The following is a copy of the report and decision of the commissioners of the United States and of Great Britain, appointed by virtue of the sixth article of the treaty of Ghent :

The undersigned commissioners, appointed, sworn, and authorized, in virtue of the 6th article of the treaty of peace and amity between his Britannic majesty and the United States of America, concluded at Ghent on the 24th of December, 1814, impartially to examine, and by a report or declaration under their hands and seals, to designate "that portion of the boundary of the United States from the point where the 45th degree of north latitude strikes the river Iroquois, or Cataragui, along the middle of said river into Lake Ontario, through the middle of said Lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of said lake, until it arrives at the water communication into Lake Huron ; thence through the middle of said water communication into Lake Huron; thence through the middle of said lake to the water communication between that lake and Lake Superior;" and to "decide to which of the two contracting parties the several islands, lying within the said rivers, lakes, and water communications, do respectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the treaty of 1783;" do decide and declare, that the fol

lowing described line is the true boundary intended by the two before-mentioned treaties; that is

to say

Beginning at a stone monument erected by Andrew Ellicot, esq. in the year 1817, on the south bank, or shore, of the said river Iroquois, or Cataragui (now called the St. Lawrence), which monument bears south 74 deg. 45 min. west, and is 1,840 yards distant from the stone church in the Indian village of St. Regis, and indicates the point at which the 45th parallel of north latitude strikes the said river; thence running north 35 deg. 45 sec. west into the river, on a line at right angles with the southern shore, to a point 100 yards south of the opposite island, called Cornwall island; thence, turning westerly, and passing round the southern and western sides of said island, keeping 100 yards distant therefrom, and following the curvatures of its shores, to a point opposite to the northwest corner, or angle of said island; thence to and along the middle of the main river, until it approaches the eastern extremity of Barnhart's island; thence, northerly, along the channel which divides the last-mentioned island from the Canada shore, keeping 100 yards distant from the island, until it approaches Sheik's island; thence, along the middle of the strait which divides Barnhart's and Sheik's islands, to the channel called the Long Sault, which separates the two last-mentioned islands from the Lower Long Sault island; thence, westerly (crossing the centre of the last-mentioned channel), until it

approaches within 100 yards of the north shore of the Lower Sault island; thence, up the north branch of the river, keeping to the north of, and near the Lower Sault island; and also north of, and near the Upper Sault (sometimes called Baxter's) island, and south of the two small islands to the western extremity of the Upper Sault, or Baxter's island; thence passing between the two islands called the Cuts, to the middle of the river above; thence along the middle of the river, keeping to the north of Christler's island, and of the small island next above it, until it approaches the north-east angle of Goose-neck island; thence along the passage which divides the last-mentioned island from the Canada shore, keeping 100 yards from the island, to the upper end of the same; thence south of, and near the two small islands called the Nut islands; thence north of, and near the island called Dry or Smuggler's island; thence passing to the north of the island called Isle au Rapid Platt; thence along the north side of the last-mentioned island, keeping 100 yards from the shore to the upper end thereof; thence along the middle of the river, keeping to the south of and near the islands called Cousson (or Tussin) and Presque isle; thence up the river, keeping north of, and near the several Gallop Isles, and also of Tick, Tibbet's, and Caunny islands; and south of Duck, Drummond, and Sheep islands; thence along the middle of the river north of Gull island, Bluff island, and to the south of Grenadier island, until it approaches the east end of Well's island; thence to the north of Well's island, and along the strait

which divides it from Rowe's island, until it approaches the north-east point of Grindstone island; thence to the north of Grindstone island, until it approaches the southern point of Hickory island; thence passing to the south of Hickory island, and of the two small islands lying near its southern extremity ; thence to the south of Grand or Long island, keeping near its southern shore, and passing the north of Carlton island, until it arrives opposite to the southwestern point of said Grand island in Lake Ontario; thence passing to the north of Grenadier, Fox, Stoney, and the Gallop islands in Lake Ontario, and to the south of, and near, the islands called the Ducks, to the middle of the said leke; thence, westerly, along the middle of the said lake, to a point opposite the mouth of the Niagara river; thence to and up the middle of the said river, to the Great Falls; thence, up the Falls, through the point of the Horse Shoe, keeping to the west of Tris or Goat island, and of the group of small islands at its head, and following the bends of the river so as to enter the strait between Navy and Grand islands; thence, along the middle of the said strait to the head of Navy islands; thence, to the west and south of, and near to, Grand and Beaver islands, and to the west of Strawberry, Squaw, and Bird islands, to Lake Erie; thence, southerly and westerly, along the middle of Lake Erie, in a direction to enter the passage immediately south of Middle island, being one of the easternmost of the group of islands lying in the western part of the said lake; thence along the said passage, procceding to the north

of Cunningham's island, of the three Bass islands, and of the Western Sister, and to the south of the islands called the Hen and Chickens, and of the Eastern and Middle Sisters; thence, to the middle of the mouth of the Detroit river, in a direction to enter the channel which divides Bois-blanc and Sugar islands; thence up the said channel to the west of Boisblanc island, and to the east of Sugar, Fox, and Stony islands, until it approaches Fighting, or Great Turkey island; thence along the western side, and near the shore of said last-mentioned island, to the middle of the river above the same; thence, along the middle of said river, keeping to the south-east of, and near, Hog island, and to the north-west of, and near the island called Isle a la Pêche, to Lake St. Clair; thence, through the middle of said lake, in a direction to enter the mouth or channel of the river St. Clair, which is usually denominated the Old Ship channel; thence, along the middle of said channel, between Squirrel island on the southeast, and Herson's island on the north-west, to the upper end of the last-mentioned island, which is nearly opposite to Point au Chênes, on the American shore; thence along the middle of the river St. Clair, keeping to the west of, and near, the islands called Belle Revieve Isle, and Isle aux Cerfs, to Lake Huron; thence, through the middle of Lake Huron, in a direction to enter the strait or passage between Drummond's island on the west, and the Little Manitou island on the east; thence, through the middle of the passage which divides the two last-mentioned islands; thence, turning northerly and westwardly,

