Having recently recieved from our late Minister Plenipotentiary at the court of London a duplicate of dispatches, the original of which has been sent by the Revenge schooner not yet arrived, I hasten to lay them before both houses of Congress. they contain the whole of what has passed between the two governments on the subject of the outrage committed by the British ship Leopard on the frigate Chesapeak. Congress will learn from these papers the present state of the discussion on that transaction, and that it is to be transferred to this place by the mission of a special minister.

While this information will have it’s proper effect on their deliberations & proceedings respecting the relations between the two countries, they will be sensible that, the negociation being still depending, it is proper for me to request that the communication may be considered as confidential.