The Sun.
London, England, 1825-04-23 00:00:00

NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES.

[Annexed will be found a Correspondence be-
tween the British Minister at Washington, and the American
Government, on the subject of the capture and detension of
American fishermen by British armed vessels during the last
season. The letters, together with a mass of evidence and other
documents, were laid before Congress on the 16th and 2.3 d of
February :]—

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

I transmit to the House of Representatives, a report from the
Secretary of State, containing the information called for by their
resolution of the Ist of this month, touching the capture and
detention of American fishermen, during the last season.
Washington, Feb. 16, 1825. JAMES MONROE.

Department of State, Washington, Feb. 16, 1825.
The Secretary of State, to whom has been referred a resolu-
tion of the House of Representatives of the Ist instant, request-
ing the President of the United States to cause to be laid before
it such information as might be in his possession, and which, in
his opinion, it would be proper to communicate, touching the
capture and detention of American fishermen, the last season,
in the bay of Fundy, and what progress has been made in ob-
taining redress ; has the honour respectfully to submit to the
President, copies of the letters and documents in this office,
which contain the information called for by the resolution re-
ferred to. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

MR. BRENT, CHIEF CLERK IN TIIE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE TO MR. ADDINGTOW, DATED SEPT. 8, 1824.
SIR-I have the honour to transmit to you three memorials
from sundry citizens of the United States belonging to the
State of Maine, accompanied by seven protests and affidavits,
which exhibit the nature and extent of the facts referred to by
the memorialists, complaining of the interruption which they
have experienced during the present season, in their accus-
tomed lawful employment of taking and curing fish in the
Bay of Fundy, and upon the Grand Banks, by the British
armed brig Dotterel, commanded by Captain Hoare, and
another vessel, a provincial cutter of New Brunswick,
acting under the orders of that officer ; and earnestly so-
liciting the interposition of this Government to procure for
them suituable redress. With this view, I was charged by the
Secretary, before his late departure from this city, to commu-
nicate to you the above papers, and to request your good offices
towards obtaining for the sufferers the indemnity to which
they appeared to be so well entitled, not only from the pecu-
liar nature and extent of the injuries and losses of which they
complain, proved and illustrated as they are, by the series of
protests and depositions accompanying their memorials, but
from the serious violation of the rights and liberties of the citi-
zens of the United States which they involve, in the use of the
same fisheries ; and I have the honour, accordingly, to request
that you will have the goodness to make such representations
to the commanding Officer of the naval forces of your Govern-
ment on that station, or to the Colonial Government of New
Brunswick, as may be available, not only for the relief of the
Memorialists, but for the prevention of similar interruptions in
future.—l have the honour to be, with distinguished considera-
tion, Sir, your obedient and very humble servant,
DANIEL BRENT.

MR. ARENT TO MR. ADDINGTON, DATED SEPT. 21, 1824.
Sir—l have the honour to transmit to you copies of some ad-
ditional papers which have been received at this office upon the
subject of the interruption likewise given by the same armed
British brig Dotterel to vessels of the United States employed
in the prosecution of the fishery in the Bay of Passamaquoddy,
and elsewhere in the same neighbourhood, as particularly ex-
emplified in the cases of the two schooners, William and Re-
becca, which are fully stated in the enclosures ; and to pray the
interposition of your good offices in behalf also of the owners
of these vessels, towards obtaining for them the indemnity to
which they may be justly entitled.—l have the honour to be,
with high consideration, Sir, your obedient and humble servant,
DANIEL BRENT.

MR. BRENT TO MR. SHEPLEY, ATTORNEY, UNITED
STATES, FOR DISTRICT OF MAINE.
Department of State, Washington, Oct. 8, 1824.
Sir,—ln the absence of the Secretary, I have the honour
to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a letter from Mr.
Addington, the British Charge d'Affaires at this place, in
answer to remonstrances from this department, upon the
complaints which were lately exhibited to it, by sundry
Citizens of the United States residing in the State of Maine,
and engaged in the fisheries, against the Commander of
the British armed brig Dotterel, for interruptions and other
injuries which they state to have experienced, at the instance,
and under the orders of that officer, in the prosecution of their
accustomed employment during the present season, and request-
ing his good offices towards obtaining for them the redress
to which they may be entitled; and I beg leave, at the same
time, to trouble you with copies of the letters and documents
referred to, and enclosed in, Mr. Addington's letter, which
exhibits serious complaints on the part of the British autho-
rities, against all, or very many of the same individuals, in
reference to the subject-matter of their own complaints. I
do this, with the request that, as soon as convenient, you would
have the goodness to institute an inquiry into the circumstances
particularly complained of by the British Chargé d'Affitires,
and communicate the result to this department, that the Secre-
tary may be enabled, with the advantage of the counter-state-
ment to be thus expected, as I doubt not he will, to give Mr.
Addington satisfactory explanations in relation to the transaco-
tions complained of by him ; or, otherwise, to direct such pro-
ceedings to be had, as the circumstances of the whole ,case
shall render advisable and proper. I am, with great respect,
Sir, your obedient and humble servant,
DANIEL BRENT.

