The Fishery QiLestion. 33 



French pressure to bear on the Americans. 

 De Vergennes was known to be in favor of 

 indemnification and of the English claims in 

 general. On the very day that the English 

 commissioners received their instructions, De 

 Vergennes wrote that France would no more 

 prolong the war to support the American 

 claims to the Fisheries, than would America 

 to gain Gibraltar for Spain. Two days later 

 George III. urged Shelburne to propose to 

 Louis XVI. the denial of the Fisheries to the 

 Americans. The third article of the treaty 

 seemed to the King vague, and likely to 

 prove a source of future complications. Be- 

 fore this recommendation could receive atten- 

 tion the commission met. Strachey ex- 

 plained the concession in the English instruc- 

 tions relative to the Fisheries, and concluded 

 that indemnification was to decide the fate of 

 the negotiations. Pressed by Jay, he ad- 

 mitted that this was not an ultimatum. The 

 discussion continued for four days. On 

 November 29, the commissioners again 

 came together. All the Americans, including 

 Laurens, were present. Strachey scored 

 another triumph here. It was promised that 

 no further confiscations of loyalist property 

 3 



