178 CASE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



cation that the desire of Her Majesty's Government to arrive at a 

 friendly and speedy settlement of this question is fully reciprocated 

 by the Government of the United States, but also to discern in it the 

 basis of a practical settlement of the difficulty, and I have the honor 

 to request that you will inform Mr. Evarts that Her Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment, with a view to avoiding further discussion and future mis- 

 understandings, are quite willing to confer with the Government of 

 the United States respecting the establishment of regulations under 

 which the subjects of both parties to the treaty of Washington shall 

 have the full and equal enjoyment of any fishery which, under that 

 treaty, is to be used in common. The duty of enacting and enforcing 

 such regulations, when agreed upon, would of course rest with the 

 power having the sovereignty of the shore and waters in each case.** 



Subsequently, in the course of the discussion, the attention of Lord 

 Granville was called to the plan then under consideration by the 

 President of "sending a ship to protect the American fishermen on 

 the coast of Newfoundland," and in conunenting upon tliis proposed 

 action Lord GranviUe said in his letter of February 24, 1881, to Sir 

 Edward Thornton that he had at first been taken by surprise at the 

 idea "but that on consideration it appeared to me that such a course 

 might be taken which might be of great advantage, if each Govern- 

 ment sent vessels with commanders who receive identic and con- 

 cihatory instiiictions for the purpose of keeping the peace among the 

 fishermen of their respective countries." ^ Lord Granville evidently 

 informed Mr. Lowell of this view for Mr. Lowell stated in his telegram 

 of March 9, 1881, to Mr. Blaine, as a result of an interview with Lord 

 Granville, that "if cruisers be sent as intimated in 109 '^ he would 

 be glad to know your opinion of joint cruisers with joint instruc- 

 tions."'^ Again in Mr. Lowell's despatch of March 12, 1881, he said 

 on the same subject "I omitted to mention in my former despatch 

 that Lord Granville at one of our earher interviews, wished me to 

 inquire whether my Government, in case it should become necessary, 

 as suggested in your No. 109, to take measures for the protection of 

 our fishermen, would have any objection to the sending of joint 

 cruisers with joint orders."^ In reply to this inquiry Mr. Blaine 

 telegraphed to Mr. Lowell on March 14, 1881, instructing him to 

 inform Lord Granville that "the subject of joint cruisers may be 

 postponed, or, if desired, may also be referred to Sir Edward and 

 myself, to be taken up afterwards, with power to agree upon a series 

 of regulations under which treaty rights may be mutually secured."* 



o Appendix, p. 712. c Appendix, p. 714. « Appendix, p. 731. 



6 Appendix, p. 726. <^ Appendix, p. 730. 



