970 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



a little digression, on account of some questions that were suggested 

 to me, which I endeavoured to answer. I had only proceeded par- 

 tially with this inquiry into these negotiations, and I have to ask 

 the Court here to bear with me while I resume that inquiry and make 

 my observations upon all the facts and matters connected with those 

 negotiations, so far as they are before us in the evidence. 



But I think it will be convenient, before coming to the actual 

 negotiations between the parties, the negotiators themselves, the 

 Plenipotentiaries, to go back a little and look at the instructions 

 which they received from the United States Government as their 

 guide for the purposes of their negotiations. I refer the Tribunal 

 to the British Case Appendix, p. 77. The first definite statement, or 

 at least the first matter which to my view appears to throw light 

 upon what was in the minds of the negotiating parties, that is the 

 Governments both Governments as well as the Plenipotentiaries 

 will be found on the lower part of p. 77. This is contained in a 

 letter from Mr. Bagot, British Minister at Washington, to Mr. Mon- 

 roe, the United States Secretary of State : 



582 WASHINGTON, November 27, 1816. 



******* 



" It being the object of the American Government, that, in addition 

 to the right of fishery, as declared by the first branch of the fourth 

 article of the treaty of 1783 permanently to belong to the citizens of 

 the United States, they should also enjoy the privilege of having an 

 adequate accommodation, both in point of harbours and drying 

 ground, on the unsettled coasts within the British sovereignty, I had 

 the honour to propose to you that that part of the southern coast of 

 Labrador which extends from Mount Joli, opposite the eastern end of 

 the Island of Anticosti, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the bay and 

 isles Esquimaux, near the western entrance of the Straits of Belleisle, 

 should be "allotted for this purpose ;" 



That is a starting point, as it were, showing that the British Min- 

 ister at Washington made that offer to the United States Secretary of 

 State, limiting his offer, as I have said, to that part of the southern 

 coast of Labrador which ends at Esquimaux Bay. And by reference 

 to the map it will be seen that Esquimaux Bay is a little west of the 

 Straits of Belleisle, 



"it being distinctly agreed that the fishermen should confine them- 

 selves to the unsettled parts of the coast, and that all pretensions to 

 fish or dry within the maritime limits, or on any other of the coasts 

 of British North America, should be abandoned.^' 



That was, then, the propsition ; to give them that part of the Lab- 

 rador coast which extended down to Esquimaux Bay west of the 

 Straits of Belleisle. 



There was a reply, then, from Mr. Monroe to Mr. Bagot, which 

 will be found on p. 78 : 



