John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

12 VI:15. After the Journal of yesterday, and finishing the despatch to the Secretary of State, I had time for no more writing at home; and soon after breakfast went with Mrs Adams, who took Lucy with her, to London.— On arriving at the Office in Craven Street, I found Mr W. H. G. Page, going away— Dr Cook the Chaplain in the U.S. Army was also there, and told me that he intended to go next week, and spend some time at Cambridge, where he formerly resided several years— Mrs Adams, went to pay a visit to Mrs Bourke, and make some enquiries concerning the party of this Evening.— I called at Silvester the engraver’s, to look at the stone for my new Seal, but it was not ready, and at Williams the Stationer’s and ordered him to send me the last Number of the Quarterly Review— A. Mr Sharp, a Virginian, came for a Passport to go to France, which was given him— He had already received one from me, while we resided in Harley-Street.— Mr John James Appleton, brought me a Letter of Recommendation from Dr B. Waterhouse of Cambridge— Mr Appleton is the son of Mr John Appleton, with whom I have been acquainted upwards of thirty years— He is himself settled at Natchez in the Mississippi Territory, and lately arrived here from New-Orleans— He is going immediately to France; expecting to return here in two or three Months— He also took a Passport— Received Cards—from Prince and Princess Esterhazy to dinner next Wednesday; and from Mrs Wellesley-Pole, at home next Monday Evening; both to Mrs Adams and me— And Letters—from W. H. G. Page; still about George Cook’s affair; with Copies of long Letters from him to Earl Bathurst, and to Sir William Scott—Page calls again for my interposition in this affair of Cook’s—from J. Maury, the Consul at Liverpool— From Benjamin Constant, apologizing for not calling upon me, and enclosing a Letter for General La Fayette, according, as he says, to the General’s desire—from the Chevalier de Llano, at Berlin; with a voluminous budget of his writings, which he has prepared for publication, and which it was impossible for me now to read— I wrote a very few lines to Mr Tarbell at Liverpool, enclosing Bank Notes to settle a little Bill, for Articles purchased by Mrs: Tarbell at Paris, for Mrs. Adams— This Letter, I enclosed in another to James Maury; and I wrote a few lines to my Mother, to send with the despatch of this day, and the Quarterly Review for my father, to Liverpool by the Conveyance from the New-England Coffee-House to go to-morrow Evening, and to be delivered to Mr Tarbell.— Mrs Adams returned from her visit to Mrs Bourke, and dined at the Office. She had made the arrangement to go with that Lady to Carlton House, this 28Evening. At seven O’Clock, I went and dined at Lord Castlereagh’s with a Company somewhat curiously composed— Part of the Diplomatic Corps, in full Court dress, and the rest, English nobility and gentry, most of them in frocks, and undress— The Marquis d’Osmond was the only Ambassador—and the Ministers of Portugal, Denmark Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemberg, and Hanover were there; and Baron Nicolai— The Dukes of Beaufort and Rutland, Lords Poulett, and Clanwilliam, Messrs. Arbuthnot, Hamilton, Planta, and nearly an equal number of persons whom I did not know—in all a company of thirty persons—no Ladies— The company were received before dinner in Lord Castlereagh’s Cabinet— They were more than half assembled, when he appeared— The varieties of dress made a motley appearance, and before dinner was announced, Mr Planta went round among the Diplomatic guests, and requested that they would not all sit together; but would scatter among the others; to avoid the appearance of two distinct companies.— Lord Castlereagh told me that they had just received despatches from Mr Bagot, by the Packet from New-York; but he had not yet read them— I mentioned to him that I had received instructions from the Government of the United States, to propose an additional commercial Treaty or Convention— I should soon address a Note to him on the subject, and should be glad to have some previous conversation with him, when it might suit his convenience— He said he should go out of town to-morrow for some days, and appointed next Thursday at one O’Clock to see me at the foreign Office— He enquired what were the objects upon which the American Government were desirous of treating— I said, in the first place, the old subject—Seamen— The President had at two successive Sessions of Congress recommended the passing an act for excluding foreign Seamen from our naval Service— An act to that effect would probably have passed at the last Session, but it was thought best to make the proposal to establish the principle with this Country, by Treaty, which would make the arrangement reciprocal.