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and those that have their estuaries within the 

 British province of New Brunswick. It is im- 

 portant, and must always have been had in con- 

 templation, that an uninterrupted communica- 

 tion and connexion should exist between all his 

 Majesty's North American possessions ; but by 

 the manner in which the treaty is insisted upon 

 by the opposite party, a space of more than 

 eighty-five miles would be placed within the 

 American hmits, and by which the British pro- 

 vinces would be completely severed ; it would 

 also produce the inconvenience of having the 

 mail from England to Quebec carried over that 

 distance of American territory; and which may 

 either be deemed a matter of indulgence, or 

 complained of as an encroachment, according 

 to the temper of the times. Within this tract 

 also is the Madawaska settlement, consisting of 

 nearly 200 families, all holding their grants from 

 the British government. England, at all times 

 high minded and generous, never shrinks from 

 the strict fulfilment of her engagements ; even 

 though from oversight, or want of political 

 acuteness in the persons employed, they may 

 have been framed in a way prejudicial to 

 her true interests. But at the same time she 

 has a right to require that the interpretation of 

 them should not be overstrained or twisted 

 from their obvious meaning and intent by a 



