1190 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHEBIES ARBITRATION. 



" Your mission, Commodore, is one of peace ; but while you do noth- 

 ing to provoke war," you will do nothing to jeopard our rights or 

 compromit our honor. 



" You will continue actively engaged in the duties confided to you 

 until the middle of September next, unless the situation of public in- 

 terests should, in your judgment, render an earlier return necessary, 

 in which event you will immediately thereafter repair to the city of 

 Washington and report to the department." 



" Wishing you a safe and prosperous cruise, I am, very respect- 

 fully, your obedient servant." 



I submit also the report from Commodore Shubrick to the Secre- 

 tary of the Navy, dated the 7th August, 1853, to be found at p. 176 

 of the Appendix to the Counter-Case of the United States, in which 

 will be found this statement 



" that the President could not take the same view of the provisions 

 of the treaty as that taken by her Majesty's government; to express 

 his regret that a different view should have been taken by the Queen's 

 government, and of his hope that force might not be resorted to 

 against our fishermen in the bays and harbors, provided they avoided 

 approaching within three marine miles of the shore, and particularly 

 as it is known to her Majesty's government that the subject of the 

 fisheries is at this moment a matter of negotiation between the United 

 States and Great Britain." 



The American view is stated in that paragraph. 



I also submit in this connection a report from Lieutenant Watson 

 to Commander Shubrick under date of the 2nd September, 1853, to 

 be found at p. 182 of the Appendix to the Counter-Case of the United 

 States. It is as follows : 



" In accordance with your instructions of the 29th ultimo, I have 

 the honor to report that I received on board at Charlottetown, Prince 

 Edward Island, Major General Gore, commander-in-chief of her 

 Britannic Majesty's forces in Nova Scotia, and staff, hoisted the 

 English flag at the fore, and proceeded to Pictou, where I landed 

 them. General Gore expressed himself much gratified at your having 

 placed the Fulton at his disposal. 



"After parting from you off the island of Pictou, I proceeded, ac- 

 cording to your direction, along the north side of the island, in Mira- 

 michi bay, Chaleur bay, and to Gaspe, where I was in hopes of 

 meeting you. It was my intention to have gone further up the Bay 

 of Chaleur; but a heavy sea induced me to run for Gaspe. While 

 there, her Britannic Majesty's steam sloop-of-war Argus, Captain 

 Pervis, came in. Captain Pervis immediately came on board, and an 

 interchange of civilities took place on the most friendly and courteous 

 terms. Captain Pervis states that he has not had the least difficulty 

 with our fishermen, with one exception, and that so slight as not to 

 be taken notice of. 



" On my way to this place, I passed between five and six hundred 

 fishermen ; and, in my conversations with those I spoke to, there ap- 

 pears to be the greatest harmony existing between them and the 

 inhabitants. 



