PERIOD FROM 1854 TO 1871. 611 



honourable Colleague, The Secretary of the Treasury respecting the 

 Canadian inshore fisheries, may lead to future misunderstanding 

 inasmuch as it limits the maritime jurisdiction of the Dominion of 

 Canada to three marine miles from the shores thereof without regard 

 to international usage which extends such jurisdiction over creeks 

 and bays, or to the stipulations of the Treaty of 1818, in which the 

 United States renounce the right of fishing within three miles, not 

 ot the coast only, but of the bays, creeks, or harbours of Her Britannic 

 Majesty's Dominions in America. 

 I have, etc., 



Edwd. Thornton. 

 The Hon. Hamilton Fish. 



Special Instructions to Fishery Officers, ex officio Magistrates, in com- 

 mand of Govemm* nt Vessels < ngaged as Marine Police, in 'protect- 

 ing the In-shore Fisheries of Canada. 



Department of Marine and Fisheries, 

 Fis Branch, Ottawa, June 27, 1S70. 



Sir: The service to which you are appointed is a special and pecu- 

 liar one: and the exercise on your part of the greatest possible dis- 

 cretion and judgment is required. 



The following directions, for your information and guidance, are 

 of a confidential nature. 



The Duties you will perform, and the Powers you shall exercise, 

 are defined by the present instructions. 



1 h ties. — It will be your duty to cruise, at all times, with the vessel 

 under your command on the various " Stations " to which, from time 

 to time, you may be assigned; and to prevent foreign fishermen and 

 fishing vessels from intruding on the in-shore fisheries and fishing 



f rounds of Canada, either to take or cure fish, or to procure bait for 

 shing. 



Probably, American fishing vessels and fishermen chiefly will be 

 concerned. Therefore, it is requisite for you to be more especially 

 informed of the relation of the United States citizens to fishery privi- 

 leges in British waters, a- well those of a common and concurrent 

 nature as those of an exclusively Canadian character. Also, to be 

 instructed to what extent, and for what (other than fishing) pur- 

 poses American fishing vessels and fishermen are permitted t\ 

 access to the Icy ami harbors 'if the Dominion. 



The terms of the First Article of the Convention of the 20th < Octo- 

 ber, L818, between Great Britain and the United States, has, since 

 the expiration of the Reciprocity Treaty, governed the participation 

 of American fishermen in the Gulf and Labrador fisheries. A copy 

 of t lie said Article is appende L 



I. The United 6 .i hermen may exercise the liberty of fishing 



in common with British subjects along that part of the coast 01 



Canada extending from Mount Joly, near the River Grande Nata b 

 quhan, to the i nit of Canada, at Blanc Bablon Bay, and 



around the Magdalen Islands; and enjoy freedom al o to land, and 



i tain of the uri ettl or< of the I ■ ibrador coa 



\Yhe> tnent exi athin these limits, the privilege of 



">9°— S. Doc. 870. 61-3, vol -'— 



