FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



or claimed by the inhabitants thereof, to take, kill, or cure 

 fish, on or within three Marine Miles of any of the coasts, 

 bays, creeks or harbours of His Britannic Majesty's Dom- 

 inion in America, not included within the above mentioned 

 limits, &c., &c. ' From the above extract of the First Article 

 of the Convention concluded at London, on the 20th October, 

 1818, between Great Britain and the United States of America, 

 it is evident that since that period the American fishermen 

 have acted in direct violation of this Treaty by arrogantly 

 and obstinately transgressing the generous bounds thereby 

 allowed them, for it is too well known and felt that they con- 

 tinue to fish on the coasts of Nova Scotia and the coasts of 

 New Brunswick, to the very great prejudice and annoyance 

 of His Britannic Majesty's faithful and loyal subjects of these 

 Provinces, tho' as before stated, the American States have 

 renounced by the Treaty for ever any liberty heretofore 

 enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants thereof to take, cure, 

 &c. We are sorry the Americans should be allowed to fish in 

 any part of the Gulf, yet it is far from our intention to scru- 

 tinize or presume to fathom the causes which have occasioned 

 His Majesty's Government to allow them such generous 

 bounds, from Cape Ray, &c., as above noted ; but we must 

 earnestly entreat that His Majesty's Government would oblige 

 the Americans to keep within the limits allowed them by 

 Treaty it is grievous to every British subject, who reflects 

 for a moment, that if the Americans (who are on the pro- 

 gressive, in every respect) continue the Cod Fishery, as they 

 have done of late, the British Merchant engaged in that 

 still extensive and valuable branch of trade, will be obliged 

 to abandon it; and that thereby it will fall to the lot of 

 the Americans, to the great prejudice of thousands of His. 

 Majesty's faithful and loyal subjects, and also to the pre- 

 judice of His Majesty's Government, by lessening the rev- 

 enue, and destroying that highly prized and valuable nursery 

 for hardy seamen : on these ruins the Americans would build 

 a magnificent, commercial and political edifice. We humbly 



