s, and most of the neutral
maritime powers of Europe, have declared their approbation;

"Congress, willing to testify their regard to the rights of commerce,
and their respect for the sovereign who has proposed, and the powers
who have approved the said regulation;

"Resolved, That the Board of Admiralty prepare and report instructions
for the commanders of armed vessels commissioned by the United States,
conformable to the principles contained in the declaration of the
Empress of all the Russias, on the rights of neutral vessels.

"That the Ministers Plenipotentiary from the United States, if invited
thereto, be, and hereby are respectively empowered to accede to such
regulations, conformable to the spirit of the said declaration, as may
be agreed upon by the Congress expected to assemble in pursuance of
the invitation of her Imperial Majesty.

"Ordered, That copies of the above resolution be transmitted to the
respective Ministers of the United States at foreign Courts, and to
the honorable, the Minister Plenipotentiary of France."

* * * * *

TO WILLIAM ELLERY.

St Petersburg, January 17th, 1782.

Sir,

The Empress you know formerly proposed to mediate between Britain and
Holland, which was declined by the former, as she could not enter upon
a partial mediation, for the reasons she then assigned; since which
time, the joint mediation has been tendered by the two Imperial
Courts, between all the belligerent powers, which has issued
unsuccessfully. Finally, her Imperial Majesty, and the Kings of Sweden
and Denmark, jointly tendered their mediation between Britain and
Holland. Britain has declined to accept that of the Kings in
conjunction with the Empress, but has agreed to accept her sole
mediation. This is at present on foot. A Russian Minister has very
lately gone, or will soon set off for Holland, to join Prince
Gallitzin in this business, which I prognosticate will issue as
fruitlessly as the general mediation has done. There is no peace to be
had in Europe separate from that of our country, which already too
sensibly affects the European systems to be overlooked or disregarded
by those who have the adjustment of them.

Notwithstanding the material change, which our revolution has wrought
in their old systems, which is felt somehow by all the politicians of
Europe, yet they seem some of them not to be suffici