Nothing remained but to incorporate in a treaty form the points agreed upon.

Lord Bathurst, who seems throughout the negotiation to have forgotten the old adage, that "fine words butter no parsnips," and with true British blindness never to have appreciated how thoroughly he was overmatched by Mr.Gallatin, submitted a preliminary notification that the British terms would be based on the principle of _uti possidetis_, which involved a rectification of the boundaries on the Canadian frontier.

To this the Americans returned a peremptory refusal.

They would not go one step farther except on the basis of the _status quo ante bellum_.

Lord Liverpool considered this as conclusive.