ObO CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



Mr. Thornton to Mr. Fish. 



Washington, April 14, 1870. 

 Sir : With reference to your note of the 1st instant, I have the honor 

 to inclose copy of a dispatch which I have received from the Governor 

 General of Canada, forwarding a memorandum from Sir John A. 

 Macdonald, together with a copy of the fishery act of May 22, 1868. 



Edward Thornton. 



[Inclosure No. 1.] 



Sir John Young to Mr. Thornton. 



Ottawa, Canada, April 11, 1870. 

 SrR : With reference to your dispatch of April 2, I have the honor 

 to transmit to you herewith a memorandum from prime minister of 

 the Dominion, together with copies of the fishery acts, (1868,) in 

 order to supply the Secretary of State of the United States with the 

 information he requires. 



[Inclosure No. 2.] 



Department of Justice, 



Ottawa, April 8, 1870. 



Sir : The undersigned has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 

 a reference to the privy council of a dispatch from her Britannic 

 Majesty's minister at Washington to the Governor General, trans- 

 mitting copy of a note which the former had received from the Sec- 

 retary of State of the United States, requesting him to transmit any 

 information he might be able to communicate concerning any official 

 action having force of law or valid regulations on the part of the 

 Canadian authorities, in connection with the announcement recently 

 made that the government of the Dominion intend to issue no more 

 licenses to foreign fishermen, and that they are taking every step 

 possible to protect their fisheries. Upon this dispatch the under- 

 signed has the honor to report that, by an act passed on the 22d May, 

 1868, (31 Vic, c. 61,) certain provisions were made respecting fishing 

 by foreign vessels in British waters, a copy of which act is hereunto 

 annexed. These provisions are taken very much from enactments 

 previously existing in the late Province of Canada, (Consol. Stat., 

 Canada, c. 62,) in Nova Scotia, (Revised Stat., c. 94,) and in New 

 Brunswick, (Revised Stat., c. 101.) 



The undersigned has the honor further to state that his excellency 

 the Governor General in council, on the 8th January last, was pleased 

 to order, " That the system of granting fishing licenses to foreign ves- 

 sels, under the act 31 Vic, c 61, be discontinued, and that henceforth 

 all foreign fishermen be prevented from fishing in the waters of 

 Canada. Also, that six suitable sailing vessels, similar to La Canadi- 

 enne, in addition to the two vessels at present employed, be chartered 

 and equipped for the service of protecting the Canadian in-shore 

 fisheries against illegal encroachments by foreigners; these vessels to 

 be connected with the police force of Canada, and to form a marine 

 branch of the same." a 



a For order in council of January 8, 1870, see p. 157. 



