PERIOD FROM 1818 TO 1836. 335 



Memorial No. 1. 



To the Hon. John Quincy Adams, 



Secretary of State for the United States: 



The memorial of the undersigned, merchants and ship owners, re- 

 siding at Eastport, in the county of Washington and State of Maine, 

 respectfully represents : 



That your memorialists during the present year have invested a 

 larger amount of property in vessels than they have heretofore done, 

 for the purpose of carrying on the business of fishing; that the in- 

 dustry and enterprise of our seamen have been unusually directed to 

 the employment of taking and curing fish, under the encouraging and 

 beneficial laws of their country ; and that, without interruption from 

 a foreign power, their labors would have been crowned with success, 

 and they would have enjoyed the fruits of their toil. 



But your memorialists have to regret the necessity which compels 

 them to state to the honorable Secretary their grievances, and requires 

 of them to seek redress, through him, for the many acts of violence 

 and injustice which have been committed by his Britannic Majesty's 

 brig Dotterel, commanded by Captain Hoar, in total disregard and in 

 violation of the subsisting treaty between the two Governments. 

 Your memorialists, premising that the American fishermen in the 

 Bay of Fundy, for these two or three years last past, have been in- 

 terrupted and taken by British armed vessels, while fishing agreeably 

 to the provisions of the treaty, beg leave respectfully to state that, 

 during the present year, the British armed brig Dotterel has captured 

 nine sail of fishing vessels and sent some of them into the province 

 of New Bjunswick for adjudication, while others have been converted 

 into tenders, without trial, for the purpose of better molesting our 

 fishermen. They have insulted and abused the crews, turned them on 

 shore in a foreign country, entirely destitute and without the means 

 of returning to their homes, and have said, repeatedly, that they 

 would take American fishermen wherever they were to be found, and 

 w ithout regard to the treaty. 



Thai the hrig's barge has come into the wharf at Eastport, and 

 taken and carried away two boats laden with flour. 



That the American fishermen have been so molested on the fishing 

 ground in (he Bay of Fundy, common to both countries, that they 

 dare not again attempt to avail themselves of the rights and privileges 

 jured to them by treaty, and which arc well denned and well un- 

 derstood by every fisherman; and inasmuch as (hey are debarred the 

 privilege of making a harbor, for the purpo es of shelter, and to 

 purchase wood and procure water, it operates as a deprivation of a 



great and important benefit, which they feel (hat they have a right to 



enjoy v. ithout interruption. 



That, unless omething be dour for the protection of our fishermen, 

 vour memorialists believe that man] vessels of this and the neighbor- 

 ing State will he captured <>r thrown out of employ, with great 

 injury t<> private interest) and not without an infringement of public 

 right . 



Referring the honorable Secretary, therefore, to the annexed affi- 

 davits of the masters of three of rne captured vessels, and holding 

 ourselves responsible Cor the truth of the above allegations, your 



