Having received this instruction, Adams, at the close of his first meeting with Russell on May 18, after having developed at length the American position relative to the issue of the British Proclamation of Neutrality, briefly added that he was directed to offer adherence by means of a convention, to the Declaration of Paris.  Russell replied that Great Britain was willing to negotiate, but “seemed to desire to leave the subject in the hands of Lord Lyons, to whom he intimated that he had already transmitted authority[242]....”  Adams therefore did not press the matter, waiting further information and instruction from Washington.  Nearly two weeks earlier Russell had, in fact, approached the Government of France with a suggestion that the two leading maritime powers should propose to the American belligerents adherence to the second and third articles of the Declaration of Paris.  France had agreed and the date of Russell’s instruction to Lyons was May 18, the day of the interview with Adams.  Confusion now arose in both London and Washington as to the place where the arrangement was to be concluded.  The causes of this confusion will be considered later in this chapter; here it is sufficient to note that the negotiation was finally undertaken at London.

On July 18 Russell informed Adams that Great Britain was ready to enter into a convention with the United States, provided a similar convention was signed with France at the same time.  This convention, as submitted by Adams, simply recorded an agreement by the two powers to abide by the four points of the Declaration of Paris, using the exact wording of that document[243].  Adams’ draft had been communicated to Russell on July 13.  There then followed a delay required by the necessity of securing similar action by Dayton, the American Minister at Paris, but on July 29 Adams reported to Russell that this had been done and that he was ready to sign.  Two days later, July 31, Russell replied that he, also, was ready, but concluded his letter, “I need scarcely add that on the part of Great Britain the engagement will be prospective, and will not invalidate anything already done[244].”  It was not until August 8, however, that Cowley, the British Ambassador to France, reported that Dayton had informed Thouvenel, French Foreign Minister, that he was ready to sign the similar convention with France[245].  With no understanding, apparently, of the causes of further delay, and professing complete ignorance of the meaning of Russell’s phrase, just quoted[246], Adams waited the expected invitation to an official interview for the affixing of signatures.  Since it was a condition of the negotiation that this should be done simultaneously in London and Paris, the further delay that now occurred caused him no misgivings.

On August 19 Russell requested Adams to name a convenient day “in the course of this week,” and prefaced this request with the statement that he enclosed a copy of a Declaration which he proposed to make in writing, upon signing the convention.  “You will observe,” he wrote, “that it is intended to prevent any misconception as to the nature of the engagement to be taken by Her Majesty.”  The proposed Declaration read: