PERIOD FROM 1836 TO 1854. 465 



of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The union of the two colonies cannot, 

 therefore, be admitted as vesting in the province the right to close 

 a passage which has been freely and indisputably used by the citizens 

 of the United States since the year 1783. It is impossible, moreover, 

 to conceive how the use on the part of the United States of this 

 right of passage, common, it is believed to all other nations, can in 

 any manner conflict with the letter or spirit of the existing treaty 

 stipulations. The undersigned would therefore fain hope that her 

 Majesty's government will be disposed to meet, as far as practicable, 

 the wishes of the American government, in accomplishing in the 

 fullest and most liberal manner the objects which both governments 

 had in view in entering into the conventional arrangement of 1818. 



He has accordingly been instructed to bring the whole subject 

 under the consideration of her Majesty's government, and to remon- 

 strate on the part of his government against the illegal and vexatious 

 proceedings of the authorities of Nova Scotia against the citizens of 

 the United States engaged in the fisheries, and to request that meas- 

 ures may be forthwith adopted by her Majesty's government to 

 remedy the evils arising out of the misconstruction on the part of its 

 provincial authorities of their conventional obligations, and prevent 

 the possibility of the recurrence of similar acts. 



The undersigned renews to Lord Palmerston assurances of his dis- 

 tinguished consideration. 



A. Stevenson. 



Lord Palmerston to Mr. Stevenson. 



Foreign Office, April 2, 181/.1. 



The undersigned, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for 

 Foreign Affairs, ha- the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note 

 from Mr. Stevenson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo- 

 tentiary from the United States of America, of the 27th ultimo, 

 bringing under the notice of her Majesty's government certain pro- 

 ceeding- of the colonial authorities of Nova Scotia in relation to the 

 seizure and interruption of the vessels and citizens of the United 

 State-, engaged in Intercourse with the ports of Nova Scotia, and the 

 prosecution of the fisheries on its neighboring coasts; and the undcr- 

 signed has lo-t no time in referring Mr. Stevenson's representation to 

 the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department. 



The undersigned has the honor to renew to Mr. Stevenson the 

 urances of hi- high considers! ion. 



Palmerston. 



Lord /'r/hnrrsfnn to Mr. Sf, renson. 



Foreign Office, A pill 28, 1841. 



The under igned. her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for 

 Foreign Allan-, with reference to the note which he adddressed to 

 Mr. Stevenson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary 

 from the United state- of America, dated the 2d instant, stating that 

 he had referred to the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, 

 Mr. Stevenson's note () f the 27th ultimo, respecting certain proceed- 

 ings of the colonial authorities of Nova Scotia in relation to the 

 seizure and interruption of the vessels and citizens of the United 



