DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 451 



well as the masters, embarking their all in the enterprise, the serious 

 character of their losses may be partially understood. 



The President has deemed it proper, in view of the possible com- 

 plications to which a continuance of these lawless proceedings might 

 give rise, to bring the subject directly to the attention of Her Maj- 

 esty's Government with a view to an early investigation of the facts 

 and the adoption of such measures on its part as may be deemed ad- 

 visable to prevent a recurrence of the acts complained of; and the 

 Minister of the United States at London has been accordingly in- 

 structed to take the necessary steps in that direction. Meantime, I 

 have deemed it right to transmit the facts, so far as they are already 

 known, for your information. 



I have, &c. (Signed) WM. M. EVARTS. 



No. 168. 1878, September 28: Letter from Mr. Evarts to Mr. Welsh 

 (United States Minister at London). 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 

 Washington, September 28, 1878. 



SIR, I received in due course your despatch of the 24th August 

 ultimo, inclosing Lord Salisbury's reply of the British Government 

 to the representations that had been made to it as early as March 

 last by you, under instructions from the Department. 



I must understand Lord Salisbury's note accompanying the copy 

 of Captain Suli van's Report, which he communicates to this Gov- 

 ernment, as adopting that naval officers conclusions of fact respect- 

 ing the violent injuries which our fishing fleet suffered at the hands 

 of the Newfoundland fishing population at Fortune Bay in January 

 of this year, as the answer which Her Majesty's Government makes 

 to the representations laid before it on our part, verified by the 

 sworn statements of numerous and respectable witnesses. 



His Lordship has not placed in our possession the proofs or deposi- 

 tions which form the basis of Captain Sulivan's conclusions of facts, 

 and I am unable, therefore, to say whether, upon their consideration, 

 the view which this Government takes of these transactions, upon the 

 sworn statements of our own respectable citizens, would be at all 

 modified. In the absence of these means of correcting any mistakes 

 or false impressions which our informants may have fallen into in 

 their narrative of the facts, it is impossible to accept Captain Suli- 

 van's judgment upon undisclosed evidence as possessing judicial 

 weight. 



You will, therefore, lay before Her Majesty's Government the 

 desire which this Government feels to be able to give due weight to 

 this opposing evidence, before insisting upon the very grave view 

 of these injuries Avhich, at present, its unquestionable duty to the 

 interests which have suffered them, and its confidence in the com- 

 petency and sobriety of the proofs in our possession, compels this 

 Government to take. Should Her Majesty's Government place a 

 copy of the evidence upon which Captain Sulivan bases his Report in 

 your hands, you will lose no time in transmitting it for con- 

 269 sideration. I regret that any further delay should thus inter- 

 vene to prevent an immediate consideration of the facts in 



