PERIOD FROM 1811 TO 1905. 725 



larger interests pending between the Governments than a lower cal- 

 culation. Probably British Minister will telegraph opinion to the 

 effect. If such offer is made you may express opinion that it will be 

 acceptable. Anything less if desired you may communicate but dis- 

 courage as to acceptance. 



EVARTS. 



Mr. Lowell to Mr. Evarts. 



[Telegram. ] 



LONDON, February 24, 1881. 



Third telegram received. I had an interview with Secretary of 

 State for Foreign Affairs at four this afternoon. He offers fifteen 

 thousand pounds in full settlement of Fortune Bay claims and those 

 stated in your instruction 109. I said I believed my Government 

 would accept eighty thousand dollars; I was not authorized to accept 

 less. I am sure that Cabinet cannot be brought to a higher Qffer than 

 fifteen thousand. If offer not accepted, Secretary of State for For- 

 eign Affairs ready to fall back upon the plan of reference proposed 

 by you. 



LOWELL. 



Earl Granville to Sir E. Thornton. 



FOREIGN OFFICE, February &, 1881. 



SIR: The United States' Minister called upon me this afternoon, 

 and informed me that he had received a telegram from Mr. Evarts, 

 in which the latter expressed satisfaction at the suggestion I had 

 made of the offer of a lump sum in compensation for the losses suf- 

 fered by the United States' fishermen at Fortune Bay. 



Mr. Evarts added that he preferred this mode of settlement, and 

 that he considered the total amount of the claims, with interest, 

 amounted to about 120,000 dollars. 



I told Mr. Lowell that I had had an opportunity of consulting my 

 colleagues on the question, that we had agreed that it would be best 

 not to look too narrowly at the intrinsic value of the claims put 

 forward by the American fishermen, but to have regard to the more 

 general considerations involved. I said I was not authorized to 

 enter into any process of bargain as to the exact amount which would 

 actually cover the losses, but to offer, on behalf of Her Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment, the payment of a lump sum of 15,OOOZ., or, say, 75,000 

 dollars, in full settlement of the question of damages, including inter- 

 est, and also the two smaller cases which he had been instructed to 

 bring to my noticed few days ago. With regard to these latter, I 

 observed that the only testimony we had was all on one side, and 

 that, if they had to be separately considered, it would be necessary to 

 call for counter-evidence. They were, however, cases in which, 

 primd facie, the Newfoundland fishermen appeared not to be in the 

 right. At the same time, it was clear that the amount of pecuniary 

 damage must be very small. 



