136 THE ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



upon the shores of the British territories, and would not be prevented 

 from fishing beyond the territorial jurisdiction a marine league from 

 the shore f 



Mr. Adams wrote Lord Bathurst on the subject of the interview, 

 September 25, 1815: 



But in disavowing the particular act of the officer who had pre- 

 sumed to forbid American fishing vessels from approaching within 

 sixty miles of the American coast, and in assuring me that it had 

 been the intention of this Government and the instructions given by 

 your lordship, not even to deprive the American fishermen of any 

 of their accustomed liberties during the present year, your lordship 

 did also express it as the intention of the British Government to 

 exclude the fishing vessels of the United States hereafter, from the 

 liberty of fishing within one marine league of the shores of all the 

 British territories in North America and from that of drying and 

 curing their fish on the unsettled parts of those territories, and with 

 the consent of the inhabitants on those parts which have become 

 settled since the peace of 1783. 



Mr. Adams observed that a stipulation was inserted in the treaty 

 of 1783 



declaring that they [the people of the United States] should con- 

 tinue to enjoy the right of fishing on the Grand Bank and other 

 places of common jurisdiction, and have the liberty of fishing and of 

 drying and curing their fish within the exclusive British jurisdiction 

 on the North American coasts, to which they had been accustomed 

 while themselves formed a part of the British nation. 6 



Mr. Adams reminded Lord Bathurst that in the negotiations at 

 Ghent, in which he had participated, the British plenipotentiaries 

 had communicated to those of the United States their intentions as 

 to the North American fisheries, as follows: 



That the British Government did not intend to grant to the United 

 States, gratuitously, the privileges formerly granted by treaty to 

 them of fishing within the limits of the British sovereignty, and of 

 using the shores of the British territories for purposes connected with 

 the British fisheries." 



Mr. Adams distinctly stated in his note to Lord Bathurst, " your 

 Lordship did also express it as the intention of the British Gov- 

 ernment to exclude the fishing vessels of the United States here- 

 after from the liberty of fishing within one marine league of the 

 shores of all British territories in North America" 



U. S. Case, 25; Appendix, 268-269. 

 6 U. S. Case, Appendix, 269-270. 

 U. S. Case, Appendix, 270. 



