cially in the present disturbed state of the world, prove the ruin of our affairs.

There were other considerations which, though of minor importance, had, nevertheless, their due weight in our decision on this great question. If France, or any other power holding the right bank of the river, imposed lighter duties than comport with the revenue system of the United States, supposing even that we had acquired the left bank, all the supplies destined for our extensive and populous settlements, on the other side, would be smuggled in through that channel, and our revenue thereby considerably diminished. Should such power open offices for the sale of lands on the western bank, our population might be drained to the advantage of that power, the price of our lands be diminished, and their sale prevented. But by the possession of both banks, these evils

are averted.

The terms on which we have made this acquisition, when compared with the objects obtained by it, will, we flatter ourselves, be deemed advantageous to our country. We have stipulated, as you will see by the treaty and conventions, that the United States shall pay to the French government sixty millions of francs, in stock, bearing an interest of six per cent. and a sum not exceeding twenty millions more to our citizens in discharge of the debts due to them by France, under the convention of 1800; and also to exempt the manufactures, productions, and vessels of France and Spain, in the direct trade from those countries, respectively in the ports of the ceded territory, from foreign duties for the term of twelve years. The stock is to be created irredeemable for fifteen years, and discharged afterwards in equal annual instalments: the interest on it is to be paid in Europe, and the principal, in case this government thinks proper to sell it, disposed of in such manner as will be most conducive to the credit of the American funds. The debts due to our citizens are to be discharged by drafts on our treasury. We omit a more minute view of the stipulations of these instruments, since, as you will possess them, it is unneces

sary.

Louisiana was acquired of Spain by France in exchange for Tuscany, which latter is settled by treaty on the son-in-law of the king of Spain, with the title of king of Etruria, and was estimated in the exchange, in consideration of its revenue, at 100,000,000 francs. The first consul thought he had made an advantageous bargain in that exchange, as appears by the high idea which he entertained of its value, as shown on many occasions. Louisiana was the territory which he promised in his proclamation at the peace as an asylum to those who had become unfortunate by the revolution, and which he spoke of as vast and fertile. When he made up his mind to offer the cession of it to the United States, it was contemplated to ask for it 100,000,000, exclusive of the debts they owed to our citizens, which they proposed we should also pay, with a perpetual exemption from foreign duties on the manufactures, productions, and vessels of France and Spain, in the ports of the ceded territory. From that demand, however, in respect to the sum, he receded, under the deliberation of his own cabinet, for the first proposition which M. Marbois made to us, was, that we should pay eighty millions, sixty of which in cash, the balance to our citizens, the whole in one year in Paris, with a perpetual exemption from foreign duties, as above. The modification in the mode of payment, that is by stock, for from the quantum he never would depart, and the limitation of the term of the duties to twelve years, with the proviso annexed to it, which was introduced into the treaty with every other change from his project, was the effect of negotiation and accommodation, in which we experienced on his part and that of his government, a promptitude and candour which were highly grateful to us.

In estimating the real value of this country to the United States, a variety of considerations occur, all of which merit due attention. Of these we have already noticed many of a general nature, to which, however, it may be difficult to fix a precise value. Others present themselves of a nature more definite, to which it will be more practicable to fix some standard. By possessing both banks, the whole revenue or duty on imports will accrue to the United States, which must be considerable. The value of the exports, we have understood, was last year four millions of dollars. If a portion only of the imports pass through that channel, as under our government we presume they will, the amount of the revenue will be considerable. This will annually increase in proportion as the population and productions in that quarter do. The value of the lands, in the province of Louisiana, amounting to some hundred millions of acres of the best quality, and in the best climate, is, perhaps, incalculable. From either of these sources, it is not doubted that the sum stipulated may be raised in time to discharge the debt.

No. 19.

THE following letter is taken from the same congressional document as the papers in No. 18.-TRANSL.

Mr. Livingston to Mr. Madison, Secretary of State of the United States, dated Paris, 20th May, 1803.

[EXTRACT.]

I called this morning upon M. Marbois for a farther explanation on this subject, (the cession of Louisiana,) and to remind him of his having told me that Mobile made a part of the cession. He told me that he had no precise idea on the subject, but that he knew it to be an historical fact, and on that only he had formed his opinion. I asked him what orders had been given to the prefect that was to take possession, or what orders had been given by Spain as to the boundary in ceding it. He assured me that he did not know, but that he would make the inquiry and let me know. At four o'clock I called for Mr. Monroe to take him to the minister for foreign affairs, but he was prevented from accompanying me. I asked the minister what were the last bounds of the territory ceded to us; he said he did not know; we must take it as they had received it. I asked him how Spain meant to give them possession; he said according to the words of the treaty. But where did you mean to take? I do not know. Then you mean that we shall construe it our own way? I can give you no direction; you have made a noble bargain for yourselves, and I suppose you will make the most of it.

Table of the Purchase and Sales of the Public Lands, from the 4th of July, 1776, to the 31st of December, 1825, extracted from Watterston and Van Zandt's "Tabular Statistical Tables."-TRANSL.

Ohio
Indiana

Illinois

Michigan.
Missouri

Arkansas.

Louisiana

Mississippi.

Alabama

Florida

Quantity of land appropriated as military bounty lands, for private claims and special donations.

ERRATA.

OWING to the absence of the Translator from the place of publication, a num-
ber of typographical inaccuracies will be found in this work; most of which,
it is believed, are pointed out in the following list:-

Page 150, line 27, add comma (,) after perpetual
"161, line 18, for it read she.

"165, last line, dele they.

"166, line 16, for disarmed read unarmed.

182, line 12, for of read to.

"184, line 18, add on after drawn.

"196, line 11, dele for.

"207, line 16, for forsee read forere.

"216, last line, for establishing read establish.

"232, line 4, for depends read depend.

"266, line 12, for chances we will read chance