cious succors, were eagerly desirous of an accommodation with England, and to conclude with her a treaty of commerce, provided she acknowledged their independence. In order to give more weight to this suggestion, it was added, that the colonists would feel particular gratification in a reconciliation with the mother country; whereas, in the contrary case, they would be compelled to throw themselves into the arms of the inveterate and implacable enemy of England.
In the then position of affairs, the British ministry, anxious, if possible, to terminate the quarrel with America, before the breaking out of hostilities with France, introduced two bills into the House of Commons: the first declared, that Parliament would impose no tax or duty whatever, payable within any of the colonies of North America, except only such duties as it might be expedient to impose for the purposes of commerce, the net produce of which should always be paid and applied to, and for. the use of the colonies in which the same shall be respectively levied, in like manner as other duties collected under the authority of their respective legislatures, are ordinarily paid and applied; the second, authorized the appointment of commissioners by the crown, with power to treat with either the constituted authorities, or with individuals in America; but that no stipulation entered into should have any effect till approved in Parliament. It empowered the commissioners, however, to proclaim a cessation of hostilities in any of the colonies; to suspend the operation of the non-intercourse act ; also to suspend, during the continuance of the act, so much of all, or any of the acts of Parliament which have passed since the 10th day of February, 1763, as relates to the colonies; to grant pardons to any number or description of persons; and to appoint a governor in any colony in which his majesty had heretofore exercised the power of making such appointment. The duration of the act was limited to the 1st day of June, 1779.
As soon as Lord North had brought in his Conciliatory Bills, the French clearly perceived that the time had now come for them to act with decision.[1] Accordingly, M. Gerard, in behalf of France, informed the American commissioners, on the 16th of December, "that after a long and mature deliberation upon their propositions, his majesty had determined to recognize the independence of, and to enter into a treaty of commerce and alliance with, the United States of America; and that he would not only, acknowledge their independence, but actually support it with all the means
- ↑ It may be well here to state, that as, previous to the recognition of independence by the court of France, it was necessary that the intercourse with the American agents should be conducted indirectly and with the utmost secrecy, the French government rendered their secret assistance through the agency of M. Beaurnarchais, who, so far as appears, was more desirous of serving himself than the Americans. The mode in which he converted the gratuitous aid of the French court into articles of charge, in his accounts with Congress, and especially his retaining in his hands a million of livres out of the subsidy granted by the French king, are matters worthy of the reader's investigation. He will find a full account, with the documents, in Pitkin's "Political and Civil History of the United States," vol. i., pp. 402–22.
