is the delay in paffing the accounts of the pay mafters of the forces. The making up and paffing thefe accounts is the concern of three different parties: the paymafter, whole accounts they are; the pay-office, where they are made up; and the auditor's office, where they are paffed. The first ftep must be taken by the payoffice: there the account muit be made up, and from thence fent with the vouchers to the auditor's office before they can be examined. Near forty-fix millions were ilued to Lord Holland; his final account was not delivered into the auditor's office until feven years after his refignation. About two millions were itfued to Mr. Charles Townshend; his final account was not delivered until eleven years after his refignation. Near two millions were iffued to Lord North and Mr. Cooke; their final account was not delivered until twelve years after their refignation. Five hundred and feventy thousand pounds were iffied to Mr. Cooke and Mr. Thomas Townshend; their only account was not delivered until eleven years after their refignation. In the office of the auditors of the impreft, the custom of not paffing the accounts of a fucceffor until the predeceffor's are completed, is a caufe of delay. A difpute with a deputy ftops Lord Holland's accounts; but that can be no reason for delaying one moment the accounts of his fucceffors; they depend not upon, nor are connected with each other. It is regular to examine and pass accounts in order of time; but in the cafe of the paymaster's ac counts, convenience, both public and private, will warrant a deviation from this rule. Every accountant has a material intereft that his accounts fhould be passed with difpatch: the quiet of himfelf, his family, and fortune. It is not unreafonable to prefume, that taking from an accountant his balance, may be a expediting the paffing of his accounts; whilft he holds a large fum in his hands, he may be less anxious to come to a final adjustment, lefs eager to procure a quietus, the condition of which is the depriving himself of that balance. means of the fum in the hands of the payWe are proceeding to examine mafter-general of the forces in office; but finding, from the variety and extent of his tranfactions, it will require a confiderable time before we can obtain the knowledge neceflary for forming a report, we judged it most confonant to the fpirit and intention of the act that regulates our conduct, to fubmit with all the difpatch in legiflature, the confideration of a our power to the wifdom of the fum of public money of fuch magnitude as that now remaining in the poffefiion of the paymafters. general of the forces out of office. Office of Accounts, Bell- Authentic Authentic Copies of the Preliminary re-establifhed between his Britan Articles of Peace, between his nic Majefty and his Moft Chrif Britannic Majefty and the Most tian Majefty, their kingdoms, Chriftian King, his Moft Catholic Majesty, and the United States of America. Signed at Verfailles, the 20th of January, 1783. Tranflation of the Preliminary Articles of Peace, between his Britannic Majesty and the Moft Chisian King. Signed at Verfailles the 20.h of January, 1783. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST THE HE King of Great Britain and the Moft Chriftian King, equally animated with a defire of putting an end to the calamities of a destructive war, and of reeftablishing union and good understanding between them, as neceffary for the good of mankind in general as for that of their refpective kingdoms, ftates, and fubjects, have named for this purpose, viz. on the part of his Britannic Majetty, Mr. Alleyne Fitz-Herbert, minifter plenipotentiary of bis faid Majefty the King of Great Britain; and on the part of his Moft Chriftian Majefly, Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes, counsellor in all his councils, commander of his orders, counfellor of state, minifter and fecretary of state, and of the commands and finances of his faid Majefty for the department of foreign affairs; who, after having duly communicated to each other their full powers in good form, have agreed on the following Preliminary Articles: Article I. As foon as the preliminaries fhall be figned and ratified, fincere friendship fhall be ftates, and fubjects by fea and by land, in all parts of the world. Orders fhall be fent to the armies and fquadrons, as well as to the fubjects of the two powers, to top all hoftilities, and to live in the most perfect union, forgetting what is paffed, of which their fo vereigns give them the order and example. And, for the execu tion of this article, fea-paffes fhall be given on each fide for the fhips which fhall be dispatched to carry the news of it to the poffeflions of the faid powers. Art. II. His Majesty the King of Great Britain fhall preserve in full right the island of Newfoundland, and the adjacent iflands, in the fame manner as the whole was ceded to him by the thirteenth article of the treaty of