the powers subject to habitual depredations from them.
I accordingly prepared, and proposed to their Ministers at Paris,
for consultation with their governments, articles of a special
confederation, in the following form.

'Proposals for concerted operation among the powers at war with the
piratical States of Barbary.

'1. It is proposed, that the several powers at war with the piratical
States of Barbary, or any two or more of them who shall be willing,
shall enter into a convention to carry on their operations against those
States, in concert, beginning with the Algerines.

'2. This convention shall remain open to any other power, who shall, at
any future time, wish to accede to it; the parties reserving the
right to prescribe the conditions of such accession, according to the
circumstances existing at the time it shall be proposed.

'3. The object of the convention shall be to compel the piratical States
to perpetual peace, without price, and to guaranty that peace to each
other.

'4. The operations for obtaining this peace shall be constant cruises on
their coast, with a naval force now to be agreed on. It is not proposed,
that this force shall be so considerable, as to be inconvenient to any
party. It is believed, that half a dozen frigates, with as many tenders
or xebecs, one half of which shall be in cruise, while the other half is
at rest, will suffice.

'5. The force agreed to be necessary, shall be furnished by the parties,
in certain quotas, now to be fixed; it being expected, that each will
be willing to contribute, in such proportion as circumstances may render
reasonable.

'6. As miscarriages often proceed from the want of harmony among
officers of different nations, the parties shall now consider and
decide, whether it will not be better to contribute their quotas in
money, to be employed in fitting out and keeping on duty a single fleet
of the force agreed on.

'7. The difficulties and delays, too, which will attend the management
of these operations, if conducted by the parties themselves separately,
distant as their courts may be from one another, and incapable of
meeting in consultation, suggest a question, whether it will not
be better for them to give full powers, for that purpose, to their
Ambassadors, or other Ministers resident at some one court of Europe,
who shall form a Committee, or Council, for carrying this convention
into effect; wherein, the vote of each member shall be compu