PERIOD FROM 1818 TO 1836. 353 



Mr. Brent to Mr. Shepley, Attorney of United States for the District 



of Maine. 



Department of State, Washington, October 8, 1821^. 



Sir : In the absence of the Secretary, I have the honor to transmit 

 to you the inclosed copy of a letter from Mr. Addington, the British 

 charge d'affaires at this place, in answer to remonstrances from this 

 Department, upon the complaints which were lately exhibited to it 

 by sundry citizens of the United States, residing in the State of 

 Maine, and engaged in the fisheries, against the commander of the 

 British armed brig Dotterel, for interruptions and other injuries 

 which the} 7 state to have experienced at an instance and under the 

 orders of that officer, in the prosecution of their accustomed employ- 

 ment during the present season, and requesting his good offices 

 towards obtaining for them the redress to which they may be en- 

 titled ; and I beg leave, at the same time, to trouble you with copies 

 of the letters and documents referred to, and inclosed in Mr. Ad- 

 dington's letter, which exhibit serious complaints on the part of the 

 British authorities against all or very many of the same individuals, 

 in reference to the subject-matter of their own complaints. I do this 

 with the request that, as soon as convenient, you would have the 

 goodness to institute an inquiry into the circumstances particularly 

 complained of by the British charge d'affaires, and communicate the 

 result to this Department, that the Secretary may be enabled, with 

 the advantage of the counter statement to be thus expected, as I 

 doubt not he will, to give Mr. Addington satisfactory explanations 

 in relation to the transactions complained of by him ; or otherwise to 

 direct such proceedings to be had as the circumstances of the whole 

 case shall render advisable and proper. 



I am, with great respect, sir, your obedient and humble servant, 



Daniel Brent. 



Mr. Shepley to Mr. Adams. 



Saco, November 16, 1821^. 



Sir : Having been requested by letter from Mr. Brent, under date of 

 the seventh (sic) of October last, to institute an inquiry into the cir- 

 <-ii instance- particularly complained of by the British charge" d'affaires, 

 and to communicate the result to the Department, I have now the 

 honor to inform you that I repaired to and near to the places of 



idence of the parties to those transactions, called upon them and 

 took their statements under oath, which are herewith inclosed, and by 



which you will be enabled to understand fully and correctly the 



whole history, not only of the circumsl ances complained of, but of all 

 the proceedings of the captain of the Briti b armed brig Dotterel in 

 relation to our fishermen, and their proceedings to protect themselves, 



:i they supposed, from the loSSSfi oceasioned h\ the conduct of the 

 captain of the Dotterel. 



It may, I think, sir, with Bafety be affirmed that the inclosed docu- 

 ments (being the affidavit of twenty even individuals, and relating 

 to thirteen schooner-, and boats and one small boat,) present a fair 



