726 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



I added that, if our offer was not acceptable, we should be quite 

 ready to adopt the proposal made in Mr. Evarts' despatch, that the 

 matter should be referred to you and him, or to Delegates chosen by 

 each of you. Each party, I observed, were agreed to reserve the 

 question of the rights which they respectively claimed under the 

 Treaty, and to treat this matter separately from the discussion of the 

 pecuniary payment. 



I mentioned to Mr. Lowell that I had at first been taken by sur- 

 prise at an idea put forward in the despatch of which he had told 

 me the substance last Monday, namely, the possibility of the Presi- 

 dent sending a ship to protect the American fishermen on the coast 

 of Newfoundland ; but that, on consideration, it appeared to me that 

 such a course might be taken which might be of great advantage, if 

 each Government sent vessels with Commanders who received identic 

 and conciliatory instructions for the purpose of keeping the police 

 among the fishermen of their respective countries. 



Such a practice has been in force with good effect for some time on 

 the part of the British and French Governments. 

 I am, &c. 



(Signed) GRANVILLE. 



Mr. Evarts to Mr. Lowell. 



[Telegram.] 



WASHINGTON, February 25, 1881. 



Regret offer not quite up to expectations, but accept assuming that 

 amount can presently be at my disposal for immediate distribution. 

 This latter not a condition of acceptance but important in view of 

 conditions. 



EVARTS. 



Sir E. Thornton to Earl Granville. 



[Extract.] 



WASHINGTON, February 28, 1881. 



(Received March 12.) 



On the morning of the 23rd instant Mr. Evarts wrote to me that 

 he had received a telegram from Mr. Lowell, and begged that I would 

 call upon him at the State Department as soon as I could. On my 

 arriving there he read to me the telegram which related to the For- 

 tune Bay affair. It was much shorter, and contained less detail than 

 your Lordship's telegram of the 22nd instant, which I had had the 

 honour of receiving on the previous evening. It stated that Her 

 Majesty's Government was disposed to accept the proposal that the 

 amount of damages caused to American fishermen should be settled 

 by Mr. Evarts and myself, or by Delegates appointed by us, but 

 thought that there should be a previous agreement to refer the matter 

 to a third person, in case the delegates should fail to agree. The tele- 

 gram added that Her Majesty's Government would prefer to make an 

 offer of a fair sum to settle the claims of the American fishermen. 



