PERIOD FROM 1S36 TO 1854. 501 



excluded. All or nearly all the materials of ship building, timber, 

 iron, cordage and canvass are cheaper in the colonies than in the 

 United States, as are salt, hooks and lines. There is also great ad- 

 vantage enjoyed in the former in reference to the supply of bait and 

 curing the fish. These, and other causes, have enabled the colonial 

 fishermen to drive those of the United States out of many foreign 

 markets, and might do so at home but for the protection afforded 

 by the duties. 



It may be added that the highest duty on the kinds of fish that 

 would be sent to the American market, is less than a half-penny per 

 pound, which cannot do more than counter-balance the numerous ad- 

 vantages possessed by the colonial fishermen. 



The undersigned supposes, though he has no particular informa- 

 tion to that effect, that equal or higher duties exist in the colonies on 

 the importation of fish from the United States. 



The undersigned requests the earl of Aberdeen to accept the assur- 

 ance of his high consideration. 



Edward Everett. 



Mr. Everett to Lord Aberdeen, 



Grosvenor Place, April 2, 18Jf5. 



The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary 

 of the United States of America, has had the honor to receive a note 

 of the 10th ultimo, from the Earl of Aberdeen, her Majesty's princi- 

 pal Secretary of State for foreign affairs, in reply to the note of the 

 undersigned of the 9th of October last, relative to the case of the 

 United States fishing vessel, the "Argus" seized on the Gth of July 

 last, off the north-eastern coast of Cape Breton by the provincial 

 armed ressel the " S ylph. n 



In the above mentioned note of the 0th of October, after alluding 

 very briefly to the alleged harsh treatment of the master and crew 

 of tin' "Av/us " by the captors, and adverting to the general subject 

 of the contested right of the, fishermen of the United States, in the 

 waters of the Anglo-American provinces, the undersigned dwelt with 

 all the earnestness in his power on the extremely objectionable char- 

 acter of the course pursued by the provincial authorities in presuming 

 to decide for themselves a question under discussion between the two 



: mail-. 



( )f the < i t'len repeated complainte of l he government of the United 



lie- on thi- point, a subject distinct from the general question as to 



the limits of the fishing privilege secured by the convention of 1818, 



to the people of the ('idled Slate-., no notice 1ms heen taken in any 



communication of Lord Aberdeen to the undersigned. 



In reference to the complaint of u harsh treatment " in the case of 

 the •• . I /v///.v," the undersigned hastens to do an act of justice to the 

 master oi thai ve el, by observing that it was through the bnadvert- 



anee of the under igned, that this complaint was said to he made in 



the deposition of •■ the late commander of the v< ,l." The letter of 

 the American eon id at Halifax, a copy <>f which accompanied the 

 note of the uniler igned of the 9th of October, mentions a deposition 

 of the master; and thi- circum tance with the similarity of the name, 



