PERIOD FROM 183C TO 1854. 505 



feelings of great irritation is quite evident. This furnishes no excuse 

 for exaggeration and mis-statement; still less does it palliate false- 

 hood and perjury. Of these crimes the undersigned is inclined to 

 think them innocent ; and Lord Aberdeen will agree with him in re- 

 garding some coloring in statements made under imaginary wrong, 

 as almost inseparable from human frailty. 



In this case the undersigned is constrained to add that in the 

 judgment of the government of the United States the wrong was real 

 and extreme, not in the harsh treatment on the part of the capturing 

 officer, (a charge against Mr. Dodd to which no prominence was 

 originally given by the undersigned, which he has much pleasure in 

 abandoning, and should have had none in being able to substantiate,) 

 but in the essential injustice of the colonial law, which that gentleman 

 and the collector were emplo} T ed in enforcing. It cannot need an 

 argument to show that while a question is in discussion between her 

 Majesty's government and that of the United States, and is even, as 

 appears by Lord Aberdeen's note to the undersigned, under reference 

 to legal authorities, an enactment of the provincial legislature pur- 

 porting to decide said question to themselves, and enforcing that 

 decision by capture and condemnation, possesses none of the qualities 

 of the law of civilized States but its forms. 



The undersigned sincerely hopes that he has not erred in be- 

 lieving that the recent determination of her Majesty's government, 

 communicated by a separate note of Lord Aberdeen of the 10th in- 

 stant, may be intended to receive such a construction as will furnish 

 a final and effectual remedy of this grievance. 



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

 ance of his high consideration. 



Edward Evekett. 



The Earl of Aberdeen to Mr. Everett. 



Foreign Office, ApHl 21, 181^5. 



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

 Foreign Affairs, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of two 

 notes which Mr. Everett, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo- 

 tentiary of the United States of America, addressed to him on the 

 25th ultimo and on the 2d instant, relative to the case of the Argus, 

 and that of the M 'a&hington, United States' fishing vessels. 



Those note- have been brought under tin' consideration of her 

 Majesty's Secretary of State for the, colonies, and the undersigned 

 postpones, therefore, replying to their contents, until he shall become 

 acquainted with the results of thai reference. 



In the meantime, however, the undersigned thinks it expedient to 

 guard himself again I the a umption 01 Mr. Everett, thai it may 

 have been his intention by his note of the 10th ultimo, to include 

 other hays on the coasts of the British North American provinces, 

 in the relaxation which he therein notified t<> Mr. Everett, as to be 

 applied henceforward to the Bay of Fundy. That note was intended 

 to refer t<» the Bay of Fundy alone. 



The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity to renew to 

 Mr. Everett the assurances of bis high consideration. 



Abebdbbn. 



