QUESTION SIX. 89 



operation, the French claim, to which reference is made in the 

 British Case, came up for consideration between the United States 

 and Great Britain, and that the position taken by both Governments 

 at that time fully sustains the contention of the United States as to 

 the right of American fishermen to take fish in the bays, creeks, and 

 harbors on the west coast of Newfoundland, as well as in those on all 

 the rest of the American treaty coasts defined by the treaty of 1818. 



Controversy with France in 1823. 



The controversy in regard to the French claim in 1823 grew out of 

 an attempt by France to exclude American fishing vessels from the 

 west coast of Newfoundland. ' 



Under the liberty of fishing established on this coast by the treaty 

 of 1818, the American fishermen at once began to engage in fishing 

 in the bays, creeks, and harbors, as well as in all the other waters 

 of the west coast of Newfoundland; and having found that the 

 fishing there was of great importance, as it could "be commenced 

 there several weeks earlier than on any other part of the coast, and 

 the season is so short, at longest, as barely to give time sufficient for 

 making the voyage in the best manner," they returned there annu- 

 ally in considerable numbers. It appears, however, that in the years 

 1820 and 1821, a French war vessel undertook to interrupt this prac- 

 tice by ordering them away and forbidding them to fish on that 

 coast. In the latter part of May, 1820, the American schooner Aretas, 

 and other vessels in company with her, were ordered out of St. 

 George's Bay by the commander of a French naval vessel and for- 

 bidden to fish " at any harbor or island " on the west coast of New- 

 foundland; and in the following year the same vessel was ordered 

 out of the Bay of Port au Port on that coast, and threatened with 

 seizure if attempting again " to catch fish anywhere on that coast." 

 So also, in 1821, the American schooners Betsy and John Quincy 

 Adams were ordered out of the Bay of Port au Port by an officer of 

 the French warship, and forbidden to fish " there or anywhere on 

 that coast." Again, in the same year, the American fishing schooner 

 Bird together with thirty other American fishing vessels, while 

 fishing at the Bay of Islands about the first of June, were boarded 

 by a French naval officer and threatened with seizure if again found 



a U. S. Counter-Case Appendix, p. 105. 

 92909 S. Doc. 870, 61-3, vol 6 7 



