574 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



taining the extent of the restrictions imposed, under the 1st Article 

 of the Convention of 1818, upon the fishermen of the United States 

 while earning on fishing operations on the coasts of Her Majesty's 

 possessions in North America. 



Mr. Adams did not accompany the communication of this paper 

 with any explanatory observations in regard to the particular points 

 of settlement of which was contemplated by the United States by 

 means of the proposed agreement, and therefore it can only be in- 

 ferred that, leaving out of consideration all question of fishing rights 

 on the part of the United States on the coasts of the British pos- 

 sessions to which their fishermen are specially admitted, the object 

 of the proposed Commission is to enquire into and define the several 

 questions relating to rights of exclusive fishery possessed by Great 

 Britain within bays and between headlands which have in former 

 times been a fruitful source of discussion between the two 

 Governments. 



These questions were put in abeyance by the Reciprocity Treaty 

 of 1854, but are now revived with all their difficulties by the abroga- 

 tion of that Treaty at the demand of the Government of the United 

 States. 



The definition of the limits of restriction on fishery retained in the 

 Reciprocity Treaty has occupied a Mixed Commission up to the 

 present time, and their labours were only completed when the entire 

 benefit to be derived from them was, in consequence of the abrogation 

 of the Treaty, no longer enjoyable by the fishermen of either country. 



It is probable that the Government of the United States, having in 

 view the process by which the fishing provisions of the Reciprocity 

 Treaty were, in one respect, to be carried into effect, contemplate the 

 possibility, by a similar process of determining (though without hav- 

 ing recourse to an international arrangement of the same kind — at 

 all events in the first instance) the various questions which for the 

 time were set at rest by the Treaty of 1854. 



Her Majesty's Government will very readily associate themselves 

 with that of the United States in such an attempt, and they 

 therefore authorize you to accept, at least in principle, the proposal 

 of a Mixed Commission for the purposes specified in the first, second, 

 and third clauses of the paper delivered to me by Mr. Adams. 



But before you sign a Protocol to that effect, Her Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment desire that you should obtain from the Government of the 

 United States a more distinct explanation of the duties which it is 

 proposed to confide to the Mixed Commission, and of the limits 

 within which it is to operate; though, if that explanation is such as 

 shall satisfy you that you may safely proceed, you may at once sign 

 such a document without further instructions; if, however, you enter- 

 tain any doubt on the subject, or would prefer, on so important a 

 question, that Her Majesty's Government should have an opportunity 

 of previously signifying their concurrence in the document you may 

 be prepared to sign, you are at liberty to refer home for definitive 

 instructions. 



Her Majesty's Government understand that " the southern coast of 

 Newfoundland, which extends from Cape Ray to the Rameau Is- 

 lands; " " the western and northern coasts of Newfoundland, from the 

 said Cape Ray to the Quirpon Islands; " " the shores of the Magdalen 

 Islands; " " the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks from Mount Joly, 



