CONTENTS
vii
PAGE
American Colonies—The Fisheries and the back lands of the West—The Treaty between France and the American Colonies—Negotiations at Paris—Franklin, John Adams, and Jay—Letter of Franklin to Shelburne—Richard Oswald of Auchencruive—He is sent on an informal mission to Paris—His interviews with Franklin and Vergennes—Notes handed by Franklin to Oswald, who returns to England—Suggestion of the surrender of Canada—Oswald's second visit to Paris—Mr. Walpole in Paris—Instructions to Oswald—Shelburne declines to discuss the question of Canada—Mr. Thomas Grenville appointed by Fox to negotiate with France—Oswald returns to England—Rodney's victory over De Grasse in the West Indies—Oswald's third visit to Paris—His instructions—The Loyalists—Grenville claims that the whole of the Negotiations are to be in his hands—His credentials—Misunderstandings—Franklin's desire that the Negotiations should be separate—Oswald communicates Franklin's paper of Notes to Grenville—Grenville and Fox complain of encroachment on their Department—Grenville's new credentials—He again claims the right to negotiate with America—Franklin raises the question of the Enabling Act—Vergennes states the French conditions in outline—The Enabling Act becomes law—The Cabinet decides against Fox, and appoints Oswald Commissioner to negotiate with Franklin and his colleagues—Illness and death of Lord Rockingham—New situation thereby created |
111 |
The King offers Shelburne the succession to Rockingham—Shelburne accepts—The Whigs put forward the Duke of Portland—Unfitness of the Duke of Portland for the post—Constitutional question involved—Resignations of Fox, Lord John Cavendish, and other ministers—Lord Shelburne's Administration—William Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer—Barré's pension—Debates in both Houses of Parliament—Lord Shelburne says "the King of England is not the King of the Mahrattas"—He defends his "sunset" speech—He sends Benjamin Vaughan to Paris—Franklin communicates to Oswald the outline of conditions of Peace—Resignation of Thomas Grenville—Alleyne Fitzherbert succeeds him—Commission to Oswald drawn up—Caleb Whitefoord appointed Secretary to the Commission—Jay objects to the terms of the Commission to Oswald as insufficient—The American Commissioners discover that France and Spain are hostile to their views as to the fisheries and western boundary—Jay points out how the difficulty as to the terms of Oswald's Commission can be surmounted—He persuades Vaughan to urge these views in England—Rayneval's mission to England—Interviews between him and Shelburne—Vaughan in London—Commission given to Oswald describes the Colonies as "the Thirteen United States of America"—These words accepted by the American Commissioners—Separation of the negotiations with the United States from the negotiations with the European Powers |
151 |
Jay hands Oswald the plan of a Treaty—The navigation of the Mississippi—Proposals for a Commercial Treaty—Vergennes communicates to Fitzherbert |
