The existing laws require "that all lands forfeited for nonpayment, shall be offered for sale at the court house of the county in which the offices are situated," and the register and receiver at Jeffersonville represent, that the court house of their county is fifteen miles distant from their offices; that it Occasions great inconvenience and derangement of their bu siness to attend the sales at so great a distance, and urge the necessity of legislative interference for their relief.

In the state of Ohio there are six land offices established and in successful operation; one at Cincinnati, one at Chillicothe, one at Zanesville, one at Marietta, one at Steubenville, and the other at Canton. The western boundary line of the Virginia military reservation, embracing the lands between - the Scioto and the Little Miami rivers in this state, has never yet been satisfactorily established. An essay has lately been made by commissioners appointed by the United States and the state of Virginia without success; a report of the commissioners on the part of the United States, with a plat of the country and explanations, was made to congress and are on their files, giving ample information on that controverted business.

In the territory of Michigan one land office has been established at Detroit. The private claims and donations to individuals had been patented soon after the organization of this office, but before they were presented to the persons by their agent who had them in possession, he was taken prisoner by the enemy, and states that the patents were wantonly destroyed: application was made here for exemplifications, but owing to the situation of the territory at that time, and the very limited means allowed to perform the complicated duties assigned us, they have not been issued. In the Mississippi territory there are three land offices established, one at Huntsville, in Madison county, one at Washington, west of Pearl river, and the other at Fort St. Stephen's, east of Pearl river. In this latter district, the register of the land office states, that a number of persons obtained certificates of preemptions to land to the amount in the whole of 21,930 acres of land, and that the time has elapsed wherein they were bound to complete the whole of their payments, but that they have never paid one cent here for. These lands are therefore reverted again to the United States, most of which would now sell, but it requires an act of the legislature to authorise their sale.

In this district the whole of the rich and valuable lands ceded by the Chactaws, and lying along the Tombigbee, are

surveyed and ready for market. By the articles of agreement and cession made between the United States and the state of Georgia, on the 24th of April, 1802, the United States are bound to pay to the state of Georgia, out of the first net proceeds arising from the sales of the land ceded, after deducting the expenses incurred in surveying and incident to such sales, the sum of one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; only forty-six thousand three hundred and thirty-two dollars and seventy cents of which has yet been paid in arms under the act of April, 1808.

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From this view of the state of the public lands, it will pear, that independent of the lands now offered for sale at the several land offices established by law, we have nearly ready to add thereto the balance of the Chactaw purchase, and the forfeited pre-emptions in the Mississippi territory, the eastern and western land districts in the state of Louisiana, the Kaskaskia and Shawneetown districts in the Illinois, and the fractions around Clark's grant in the Indiana: and so soon as the laws can be carried fully into effect, and the lands surveyed, the district north of Red river, and the lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished in the territories of Missouri and Michigan.

The commissioner of the general land office considers it his duty farther to state, that upon the organization of this office, the public business assigned to it was greatly behind. Patient industry and incessant application has done much, but the examination and auditing the quarterly accounts of the receivers of public monies present such an immense load of labour, that he is compelled to solicit additional aid in the estimates for the year 1814, for clerk hire; for by a decision of the comptroller, as the proper law officer of the treasury department, the commissioner of the general land office is compelled to examine and audit all the accounts of the receivers of public monies as far back as the year 1801; and this immense mass of business is pressing, for some of the late receivers are indebted to the United States in large amounts, and suits cannot be commenced by the comptroller until the accounts are examined and audited.

All which is respectfully submitted by your most obedient servant,

EDWARD TIFFIN, Commissioner of the General Land Office.

The honourable the Speaker of the

House of Representatives of the United States.

Message from the President of the United States, transmitting Copies of a Letter from the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to the Secretary of State, with the Answer of the latter.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States. I transmit for the information of congress, copies of a letter from the British secretary of state for foreign affairs, to the secretary of state, with the answer of the latter.

In appreciating the accepted proposal of the government of Great Britain, for instituting negociations for peace, congress will not fail to keep in mind, that vigorous preparations for carrying on the war can in no respect impede the progress to a favourable result; whilst a relaxation of such preparations, should the wishes of the United States for a speedy restoration of the blessings of peace be disappointed, would necessarily have the most injurious consequences. January 6th, 1814. JAMES MADISON.

(Copy) Sir,

DOCUMENTS.

Lord Castlereagh to the Secretary of State.

Foreign Office, November 4, 1813. I have the honour to enclose to you, for the information of the president of the United States, copy of a note which his Britannic majesty's ambassador at the court of St. Petersburg was directed to present to the Russian government, as soon as his royal highness the prince regent was informed that plenipotentiaries had been nominated on the part of the American government for the purpose of negociating for peace with great Britain, under the mediation of his imperial majesty.

