240 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



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

 quired to pay for any relinquishment on the part of 

 Great Britain of the fictitious chiim founded on the 

 erroneous opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown, 

 which, on the false assumption that "headlands" are 

 mentioned iu the Treaty of 1818, extends an imagi- 

 nary line seaward three marine miles from each cape 

 of bays and indents of the coast, joins the extremities 

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

 quires our fishermen to keep outside of this connect- 

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

 ernment, indeed, absurdly imdertook 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 shores at the bottom 

 (^Z* certain hays, harhoi'S, and creelcs (from which alone 

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

 ing wholly the opinion of the Law Officers 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 charge on the United States. 



