PERIOD FROM 183G TO 1841. 83 



Parliament of Great Britain in the fifty-ninth year of the reign of his 

 late Majesty, King George the Tliird, all foreign ships, vessels or boats, 

 or any ships, vessel or boat, other than such as shall be navigated 

 according to the laws of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, found fisliing, or to have been fishing, or preparing to fish 

 within certain distances of any coasts, bays, creeks or harbors what- 

 ever, in any part of his Majest^^'s dominions in America, not included 

 within the limits specified in the first article of the said convention, 

 are liable to seizure : 



Whereas the United States" did, by the said Convention, renounce 

 forever any liberty enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants thereof to 

 take, dry or cure fish on or witliin three marine miles of any of the 

 coasts, bays, creeks or harbors of his Britannic Majesty's dominions in 

 America not included witliin the above mentioned limits; Provided, 

 however, that the American fishermen should be admitted to enter 

 such bays or harbours for the purpose of shelter, and of repairing 

 damages therein, of purchasing wood and of obtaining water, and for 

 no other purpose whatever, but under such restrictions as might be 

 necessary to prevent their taking, drying or curing fish therein, or in 

 any other manner whatever abusing the privileges thereby reserved 

 to them; and whereas no rules or regulations have been made for such 

 purpose, and the interests of the inhabitants of tliis province are 

 materially impaired; and whereas the said act does not designate the 

 persons who are to make such seizure as aforesaid, and it frequently 

 happens that persons found ^^^lthin the distance of the coasts aforesaid, 

 infringing the articles of the convention aforesaid, and the enactments 

 of the statute aforesaid, on being taken possession of, profess to have 

 come wdtliin said limits for the purpose of shelter, and repairing 

 damages therein, or to purchase wood and obtain water, by which the 

 law is evaded, and the vessels and cargoes escape confiscation, although 

 the cargoes may be evidently intended to be smuggled into this 

 province, and the fishery carried on contrary to said convention and 

 statute. 



I. Be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Council and 

 Assembly, That from and after the passage of this act, it shall be 

 lawful for the officers of his Majesty's customs, the officers of impost 

 and excise, the sheriffs and magistrates throughout the province, and 

 any person holding a commission for that purpose from his excellency 

 the Lieutenant Governor, for the time being, to go on board any ship, 

 vessel or boat, within any port, bay, creek or harbor in this province; 

 and also, to go on board of any ship, vessel or boat, hovering within 

 three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks or harbors thereof, 

 and in either case freely to stay on board such ship, vessel or boat, as 

 long as she shall remain within such port or distance; and if any such 

 ship, vessel or boat be bound elsewhere, and shall continue so hovering 

 for the space of twenty-four hours after the master shall have been 

 required to depart, it shall be lawfid for any of the above enumerated 

 officers or persons to bring such ship, vessel or boat into port, and to 

 search and examine her cargo, and to examine the master on oath 

 touching the cargo and voyage, and if there be any goods on board 

 prohibited to be imported into the province, such ship, vessel or boat, 

 and the cargo laden on board thereof, shall be forfeited; and if the 

 said ship, vessel or boat shall be foreign, and not navigated according 

 to the laws of Great Britain and Ireland, and shall have been fouiul 