Utrecht, fave the exceptions which shall be ftipulated by the fifth article of the prefent treaty. Art. III. His Moft Chriftian Majefty, in order to prevent quar rels which have hitherto arifen between the two nations of England and France, renounces the right of fishing, which belongs to him by virtue of the faid article of the treaty of Utrecht, from Cape Bonaviíta to Cape St. John, fituated on the eastern coaft of Newfound land, in about 50 degrees of north latitude; whereby the French fifery fhall commence at the faid Cape St. John, fhall go round by the north, and, going down the weftern coaft of the island of Newfoundland, fhall have for bouncary the place called Cape Raye, fituated in 47 degrees 50 minutes latitude. Art. Art. IV. The French fishermen fhall enjoy the fishery affigned them by the foregoing article, as they have a right to enjoy it by virtue of the treaty of Utrecht. Art. V. His Britannic Majefty will cede in full right to his Moft Chriftian Majefty the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Art. VI. With regard to the right of fishing in the Gulf of St. Laurence, the French fhall con tinue to enjoy it conformably to the fifth article of the treaty of Paris. Art. VII. The King of Great Britain fhall restore to France the ifland of St. Lucia, and fhall cede and guarantee to her that of Tobago. Art. VIII. The Moft Chrif tian King fhall reftore to Great Britain the islands of Grenada and the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Chriftopher, Nevis, and Montferrat; and the fortreffes of thofe iflands conquered by the arms of Great Britain and by thofe of France, fhall be reftored in the fame condition in which they were when the conqueft of them was made, provided that the term of eighteen months, to be computed from the time of the ratification of the definitive treaty, fhall be granted to the refpective fubjects of the crowns of Great Britain and France,who may have fettled in the faid iflands, and in other places which fall be reftored by the definitive treaty, to fell their eftates, recover their debts, and to tranfport their effects and retire without being reftrained, on account of their religion, or any other whatever, except in cafes of debt or of criminal profecutions. Art. IX. The King of Great Britain fhall cede and guarantee in full right to his Moft Chriftian Majefty the river of Senegal and its dependencies, with the forts of St. Louis, Podor, Galam, Arguin, and Portendu. His Britannic Majesty shall reftore, likewife, the ifland of Gorée, which fhall be given up in the condition in which it was when the British arms took poffeffion of it. Art. X. The Most Christian King fhall, on his fide, guarantee to his Majefty the King of Great Britain the poffeffion of Fort James and of the river Gambia, Art. XI. In order to prevent all difcuffions in that part of the world, the two courts fhall agree, either by the definitive treaty, or by a feparate act, upon the boundaries to be fixed to their relpective poffeffions. The gum trade fhall be carried on in future as the English and French nations carried it on before the year 1755. Art. XII. In regard to the reft of the coafts of Africa, the fubjects of both powers hall continue to frequent them, according to the cuftom which has prevailed hitherto. Art. XIII. The King of Great Britain fhall reftore to his Moft Chriftian Majefty all the establishments which belonged to him at the commencement of the prefent war on the coaft of Oriffa, and in Bengal, with liberty to furround Chandernagore with a ditch for draining the waters; and his Brifannic Majefty engages to take fuch measures as may be in his power for fecuring to the fubjects of France in that part of India, as alfo on the coaft of Oriffa, Coromandel, and Malabar, a fafe, free, and independent trade, fuch as was was carried on by the late French Eaft Ladia Company, whether it be carried on by them as individuals or as a company. Art. XIV. Pondicherry, as well as Karical, fhall likewife be reftored, and guaranteed to France; and his Britannic Majefty fhall procure, to serve as a dependency round Pondicherry, the two diftricts of Valanour and Bahour; and as a dependency round Karical, the four contiguous magans. Art. XV. France fall again enter into poffeflion of Mahé, and of the comptoir at Surat; and the French-fhall carry on commerce in this part of India conformably to the principles laid down in the thirteenth article of this treaty. Art. XVI. In cafe France has allies in India, they fhall be in vited, as well as thofe of Great Britain, to accede to the prefent pacification; and for that purpofe a term of four months, to be computed from the day on which the propofal fhall be made to them, hall be allowed them to make their decifion; and in cafe of refufal on their part, their Britannic and Moft Chriflian Majefties agree not to give them any affiftance, directly or indirectly, against the British or French poffefiions, or against the