their friendship, and the general peace, may be more effectually fecured.

As foon as the governor-general of Canada could be addreffed with propriety on this fubject, arrangements were cordially and promptly concluded for their evacuation, and the United States took poffeflion of the principal of them, comprehending Ofwego, Niagara, Detroit, Michaliminac, and Fort Miami, where fuch repairs and additions have been ordered to be made as appeared indifpenfable.

The commiffioners appointed on the part of the United States, agreeably to the feventh article of the treaty with Great Britain, relative to captures and condemnation of veffels and other pro. perty, met the commiffioners of his Britannic Majesty in London, in Auguft lait, when John Tumball, Efq. was chofen by lot for the fifth commiffioner. In October following the board were to proceed to business. As yet there has been no communication of commiffioners on the part of Great Britain, to unite with thofe who have been appointed on the part of the United States, for carrying into effect the fixth article of the treaty.

The treaty with Spain required that the commiffioners for running the boundary line, between the territory of the United States and his Catholic Majefty's provinces of Eaft and Weft Florida, fhould meet at the Natches, before the expiration of fix months after the exchange of the ratifications, which was effected at Aranjuez, on the 25th of April, and the troops of his Catholic Majefty, occupying any pofts within the limits of the United States, were within the fame period to be withdrawn. The commiffioner of the United States, therefore, commenced his journey from the Natches in September, and troops were ordered to occupy the pofts from which the Spanish garrifons fhould be withdrawn. Information has been recently received of the appointment of a commiflioner on the part of his Catholic Majefty for running the boundary line, but none of any appointment for the adjustment of the claims of our citizens, whofe veffels were captured by the armed veffels of Spain.

In purfuance of the act of Congrefs, palfed in the last feffion, for the protection and relief of American feamen, agents were appointed, one to refide in Great Britain, and the other in the West Indies. The effects of the agency in the Weft Indies are not yet fully afcertained; but thofe which have been communicated afford grounds to believe the meafure will be beneficial, The agent deftined to refide in Great Britain declining to accept the appointment, the bufinefs has confequently devolved on the minifter of the United States in London; and will command his attention, until a new agent fhall be appointed.

After many delays and difappointments, arifing out of the European war, the final arrangements for fulfilling the engagements made to the Dey and regency of Algiers will, in all prefent appearance, be crowned with fuccefs; but under great, though inevitable difadvantages, in the pecuniary tranfactions, occalioned by that war; which will render a further provifion neceffary. The actual liberation of all our citizens who were prifoners in Algiers, while it gratifies every feeling heart, is itfelf an earnest of a fatisfactory termination of the whole negotiation.

Measures are in operation for effecting treaties with the Regencies of Tunis and Tripoli.

To an active external commerce the protection of a naval force is indifpenfable. This is manifeft with regard to wars in which a ftate is itself a party; but befides this, it is our own experience, that the most fincere neutrality is not a fufficient guard againft the depredations of nations at war. To fecure refpect to a neutral flag requires a naval force, organized, and ready to vindicate it from infult or aggreffion. This may even prevent the neceflity of going to war, by difcouraging belligerent powers from committing

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fuch violations of the rights of the neutral party as may, first or laft, receive no other option. From the best information I have been able to obtain, it would seem as if our trade to the Mediterranean, without a protecting force, will always be infecure; and our citizens expofed to the calamities from which numbers of them have but just been relieved. These confiderations invite the United States to look to the means, and to fet about the gradual creation of a navy. The increafing progrefs of their navigation promises them, at no diftant period, the requifite fupply of feamen; and their means, in other refpects, favour the undertaking. It is an encouragement, likewife, that their particular fituation. will give weight and influence to a moderate naval force in their hands. Will it not then be adviseable to begin, without delay, to provide, and lay up the materials for the building and equipping of fhips of war; and to proceed in the work by degrees, in proportion as our refources fhall render it practicable, without inconvenience; fo that a future war of Europe may not find our commerce in the fame unprotected state in which it was found by the prefent?

Congrefs have repeatedly, and not without fuccefs, directed their attention to the encouragement of manufactures. The object is of too much confequence not to enfure a continuation of their efforts, in every way which will appear eligible. As a general rule, manufactures on a public account are inexpedient; but where the state of things in a country leave little hope that certain branches of manufacture will, for a great length of time, obtain; when these are of a nature effential to the furnishing and equipping of the public force in the time of war, are not establithu ents for procuring them on public account, to the extent of the ardinary demand for the public fervice, recommended by ftrong con. fiderations of national policy, as an exception to the general rule? Ought our country to remain in fuch cafes dependent on foreign fupply, precarious, because liable to be interrupted? If the neceffary articles fhould in this mode cost more in time of peace, will not the fecurity and independence thence arifing form an ample compenfation? Eftablishments of this fort, commenfurate only with the calls of the public fervice in the time of peace, will, in time of war, eafily be extended in proportion to the exigencies of the government, and even perhaps to be made to yield a furplus, for the fupply of our citizens at large; fo as to mitigate the pri vateers from the interruption of their trade. If adopted, the plan ought to exclude all thofe branches, which are already, or likely foon to be eftablished in the country, in order that there may be no danger of interference with pursuits of individual industry.

It will not be doubted that, with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance. In

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