His lordship having, by the last courier from the imperial head-quarters, acquainted me that the American commissioners now at St. Petersburg, have intimated, in reply to this overture, that they had no objection to a negociation at London, and were equally desirous as the British government had declared itself to be, that this business should not be mixed with the affairs of the continent of Europe, but that their powers were limited to negociate under the mediation of Russia.

Under these circumstances, and in order to avoid an unnecessary continuance of the calamities of war, the prince regent commands me to transmit, by a flag of truce, to the American port nearest to the seat of government, the offi cial note above-mentioned, in order that the president, if he

should feel disposed to enter upon a direct negociation for the restoration of peace between the two states, may give his directions accordingly.

In making this communication, I can assure you that the British government is willing to enter into discussion with the government of America for the conciliatory adjustment of the differences subsisting between the two states, with an earnest desire on their part to bring them to a favourable issue, upon principles of perfect reciprocity, not inconsistent with the established maxims of public law, and with the maritime rights of the British empire.

The admiral commanding the British squadron on the American station will be directed to give the necessary protection to any persons proceeding to Europe, on the part of the government of the United States, in furtherance of this overture; or, should the American government have occasion to forward orders to their commission at St. Petersburg, to give the requisite facilities, by cartel or otherwise, to the transmission of the same.

I have the honour to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

(Signed)

CASTLEREAGH. To the American Secretary of State, &c. &c. &c.

Translation of a Note from Lord Cathcart to the Count de Nesselrode, dated Toplitz, 1st September, 1813.

The undersigned, ambassador of his Britannic majesty to the emperor of all the Russias, desiring to avail himself of the first occasion to renew the subject respecting America, which was brought into discussion in a conference at the moment of departure from Reichenbach, has the honour to address this note to the count de Nesselrode.

Although the prince regent, for reasons which have been already made known, has not found himself in a situation to accept the mediation of his imperial majesty, for terminating the discussions with the United States of America, his royal highness desires, nevertheless, to give effect to the beneficent wishes which his imperial majesty has expressed, of seeing the war between Great Britain and America soon terminated to the mutual satisfaction of the two governments.

With this view, his royal highness having learned that the envoys plenipotentiary of the United States for negociating a peace with Great Britain, under the mediation of his imperial majesty, have arrived in Russia; notwithstanding that he finds himself under the necessity of not accepting the in

terposition of any friendly power in the question which forms the principal object in dispute between the two states, he is, nevertheless, ready to nominate plenipotentiaries to treat directly with the American plenipotentiaries.

His royal highness sincerely wishes that the conferences of these plenipotentiaries may result in re-establishing between the two nations, the blessing and the reciprocal advantages of peace.

If, through the good offices of his imperial majesty, this proposition should be accepted, the prince regent would prefer that the conferences should be held at London, on account of the facilities which it would give to the discussions. But, if this choice should meet with insuperable obstacles, his royal highness would consent to substitute Gothenburg, as the place nearest to England.

The undersigned, &c. &c. (Signed)

CATHCART.

A Toplitz, le 1r September, 1813. Le soussigné ambassadeur de S. M. Britannique prés sa majesté l'empereur de toutes les Russies, desirant profiter de la première occasion pour renouveller une matière dont il a été question dans une conference au moment du depart de Reichenbach, touchant L'Amerique, a l'honneur d'adresser cette note à son excellence monsieur le compte de Nesselrode.

Quoique le prince regent, pour des raisons qui ont deja été communiquées, ne se soit pas trouvé dans le cas d'accepter la mediation de S. M. I. pour terminer les discussions avec les Etats Unis d'Amerique, S. A. R. desire neanmoins de donner effêt aux vœux bienfaisans que S. M. I. a declaré de pouvoir bientôt voir terminé la guerre entre la Grande Bretagne et l'Amerique au contentement mutuel des deux gou

vernemens.

Pour cet objêt S. A. R. ayant sçu que les plenipotentiaires envoyés de la part des Etats Unis pour negocier une paix avec la Grande Bretagne sous la mediation de S. M. I. sont arrivés en Russie, non obstant qu'elle se trouve dans la necessité de ne pas accepter l'entremise d'aucune puissance amié pour la question qui fait l'objêt principale en dispute entre les deux Etats, elle est neanmoins prête à nommer des plenipotentiaires pour traiter directement avec les plenipotentiaires Americains.

Les vœux de S. A. R. sont bien sincères pour que les conferences de ces plenipotentiaires puissent reuissir à retabler