NEGOTIATIONS AT WASHINGTON IN 1816-17. 41 



note of May 7, 1817, to Mr. Adams, to receive and transmit, for the 



information of his court, a specific proposition which he understood 



Mr. Monroe had in mind to offer in February preceding, but which 



Mr. Bagot did not then feel himself authorized to take ad referendum. 



Pursuant to these instructions Mr. Bagot wrote to Mr. Monroe on 



May 27, 1817, as follows : 



In laying before my Government the correspondence which passed 

 last year between the Secretary of the Department of State and 

 myself, upon the subject of the accommodation which His Royal 

 Highness the Prince Eegent was willing to afford to the Citizens of 

 ihe" United States for the purpose of their Fishery, I did not fail to 

 represent, that, in the conversations which had taken place upon the 

 ]">ropositions which I had been authorized to make, and which were 

 finally declined, the Secretnry of the Department of State had inti- 

 mated a wish to communicate to me some particular arrangement 

 which would be satisfactory upon the subject to the American Gov- 

 ernment.'^ 



In the same note, after alluding to the regret of His Royal High- 

 ness that the accommodation which had been offered should not have 

 been regarded as affording the advantages which the American Gov- 

 ernment desired, and also to the continued disposition cherished by 

 His Ro^^al Highness to admit the citizens of the United States to such 

 participation of the conveniences afforded to their fishery by the 

 neighboring coasts of His Majesty's dominions as may justly consist 

 with His Majesty's rights and the interests of his own subjects, he 

 says : 



His Royal Highness is willing to receive in a sincere spirit of 

 friendly accommodation whatever suggestion the American Govern- 

 ment maj' have to offer which they may conceive to be reconcilable 

 with these primary considerations — His Royal Highness feels as- 

 sured, that the Government of the United States must know so well 

 the nature and value of those interests of His Majestj^'s subjects 

 which it is the first object of His Royal Highness to protect and 

 preserve, that they will not fail to frame any proposition which 

 they may be desirous of making in such a spirit of moderation as 

 will not impose upon His Royal Highness the necessity of declining 

 to entertain it. His Ro^'al Highness has therefore commanded me 

 to ascertain from the American Government the extent of the accom- 

 modation which they seek to obtain, and at the same time to give 

 the assurance of his Royal Highness that it will be considered with 

 the sincere and earnest hope that it may not be found irreconcilable 

 with those important objects to which I have adverted. 



I shall be happy to receive the proposition which the President 

 may wish to make whenever j'ou will do me the honor to communi- 

 cate it." 



"Appendix, p. 296. 



