/ 



N 



240 Tin: ti{i:atv of Washington. 



any distance from tlie sliore." But we are not re- 

 quired to pay for any relinqui^sliinent ou tljc part of 

 (treat Britain of the fictitious claim founded on the 

 erroneous oj)inion of tlie Law OlTicers of the Crown, 

 whicli, on tlie false as8um})tion that "headlands" are 

 mentioned in the Treaty of 1S18, extends an imagi- 

 nary line seaward three marine miles from each cape 

 of bays and indents of the caast, joins the extremities 

 of those two lines by a straight line, and then re- 

 quires our iishermen to keep outside of this connect- 

 ing line. Deluded by that opinion, the British Gov- 

 ernment, indeed, absurdly undertook to exclude us 

 by force from the Bay of Fundy, but failed to main- 

 tain its pretension in that respect. 



What we purchase is the right to enter and fish with- 

 in the three marine miles of the t<IiO?'es at the bottom 

 r>f' certain haifujia rhors^ and creehH (from which alone 

 we were excluded by the Treaty of 1818), disregard- 

 ing wholly the opinion of the Law Otlicers of the 

 Crown. Looking at the clause under consideration, 

 in this its only proper light, it is plain that it can 

 not impose any serious chai'ge on the United States. 



