1250 MISCELLANEOUS. 



the owners of private property or with the operations of British fisher- 

 men." 



Her Majesty's minister desired Mr. Webster to inform him whether 

 our government was disposed to enter upon negotiations and conclude 

 a convention, on the terms suggested, or whether, preferring legisla- 

 tion, an urgent recommendation would be made to Congress, at the 

 earliest opportunity. The President declined to negotiate ; but in his 

 annual message, December, 1851, he said: "Your attention is again 

 invited to the question of reciprocal trade between the United States 

 and Canada and other British possessions near our frontier. Over- 

 tures for a convention upon this subject have been received from her 

 Britannic Majesty's minister plenipotentiary, but it seems to be in 

 many respects preferable that the matter should be regulated by recip- 

 rocal legislation. Documents are laid before you, showing the terms 

 which the British government is willing to offer, and the measures 

 which it may adopt, if some arrangement upon this subject shall not be 

 made" 



Months passed away; "Congress did nothing, said nothing, thought 

 nothing on the subject/'* and the parties to the Toronto agreement 

 became impatient. In March, 1852, the committee on the fisheries of 

 Nova Scotia, in a report to the House of Assembly, unanimously rec- 

 ommended a sufficient sum to be placed at the disposal of the execu- 

 tive of the colony, to employ four fast-sailing vessels during the fishing 

 season, with authority to seize all foreign vessels found employed 

 within the prescribed limits; and they recommended, also, the adop- 

 tion of measures to enlist the aid of the home government, and secure 

 the co-operation of naval steam- vessels. This plan was substantially 

 executed by the Assembly. The government of Canada promptly 

 followed, and a vessel to cruise in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was ready 

 for sea early in May. New Brunswick was tardy, but the authorities 

 of that colony were reminded of their duty by the newspaper press, 

 and finally fitted out two vessels. Prince Edward Island furnished 

 one vessel, and Newfoundland, though not included in the arrange- 

 ments at Toronto, joined the movement. In June, the colonists re- 

 ceived assurances from Sir John Packington, the secretary for the colo- 

 nies, that "among the many pressing subjects which have engaged the 

 attention of her Majesty's ministers since their assumption of office, 

 few have been more important, in their estimation, than the ques- 

 tions relating to the protection solicited for the fisheries on the coasts 

 of British North America;" and that "her Majesty's ministers are 

 desirous to remove all grounds of complaint on the part of the colo- 

 nies, in consequence of the encroachments of the fishing vessels of the 

 United States upon those waters, from which they are excluded by 

 the terms of the convention of 1818; and they therefore intend to 

 despatch, as soon as possible, a small naval force of steamers, or other 

 small vessels, to enforce the observance of that convention." 



The controversy was now rapidly approaching a crisis. As was 

 subsequently said by a distinguished statesman,! "this whole matter 

 is to be explained as a stroke of policy. It may be a dangerous step 

 to be taken by the British government, and the colonies may be 



* Speech of Hon. W. H. Seward in the Senate of the United States, August 14, 1852. 

 tHon. John Davis, of Massachusetts speech in the Senate United States, August, 

 1852. 



