214 REVIEW OF THE NOOTKA CONVENTION. [1790. 



As to the utility of the convention in preventing disputes in 

 future between the two nations, Mr. Fox was wholly incredulous ; 

 and he predicted that difficulties would soon arise (as thev did) 

 from the impossibility of devising and enforcing any measures on 

 the part of Great Britain, which could be considered " effectual" in 

 checking illicit trade between British subjects and the Spanish set- 

 tlements in America. " This treaty," says he, in conclusion, " re- 

 minds me of a lawyer's will, drawn by himself, with a note in the 

 margin of a particular clause — ' This will afford room for an excel- 

 lent disquisition in the Court of Chancery.'' With equal propriety, 

 and full as much truth, might those who had extolled the late nego- 

 tiation, for the occasion it had given to show the vigor and prompt- 

 itude of the national resources, write in the margin of most of the 

 articles of the convention — ' This will afford an admirable oppor- 

 tunity for a future display of the power and energy of Great 

 Britain.' " 



To all these objections the ministers and their friends gave only 

 short, general, and evasive answers. Their great majorities in both 

 houses enabled them to dispense with arguments, and to evade the 

 calls for information or papers relating to the transaction ; and, 

 having triumphantly carried their vote of thanks to the sovereign, 

 they were left at liberty to execute the new engagements, according 

 to their own construction, for which they had certainly provided 

 themselves with ample space. 



As the convention of October, 1790, was the first diplomatic ar- 

 rangement between the governments of civilized nations with regard 

 to the north-west coast of North America, its conclusion forms an 

 important era in the history of that part of the world. On exam- 

 ining its stipulations, we shall see that they were calculated 

 to produce very few and slight changes in any way, and that 

 those changes were not, upon the whole, disadvantageous to the 

 real interests of Spain. The exclusive navigation of the Pacific and 

 Southern Oceans, and the sovereignty of the vacant territories of 

 America bordering upon them, were claimed by Spain, only with 

 the object of preventing other nations from intercourse with her 

 settlements ; as her government foresaw that such intercourse, par- 

 ticularly with the British, who had for more than two centuries 

 been striving to establish it, would be fatal to the subsistence of 

 Spanish supremacy over those dominions. By the convention, both 

 parties were admitted, equally, to navigate and fish in the above- 



