120 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., 



rights. It is probable that there may be no such interruption to our 

 fishermen during the present season; and the occasion appears to be 

 highly favorable for an adjustment of it to our satisfaction. Perhaps 

 a mutual explanation and understanding between the British and 

 French Governments concerning it, at this time, may render any 

 resort to other measures unnecessary. But if, on discussion of the 

 subject between them, France should not explicitly desist from both 

 the pretensions to the exclusive fishery and to the exercise of force 

 within British waters to secure it, you will claim that which the 

 British Government cannot fail to perceive is due, the unmolested 

 execution of the treaty stipulation contained in the convention of 

 October 20, 1818 ; and if the British Government admits the claim of 

 France to exclusive fishery on the western coast of Newfoundland 

 from Cape Bay to the Quirpon Islands, they will necessarily see the 

 obligation of indemnifying the United States by an equivalent for 

 the loss of that portion of the fishery, expressly conceded to them by 

 the convention, which, in the supposed hypothesis, must have been 

 granted by great Britain under an erroneous impression that it was 

 yet in her power to grant. 



I am, with great respect, sir, your very humble and obedient 

 servant, 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 

 Hon. K. KUSH, Envoy Extraordinary and 



Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, London. 



Mr. Rush to Mr. Adams. 



LONDON, August 1%, 1824- 



SIR : My letter of the second of this month will have informed you 

 that the negotiations in which I had so long been engaged with this 

 Government had come to a close, but without any treaty or other 

 arrangement having been concluded on any of the subjects which had 

 been given in charge to me. 



IV. NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY. 



This subject was thrown out of the negotiation altogether. I was 

 not the less mindful, however, of your instructions upon it. I 

 brought it under the notice of the British plenipotentiaries at the 

 tenth conference. I gave them a full history of the question from 

 its origin. I stated the grounds of complaint which the United 

 States had against France, as shown by the bare statement of the 

 relative rights and pretensions of the two nations to the fishery in 

 dispute. I stated the past unwillingness of France to do us justice, 

 and the obligations hence arising to Great Britain to interpose her 

 friendly and efficacious offices, to the end that justice should be 

 rendered to us. From your despatch of the 27th of June, 1823, 

 I also stated the motives which had restrained the President until 

 the present epoch from laying this case before the British Govern- 

 ment motives that I felt sure would be appreciated, and that would 



