R. KING TO DANIEL KILHAM.

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 1787.

It is a long time since I heard anything from you. Permit me to inquire of you how the public opinion stands relative to the measures of Government in the suppression of the Rebellion? How goes Electioneering? Men and measures are now very intimately united. Displace men and you disapprove measures such men supported.

Farewell

R. KING.

On the reverse of this, without date, is the following in Dr. Kilham's handwriting:

"I have of late been absent, therefore did not receive your's of 25th ult. till you must have learnt the public opinion on the subject of your enquiry.

"You will perceive by the new Elections that the public are dissatisfied & very unhappy & so long as the people remain their own governors and mistake the cause of their misfortunes they must continue so. In this country there will be almost a total change of Senators-those most probably elected are Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Coffin, Mr. Wood, Mr. Osgood; some of whom have never been men in any public office. There will undoubtedly be as great changes in the House, but what they will be is yet too early to determine. Many draw the most unfavorable conclusions from these circumstances. I do not. If the people are pleased with their governors they will more patiently submit to the government, and it is essential that a free people should be satisfied with their Rulers. After the present change the people I wish may begin to be composed, but if not, though I believe G. himself scarcely knows by what operation it is to be effected, some material change must take place in our national government. So many men & so much property can never be without some government, & if they are very corrupt and very licentious, it must be an absolute one, which G. avert-I expect to hear from you in B." (No signature.)

APPENDIX II.

Endorsed in Rufus King's handwriting:

"CONFERENCE With Ld. GrenvILLE AUG. 10th, 1796.”

According to Ld. Grenville's appointment I waited on him at II o'ck A.M.

I stated to him that I brought with me Dispatches altogether favorable to a firm Friendship & perfect Harmony between our two Countries and that my endeavours would be directed to this object.

After shewing him my second Commission authorizing a continuation of Mr. Jay's Negotiation, &c, I observed that the objec tion to the XII Article was the limitation of the Tonnage, and the Restriction not to export from the U. S. certain enumerated articles-that altho' formerly perhaps of our Vessels, employed in the W. In. Trade were at or under 70 tons, that now perhaps not one in Eight of our Sea Vessels were of so small a Tonnagethat the duration of the article wd. not in Prudence permit the building of New Vessels, and besides that they wd. be unprofitable as nearly the same men and expenses would navigate a vessel of perhaps 100 tons, and that in the carrying of Lumber the Freight wd. not be an object in a vessel of that Tonnage.

That in respect to the Restriction not to export the enumerated articles, we had thought we might agree in applying it solely to such as were recd. from the Br. Islands, and that our system of Drawbacks wd. execute the Stipulations-but that on a fuller consideration, we had found that if we entered into this Stipulation with G. B. the other Powers holding W. In. Cols. wd, expect us to form a similar Stipulation, the consequence of wh, would be to reinstate the Article in its originally objectionable shape. That we thought the regulations of little consequence to G.B. inasmuch as we shd. rarely take from them any articles except their Rum; their other productions being ordinarily higher in their price than in the neighbouring Islands. Besides all the colonizing Powers had for the last half Century opened their W. In. Cols. in time of war without any such Restriction and that it would be better to suffer the Commerce to stand on its ordinary Footing

which wd. give us a share of it in time of war, than to form a Stipulation that would contain the Restraints proposed.

Lord Grenville said that the limitation of the tonnage was desired by them on the same principle as they wished a Restraint agt. our re-exporting W. In. Produce-that they wished to prevent our becoming the carriers of their W. In. Produce to the different European Powers-that they had not been sensible that so few of our vessels were of the proposed tonnage—that it would be requisite that he shd. confer on these Points with those at the Head of the Trade and Colony Systems, &c. &c.

I then observed that no subject was so embarrassing as that of our Seamen--and that I hardly knew how to express myself respecting it that I fear our claims might be wide of each other, and that the true mean wd. be difficult to agree in. His Lordship said that he was sensible of the Difficulty; that placing himself on our side it was obvious, and he requested me to take his Place for a moment in order to perceive the motives which influenced them that their Navy was their safeguard-that their Admirals and Admiralty Board were constantly complaining that the navy was decaying from the Embarrassment experienced in manning their Ships-that the British Seamen were escaping the public service by engaging in the American Employ and challenging the Protection of the American Flag.

