MISCELLANEOUS. 1055 



[Annex 2 to foregoing.] 

 [Extract.] 



" Her Majesty's government are prepared, on certain conditions 

 and with certain reservations, to make the concession to which so 

 much importance seems to have been attached by Mr. Clayton, 

 namely: to throw open to the fishermen of the United States, the 

 fisheries in the waters of the British North American colonies, with 

 permission to those fishermen to land on the coast of those colonies 

 for the purpose of drying their nets and curing their fish ; provided, 

 that in so doing, they do not interfere with the owners of private 

 property, or with the operations of British fishermen. Her Majesty's 

 government, however, would require as an indispensable condition, in 

 return for this concession, that all fish, either cured or fresh, imported 

 into the United States from the British North American possessions 

 in vessels of any nation or description, should be admitted into the 

 United States duty free, and upon terms, in all respects, of equality 

 with fish imported by citizens of the United States." 



N. B. As the concession above stated applies solely to the sea 

 fishery, the fisheries in estuaries and in the mouths of rivers are not, 

 of course, included. 



Her Majesty's government do not propose that any part of this 

 arrangement should apply to Newfoundland. 



Extracts from the journal of the legislative assembly of Newfound- 

 land, 1844. 



Address to the Queen. 



WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1844. 

 To the QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 



MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, 



We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the General 

 Assembly of Newfoundland, in Legislative Session convened, ap- 

 proach Your Majesty with sentiments of sincere and affectionate 

 attachment to Your Majesty's person and Government, and humbly 

 crave Your Most Gracious Majesty's attention to the condition of 

 this ancient appendage to Your Majesty's crown. 



The value of the Trade and Fisheries of Newfoundland has for 

 centuries been acknowledged by the Government of England, as a 

 nursery for seamen wherewith to man Your Majesty's navy; its 

 extreme importance has ever been recognized in time of peace, and 

 realized in time of war. 



Its insular situation the multitude of its safe and commodious 

 harbours the healthfulness of its climate and its proximity to 

 Great Britain, whilst it is the key to the western world must ever 

 make the maintenance and prosperity of this Colony a matter of 

 national importance. 



The inexhaustable mine of wealth in her seal and cod fisheries 

 which a bountiful providence has opened to the enterprise and in- 

 dustry of her people, would enable Newfoundland to assume and 

 preserve that rank in Your Majesty's Colonial possessions to which 

 she is entitled had she been permitted to enjoy the full use and benefit 



