196 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., 



Sir Edward Thornton to Mr. Fish. 



WASHINGTON, June 20, 1873. 



SIR : With reference to my note of yesterday's date and to our con- 

 versation upon the subject or the Act passed by the Legislature of New- 

 foundland for carrying into effect Articles 18 to 25 of the Treaty of 

 May 8, 1871, I have the honour to state that from a report [ a ] made 

 by the Attorney General of Newfoundland to the Governour it would 

 appear that the Proviso at the end of Section 1 of that Act has refer- 

 ence to the time for the prosecution of the Herring fishery on the 

 Western Coast of the Island and was merely intended to place citi- 

 zens of the United States on the same footing with Her Majesty's 

 subjects in that particular so that the rules and regulations imposed 

 upon the Newfoundland Fishermen with regard to that fishery might 

 also be observed by American Fishermen. The Newfoundland House 

 of Assembly has been prorogued and will probably not meet again 

 this year. 



I have the honour to be with the highest consideration, Sir, Your 

 Obedient Servant, 



EDWD THORNTON. 



The Honourable HAMILTON FISH, 



etc., etc., etc. 



Mr. Fish to Sir Edward Thornton. 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 

 Washington, 25 June 1873. 



SIR: I have the honour to acknowledge the reception of your note 

 of the 19th instant transmitting in compliance with instructions 

 from Earl Granville, a copy of an Act passed by the Legislature of 

 Newfoundland to carry into effect Article 18 to 25 of the Treaty of 

 May 8, 1871. In this note you state that you are instructed to inquire 

 whether the President of the United States will be prepared on the 

 1st of July next to issue a Proclamation with reference to Newfcumd- 

 land in accordance with the 2nd section of a recent Act of Congress 

 relating to the Treaty of Washington. 



An examination of the Act passed by the Legislature of Newfound- 

 land discloses that the suspension by that Legislature of the laws 

 which operate to prevent the Articles referred to of the Treaty from 

 taking full effect, is qualified, and is accompanied by a proviso that 

 certain laws, rules and regulations relating to the time and manner 

 of prosecuting the fisheries on the coasts of Newfoundland, are not 

 to be in any way affected by such suspension. 



From your note of 20th instant I understand that from a Report [J 

 made by the Attorney General of Newfoundland to the Governor, it 

 would appear that the proviso referred to contemplates a restriction 

 in point of time, of the herring fisheries on the western coast of the 

 island. 



The Treaty places no limitation of time, within the period during 

 which the Articles relating to the fisheries are to remain in force, 



[ a A copy of this report has not been received by the United States.] 