— It was thought by the American Government that the present time was peculiarly favourable for such an arrangement, as by a mutual exclusion of each others Sailors at present during peace, the questions upon which there was a difference of principle between the two Governments, would be altogether avoided, and a system might be concerted which in the Event of a future maritime War would prevent the collisions which were so strongly to be deprecated by both Nations— He said, they would be ready to receive our proposals, and to agree to any thing which might tend to diminish the inconveniences heretofore experienced— Another subject of the proposed Negotiation, I said was the commerce between the United States and the British Colonies in the West Indies, and in North-America. By the operation of the Commercial convention, of 3. July 1815—connected with the regulations subsequently adopted by the British Government, the whole of that trade was exclusively carried on by British Vessels—the operation of which was so injurious to the United States, that it could not continue long in its present State— The American Government were desirous that it should be regulated by an amicable arrangement, and had therefore instructed me to propose this negotiation, in preference to, adopting in the first instance legislative measures to counteract the exclusive British measures,—He said that those exclusive measures arose, from the long established colonial system— It was the essential character of that system to confine the trade of the colonies to the mother Country— To admit foreigners therefore to trade with them was an indulgence, for which it would be necessary to expect some equivalent; and as the United States had no Colonies it did not appear how any arrangement of that nature could be made reciprocal— He enquired as with an air of doubt, whether there was any considerable Commerce between the United States, and the British Colonies in the West-Indies?— I told him there was a great deal, and that its present condition was such, as left the United States no alternative but either the regulation of it, by concert with Great-Britain; or by internal measures of legislation— He said we would converse further upon the subject at our meeting.— I enquired of Mr Planta, whether any Press-warrants had recently been issued— He said no; at least not to his knowledge— Coll: Aspinwall had written me that there were rumours to that effect in circulation, and requested me to make the enquiry, as if it should prove true, some measures of precaution would be necessary for the protection of American Seamen— The dinner at Lord Castlereagh’s was very light— Served upon Plate and Porcelain of many different kinds, looking as if they had been collected from a pawn-broker’s shop. The Servants were all out of livery. I sat at table between the Chevalier de Freire the Portuguese Minister and Lord the latter of whom spoke French to me half the dinner time; for which he apologized when he finally discovered that I could speak English.— The hour appointed for the Prince Regent’s Ball was ten O’Clock, at which time, I went to Carlton House, by the entrance at the Horse Guards— Happening to arrive just at the time when the Queen was passing, the Carriage was stopped some time, before it could obtain admission. I was shewn immediately into the building where the Ball was given—a Rotunda, adjoining Carlton House, and connected with it, by a covered Stair-case— A large Rotunda in the form of a Marquee, with a Roof in the Umbrella form— It was erected two years ago, for the purpose of entertaining the Emperor of Russia, the king of Prussia, and the other Imperial and Royal Guests of 29that time— It is upwards of 100 feet in diameter; and would easily contain one thousand persons— There were not more than seven hundred present this Night— Mrs Bourke, and Mrs Adams were there already when I arrived. The company in general were not so punctual to the hour, and it was past eleven when the Queen went round the circle, arm in arm with the Prince Regent— The Princess Charlotte of Wales was not there, having been confined the whole week to her chamber by indisposition— The dancing, Waltzes and Cotillions began about twelve O’Clock, and at half past one, the party went to supper— There were special tickets for the Queen’s table, to about one hundred and fifty persons, including the Ambassadors, but not the foreign Ministers of the second order. They were generally dissatisfied at this, and agreed to go away, without waiting for the supper— We assented the more readily to this, not being in the habit of supping. Mr and Mrs Bourke, the Chevalier de Freire, Mr Pfeffel, Mrs Adams and I came away, together; but were obliged to wait a full half hour, before our Carriages could be brought up— While there, we walked to and fro about the Hall, occasionally meeting, and having scraps of Conversation, with almost all our courtly acquaintance. The most extraordinary attentions were shewn to Countess Lieven, who was seated at the Queen’s right hand, and with whom Lord Castlereagh danced a Waltz— He introduced Coll: Gordon to me, and Mr Bourke in the Antichamber as we were going away introduced Lord Morley to us— After some difficulty and delay, we obtained our Carriage went and took up Lucy at Craven Street, and reached home at four in the morning just before Sunrise.