32 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



In witness whereof this Agreement has been signed and sealed by 

 His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador at Washington, the Right 

 Honourable James Bryce, O.M., on behalf of Great Britain, and by 

 the Secretary of State of the United States, Elihu Root, on behalf 

 of the United States. 



Done at Washington on the 27th day of January, one thousand 

 nine hundred and nine. 



James Bryce. [seal.] 

 Elihu Root. [seal.] 



13 Mr. Bacon to Mr. Bryce. 



N°. 541.] Department of State, 



February 21, 1909. 



Excellency : I have the honor to inform you that the Senate, by 

 its resolution of the 18th instant, gave its advice and consent to the 

 ratification of the Special Agreement between the United States and 

 Great Britain, signed on January 27, 1909, for the submission to the 

 Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague of questions relating 

 to fisheries on the North Atlantic Coast. 



In giving this advice and consent to the ratification of the Special 

 Agreement, and as a part of the act of ratification, the Senate states 

 in the resolution its understanding : 



That it is agreed by the United States and Great Britain that 

 question 5 of the series submitted, namely, " from w^here must be 

 measured the three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks or 

 harbors referred to in said article," does not include any question 

 as to the Bay of Fundy, considered as a whole apart from its bays or 

 creeks, or as to innocent passage through the Gut of Canso, and that 

 the respective views or contentions of the United States and Great 

 Britain on either subject shall be in no wise prejudiced by anything 

 in the present arbitration, and that this agreement on the part of the 

 United States will be mentioned in the ratification of the special 

 agreement and will, in effect, form part of this special agreement. 



In thus formally confirming what I stated to you orally, I have 

 the honor to express the hope that you will in like manner formally 

 confirm the assent of His Majesty's Government to this understand- 

 ing which you heretofore stated to me orally, and that you will be 

 prepared at an early da}' to exchange the notes confirming the Special 

 Agreement as provided for therein and in the general arbitration 

 convention of June 5, 1908. 



I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, 

 Your Excellency's most obedient servant, 



Robert Bacon. 

 His Excellency The Right Honorable James Bryce, 



Etc., Etc., Etc. 



