DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 553 



No. 207. 1886, July 16: Telegram from Mr. Bayard (United States 

 Secretary of State] to Mr. Phelps (United States Minister at Lon- 

 don}. [Translation of Cypher Telegram Received at the Legation, 

 July 16, 1886.1 



PHELPS, Minister, London. 



You will state to Lord Rosebery that realizing fully any em- 

 barrassment or delays attendant upon pending changes of British 

 Administration, it is our duty to call upon Imperial Government 

 to put a stop to the unjust, arbitrary and vexatious action of Canadian 

 authorities towards our citizens engaged in open sea fishing and trad- 

 ing but not violating or contemplating violation of any Law or 

 Treaty. Our readiness long since expressed to endeavour to come 

 to a just and fair joint interpretation of Treaty rights and commer- 

 cial privileges is ill met by persistent and unfriendly action of 

 Canadian authorities which is rapidly producing a most injurious 

 and exasperating effect. I am without reply from British Minister, 

 who is now absent. 



BAYARD. 



No. 208. 1886, July 22: Report of the Canadian Minister of Justice. 



To his Excellency the Administrator of the Government in Council. 



DEPARTMENT or JUSTICE, 



Ottawa, 22nd July, 1886. 



With reference to the despatch of the 24th June last, from the Sec- 

 retary of State for the Colonies to your Excellency respecting the 

 Fisheries Question, and enclosing copies of letters on the subject 

 from the Foreign Office to the Colonial Office, and of one from Mr. 

 Phelps to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the undersigned 

 has the honour to report as follows : 



The letter of Mr. Phelps seems designed to present to Earl Rose- 

 bery the case of the " David J. Adams," the fishing vessel seized a 

 short time ago near Digby, in the province of Xova Scotia. 



Mr. Phelps intimates that he has received from his Government 

 a copy of the report of the Consul General of the United States at 

 Halifax, giving full details and depositions relating to the seizure, 

 and that that report, and the evidence annexed to it, appear fully to 

 sustain the points which he had submitted to Earl Rosebery at an 

 interview which he had had a short time before the date of his letter. 



The report of the Consul General and the depositions referred to 

 seem not to have been presented to Earl Roseberrv. and their contents 

 can only bo inferred from the statements made in Mr. Phelps' letter. 



These statements appear to be based on the assertions made by the 



persons interested in the vessel by way of defence against the 



331 complaint under which she was seized, but cannot be regarded 



as presenting a full or accurate representation of the case. 



The undersigned submits the facts in regard to this vessel, as they are 



