4S6 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



[Inclosure No. 4.] 



Consulate of the United States, 

 Halifax, Nova Scotia, A ug. 19, 1844. 



Gentlemen: I have to inform you that William Doughty, master 

 of schooner "Argus," called at my office on the 17th instant, and 

 stated that his vessel had been seized by one of the colonial cruizers 

 off the Cape Breton coast on the 6th of this month, and was taken 

 into Sidney for an infraction on the British fisheries; or rather 

 from the construction put upon the treaty of 1818 by the crown 

 officers in England, which states that the " three marine miles " shall 

 be from headlands. The seizing officer has determined to prosecute 

 the suit, as the attorney general this day informed me; it will be two 

 months ere the admiralty court will be convened. I have endeavored 

 thus far to procure the release of this vessel, but without effect. The 

 expenses in the court are very heavy, and previous to defending a 

 suit, the judge requires security to the amount of three hundred dol- 

 lars, so that generally speaking it is better to let the suit go by de- 

 fault, and purchase the vessel after condemnation. The master of 

 the Argus and two of the crew are here, waiting a passage to Bos- 

 ton; as they have no means you will please establish a credit with 

 Alfred Greenough, esq., Boston, for my account, say to the amount 

 of fifty dollars, or authorize him to pay the masters bill for the 

 amount of his expenses here and passage to Boston. I hold the 

 depositions of Captain Doughty and two of his crew. 

 With respect, 



T. B. Livingston, 



United States Consul. 



Messrs. J. & J. Starling, Portland. 



Mr. Everett to Lord Aberdeen. 



Grosvenor Place, October 9, 1844. 



The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipoten- 

 tiary of the United States of America, has the honor to transmit to 

 the Earl of Aberdeen, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for 

 foreign affairs, the accompanying papers relating to the capture of 

 an American fishing vessel the "Argus" by a government cutter from 

 Halifax, the "Sylph," on the 6th of July last. 



In addition to the seizure of the vessel, her late commander, as 

 Lord Aberdeen will perceive from his deposition, complains of harsh 

 treatment on the part of the captors. 



The grounds assigned for the capture of this vessel are not stated 

 with great distinctness. They appear to be connected partly by the 

 construction set up by her Majesty's provincial authorities in America, 

 that the line within which vessels of the United States are forbidden 

 to fish, is to be drawn from headland to headland, and not to follow 

 the indentations of the coast, and partly with the regulations estab- 

 lished by those authorities, in consequence of the annexation of Cape 

 Breton to Nova Scotia. 



With respect to the former point, the undersigned deems it un- 

 necessary, on this occasion, to add anything to the observations 



