Whereas by an act of the Congress of the United States passed on the
29th day of May, 1830, it is provided that whenever the President of the
United States shall receive satisfactory evidence that the Government of
Great Britain will open the ports in its colonial possessions in the
West Indies, on the continent of South America, the Bahama Islands, the
Caicos, and the Bermuda or Somer Islands to the vessels of the United
States for an indefinite or for a limited term; that the vessels of the
United States, and their cargoes, on entering the colonial ports
aforesaid, shall not be subject to other or higher duties of tonnage or
impost or charges of any other description than would be imposed on
British vessels or their cargoes arriving in the said colonial
possessions from the United States; that the vessels of the United
States may import into the said colonial possessions from the United
States any article or articles which could be imported in a British
vessel into the said possessions from the United States; and that the
vessels of the United States may export from the British colonies
aforementioned, to any country whatever other than the dominions or
possessions of Great Britain, any article or articles that can be
exported therefrom in a British vessel to any country other than the
British dominions or possessions as aforesaid, leaving the commercial
intercourse of the United States with all other parts of the British
dominions or possessions on a footing not less favorable to the United
States than it now is--that then, and in such case, the President of the
United States shall be authorized, at any time before the next session
of Congress, to issue his proclamation declaring that he has received
such evidence, and that thereupon, and from the date of such
proclamation, the ports of the United States shall be opened
indefinitely or for a term fixed, as the case may be, to British vessels
coming from the said British colonial possessions, and their cargoes,
subject to no other or higher duty of tonnage or impost or charge of any
description whatever than would be levied on the vessels of the United
States or their cargoes arriving from the said British possessions; and
that it shall be lawful for the said British vessels to import into the
United States and to export therefrom any article or articles which may
be imported or exported in vessels of the United States; and that the
act entitled "An act concerning navigation," passed on the 18th day of
April, 1818, an act supplementary thereto, passed the 15th day of May,
1820, and an act entitled "An act to regulate the commercial intercourse
between the United States and certain British ports," passed on the 1st
day of March, 1823, shall in such case be suspended or absolutely
repealed, as the case may require; and
Whereas by the said act it is further provided that whenever the ports
of the United States shall have been opened under the authority thereby
given, British vessels and their cargoes shall be admitted to an entry
in the ports of the United States from the islands, provinces, or
colonies of Great Britain on or near the North American continent and
north or east of the United States; and
Whereas satisfactory evidence has been received by the President of the
United States that whenever he shall give effect to the provisions of
the act aforesaid the Government of Great Britain will open for an
indefinite period the ports in its colonial possessions in the West
Indies, on the continent of South America, the Bahama Islands, the
Caicos, and the Bermuda or Somer Islands to the vessels of the United
States, and their cargoes, upon the terms and according to the
requisitions of the aforesaid act of Congress:
Now, therefore, I, Andrew Jackson, President of the United States of
America, do hereby declare and proclaim that such evidence has been
received by me, and that by the operation of the act of Congress passed
on the 29th day of May, 1830, the ports of the United States are from
the date of this proclamation open to British vessels coming from the
said British possessions, and their cargoes, upon the terms set forth in
the said act. The act entitled "An act concerning navigation," passed on
the 18th day of April, 1818, the act supplementary thereto, passed the
15th day of May, 1820, and the act entitled "An act to regulate the
commercial intercourse between the United States and certain British
ports," passed the 1st day of March, 1823, are absolutely repealed, and
British vessels and their cargoes are admitted to an entry in the ports
of the United States from the islands, provinces, and colonies of Great
Britain on or near the North American continent and north or east of the
United States.
Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, the 5th day of October,
A.D. 1830, and the fifty-fifth of the Independence of the United States.
ANDREW JACKSON.
By the President:
M. VAN BUREN,
_Secretary of State_.