ancient pofieflions of their refpective allies; and their faid Majefties fall ofer them their good offices towards a mutual accommodation. will confent to the abrogation and fuppreffion of all the articles relative to Dunkirk, from the treaty of peace concluded at Utrecht in 1713, inclufively, to this time. Art. XVIII. By the definitive treaty, all those which have exifted till now between the two high contracting parties, and which fhall not have been derogated from either by the faid treaty, or by the prefent preliminary treaty, fhall be renewed and confirmed; and the two courts fhall name commiffioners to inquire into the state of commerce between the two nations, in order to agree upon new arrangements of trade, on the footing of reciprocity and mutual convenience.The faid two courts fhall together amicably fix a competent term for the duration of that business. Art. XIX. All the countries and territories which may have been, or which may be, conquered in any part of the world whatfoever, by the arms of his Britannic Majefty, or by thofe of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, and which are not included in the prefent articles, fhall be restored without difficulty, and without requir ing compenfation. Art. XX. As it is neceffar to affign a fixed epoch for the reftitutions and the evacuations to be made by each of the high contracting parties, it is agreed, that the King of Great Britain fhall caufe to be evacuated the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, three months after the ratification of the definitive treaty, or fooner if it can Art. XVII. The King of Great Britain, defirous of giving his Moft Chriftian Majesty a fincere proof of reconciliation and friend-be done; St. Lucia in the Weft fhip, and of contributing to the Indies, and Goree in Africa, three folidity of the peace which is on months after the ratification of the the point of being re-establified, definite treaty, or fooner, if it can can be done. The King of Great Britain fhall, in like manner, at the end of three months after the ratification of the definitive treaty, or fooner, if it can be done, enter again into poffeffion of the islands of Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Chriftopher, Nevis, and Montferrat. France fhall be put into poffeffion of the towns and comptoirs which are reftored to her in the Eaft Indies, and of the territories which are procured for her, to ferve as dependencies round Pondicherry, and round Karical, fix months after the ratification of the definitive treaty, or fooner, if it can be done. France fhall, at the end of the. Lame term of fix months, reftore the towns and territories which her arms may have taken from the English or their allies in the Eaft Indies. In confequence whereof, the neceflary orders fhall be fent by each of the high contracting parties, with reciprocal paffports for the fhips which fhall carry them, immediately after the ratification of the definitive treaty. Art. XXI. The pritoners made refpectively by the arms of his Britannic Majefty and his Moft Chriftian Majefty, by land and by fea, fhall be reftored reciprocally, and bona fide, immediately after the ratification of the definitive treaty, without ranfom, and on paying the debts they may have contracted during their captivity; and each crown fhall refpectively reimburse the fums which fhall have been advanced for the fubfiftence and maintenance of their prifoners, by the fovereign of the country where they fhall have been detained, according to the receipts and attefted accounts, and other authentic titles which fall be produced on each fide. Art. XXII. In order to prevent all caufes of complaint and difpute which may arife on account of prizes which may be made at fea after the figning of thefe preliminary articles, it is reciprocally agreed, that the veffels and effects which may be taken in the Channel and the North Seas, after the fpace of twelve days, to be computed from the ratification of the prefent preliminary articles, fhall be restored on each fide. That the term shall be one month from the Channel and North Seas, as far as the Canary lands, inclufively, whether in the ocean or the Mediterranean. Two months from the faid Canary Islands, as far as the equinoétial line or equator; and lastly, five months in all other parts of the world, without any exception or any other more particular defcription of time and place. Art. XXIII, The ratification of the prefent preliminary articles fhall be expedited in good and due form, and exchanged in the fpace of one month, or fooner, if it can be done, to be computed from the day of the fignature of the prefent articles. In witness whereof, we, the underwritten minifters plenipotenti arv of his Britannic Majefty and of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, by virtue of our refpective full powers, have figned the prefent preliminary articles, and have caused the feal of our arms to be put thereto. Done |