AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1469 



pected to send one of their cruisers to enforce it, and otherwise to kei> 

 the peace among them. Should any disturbance hereafter take pUoe 

 which, from many accidental causes, is not improbable, the lieutenant! 

 governor of this colony would be placed in a delicate position with the 

 subjects of a foreign yet friendly power. 



No. 12. 



TO THE QUEER'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 



We, Your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the legislative* council 

 and assembly of Prince Edward Island, in Colonial Parliament a- 

 sembled, humbly beg leave to renew our assurances of devoted loyalty 

 and attachment to Your Majesty's person and government; and we beg 

 again to approach the foot of the throne on the subject of our joint ail- 

 dress, forwarded to Great Britain so long ago as the year 1*49, praying 

 for an abrogation or relaxation of the Treaty of 1818 with the United 

 States Government, as concerns the fisheries surrounding this island. 

 This address, as we were informed by Your Majesty's colonial minister, 

 was most graciously received by Your Majesty, and, we were told, would 

 receive the earnest consideration of Your Majesty's Government. . 



We beg to state that this subject becomes of daily increasing moment. 



Your Majesty's representative, the lieutenant-governor of this island, 

 in the late fishing season had the opportunity of personally witnessing 

 hundreds of fishing vessels, belonging to the United States, fishing on 

 our shores and frequenting our harbors, in direct contravention of the 

 treaty of 1818. 



His excellency has not the means of preventing an intrusion so detri- 

 mental to our best interests ; the single ship of war of Your Majesty's 

 fleet usually employed iu this duty being inadequate to the extensive 

 service required of her. 



The citizens of the United States have an advantage over the subjects 

 of Your Majesty in this island, which prevents all successful competition, 

 as our owu fish caught on our own shores by strangers are carried into 

 their ports by themselves, whereas we are excluded by high protective 

 duties. 



The legislature of this island passed an act in the twelfth year of Your 

 Majesty's reign which offered to reciprocate with the United States in 

 the interchange of certain enumerated articles, notwithstanding which 

 offers our fish and agricultural produce, for which latter there is an ex- 

 tensive demand in the Northern States of the American Union, remain 

 subject to high duties. 



And although the British navigation laws have been so relaxed that 

 foreign-built vessels owned by British subjects may obtain British reg- 

 istries, a concession from which the citizens of the United States have 

 very recently derived great advantages by the sale of their vwe 

 stranded on the shores of this island during the disastrous gale of 1 

 autumn, no reciprocal advantage is offered to us, which, if obU 

 would be of immense importance to the builders of ships and 

 vessels in this island. 



Her Majesty's subjects are desirous to continue to cultivate 

 will of the citizens of the United States by every reasonable coi 

 and with a due consideration of the value of the intercourse which, 01 



