2300 NORTH ATLAimO COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



tween the United States and Great Britain that a friendly and com- 

 plete understanding should be come to between the two Governments 

 as to the extent of the rights belonging to the citizens of the United 

 States and Her Majesty's subjects respectively with reference to the 

 fisheries on the coasts of Her Majesty's possessions in North America, 

 and as to any other questions between tnem affecting the relations of 

 the United States towards those possessions. 



As the consideration of these matters would, however, involve in- 

 vestigations of a somewhat complicated nature, and as it was very 

 desirable that they should be thoroughly examined, he was directed 

 by Lord Granville to propose to the Government of the United 

 States the appointment of a Joint High Commission which should 

 be composed of members to be named by each Government, should 

 hold its sessions at Washington, and should treat of and discuss the 

 mode of settling the different questions arising out of the fisheries, 

 as well as all those affecting the relations of the United States 

 towards Her Majesty's possessions in North America. 



To this note Mr. Fish replied on the 30th January of the same 

 year, and whilst stating that the President shared with Her Majesty's 

 Government the appreciation of the importance of a friendly and 

 complete understanding between the two Governments with reference 

 to the subjects specially suggested for the consideration of the pro- 

 posed Joint High Commission, he added that it would be desirable 

 to include in the deliberations of that commission a consideration of 

 the other questions then at issue between the two Governments, par- 

 ticularly those known as the "Alabama " claims. 



It was, thus, owing to the importance attached by Her Majesty's 

 Government to the fisheries question, and to their anxiety to come 

 to a satisfactory settlement of the difficulties connected with it, that 

 the negotiations were commenced which led to the organisation of 

 the Joint High Commission and ultimately to the Treaty of Wash- 

 ington. A large portion of the deliberations of that commission was 

 devoted to the difficult and long-standing question now under consid- 

 eration, and after many proposals and counter-proposals, including 

 offers on the part of the United States Commissioners to grant com- 

 mercial privileges far in excess of the mere remission of duty on fish 

 and fish-oil, in order that they might acquire for United States fish- 

 ermen unrestricted access to the inshore waters of British North 

 America, articles 18 to 25 and 32 and 33 were at length agreed to, 

 and constitute the authority under which the Halifax Commission 

 acted. 



Article 22 provided that 



" Inasmuch as it Is asserted by the Government of Her Britannic Majesty 

 that the privileges accorded to the citizens of the United States under article 

 18 of this treaty are of greater value than those accorded by articles 19 and 21 

 of this treaty to the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty, and this assertion is 

 not admitted by the Government of the United States, it is further agreed that 

 Commissioners shall be appointed to determine, having regard to the privileges 

 accorded by the United States to the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty, as 

 stated in articles 19 and 21 of this treaty, the amount of any compensation 

 which, in their opinion, ought to be paid by the Government of the United 

 States to the Government of Her Britannic Majesty in return for the privileges 

 accorded to the citizens of the United States under article 18 of this treaty ; and 

 that any sum of money which the said Commissioners may so award shall be 

 paid by the United States Government, in a gross sum, within twelve mouths 

 after such award shall have been given." 



