2242 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



glance and service of his subjects; (2), the protection which the 

 Indians, as allieSj are entitled to claim at our hands; (3), the regula- 

 tion of the frontier, to prevent hereafter, as far as possible, jealousy 

 or collision; and (4), the question of the fishery. 



You will lose no time in ascertaining whether the American nego- 

 tiators are prepared to enter upon a final arrangement on all these 

 respective topics. Should they declare their instructions not to be so 

 comprehensive, you will call upon them to state what are the points 

 on which they are alone enabled to treat; and you will forthwith 

 communicate the same to His Majesty's Government. In executing 

 this part of your duty, it will be desirable that you should ascertain, 

 as far as possible, the views of the American Commissioners, without 

 committing your Government. In doing this, you will, in the early 

 stage of the negotiations, confine yourselves to such verbal communi- 

 cation as may appear to you best calculated to bring the negotiation 

 to its true bearing. 



That you will be better enabled to sound the views of the American 

 Commissioners, I deem it proper to furnish you with some general 

 observations on the points at issue; and, first, with respect to the mari- 

 time question, you will endeavor to ascertain whether the American 

 negotiators have any specific measure to propose for obviating here- 

 after the alleged abuses of which they complain, in the practice of im- 

 pressing British seamen from on board American merchant-ships. 

 The enclosed proclamations will demonstrate that the British Govern- 

 ment can never recede from the principle of holding their own sub- 

 jects to their duty of allegiance. 



You will endeavour to ascertain whether the American Govern- 

 ment is disposed prospectively to desist from their extravagant pre- 

 tensions under this head, in which case something might possibly 

 be devised to relieve their difficulties as to the past, bv adapting a 

 reasonable system of indulgence towards individuals wno may have 

 actually and bona fide entered amongst them, under the faith of their 

 acts of naturalisation. This might be effected by stipulations, with- 

 out bringing the question of right to issue on either side. 



The right of search and of withdrawing our seamen from on 

 board American merchantships can never be given up, even for a 

 time, in exchange for any municipal regulation whatsoever; but, 

 if the American negotiators have any regulations to propose tending 

 to check abuse, the British Government will weigh them dispassion- 

 ately, and with a desire to conciliate. The difficulties, however, of 

 finding a satisfactory expedient may render it desirable to wave 

 this discussion altogether, if other points can be adjusted. To this 

 the British Government will have no objection, considering the ques- 

 tion to be practically set at rest by the return of peace. They are 

 equally prepared to leave the rule of war of 1756 to rest upon 

 1356 its own clear and well established authority. Should the 

 American Commissioners abstain from stirring this question, 

 you will remain silent upon it. Should they think fit to avert 

 to it, you will assert the principles upon which the British Gov- 

 ernment has uniformly maintained the legality, as well as the jus- 

 tice, of this rule. Should any specific proposition be laid before 

 you on this subject, you will declare that you have no authority 

 to enter into discussion on this question, ana that you can only re- 



