A Collection of State-Papers, Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America Part 4

_EXTRACT from the Register-Book of the Lords the States of Friesland_.

The requisition of Mr. Adams, for presenting his letters of credence from the United States of America to their High Mightinesses, having been brought into the a.s.sembly, and put into deliberation, as also the ulteriour address to the same purpose, with a demand of a categorical answer, made by him, as is more amply mentioned in the minutes of their High Mightinesses of the 4th of May, 1781, and the 9th of January, 1782; whereupon it having been taken into consideration that the said Mr.

Adams would probably have some propositions to make to their High Mightinesses, and to present to them the principle articles and foundations upon which the Congress, on their part, would enter into a treaty of commerce and friends.h.i.+p, or other affairs to propose, in regard to which dispatch would be requisite.

It has been thought fit and resolved to authorize the Lords the Deputies of this Province at the Generality, and to instruct them to direct things, at the table of their High Mightinesses, in such a manner that the said Mr. Adams be admitted forthwith as Minister of the Congress of North America; with further order to the said Deputies that if there should be made moreover any similar propositions by the same, to inform immediately their n.o.ble Mightinesses of them. And an extract of the present resolution shall be sent them for their information, that they may conduct themselves conformably.

Thus resolved at the Province House the 26th February, 1782.

Compared with the aforesaid book to my knowledge.

_Signed_

A. J. V. SMINIA.

HOLLAND

AND

WESTFRIESLAND.

_EXTRACT of the Resolutions of the Lords the States of Holland and Westfriesland, taken in the a.s.sembly of their n.o.ble and Grand Mightinesses, Thursday 28th March, 1782_.

Deliberated by resumption upon the address and the ulteriour address of Mr. Adams, made the 4th of May, 1781, and the 9th of January, 1782, to the President of the States General, communicated to the a.s.sembly the 9th May, 1781, and the 22d of last month, to present his letters of credence, in the name of the United States of America, to their High Mightinesses; by which ulteriour address, the said Mr. Adams hath demanded a categorical answer, that he may acquaint his const.i.tuents thereof: deliberated also upon the pet.i.tions of a great number of merchants, manufacturers and other inhabitants of this Province, interested in commerce to support their request presented to the States General, the twentieth current, to the end, that efficacious measures might be taken to establish a commerce between this country and North America, copy of which pet.i.tions have been given to the members, the twenty-first; it hath been thought fit and resolved that the affair shall be directed on the part of their n.o.ble and grand Mightinesses, at the a.s.sembly of the States General, and that there shall be made the strongest instances that Mr. Adams be admitted and acknowledged, as soon as possible, by their High Mightinesses, in quality of Amba.s.sador of the United States of America. And the Counsellor Pensionary hath been charged to inform under hand the said Mr. Adams of this resolution of their n.o.ble and grand Mightinesses.

ZEALAND.

_EXTRACT of the Resolutions of their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces. Monday 8th April, 1782_.

The Deputies of the Province of Zealand have brought to the a.s.sembly, and have caused to be read there, the resolution of the States of the said Province, their princ.i.p.als, to cause to be admitted, as soon as possible, Mr. Adams in quality of Amba.s.sador of the Congress of North America, according to the following resolution.

_EXTRACT from the Register of the Resolutions of the Lords the States of Zealand, 4th of April, 1782_.

It hath been thought fit and ordered, that the Lords, the ordinary Deputies of this Province at the Generality, shall be authorised, as it is done by the present, to a.s.sist, in the direction of affairs at the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses, in such a manner, that Mr. Adams may be acknowledged, as soon as possible, as Amba.s.sador of the Congress of North America; that his letters of credence be accepted; and that he be admitted in that quality, according to the ordinary form; enjoining further upon the said Lords the ordinary Deputies, to take such propositions, as should be made to this Republic by the said Mr. Adams, for the information and deliberation of their High Mightinesses, to the end to transmit them here as soon as possible. And an extract of this resolution of their n.o.ble Mightinesses shall be sent to the Lords, their ordinary Deputies, to serve them as an instruction.

_Signed_

J. M. CHALMERS.

Upon which having deliberated, it hath been thought fit and resolved to pray, by the present, the Lords the Deputies of the Province of Guelderland, Utrecht, and Groningen and Ommelanden, who have not yet explained themselves upon the subject, to be pleased to do it as soon as possible.

OVERYSSEL.

