ORIGINAL.

Provisional Articles

BETWEEN THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

AND

HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY.

ARTICLES

Agreed upon, by and between Richard Ofwald, Esquire, the Commissioner of His Britannic Majesty, for treating of Peace with the Commissioners of the United States of America, in Behalf of his faid Majesty, on the one Part, and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, four of the Commissioners of the faid States, for treating of Peace with the Commiffioner of His faid Majesty, on their Behalf, on the other Part, to be inferted in, and to conftitute the Treaty of Peace, proposed to be concluded between the Crown of GreatBritain and the faid United States; but which Treaty is not to be concluded until Terms of a Peace shall be agreed upon between GreatBritain and France; and His Britannic Majefty shall be ready to conclude fuch Treaty accordingly.

W

HEREAS reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience are found by experience to form the only permanent foundation of peace and friendship between states it is agreed to form the articles of the propofed treaty, on such principles of liberal equity and reciprocity, as that partial advantages (those feeds of discord) being excluded, fuch a beneficial and fatisfactory intercourse between the two countries may be established, as to promise and fecure to both perpetual peace and harmony.

ARTICLE I.

His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the faid United States, viz. New-Hampshire, Maf fachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence knowledg- Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New

United
States ac-

ed to be

reign and

independent.

Jersey, Pennfylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, to be free, fovereign and independent States; that he treats with them as such; and for himself, his heirs and fuccessors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety and territorial rights of the fame, and every part thereof. And that all disputes which might arise in future, on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are, and shall be their boundaries, viz.

ARTICLE II.

From the north-west angle of Nova-Scotia, Boundaries viz. that angle which is formed by a line, established. drawn due north from the fource of St. Croix

river to the Highlands; along the faid Highlands which divide those rivers, that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic ocean, to the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, thence down along the middle of that river, to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence, by a line due west on faid latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois Ca. Boundaries taraquy; thence along the middle of faid ri etablished ver into Lake Ontario, through the middle of faid lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of faid communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of faid lake until it arrives at the water-communication be. tween that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the middle of faid water-communication into the Lake Huron; thence through the middle of faid lake to the water-communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake Superior northward of the ifles Royal and Philipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of faid Long Lake, and the water-communication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the faid Lake of the Woods; thence through the faid lake to the most north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river Missisippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the faid river Missisippi until it shall interfect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude. South by a line to be drawn due east from the determi nation of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the Equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouchi; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's river; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the Atlantic ocean. East by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its fource, and from its fource directly north to the aforesaid Highlands which divide the

rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean, from those which fall into the river St. Lawrence; comprehending all islands within twenty-leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforefaid boundaties between Nova-Scotia on the one part, and East-Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlanticocean; excepting fuch islands as now are, or heretofore have been within the limits of the faid province of Nova-Scotia.

ARTICLE III.

It is agreed that the people of the United Right of States shall continue to enjoy unmolefted the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank, and on all the other banks of Newfoundland; alfo in the gulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the fea, where the inhabitants of both countries ufed at any time herefofore to fifh; and alfo that the inhabitants of the United States shall have liberty to take fish of every kind on fuch part of the coast of Newfoundland as British fishermen shall use (but not to dry or cure the fame on that ifland); and alfo on the coafts, bays and creeks of all other of his Britannic Majesty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen shall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unfettled bays, harbours and creeks of Nova-Scotia, Magdalen islands, and Labrador, fo long as the fame fhall remain unfettled; but fo foon as the fame or either of them shall be fettled, it fhall not be lawful for the faid fifhermen to dry or cure fish at such fettlement, without a previous agreement for that purpofe with the inhabitants, proprietors or poffeffors of the ground.

ARTICLE IV.

Debts to

It is agreed that creditors on either fide, shall meet with no lawful impediment to the be paid. recovery of the full value in sterling money, of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

ARTICLE V.

mend to

of confifca

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It is agreed that the Congress shall earnestly Congrefs recommend it to the legislatures of the respec- to recom tive states, to provide for the restitution of all the states eftates, rights and properties, which have been reftitution confiscated, belonging to real British subjects, ted estates, and also of the estates, rights and properties of persons refident in districts in the poffeffion of his Majesty's arms, and who have not borne arms against the faid United States. And that persons of any other description shall have free liberty to go to any part or parts of any of the thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months, unmolested in their endeavours to obtain the restitution of fuch of their eftates, rights and properties, as may have been confiscated; and that Congrefs shall also earnestly recommend to the several states a reconfider ation and revision of all acts or laws regarding the premises, fo as to render the faid laws or acts perfectly confiftent, not only with justice and equity, but with that spirit of conciliation, which on the return of the bleffings of peace should univerfally prevail. And that Congress shall also earnestly recommend to the several states, that the estates, rights and properties of fuch last mentioned perfons, shall be restored to them, they tefunding to any perfons who may be now in poffeffion, the bona fide price (where any has been given) which fuch perfons may have paid on purchasing any of the faid lands, rights or properties, since the conVOL. I.

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