292 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., PRIOR TO TREATY OF 1818 



into this negotiation on the equal ground of neither claiming nor 

 making any concessions in that respect. 



You have made t\\»> propositions, the acceptance of either of which 

 must be attended with the relinquishment of all other claims on the 

 part of the United States, founded on the first branch of the fourth 

 article of the treaty of 1783. In the first you offer the use of the terri- 

 tory on the Labrador coast, lying between Mount Joli and the bay of 

 Esquimaux, near the entrance of the strait of Belleisle; and, in the 

 second, of such part of the southern coast of the island of Newfound- 

 land as lies between Cape Ray and the Ramea islands. 



I have made every inquiry that circumstances have permitted, 

 respecting both these coasts, and find that neither would afford to 

 the citizens of the United States, the essential accommodation which 

 is desired ; neither having been much frequented by them heretofore, 

 nor likely to be in the future. I am compelled, therefore, to decline 

 both propositions. 



I regret that it has not been in my power to give an earlier answer 

 to your note; you will, however, have the goodness to impute the 

 delay to a reluctance to decline any proposition which you had made, 

 by the order of your Government, for the arrangement of an interest 

 of such high importance to both nations, and to the difficulty of 

 obtaining all the information necessary to guide this Government in 

 the decision. 



I have the honor to be, &c. 



James Monroe. 



The Right Hon. Charles Bagot. 



Mr. Bagot to Mr. Monroe. 



Washington, December 31, 1816. 



Sir: I have the honor to receive your letter of yesterday's date, 

 acquainting me that neither of the propositions which I had sub- 

 mitted to your consideration, upon the subject of providing for the 

 citizens of the United States engaged in the fisheries some adequate 

 accommodation for their pursuit upon the coast of His Majesty's 

 territories, having been found to afford the essential conveniences 

 which are desired, you are compelled to decline them. 



The object of His Majesty's Government, in framing these propo- 

 sitions, was to endeavor to assign to the American fishermen, in the 

 prosecution of their employment, as large a participation of the con- 

 veniences afforded by the neighboring coasts of His Majesty's settle- 

 ments as might be reconcileable with the just rights and interests of 

 His Majesty's own subjects, and the due administration of His 

 Majesty's dominions; and it was earnestly hoped that either one or 

 the other of them would have been found to afford, in a sufficient 

 degree, the accommodation which was required. 



The wish of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent to extend to 

 the citizens of the United States every advantage which, for the pur- 

 poses in view, can be derived from the use of His Majesty's coasts, 

 has no other limit than that which is necessarily prescribed by a 

 regard to the important considerations to which I have adverted. 



