DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 313 



the fishermen were going to the ocean fields to gather their autumnal 

 harvests. The President, it seems, took pains to obtain information 

 informally, and he caused it to be published, in a notice issued by 

 the Secretary of State, and dated at the Department of State, July 

 6, 1852, and which has been called here the " Proclamation " of the 

 Secretary. The Senate will see that the Secretary of State set forth 

 such unofficial information as had been obtained, and all the informa- 

 tion was unofficial, and stated the popular inference then prevalent, 

 saying that the Imperial Government " appeared " now to be willing 

 to adopt the construction of the Convention insisted on by the Colo- 

 nies. Inferring from circumstances, the hazards and dangers which 

 in that case would arise, he set forth the case precisely as it seemed 

 to stand. He adverted to the question understood as likely to be 

 put in issue, and admitting that technically the Convention of 1818 

 would bear the rigorous construction insisted on by the Colonies, he 

 declared the dissent of the Government of the United States from it ; 

 and then communicated the case to the persons engaged in this hard 

 and hazardous trade, that they might be " on their guard." 



I am surprised that any doubts should be raised as to the proclama- 

 tion being the act of the Government. I do not understand how a 

 Senator or a citizen can officially know that the Secretary of State 

 is at Marshfield, or elsewhere, when the seal and date of the Depart- 

 ment affirm that he is at the capital. I would like to know where or 

 when this Government or this Administration has disavowed this 

 proclamation ? 



In issuing this notice, the Secretary of State did just what the 

 Secretary of State had been in the habit of doing in such cases from 

 the foundation of the Government, viz : he issued it to put citizens 

 on their guard in a case of apparent danger resulting from threatened 

 embarrassment of our relations with a toreign [foreign] Power. The 

 first notice of the kind which I have found in history, is a notice is- 

 sued by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State under George Wash- 

 ington, to the merchants of the United States, informing them of the 

 British Orders in Council, and of the decrees of the French Directory, 

 and of the apprehended seizure and confiscation of American vessels 

 under them ; and assuring the American merchants that, for what- 

 ever they might unlawfully lose the Government of the United States 

 would take care that they should be indemnified. I brought that to 

 the notice of the Senate heretofore; and upon that ground, among 

 others, they have twice sanctioned a bill providing for the payment 

 of losses by French spoliations. The notice published by Mr. Web- 

 ster was of the same character and effect. Since that time, the 

 Mississippi, a steam war-frigate of the United States, has been 

 ordered to those waters, to cruize there for the protection of Ameri- 

 can fishermen in the enjoyment of their just rights. Thus ends the 

 whole story of these transactions about the fisheries. The difficulties 

 on the fishing grounds have " this extent, no more " they are the 

 wonder of a day, and no longer. 



No negotiation has been had between the President of the United 

 States and the English Government. No negotiation is now in 

 progress between the two Governments. No negotiation has been 

 instituted between the two Governments, for any purpose whatever. 

 No overture of negotiation has been made by the British Govern- 

 ment since the last year, and no overture has been made by the 



