279! 



American provinces, and also the recommendation of the President of 

 the United States, in his official message to Congress, to negotiate, a 

 treaty for a participation by the citizens of the United States in the 

 said fisheries, irre^ective of any question ol reciprocal intercourse ber 

 tween the Unjtedr States and the North American colonies. 



"Resolved, That a committee bei now appointed to prepare an hum- 

 ble- address, praying that, her Majesty will be graciously pleased to re- 

 fuse to entertain any proposition from the United States government for 

 any modification- or alteration of the treaty of 1818, unless such a prop- 

 osition embraces the full and; entire question of reciprocal intercourse in 

 commerce and navigation upon terms that will be just and reasonable, 

 inasmuch as the. value of a participation in our fisheries by the citizens 

 of the United' States would greatly exceed any concessions that the 

 United States government can offer to the inhabitants of the British colo- 

 nies, and that, before any treaty affecting the fisheries is agreed upon, 

 her Majesty will be graciously pleased to afford her Majesty's, loyal and. 

 faithfijl? subjects, in the provinces, an opportunity of becoming ac- 

 quainted; with the terms proposed in said ti'eaty, and of laying their case 

 at the foot of the throne." 



The Keutenant governor of Nova Scotia, in his speech to the Assem- 

 bly of that colony, January, 1853, observes: 



"I shall direct: to be laid before you. certain papers, connected with 

 the important subject of an efficient protection of the fisheries, including 

 correspondence between the executive and his excellency the. naval 

 commander-in-chief on this station, with respect to the best mode 

 in which this service should be carried out. To the zeal and experi- 

 ence of that distinguished officer, and to tjie active and cordial co-ope- 

 ration of the officers of the squadron employed under his command, we 

 are much, indebted for the vigilance with which our national rights have 

 been guarded, without, at the same time, any diminution of the friendly 

 relations which ought to subsist between those whose common origin 

 and mutual interests ofier so many pledges for the preservation of peace. 



" You will be pleased to learn that the government of the United States 

 has at lengthi consented to negotiate on the subject of their commercial 

 relations with the British empire. I shall rejoice if these negotiations 

 result in the opening of more extended markets for the productions of 

 British America, andthe adjustment of questions on which the legisla- 

 tures of all the provinces have hitherto evinced a Uvely interest." 



The Assembly, in their reply to his excellency, deprecate "any con- 

 cession of territorial advantages to the citizens of the United States,, 

 without these are purchased; by the- most full and ample equivalents." 



EXAMINATION OF THE BRITISH PRETENSIONS, AND OF THE DOCUMENTS 

 WHICH StrPPORT THEM. 



Having now completed a rapid historical view of the controversy 

 bet^vveen the two governments as to the intent and meaning of the first 

 article of the convention of 1818, 1 propose to examine the principal 

 papers which are relied, on to maintain the British side of the case. 



In answer to Lord Falkland's first query, the crown lawyers say: 

 "In obedience to your lordship's commands, we have taken these papexs. 



