ARGUMENT OF SIB JAMES WINTER. 979 



drying fish, within the British jurisdiction generally, upon condition 

 that it shall be secured as a permanent right, not liable to be impaired 

 by any future war, from Cape Ray to the Ramea Islands, and from 

 Mount Joli, on the Labrador coast, through the strait of Belleisle, 

 indefinitely north, along the coast; the right to extend as well to 

 curing and drying the fish as to fishing." 



In that it will be observed which is the ultimatum, the limit of 

 their instructions there is no mention made of the west coast what- 

 ever. The instructions which the Commissioners had were limited to 

 the coast from Rameau to Cape Ray, and Labrador; and upon those 

 instructions they opened and commenced negotations with the British 

 Commissioners, no mention whatever being made of the west coast, 

 for either fishing or curing and drying. 



Then we come to the negotiations, the report of which will be found 

 upon p. 88 of the British Case Appendix. On p. 88, at the top of 

 the page, I read : 



" The American plenipotentiaries, after some previous explanation 

 of the nature of the propositions which they were about to make, sub- 

 mitted the five annexed articles, (A, B, C, and D,) upon the fisheries, 

 the boundary line, the West India intercourse, that of Nova Scotia 

 and New Brunswick, and the captured slaves." 



Then, the articles A, B, C, and D, which were submitted by the 

 American Plenipotentiaries follow ; and A will be found on p. 88, at 

 the foot of the page : 



AKTICLE A. 



" Whereas differences have arisen respecting the liberty claimed by 

 the United States for the inhabitants thereof to take, dry, and cure 

 fish on certain coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks of His Britannic 

 Majesty's dominions in America: it is agreed between the high con- 

 tracting parties that the inhabitants of the said United States shall 

 continue to enjoy unmolested, for ever, the liberty to take fish, of 

 every kind, on that part of the southern coast of Newfoundland 

 which extends from Cape Ray to Ramea Islands, and the western and 

 northern coast of Newfoundland, from the said Cape Ray to Quirpon 

 Island, on the Magdalen Islands; and also on the coasts, bays, har- 

 bours, and creeks from Mount Joli, on the southern coast of Labra- 

 dor, to and through the straits of Belleisle, and thence, northwardly, 

 indefinitely, along the coast." 



588 It will be observed, as a matter of fact, that these stipula- 

 tions were afterwards embodied and carried out in the treaty. 

 Then this article A proceeds : 



" and that the American fishermen shall also have liberty for ever 

 to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and 

 creeks of the southern part of the coast of Newfoundland here 

 above described, " 



From Ramea to Cape Ray 



" of the Magdalen Islands " 



