MISCELLANEOUS. 1253 



they have desired should be enforced. This the English government 

 has now, it would appear, consented to do, and the immediate effect 

 will be the loss of the valuable fall fishing to American fishermen; a 

 complete interruption of the extensive fishing business of New Eng- 

 land, attended by constant collisions of the most unpleasant and excit- 

 ing character, which may end in the destruction of human life, in the 

 involvement of the government in questions of a very serious nature, 

 threatening the peace of the two countries. Not agreeing that the 

 construction thus put upon the treaty is conformable to the intentions of 

 the contracting parties, this information is, however, made public to 

 the end that those concerned in the American fisheries may perceive 

 how the case at present stands, and be upon their guard. The whole 

 subject will engage the immediate attention of the government. 



"DANIEL WEBSTER, 



"Secretary of State." 



This paper attracted immediate and universal attention. On the 

 23d of July Mr. Mason, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Kela- 

 tions, offered a resolution in the Senate of the United States, requesting 

 the President to communicate to that body, "if not incompatible with 

 the public interest, all correspondence on file in the executive depart- 

 ment, with the government of England or the diplomatic representa- 

 tive, since the convention between the United States and Great Britain 

 of October 20, 1818, touching the fisheries on the coast of British 



gosessions in North America, and the rights of citizens of the United 

 tates engaged in such fisheries secured by the said convention; and 

 that the President be also requested to inform the Senate whether any 

 of the naval forces of the United States have been ordered to the seas 

 adjacent to the British possessions of North America, to protect the 

 rights of American fishermen, under the convention, since the receipt 

 of the intelligence that a large and unusual British naval force has 

 been ordered there to enforce certain alleged rights of Great Britain 

 under said convention." 



This resolution was agreed to unanimously. The debate which pre- 

 ceded its passage was highly animated. Mr. Mason is reported to have 

 said, that "he had thought it his duty, considering the present aspect 

 of affairs, so far as they are communicated to us by the public journals, 

 to submit this resolution, and ask that it be considered immediately. 

 We are informed, (he said,) unofficially, but yet in a manner clearly 

 indicating that it is correct, that the British government has recently 

 asserted rights under the convention of 1818 in relation to the fisheries 

 of the North, which, whether they exist or not, they suffered from 1818 

 to 1841 ; and when the question was moved as to the respective rights 

 of British subjects and American citizens under the treaty of 1818, they 

 still suffered to remain in statu quo. The British government knew 

 well that very large and important interests are embarked by citizens 

 of the United States by these fisheries. They knew that the harbors, 

 coasts, and seas of their possessions in North America swarm, at stated 

 seasons of the year and this, as he was informed, was one of these 

 reasons with these fishing vessels. Yet suddenly, without notice of 

 any kind, we are informed from the public journals, and semi-officially 

 by a sort of proclamation from the Secretary of State, that a very 

 large British naval force has been ordered into these seas for the pur- 