around the eastern and northeastern shores of Drummond's island, and proceeding in a direction to enter the passage between the island of St. Joseph's and the American shore, passing to the north of the intermediate islands. Thence, up the said last-mentioned passage, keeping near to the island of St. Joseph's, and passing to the north and east of Isle a la Crosse, until it strikes a line passing across the river at the head of St. Joseph's island, and at the foot of the Neebish Rapids, which line denotes the termination of the boundary directed to be run by the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent.

And the said commissioners do further decide and declare, that all the islands lying in the rivers, lakes, and water communications, between the before - described boundary line and the adjacent shores of Upper Canada, do, and each of them does, belong to his Britannic majesty; and that all the islands lying in the rivers, lakes, and water communications, between the said boundary line and the adjacent shores of the United States, or their territories, do, and each of them does, belong to the United States of America, in conformity with the true intent of the second article of the said treaty of 1783, and of the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent.

In faith whereof, we, the commissioners aforesaid, have signed this declaration, and thereunto affixed our seals.

Done, in quadruplicate, at Utica, in the state of New York, in the United States of America, this 18th day of June, in the year of our Lord, 1822.

PETER B. PORTER, (L. S.)
ANTH. BARCLAY, (L. S.)

Whereas, by an act of congress of the United States, passed on the 6th day of May last, it was provided, that on satisfactory evidence being given to the president of the United States, that the ports in the islands or colonies in the West Indies, under the dominion of Great Britain, have been opened to the vessels of the United States, the president should be, and thereby was authorized to issue his proclamation, declaring that the ports of the United States should be opened to the vessels of Great Britain employed in the trade and intercourse between the United States, and such islands and colonies, subject to such reciprocal rules and restrictions as the president of the United States might, by such proclamation, make and publish: And, whereas, satisfactory evidence has been given to the president of the United States, that the ports herein-named in the islands or colonies in the West Indies, under the dominion of Great Britain, have been opened to the vessels of the United States, that is to say→→→

[Then follow the names of the

different ports in the West Indies.]

The vessels of Great Britain, bona fide British-built, owned, and the master and three-fourths of the mariners of which, at least, shall belong to Great Britain; or any United States-built ship or vessel which has been sold to and become the property of British subjects, such ship or vessel being also navigated with a master and three-fourths of the mariners, at least, belonging to Great Britain; and provided always that no articles shall be imported into the United States in any such British ship or vessels other than articles of growth, produce, or manufacture of the British islands and colonies of the West Indies, when imported in British vessels coming from any such island or colony, and articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the British colonies in North America, or the island of Newfoundland, in vessels coming from the port of St. John's in that island, or from any of the aforesaid ports of the British colonies in North America.

By the President, JAMES MONRO

MESSAGE.

nually an important duty on the representatives of a free people. Our system has happily advanced to such maturity, that I am not aware that your cares in that respect will be augmented. Other causes exist, which are highly interesting to the whole civilized world, and to no portion of it more

so, in certain views, than to the United States. Of these causes, and of their bearing on the interests of our Union, I shall communicate the sentiments which I have formed, with that freedom which a sense of duty dictates. It is proper, however, to invite your attention, in the first instance, to those concerns respecting which legislative provision is thought to be particularly urgent.

On the 24th of June last, a convention of navigation and commerce was concluded in this city, between the United States and France, by ministers duly authorized for the purpose. The sanction of the executive having been given to this convention under a conviction that, taking all its stipulations into view, it rested essentially on a basis of reciprocal and equal advantage, I deemed it my duty, in compliance with the authority vested in the executive by the second section of the act of the last session, of the 6th of May, concerning navigation, to suspend, by proclamation, until the end of the next session of congress, the operation of the act intituled "An act to impose a new tonnage duty on French ships and vessels, and for other purposes," and to suspend, like wise, all other duties on French vessels, or the goods imported in them, which exceeded the duties on American vessels, and on similar goods imported in them. I shall submit this convention forthwith to the senate for its advice and consent as to the ratification.

Since your last session, the prohibition which had been imposed on the commerce between the United States and the British colonies in the West Indies, and on this continent, has likewise been

removed. Satisfactory evidence. having been adduced that the ports of those colonies had been opened to the vessels of the United States by an act of the British parliament, bearing date on the 24th of June last, on the conditions specified therein, I deemed it proper, in compliance with the provision of the first section of the act of the last session above recited, to declare, by proclamation, bearing date on the 24th of August last, that the ports of the United States should thenceforward, and until the end of the next session of congress, be open to the vessels of Great Britain employed in that trade, under the limitation specified in that proclamation.

A doubt was entertained, whether the act of congress applied to the British colonies on this continent, as well as to those in the West Indies; but as the act of parliament opened the intercourseequally with both, and it was the manifest intention of congress, as well as the obvious policy of the United States, that the provisions of the act of parliament should be met, in equal extent, on the part of the United States, and as also the act of congress was supposed to vest in the president some discretion in the execution of it, I thought it advisable to give it a corresponding construction.

Should the constitutional sanction of the senate be given to the ratification of the convention with France, legislative provision will be necessary to carry it fully into effect, as it likewise will be to continue in force, on such conditions. as may be deemed just and proper, the intercourse which has been opened between the United States and the British colonies. Every light in the possession of the exe