i82 [PRIVATE.] 



jfche origin and immortaiity of the latter, but we offered to concede 

 (J45) much more than we could hope to gain (1'46) by the arrangement, 

 with whatpvpr view its comparative effects might be estimated. 



From the year 1783, to the conDmencement of the present war, 

 the actual advantages derived from the fishing privilege by the peo- 

 ple of the United States, were, according to the best information 

 that (147) I can obtain on the subject, very inconsiderable, and an- 

 nually experiencing a voluntai-y diminution. 



It was discovered that the obscurity and humidity q{ the atmos- 

 phere, owing to almost incessant fogs, in iiie high northern latitudes, 

 where this privilege was chielly located, prevented the etfectual 

 curing of fish in those regions, and, conserpjpntly, lessened very 

 much the value of the (148) liberty of taking them there. By far 

 the greatest part of the fish taken by our fishermen before the pre- 

 sent war, was (H9) caught in the open sea or (150) upon our own 

 coasts, and cured on (151) our own chores. This branch of the fish- 

 eries has been found to be inexhaustible, and has been pursued 

 xvith so much more certainty and despatch than the privileged por- 

 tion (lo2) within the British jurisdiction, that it has not only been ge- 

 nerally preferred by our fishermen, but would probably, on longer 

 experience, have been almost univers'ally used by them. It was 

 to be believed, therefore, that a discontinuance of the privilege of 

 taking and curing fish, within the British jurisdiction, would not, 

 at all, diminish the aggregate quantity taken by the people of the 

 United States, or (1^'>^0 very materially vary the details of the business. 

 That part of the fisheries which would (154) still have belonged to us 

 as a nation, being exhaustless, would afford an ample field for all 

 the capital and industry hitherto employed in the general business 

 of fishing, or merchandise of fish, and on that field might the few 

 fishermen, who had hitherto used the liberty of taking and curing 

 fish within the jurisdiction of Great Britain, exert their skill and 

 labour without any serious inconvenience. (l55) This liberty, lia- 

 ble (156) in a very considerable degree by the terms in which it was 

 granted, to be curtailed by the government and subjects of a foreign 

 state ; already growing into voluntary disuse by our own citizens, on 

 account of the difficulties inseparable from it, and absolutely inca- 

 pable of exten^on ; was totally unnecessary to us for subsistence 

 or occupation, and afforded, (157) in no way, any commercial facility 

 or political advantage. This privilege, too, while it was thus of 

 little (15B) or no utility to us, cost Great Britain literally (159) nothing. 



The free navigation of the Mississippi, with the necessary access 

 lo it, is a grant of a very different character. If it was not hereto- 

 fore used by Great Britain, it was, perhaps, because she did not 

 consider herself entitled to it, or because the circumstances of the 

 moment suspended its practical utility. The treaty of 1783 stipu- 

 lated for her the navigation of this river, under the presumption 

 that her territories extended to it, and, of course, could not intend 

 to give her an access to it through our territories. The British 

 po«se'?sion=to the westward of Lake Erie, being almost entirely 



