The Fishcjy Qitcstion. 15 



to continue their feuds. At the commence- 

 ment of the hostihties that were to end in 

 the peace of Ryswick, Louis XIV. proposed 

 that America should be exempted from the 

 operations of the war. WilHam III. refused. 

 Had he accepted, his authority could hardly 

 have restrained the chronic expeditions 

 against the French. 



The northern colonies were incapable of 

 peace. During the war Phips failed in an 

 attack on Quebec, but reduced Acadia and 

 established an English government. His 

 men were rewarded with the first issue of 

 colonial paper money. To surrender their 

 conquests at the peace in 1697 was a bitter 

 disappointment for New Englanders, espe- 

 cially as the war in America was avowedly 

 undertaken to recover the Fishery, which had 

 unfortunately excited the jealousy of the 

 English trade, and, in consequence of viola- 

 tions of the Navigation laws, the mistrust of 

 the government as well. The French with- 

 out delay claimed a monopoly from Maine to 

 Labrador, and sent a frigate to seize all colo- 

 nial fishing vessels east of the Kennebec. 

 In the reign of Queen Anne, the French 

 seemed bent upon retrieving in America their 



