The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to renew to Sir Charles R. Vaughan the assurance of his distinguished consideration.

LOUIS McLANE

Sir Charles R. Vaughan to Mr. McLane.

WASHINGTON, December 17, 1833.

Hon. LOUIS McLANE, etc.: 

The undersigned, His Britannic Majesty’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, regrets that a letter received from His Majesty’s lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick should again require him to ask the intervention of the General Government of the United States to put a stop to certain proceedings of the State of Maine in the territory still in dispute between Great Britain and the United States.  The inclosed letter, with the report which accompanies it,[19] shows that the State of Maine has opened a road beyond the conventional frontier, with the avowed intention of carrying it to the bank of the river St. John.

The undersigned is convinced that the Secretary of State of the United States will agree with him that the State of Maine must not be allowed to take upon herself the right to define the meaning of the treaty of 1783, and, by aggressions such as those against which the undersigned is called upon to remonstrate, to take possession, without reference to the General Government of the United States, of territory which has been so long in abeyance between the two Governments.  Such conduct is calculated to lead to collisions of a distressing nature between the subjects of His Britannic Majesty and the citizens of the United States employed to assert a futile and hazardous possession which so entirely depends upon the arrangements in progress between the two Governments.

The undersigned trusts that the representation made in this note will be received by the Secretary of State in the same spirit of good will and conciliation which has hitherto characterized the conduct of the Government of the United States in all occurrences of a similar nature.

The undersigned has the honor to renew to Mr. McLane the assurance of his most distinguished consideration.

CHAS. R. VAUGHAN

[Footnote 19:  Omitted.]

Mr. McLane to Sir Charles R. Vaughan.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, December 21, 1833.

Right Hon. SIR CHARLES R. VAUGHAN, G.C.H.,

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Britannic Majesty: 

The undersigned, Secretary of State, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note addressed to him on the 17th instant by Sir Charles R. Vaughan, His Britannic Majesty’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, requesting the intervention of the Government of the United States to put a stop to certain proceedings of the State of Maine in the territory still in dispute between Great Britain and the United States.