MISCELLANEOUS. 1255 



not at hand. Within the last few days a despatch has been received 

 from the foreign office of Great Britain to the colonial oiiicc, advising 

 it of this movement, and advising that it was one requiring celerity and 

 despatch, and requiring that measures should be taken by the colonial 

 office to procure concert between the British naval forces and the 

 colonial authorities. The reason assigned was, that this measure was 

 taken on the part of Great Britain as preliminary to certain negotia- 

 tions. Now, what does this mean? I know not what these negotia- 

 tions are ; but if it means anything, it means that we are to negotiate 

 under duresse. 



"Aye, sir, at this day this great people, covering a continent num- 

 bering thirty millions, are to negotiate with a foreign fleet on our coast. 

 I know not what the President has done, but I claim to know what the 

 American people expect of him. I know that if he has done his duty, 

 the reply to this resolution of inquiry will be I have ordered the 

 wliole naval force of the country into those seas, to protect the rights 

 of American fishermen against British cruisers ! I hope it will be the 

 pleasure of the Senate to consider the resolution immediately. 



Several senators followed Mr. Mason, and spoke in similar terms. 



"Mr. Harnlin agreed to every word uttered by the chairman of the 

 Committee on Foreign Relations, and he was grateful to the senator for 

 having introduced the resolution. What the object of the British 

 armament sent to the fishing shores was, he could not say; but that it 

 had some ulterior object, was certain. It had been whispered that it 

 was connected with certain negotiations with respect to a reciprocity 

 trade with the colonies. If this were so, it was nothing more nor less 

 than to compel the United States to legislate under duresse, and to this 

 he, for one, was unwilling to submit. 



"Mr. Cass gave his full concurrence to all that had fallen from Mr. 

 Mason, and he heartily approved of the resolution. He was gratified 

 at hearing that senator's remarks, w T hich were equally statesmanlike 

 and patriotic. He had never before heard of such proceeding as that 

 now adopted by England. No matter what the ooject of the force 

 was, there was one thing certain the American people would not 

 submit to surrender their rights. This treaty was now over thirty 

 years old, and it recognised clearly the right of Americans to fish 

 within three miles of any shore. This had been conceded for thirty 

 years. If there was any doubt about it, it could be settled by nego- 

 tiations. 



"Mr. Pratt said this appeared to him more likely to result in w r ar than 

 did the late difficulty. The English government has decided upon a 

 treaty construction. England don't want to negotiate, for she has sent 

 a large force to execute her construction of the treaty. Americans 

 are to be expelled from rights which they have enjoyed for thirty 

 years, under what their government has at all times and now declares 

 to be the proper construction of the treaty. Ought not a force to be 

 sent there to protect them in those rights which this treaty has de- 

 clared to be theirs? Certainly there ought. 



"Mr. Davis said, by the newspapers it would appear that the Secre- 

 tary of State and the British minister, who had gone to Boston, were 

 now consulting on this matter, and he thought, from this fact, that 

 there was little apprehension but that the matter would be settled 

 amicably. He had no difficulty at arriving at the object of the move- 

 ment. The senator from Maine, he thought, had touched the key to 