MIL ADDINOTON TO Mn. ADAMS.
Washington, Oct. 5, 1824.
SIR—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of two
letters, one dated the 9th, and the other the 21st ult., which
Mr. Brent addressed to me, in pursuance of instructions from
you, relatively to certain American fishing vessels averred to
hare been detained, in violation of the terms of the Convention
of 1818, by his Majesty's sloop Dotterel, in the Bay of Fundy,
in the months of .June and July last.
I shall not fail to communicate, without loss of time, the
whole of the papers relative to this matter, to the Admiral
commandingihis Majesty's naval forces at Ilr.lifax ; and in so
doing shall strongly recommend that a full and impartial inves-
tigation be made into the merits of the various cases therein re-
ported ; the result of which shall be forthwith imparted to you
whenever it comes to my knowledge.
Meantime, Sir, I must inform you that a report of those very
occurrences, of a nature very different from that made by the
individuals to you, has reached me from Rear-Admiral Lake,
of whose letter, together with its enclosures, I have the honour
to transmit to you copies herewith.
It is therein made to appear that the fishing vessels above-
mentioned were detained by the Dotterel solely on account of
their having been detected in the commission of a direct infrac-
tion of the treaties existing between the two nations, having in
fact been found pursuing their occupation without the bounda-
ries assigned to them by the terms of the convention of 1818.
On this point, however, the parties are at issue, each stating
his case according to his own view of it. Thus far, therefore,
there is ground for a candid and impartial investigation on both
sides. Such I have recommended to Admiral Lake, and such,
I trust, you will also cause to be instituted here.
But there is another point, Sir, on which I lament that there
should be no ground for doubt or hesitation as to the course
which I have to pursue.
By a perusal of the enclosed documents you will perceive,
that after the detention of the Reindeer and Ruby by the mas-
ter of the Dotterel, and while on their way to St. Andrew's,
" an attack was made on those vessels by two schooners and an
open boat, under Americanof Eastport, who is said to be a
colours, full of armed men, with
muskets and fixed bayonets, amounting to about one hundred,
militia, in consequence of which
prudent to surrender to such supe-
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oent
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a n
This, Sir, is an outrage of such a nature as to leave me no
other alternative than to make a formal demand from the
aAciolirctaln'erthv
e r n eGm
vesselst fo
were r he
legally infliction
detained of
or isherioe t t on
n
violence will bear no justification. If individuals are
permitted to expound the stipulations of treaties for them-
selves, with arms in their hands, the preservation of harmony
and good understanding between nations can no longer be
hoped for.
1 am disposed (no person can be more so) to act fairly and
openly by the citizens of this Republic, wherever they have
just ground of complaint against British authorities, and shall
accordingly take every measure for ascertaining hether the
detention of the vessels in question was legal or not.
If it was not legal, you have abundant proof, Sir, in your own
hands, of the disposition of his Majesty's Government to afford
the most prompt and equitable redress to the parties agrieved. I
allude to the case of the American schooner, Charles, detained
and employed as a tender List year by his Majesty's sloop Argus.

That act, you will recollect, was condemned as illegal by his
Majesty's Ministers, and ristituti,:n ordered to be made to the
parties who sutfered through the exercise of it, although other-
wise liable, by the illegality of tiicir conduct, to the entire loss
of their property.
But, in tile mean time, Sir, it becomes my duty to demand
reparation, by the punishment of ihe transgressors, for the act
of violence perpetrated on persons bearing his Majesty's com-
mission, winch engaged in the discharge of their public duties.
1 feel confident, Sir, that you will view this outrage in the
same light as myself, and consider such conduct equally danger-
ous to the peace and well-being of the two countries; and I have
no doubt that you will see the expedi2ncy of causing immediate
proceedings to be instituted against the principle actors in this
disgraceful scene.
I beg, Sir, that you will accept the rents wed assurances of my
distinguished consideration. H. U..ADDIINGTON•

MR. SHEPLEY TO MR.. ADAMS.

Saco, November 16, 1824.

Sir,—llavirg been requested, by letter from 11Ir. Brent,
under date of the 7th of October last, to institute an inquiry into
the circumstances particularly complainer: of by- -the British
Charge d' A ffaires, and to communicate the result to the Depart-
ment, I have now the honour to inform you, that I repaired to
and near to the places of residence of the parties to those trans-
actions, called upon them, and took their statements under
oath, which are herewith inclosed, and by which you will be
enabled to understand fully and correctly, the whole history,
not only of the circumstances complained of, but of all the pro-
ceedings of the Captain of the British armed brig Dotterel, in
relation to our fishermen ; and their proceedings to protect
themselves, as they supposed, from the losses occasioned by the
conduct of the Captain of the Dotterel.
It may, I think, Sir, with safety be affirmed, that the in-
closed documents (being the affidavits of 17 individuals, and
relating to 13 schooners and boats, and one small boat) present
a fair and faithful history of all the proceedings this season, be-
tween our fishermen anti the officers of that vessel.

I have been particularly cautious, in taking the testimony, to
to give it without colouring it by the feelings of excitement
manifested by our citizens.—With the highest respect, &c.
ETHER SHEPLEY, District Attorney.-

TO TIIE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

I transmit to the House of Representatives a further report,
from the Secretary of State, in pursuance of their resolution, of
the Ist inst., with the papers to which it refers, upon the sub-
ject of the capture and detention of American fishermen, the
last season, in the Bay of Fundy. JAMES MONROE.
Washington, the 23d of February, 1825.

Department of State, Washington, Feb. 22, 1825.

The Secretary of State has the honour to lay 'before the Pre-
sident of the United States . the copy of a letter, dated the 19th
inst., received from Mr. Addington, Charge d'Affaires, frotl
Great Britain, together with copies of the papers by which it
was accompanied, as offering additional information upon the
subject of the capture and detention of the American fishermen,
the last season, in the Bay of Fundy : all respectfully submit-
ted to the President, as a supplement to his report of the 16th,
pursuant to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the
Ist inst. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS-