The Fishery Question. 45 



the "right" to fish on the Grand Bank and all 

 other places in the sea, but only of the 

 " liberty " to dry and cure on certain uninhab- 

 ited coasts. And further, that the privilege 

 of drying and curing, if intended to be per- 

 manent, would not have been made determin- 

 able by the settlement of the coast line. 



Both governments were inclined to press 

 their opinions. John Quincy Adams, in con- 

 versation with the British minister at Wash- 

 ington, thought that the nations would have 

 to fight and ought to.^^ Mj-. Gallatin wrote 

 to Adams from London, that the provisions 

 of the third article were obnoxious to British 

 pride, and that no treaty stipulation could 

 provide for the security of the American in- 

 terpretation, in the event of a war.^^ 



In the convention of 1818 the question of 

 the Fishery, though not the first in order of 

 discussion, was the first considered." Misun- 

 derstandings menaced the peace of both 

 countries. At length the first article of the 

 treaty was inserted, under instructions from 

 Mr. Adams, authorizing the United States 

 commissioners to agree to a stipulation 

 whereby the United States should desist from 

 fishing, curing and drying fish within the Brit- 



