274 



Majesty in regard to the rumored surrendcT of the rights of fishery se- 

 cured to British subjects by the convention of 1818." One gentleman 

 of consideration and influence appears to have "protested against the 

 utihty of the meeting," but to have been " promptly checked by his 

 ^vorship the mayor," who presided. Several merchants were pres- 

 ent, but performed a secondary part. The pohtical leaders had every- 

 thing their own way. One member of the "provincial parhament" 

 nominated the chairman; another introduced a series of resolutions ; 

 while a third, who declared that "a strong expression of the opinion of 

 the meeting should go to the foot of the throne," closed his remarks 

 with submitting a memorial to her Ma.iesty, which " he had prepared." 

 A fourth honoriible M. P. P. is understood to have said, that "if her 

 Majesty's government give up the fisheries, they must be prepared to 

 give up the colony also;" and the Hon. Joseph Howe, provincial sec- 

 retary, is represented to have advocated, with liis usual power, the 

 adoption of the measur^^* presented by his associate politicians. Com- 

 ment upon these measures is not necessary. The tone of the resolu- 

 tions, of the address to the governor of the colony, and of the memo- 

 rial to the Queen, is offensive. These documents, from beginning to 

 end, show a spirit of deep hostility to the United States, and a deter- 

 mination to be satisfied with no terms of accommodation which would 

 be entertained by our government; and, like everything else hi Nova 

 Scotia on the subject of the fisheries,. contain much that is erroneous in 

 statement of matters of fact, and that is unsound in questions of j^oliti- 

 cal science.* 



* These documents are as follows : 



RESOLUTIONS. 



1. Resolved, That the citizens of Halifax feel deeply grateful to her Majesty's goTemment 

 for the determination to " remove all ground of complaint on the part of the colonies in conse- 

 quence of the encroachments of the fishing vessels of the Uniteil States upon the reseiTed 

 fishing grounds of British America, ' expressed in the despatch of the right honorable the 

 Secretaiy of State for the colonies, dated the 22d of May. 



2. Resolved, That the citizens of Halifax have regarded with interest and satisfaction the 

 judicious measures adopted by Vice Admiral Sir George Seymour, to carry out that determi- 

 nation with firmness and discretion. 



3. Resolvid, That securely relying upon the justice and maternal care of their Sovereign, 

 the citizens of Halifax are reluctant to lielieve that, because a few threatening speeches have 

 been made in Congress, and a single sliip-of-war has visiii'd their coasts, the Queen's goveni- 

 meut will relax their vigilant supervision over British interests, or weakly yield up rights 

 secured by treaty stijjulations. 



4. Rcsoical, That history teaches that the commercial prosperity and naval power of every 

 maritime State have risen, by slow degrees, from the prosecution of the fisheries, in which 

 seamen were trained and hardy defenders nurtured. 



5. Resolved, That reading this lesson ajjtly, the great commercial and political rivals of Eng- 

 land — the UHited States and France — have, for many years, fostm-ed their fisheries by liberal 

 bounties, ;ind freely spent their treasure that they might recruit their ua\y and extend their 

 mercantile marine. 



6. Rcaulved, That by the idd of these bounties France and the United States maintain, on 

 the banks and coasts of XoriJi Amcriea, ;3fl,000 seamen, respectively, which either power, in 

 case hostilities imi)end, can c;dl liouie to defend its national flag, and, if need were, launch 

 against the power of this empire. 



7. Resolved, That without the aid of bounties the fisheries of British America have been -proa- 

 ccuted, and her marine interests have expanded, until her shores are peopled with a hardy 

 class of men, who consmne, almost exclusively, the manufactures of England in peace, and 

 who, in times of danger, would leap into the shrouds of their national ships to defend the flag 

 tiiey reverenoo. 



