36 CASE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



this letter an authority and instruction to negotiate a convention for 

 these purposes. 



I have the honor to be &c James Monroe.^ 



Negotiations at Washington in 1816-1817. 



Meanwhile, without waiting for Mr. Adams to receive the neces- 

 sary authority from his Government to undertake the negotiations 

 proposed by Great Britain, it appears that instructions had been 

 sent by Great Britain to the British Minister at "Washington to open 

 direct negotiations there upon the subject with the Secretary of 

 State. Pursuant to these instructions Mr. Bagot, the British Min- 

 ister, early in July, 1816, submitted a proposal on the subject to Mr. 

 Monroe, the Secretary of State, who thereupon wrote to Mr. Adams 

 on July 8, 1816, informing him of this circumstance and, in conse- 

 quence of the transfer of the negotiations to "Washington, revoking 

 the authority given him to carry on such negotiations at London 

 under the instructions of February 27th above quoted.'* 



The motives and desires which induced Great Britain to undertake 

 this negotiation were stated by Mr. Bagot in his note of November 27, 

 1816, to Mr. Monroe as follows: 



It will be in your recollection that, early in the month of July last, 

 I had the honor to acquaint you that I had received instructions 

 from my Government to assure yon that, although it had been felt 

 necessary to resist the claim which had been advanced by Mr. Adams, 

 the determination had not been taken in any unfriendly feeling 

 towards America, or with any illiberal wish to deprive her subjects 

 of adequate means of engaging in the fisheries ; but that, on the con- 

 trary, many of the considerations which had been urged by Mr. 

 Adams, on behalf of the American citizens formerly engaged in this 

 occupation, had operated so forcibly in favor of granting to them 

 such a concession as might be consistent with the just rights and 

 interests of Great Britain, that I had been furnished with full powers 

 from His Royal Highness the Prince Regent to conclude an ar- 

 rangement upon the subject, which it was hoped might at once offer 

 to the United States a pledge of His Royal Highness's goodwill, and 

 afford to them a reasonable participation in those benefits of which 

 they had formerly the enjoyment.^ 



The arrangements which were proposed by Mr. Bagot, however, 

 in order to afford to the American fishermen " a reasonable partici- 

 pation in those benefits of which they had formerly the enjoyment " 

 fell far short of meeting the requirements of the United States. An 



" Appendix, p. 288. ^ Appendix, p. 290. 



