AWARD OF THE- FISHERY COMMISSION. 1459 



Your Majesty's Government the great importance of preserving unim- 

 paired the rights and privileges belonging to Your Majesty's Niihjeru 

 engaged in the fisheries upon the coasts of this province, ami also to 

 prevent foreigners from interfering or participating in such rights and 

 privileges. That by the statute of the Imperial Parliament passed in 

 the 59th year of the reign of our late most Gracious Sovereign (icorge 

 the Third, power was given to His Majesty, by atid with the advice of 

 his Privy Council, by an order or orders in council, to be from time to 

 time made for that purpose, to make such regulations and give such 

 directions as may be necessary to prevent fishermen of the United State* 

 from taking, drying, or curing fish in the bays or harbors of His Majes- 

 ty's dominions in America, or in any other manner whatever abusing 

 the privileges by the treaty and act of the Imperial Parliament reserved 

 to them. 



That as no such order in council has passed, it may be presumed that 

 it may be extremely difficult for Your Majesty's council to submit such 

 order to Your Majesty's consideration as may be best adapted to meet 

 the exigencies of the case in all Your Majesty's dominions in America. 

 That Your Majesty's subjects in this province have experienced great 

 inconvenience and loss in this branch of industry by foreign interfer- 

 ence, and the revenue is injuriously affected by the illicit trade carried 

 on by vessels ostensibly engaged in the fisheries, who hover on the coast, 

 and, in many cases, combine trade with the fisheries; a traffic prejudi- 

 cial alike to the revenue, the importation of British manufactures, the 

 honest trader, and the political and moral sentiments, habits, and man- 

 ners of the people. 



To prevent the continuance and extension of such evils the legisla- 

 ture of this Your Majesty's loyal province of Nova Scotia have embodied 

 in an act such regulations and restrictions as they conceive will most 

 effectually prevent such interference in the fishery and the illicit trade 

 connected with it, and thereby secure the rights and privileges recog- 

 nized by the treaty, and intended to be guarded by the statute. This 

 course has become the more necessary as the act of the Imperial Parlia- 

 ment contemplates the further regulation of the fisheries by some such 

 means, of which all persons concerned will be bound to take notice. 

 Many of the irregularities complained of may have taken place from 

 the want of such regulations. There is no intention of intimating that 

 the Government of the United States approve of or sanction any inter- 

 ference with a branch of the fishery which they have expressly relin- 

 quished. 



We therefore most earnestly but respectfully pray that Your M.ijesty 

 will be pleased to give your royal assent to the said act, and, by an or- 

 der of Your Majesty in council, declare the said act to contain the rules, 

 regulations, and restrictions respecting the fisheries tor the coasts, bays, 

 creeks, and harbors of Nova Scotia. 



In council, 22d February, 1836. 



BRENTON HALLIBURTON, 

 President of His Mujextyn Council. 



In the house of assembly, 24th February, 1836. 



S. G. W. ARCHIBALD, 



Speaker of the Assembly. 



