120 THE ARGUMENT OP THE UNITED STATES. 



to his said Majesty or to the United States; and His Britannic 

 Majesty and the said United States will extend equal privileges and 

 hospitality to each other's fishermen as to their own. 



This article was agreed to ad referendum by the British Com- 

 missioner, but was not, however, approved by the British Govern- 

 ment; and a new article subsequently agreed upon by the Commis- 

 sioners of the two powers also proved unacceptable to the British 

 Government. 6 



A fresh proposal was at length delivered to the American Com- 

 missioners, in which Article III appeared in this form : 



The citizens of the said United States shall have the liberty of tak- 

 ing fish of every kind on all the banks of Newfoundland, and also in 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence; and also to dry and cure their fish on the 

 shores of the Isle of Sables and on the shores of any of the unsettled 

 bays, harbors and creeks of the Magdalen Islands, in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, so long as such bays, harbors and creeks shall continue 

 and remain unsettled; on condition that the citizens of the said 

 United States do not exercise the -fishery but at the distance of three 

 leagues from all the coast belonging to Great Britain, as well as those 

 of the continent as those of the islands situated in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. And as to what relates to the fishery on the coast of the 

 island of Cape Breton out of the said gulf, the citizens of the said 

 United States shall not be permitted to exercise the said fishery but 

 at the distance of fifteen leagues from the coasts of the island of Cape 

 Breton. 



This proposal that " the citizens of the said United States do not 

 exercise the fishery but at a distance of three leagues from all the 

 coast belonging to Great Britain, as well those of the continent as 

 those of the islands situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence," and " but 

 at a distance of fifteen leagues from the coasts of the island of Cape 

 Breton," proved entirely unacceptable to the American Commissioners, 

 who refused to consider any such limitations. The proposal was 

 thereupon abandoned by the Commissioner for Great Britain, who 

 reported to his Government, after the conclusion of the negotiations : 



If we had not given way in the article of the fishery, we should 

 have had no treaty at all, Mr. Adams having declared that he would 

 never put his hand to any treaty, if the restraints regarding the three 

 leagues and fifteen leagues were not dispensed with, as well as that 

 denying his countrymen the privilege of drying fish on the unsettled 

 parts of Nova Scotia.* 



Article III of the treaty was finally agreed upon as proposed by 

 the American Commissioners with slight amendments by the British 

 Commissioner. 



U. S. Case, Appendix, 217. U. S. Case, Appendix, 219. 



U. S. Case, Appendix, 218. 'U. S. Case, Appendix, 234. 