_EXTRACT from the Register of the Resolutions of the Equestrian Order, and of the Cities composing the States of Overyssel. Zwoll, 5th April, 1782._

Mr. the Grand Bailiff of Saalland, and the other Commissioners of their n.o.ble Mightinesses for the affairs of finance, having examined, conformably to their commissorial resolution of the third of this month, the addresses of Mr. Adams, communicated to the a.s.sembly the 4th of May, 1781, and the 22d of February, 1782, to present his letters of credence to their High Mightinesses, in the name of the United States of America; as well as the resolution of the Lords the States of Holland and Westfriesland, dated the 28th of March, 1782, carried the 29th of the same month to the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses, for the admission and acknowledgment of Mr. Adams, have reported to the a.s.sembly, that they should be of opinion, that the Lords the Deputies of this Province in the States General ought to be authorised and charged to declare in the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses, that the Equestrian order and the Cities judge that it is proper to acknowledge, as soon as possible, Mr. Adams in quality of Minister of the United States of North America to their High Mightinesses. Upon which, having deliberated, the Equestrian order and the Cities have conformed themselves to the said report.

Compared with the aforesaid Register.

_Signed_

DERK DUNBAR.

GRONINGEN.

_EXTRACT from the Register of the Resolutions of their n.o.ble Mightinesses, the States of Groningen and Ommelanden. Tuesday 9th April, 1782._

The Lords the States of Groningen and Ommelanden, having heard the report of the Lords the Commissioners for the pet.i.tions of the Council of State and the Finances of the Province, and having carefully examined the demand of Mr. Adams, to present his letters of credence from the United States of America to their High Mightinesses, have, after deliberation upon the subject, declared themselves of opinion, that in the critical circ.u.mstances in which the Republic finds itself at present, it is proper to take, without loss of time, such efficacious measures, as may not only repair the losses and damages that the kingdom of Great Britain hath caused in a manner so unjust, and against every shadow of right, to the commerce of the Republic, as well before as after the war, but particularly such as may establish the free navigation and the commerce of the Republic, for the future, upon on the most solid foundations, as may confirm and re-a.s.sure it, by the strongest bonds of reciprocal interest; and that, in consequence, the Lords the Deputies at the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses ought to be authorised, on the part of the Province, as they are by the present, to admit Mr. Adams to present his letters of credence from the United States of America, and to receive the propositions which he shall make, to make report of them to the Lords the States of this Province.

_Signed_

E. LEWE, Secretary.

The States General, having deliberated the same day upon the resolution, have resolved, that the Deputies of this Province of Guelderland, which has not yet declared itself upon the same subject, should be requested, to be pleased to do it as soon as possible.

UTRECHT.

_EXTRACT of the Resolutions of their n.o.ble Mightinesses, the States of the Province of Utrecht, 10 April 1782_.

Heard the report of Mr. De Westerveld and other deputies of their n.o.ble Mightinesses for the department of war, who, in virtue of the commissorial resolutions of the 9th of May 1781, 16th January and 20th March of the present year 1782, have examined the resolutions of their High Mightinesses of the 4th of May 1781, containing an overture, that Mr. the President of the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses had made, "that a person styling himself J. Adams had been with him, and had given him to understand, that he had received letters of credence for their High Mightinesses from the United States of America, with a request, that he would be pleased to communicate them to their High Mightinesses; as well as the resolution of their High Mightinesses of the 9th of January, containing an ulteriour overture of Mr. the President, that the said Mr. Adams had been with him, and had insisted upon a categorical answer, whether his said letters of credence would be accepted or not; finally the resolution of their High Mightinesses of the 5th of March last, with the insertion of the resolution of Friesland, containing a proposition to admit Mr. Adams in quality of Minister of the Congress of North America."

Upon which having deliberated, and remarked that the Lords the States of Holland and West Friesland, by their resolution carried the 29th of March to the States General, have also consented to the admission of the said Mr. Adams in quality of minister of the Congress of North America, it hath been thought fit and resolved, that the Lords the Deputies of this Province in the States General should be authorised, as their n.o.ble Mightinesses authorise them by the present, to conform themselves, in the name of this Province, to the resolution of the Lords the States of Holland and Westfriesland, and of Friesland, and to consent by consequence, that Mr. Adams be acknowledged and admitted as Minister of the United States of America; their n.o.ble Mightinesses being, in the mean time, of opinion, that it would be necessary to acquaint her Majesty the Empress of Russia, and the other Neutral Powers, with the resolution to be taken by their High Mightinesses upon this subject, in communicating to them, as much as shall be necessary, the reasons which have induced their High Mightinesses to it, and giving them the strongest a.s.surances that the intention of their High Mightinesses is by no means to prolong thereby the war, which they would have willingly prevented and terminated long since; but on the contrary, that their High Mightinesses with nothing with more ardor, than a prompt re-establishment of peace; and that they shall be always ready, on their part, to co-operate in it, in all possible ways, and with a suitable readiness, so far as that shall be any way compatible with their honour and their dignity, and for this end an extract of this shall be carried by Missive to the Lords the Deputies at the Generality.