PERIOD FROM 1836 TO 1854. 545 



congratulation that the choice has been effected by the independent 

 suffrages of a free people, undisturbed by those influences which in 

 other countries have too often affected the purity of popular elections. 



Our grateful thanks are due to an All-merciful Providence, not only 

 for staying the pestilence -which, in different forms, has desolated 

 some of our cities, but for crowning the labors of the husbandmen 

 with an abundant harvest, and the nation generally with the bless- 

 ings of peace and prosperity. 



Within a few weeks, the public mind has been deeply affected by 

 the death of Daniel Webster, filling, at his decease, the office of Secre- 

 tary of State. His associates in the executive government have sin- 

 cerely sympathized with his family and the public generally on this 

 mournful occasion. His commanding talents, his great political and 



?trofessional eminence, his well-tried patriotism, and his long and 

 aithful services, in the most important public trusts, have caused his 

 death to be lamented throughout the country, and have earned for 

 him a lasting place in our history. 



In the course of the last summer, considerable anxiety was caused, 

 for a short time, by an official intimation from the government of 

 Great Britain that orders had been given for the protection of the 

 fisheries upon the coasts of the British provinces in North America 

 against the alleged encroachments of the fishing-vessels of the United 

 States and France. The shortness of this notice, and the season of the 

 year, seemed to make it a matter of urgent importance. It was at first 

 apprehended that an increased naval force had been ordered to the 

 fishing-grounds to carry into effect the British interpretation of those 

 provisions in the convention of 1818 in reference to the true intent of 

 which the two governments differ. It was soon discovered that such 

 was not the design of Great Britain ; and satisfactory explanations of 

 the real objects of the measure have been given, both here and in 

 London. 



The unadjusted difference, however, between the two governments, 

 as to the interpretation of the first article of the convention of 1818, is 

 still a matter of importance. American fishing-vessels, within nine or 

 ten years, have been excluded from waters to which they had free 

 aire- for twenty-five years after the negotiation of the treaty. In 

 •1845 this exclusion was relaxed so far as concerns the Bay of Fundy 

 but the just and liberal intention of the home government, in compli- 

 ance with what we think the tine const ruction of the convention, to 

 open all the other outer bays to our fishermen, was abandoned in con- 

 sequence of the opposition of the colonies. Notwithstanding this, the 

 United States have, once the Bay of Fundy was reopened to our 

 fishermen in 1845, pursued the most! liberal course toward the colonial 

 fishing interests. By the revenue law of 1846, the duties on colonial 

 fish entering our port- were eery greatly reduced, and, by the ware- 

 housing act, it IS allowed t<» lie entered in bond without payment of 

 duty. In this way, colonial fish has acquired the monopoly of export 

 trade in our market, and is entering to BOme extent, into (he home 



consumption. The e facta were among tho e which Increased the sen- 

 sibility of our fishing interest at the movement in question. 



These circumstance , and the incidents above alluded to, have led 

 me to think the in., m< nt favorable for a reconsideration of the entire 

 subject of die fisherie on the coasts of the British provinces with a 



