some time since sent you the Provisional Treaty
between Great Britain and the United States. On Wednesday last, Sir
Guy Carleton sent me the enclosed Proclamation of his Britannic
Majesty, and informed me, that he had directed a similar Proclamation
to issue at New York, and proposed to discharge all our prisoners. I
had a letter from Admiral Digby to the same effect; the next day I
received advices of the agreement of the cessation of hostilities,
from our Ministers. Congress, in consequence of these advices,
yesterday issued the enclosed Proclamation.

I reported to them on the propriety of releasing their prisoners. The
report is to be considered today, and I doubt not that it will be
agreed to. The British Parliament appear to be extremely dissatisfied
at the terms of peace; a majority, headed by Lord North, has been
obtained against the Administration, so that I think Lord Shelburne
has little prospect of continuing in the Administration; but this is
of no consequence to us, unless we are bound to like an Administration
that has served us against their will. As doubts may arise with
respect to the restitution of prizes taken after the epoch fixed by
the Proclamation, it may not be improper for me to mention to you,
that we conceive, that hostilities ceased in those parts of the
Atlantic Ocean, which lay in the same _latitude_ with the Canaries, on
the 3d of March.

I am, Sir, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

* * * * *

TO SIR GUY CARLETON.

Philadelphia, April 12th, 1783.

Sir,

I received your letter of the 6th instant, informing me of the arrival
of a Packet, by which you have official intelligence, that the
Preliminary Articles of Peace with France and Spain were signed at
Paris on the 20th of January last; that the ratifications have been
since exchanged, and that his Britannic Majesty has ordered a
cessation of arms to be proclaimed, as well by sea as by land; and
that you propose, agreeably to his orders, to issue a similar
Proclamation, and to set at liberty your prisoners of war.

This interesting intelligence was communicated to the United States in
Congress, who, though they had yet received no official accounts,
would immediately have made it the basis of pacific measures, without
entertaining doubts of its authenticity, or yielding to suspicions
which w