I said that my Ideas were far from settled on any precise plan -that we thought, after fair reflection, and a full view of the situation of the claim of G. B., that we were entitled to pass the High Seas without interruption-that when we came within the Br. Jurisdiction a right of Examination in order to obtain Br. Seamen wd. not be contested-that in the Ports of the Kingdom some Embarrassment might result from the Examination, yet it wd. be much less than would be the Case in the Colonies where the exercise of this Claim was very injurious to our Citizens, and ruinous in some cases to our Merchants.

That if we could by convention adjust these Points in a fair and reasonable manner, it would wonderfully tend to promote Friendship & Good Will between us.

That a Plan of Protection had been adopted, (here I explained to Ld. G. the Tenor of the late Law, which his Lordship appeared to have in some degree misconceived and to have thought very

lightly of) but the ex parte Representations would be of little avail to compose the public opinion entertained on either side: hence the advantage of an adjustment by Convention: that the Proofs after all would constitute the real Difficulty. We did not desire to withdraw from their Duty their people, in order to engage them in our Employ; our only wish was to secure our own People from being forced out of our Ships, whereby they were injured and our Commerce exposed to infinite Embarrassment.

Lord Grenville said that with respect to an exemption from examination, &c, on the High Seas, unless great latitude was given to their Doctrine of the four Seas, &c, the Position would differ from what they had practiced, and as they supposed without injustice to for. stations-that they man their Navy by cruising with their Frigates in the chops of the Channel where they met their Merchantmen, which, as soon as they have come near their Ports, usually suffer their seamen to go on Shore, leaving only the Officers & a Boy or two, with Protections on board to Navigate the Vessel.

It was understood between Lord G. & me that this conversation shd. be viewed as only breaking the Subject, that he shd. consult with Lord Spencer and his Colleagues, and that instead of writing we shd. freely converse on this and such other Topics as shd. come up, and shd. we advance towards any Result, that then it shd. be put in Paper.

Lord Grenville here adverted to our late Law authorizing the appointment of an Agent to reside in their W. Ind; he said he wished this measure had been considered, and if it should have been found proper, that Instructions shd. have been given to their Governors &c respecting it—that at present it was not allowed to any Nation to send an Agent into yr. colonies, that looking at their laws, he apprehended that their Governors wd. not think themselves authorized to permit the Residence of such a character, and he felt uneasy lest the sending away of such agent should be unfavorably construed in America. I suggested the expedi ency of an early attention to the subject, promised a copy of the Law and intimated the idea of an Instruction wh. shd. allow such agent to reside, say in Jamaica, there to receive applications from Amer. Seamen &c, confining his agency to a correspondence with the Govr., who shd. in this respect have authority to enquire of

their Navy officers. This arrangement suggested itself from Ld. G's having said that a secret correspondence between such Agent and the Admirals, Captains & seamen would undiscipline their Navy.

We were here interrupted by a Messenger with Letters, wh. Lord Grenville on opening found to come from the D. Portland's office, being dispatches of the 11 & 18 June from Lord Dorchester. He read them and said he wd. send me copies. They stated Cap. Lewis' arrival at Quebec, his dispatches from and his arrangements to give up the Posts immediately, wh. he says Cap. Lewis desired might be delayed till our Troops arrived to receive them. The last letter mentions Lewis' Departure from Quebec & the order being issued to the several Posts by the Adj. Genl., duplicates of wh. were given to Cap. Lewis for the delivery of the Posts to the American Detachments.

I mentioned to Ld. Grenville that it would be satisfactory, could I have it in my Power to say when I wrote to America that the Commissioners on their and our part had formed their Board and that the preparatory arrangements were in train for their commencing business. He replied that Mr. Hammond had recd. his instructions to have the Commission to yr. Commrs. prepared, and he had signed an order for the placing the Great Seal to it, but that Mr. H's departure wh. was sudden, had produced some delay; that the measure shd. advance, and if the Commissioners could agree to meet on Saturday or Monday, he wd. endeavor that Dr. Nicholl & Mr. Anstey should be previously furnished with their commissions.

I then asked his Lordship whether he had any Evidence of the authenticity of the Letter published a day or two since, as from the Directory to M. Barthelemi, announcing the determination to stop neutral cargoes bound to Br. Ports, &c, &c. He said he believed it authentic, but had no other than the same Evidence that was before the Public, that he had intended to have spoken to me about it, indeed he had been desirous of writing to me in order that I might have it in my power to contradict the allegation that G. B. had issued any order of the tenor alleged in the letter in question, but that he did not know how to take notice of a Document of the authenticity of whh. he was not fully and regularly ascertained; but that he expected shortly to hear from the King's