The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew to Mr. Fox the expression of his distinguished consideration.

JOHN FORSYTH.

[Footnote 33:  Omitted.]

WASHINGTON, May 1, 1838.

Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, etc.

Sir:  I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your official note of the 27th ultimo, in which you inclose to me a communication received by the Federal Government from the executive of Maine upon the subject of the northeastern boundary line, and in which you inform me that the President is willing to enter into an arrangement with Her Majesty’s Government for the establishment of a joint commission of survey and exploration upon the basis of the original American proposition and of the modifications offered by Her Majesty’s Government, as communicated to you in my note of the 10th of January last, and you invite me to a conference for the purpose of negotiating a convention that shall embrace the above object if I am duly empowered by my Government to proceed to such negotiation.

I have the honor to state to you in reply that my actual instructions were fulfilled by the delivery of the communication which I addressed to you on the 10th of January, and that I am not at present provided with full powers for negotiating the proposed convention.  I will forthwith, however, transmit to Her Majesty’s Government the note which I have had the honor to receive from you in order that such fresh instructions may be furnished to me or such other steps taken as the present situation of the question may appear to Her Majesty’s Government to require.

I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you the assurance of my high respect and consideration.

H.S.  FOX.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 8, 1838.

His Excellency EDWARD KENT,

Governor of Maine.

Sir:  I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the 22d ultimo of the communication addressed to this Department by your excellency on the 28th of March last, transmitting a printed copy of your message of the 14th of the same month to the legislature of Maine, together with certain resolves passed by that body, in relation to the northeastern boundary of the State.

Although the answer thus given to the application made to you, by direction of the President, under date of the 1st of March last, to ascertain the sense of the State of Maine in regard to a conventional line of boundary may be regarded as conclusive, I still deem it proper, with reference to your excellency’s message, to mark a misconception which appears to have existed on your part when communicating to the legislature the letter and documents received from this Department.  This is done with the greater freedom since the frank and liberal manner in which your excellency invited the attention of that body