338 AKGUMENT OF GREAT BEITAIN. 



" So broad and unequivocal was his Lordship's refusal, that it seemed 

 almost superfluous to ask him to be more particular; yet, perceiving 

 in me a Avish to be made acquainted rather more specifically with 

 the objections, he said that he would not scruple to mention them 

 without, however, entering into details, for which he was not pre- 

 pared, and which had been amply unfolded on both sides during the 

 negotiation this time twelvemonth. The objections were three- 

 fold." c. 



Mr. Rush detailed the rest of Lord Bathurst's exposition; gave his 

 own reply; and concluded as follows (British Case, App., p. 101) : 



" His lordship did not hold to such views, and the conversation 

 was not prolonged. It is proper for me to add, that he requested it 

 to be understood that, whilst our proposals were declined, it was 

 altogether in a friendly spirit, and that no complaint would be made, 

 as had frequently been intimated, at our resorting to any just and 

 rightful regulations of our own which we might deem necessary to 

 meet theirs, in relation to these islands. I rejoined, that I thought it 

 probable that some such regulations would, before long, in addition 

 to those existing, be adopted. 



" Having earnestly endeavoured to fulfill all my instructions, in 

 their full spirit of anxiety for a different result upon this subject, my 

 duty appears now to have arrived at its close." 



1 58 1820. Negotiations being thus terminated, the United States 

 Congress passed a statute (15th May) supplementary to that 

 of the 18th April, 1818 (above), by which it was provided (British 

 Case, App., p. 784) 



" that from and after the thirtieth day of September next, the ports 

 of the United States shall be and remain closed against every vessel 

 owned wholly, or in part, by a subject or subjects of His Britannic 

 Majesty, coming, or arriving by sea, from any port or place in the 

 province of Lower Canada, or coming or arriving from any port or 

 place in the province of New Brunswick, the province of Nova 

 Scotia, the islands of Newfoundland, St. Johns or Cape Breton, or 

 the dependencies of any of them, the islands of Bermuda, the Bahama 

 Islands, the islands called Caicos, or the dependencies of any of them, 

 or from any other port or place in any island, colony, territory, or 

 possession, under the dominion of Great Britain in the West Indies, 

 or on the continent of America, south of the southern boundary of 

 the United States, and not included within the Act to which this Act 

 is supplementary. And every such vessel, so excluded from the ports 

 of the United States, that shall enter, or attempt to enter, the same, 

 in violation of this Act, shall, with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, 

 together with the cargo on board such vessel, be forfeited to the 

 United States." 



It will be observed that this statute includes fishing-vessels as well 

 as all other vessels, and is specifically applicable to all the British 

 North American colonies. In transmitting a copy of it to Mr. Rush 

 for delivery to the British Government, Mr. John Quincy Adams 



