Memorial of the United States. 5 



Believing at the time that the measure of clemency offered by 

 Her Majesty's Government would afford a fair measure of relief 

 and reduce the loss of the owner of the vessel to a sum which might 

 be disregarded, the Government of the United States expressed to 

 the Government of Great Britain the gratification with which it had 

 learned of the decision of the Canadian Government, although it 

 had not changed its opinion that the seizure was illegal and that 

 the judgment of condemnation was tantamount to a denial of 

 justice.^^ 



When the offer of the Canadian Government was communi- 

 cated to the owner of the Gerring, he replied that the vessel and her 

 equipment had become damaged to such an extent while in the 

 possession of the Canadian authorities that they were not worth the 

 amount of the costs which the terms of the offer required him to 

 pay. The charges against the vessel amounted to $1,217.25. Against 

 this there was a credit of $606.55 on account of the sale of the 

 mackerel on board the vessel when she was brought into port after 

 the seizure. These mackerel had not been properly cared for and 

 they sold for less than half their original value. The owner's loss 

 on this item alone was over $800. In addition, his legal expenses 

 had been over $1,400. Furthermore, the vessel had deteriorated 

 until she was practically useless ; and the seine, which when seized 

 was worth $1,000, had been ruined, so that at the time it was sold 

 it brought only $40,^* and a similar depreciation in value had taken 

 place in all of the equipment and stores on board the vessel.^" It 

 can well be conceived that having suffered such heavy losses already, 

 the owner was not inclined to pay over six hundred dollars more 

 to the Canadian Government for the privilege of recovering the 

 remnants of his property which had been wrongfully seized and 

 allowed to become ruined through the negligence of the Canadian 

 authorities. 



The Government of the United States, in view of the owner's 

 refusal of the offer of the Canadian Government, and in order to 

 determine whether or not such refusal was justifiable, suggested to 

 the Government of Great Britain that a survey be made of the vessel 

 and equipment by a representative of the Canadian Government and 



i'8 Appendix, pp. 153, 159, 160. 

 ittAppendix, pp. 155, 157, 210. 

 20Appendix, p. 155. 



