DESPATCHES, REPOETS, COREESPONDENCE, ETC. 263 



No. 97. 1852, July W: Letter from Mr. Fillmore (President of the 

 United States] to Mr. Daniel Webster. 



WASHINGTON CITY. July. 20th. 1852. 



MY DEAR SIR: Your note of the 17th. dated at Franklin came to 

 hand this morning, inclosing a copy of your's of the same day to Mr. 

 Crampton, and Mr. Hunter has shown me your telegraphic despatch 

 of yesterday, requesting him to ask me whether it was not best to send 

 one of our naval ships to Newfoundland to look after the disturbances 

 among the fishermen. I have also perused your article in the Boston 

 Courier of yesterday, and sincerely hope that these difficulties will 

 not prove as serious as you seem to anticipate. I have seen Mr. 

 Crampton who informs me that he will leave for Boston to-morrow 



morning, for the purpose of having a consultation with you 

 156 upon the subject of the fisheries. He informs me also, that he 



has addressed a circular to the several Governors of the British 

 Provinces of North America advising moderation and forbearance 

 upon this subject. I doubt not that when you and he meet, you will 

 be able to agree upon some line of proceeding that will allay the 

 present excitement and prevent any bloodshed. I would suggest that 

 you unite in a publication in which you should express your regrets 

 that any misunderstanding had arisen between our fishermen en- 

 gaged in the fisheries at Newfoundland, and the colonial subjects of 

 Great Britain ; that the differences of opinion which have arisen be- 

 tween the two Governments, in reference to their respective rights 

 under the Convention of 1818, have called the attention of both Gov- 

 ernments to the subject, and that together with the subject of recip- 

 rocal trade between Her Majesty's Provinces of North America and 

 the United States, will doubtless become the immediate subject of 

 negotiation between the two countries; that in the meantime and 

 until these matters can be amicably adjusted, you both concur in the 

 opinion that under the Treaty of 1818 our citizens had the unques- 

 tioned right of fishing on the Southern and Western shore of the 

 Island of Newfoundland, lying between the Islands of Eamea on the 

 south and the Island of Quiperon on the north, and of entering upon 

 any unoccupied lands upon the shore of said island between Cape 

 Ray and said Island of Ramea, for the purpose of drying and curing 

 fish; and also of fishing upon the shores of the Magdalen Islands; 

 and with regard to all the rest of the Island of Newfoundland, and 

 the other islands and mainland of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, 

 the English Government, so far as they have not conceded it to the 

 French, have the exclusive right of fishing in all the waters adjacent 

 to such islands or mainland and within three marine miles of the 

 shore ; but as for those waters in the several bays and harbours which 

 are more than three marine miles from the shore of such bay or har- 

 bour upon either side, and within three marine miles of a straight 

 line drawn from one headland to the other of such bay or harbour, that 

 you as the Representative of the United States conceived that our 

 fishermen have the right under the Treaty to fish therein, but the 

 British Government having held that by a true construction of the 

 Treaty such right belonged exclusively to British subjects; and as 

 those waters were thus in dispute between the two nations, you re- 

 spectively advised the citizens and subjects of both countries not to 



