PERIOD FROM 1841 TO 1854. 127 



Several other Masters of American vessels corroborated these 

 statements, but I did not tliink it necessary to take the particulars.* 



Admiral Seymour adds in his letter enclosing these statements : 



I am not aware of the hnes therein described having been sanc- 

 tioned by authority. 



By direction of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Pro- 

 vincial Secretary wrote on August 26, 1852, to, Captain Laybold and 

 Captain Dodd of the Provincial Revenue cutters Ilalifax and Respon- 

 sible, calling their attention to these statements and asking them to 

 furnish without delay ' ' such explanation as will enable the Lieuten- 

 ant Governor to judge how far the conversations which are made 

 matter of complaint, have been accurately reported," and adding: 

 "In the meantime you will take care to detain no vessel which is 

 not found trespassing within three miles of land." ^ 



Before this official inquiry had reached Captain Dodd of the 

 Responsible, it appears that the statements referred to had alreadv 

 been called to his attention by the Admiral, and on August 29, 1852, 

 he wrote to the Provincial Secretary denying the responsibility for 

 any of the statements except that reported to have been made by 

 William Page, with respect to which he says : 



The assertion of Wilham Page, Master of the Schooner Paragon, 

 may be correct, for I did to several American Captains (and he may 

 have been one of them) say, that I should draw a line from the head- 

 lands of the Coast and Bays of Cape Breton, and seize all American 

 Vessels found trespassing within three marine miles of such line, and 

 such are my intentions imtil further orders, as I consider myself 

 bound to do so by my instructions, in which I am referred to the 

 Convention of 1818; and as it would be great presumption in me to 

 attempt to put any construction on that Treaty, I feel myself bound 

 by the opinions of the Queen's Advocate, and Her Majesty's Attorney 

 General, given in 1841; and also by the result of the trial of the 

 American Schooner Argus, wliich vessel was seized by me within a 

 line drawn from Cow Bay Head to Long Point, near Cape North, 

 Cape Breton, and condemned. '^ 



The Provincial Secretary's official communication having subse- 

 quently reached him, he again WTote on September 1, 1852, receding 

 from his earlier position and stating in submission to his official in- 

 structions, that "the orders not to detain vessels unless found tres- 

 passing vnthin three miles of land shall be strictly attended to."'* 



The other captain replied on September 1, 1852, denying all 

 responsibility for the statements referred to. 



a Appendix, p. 1078. c Appendix, p. 1081. 



& Appendix, p. 1080. d Appendix, p. 1082. 



