Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1879

No. 231.
Mr. Seward to Sir Edward Thornton.

Department of State,
Washington, August 11, 1879.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 18th June last, in further relation to the subject of wrecks upon the great lakes.

Upon a perusal of the copy accompanying your note of a report of a committee of the Canadian privy council, approved by the governor-general on the 6th June, 1879, it is observed that the declaration is therein made that the government of the dominion is ready to enter into negotiations with this government with a view to the adoption of a more liberal policy than is now pursued in this matter, but that they cannot consent to any measure which would give United States shipowners privileges in Canadian waters not secured in equal proportion to Canadian ship-owners in United States waters, nor can any partial system of reciprocity be accepted which, in its practical operation, would favor the latter at the expense of the former.

While I am pleased to note this indication of a disposition and desire on the part of the Canadian authorities to come to some reciprocal agreement with the Government of the United States which shall do away with the present objectionable system of wrecking followed on the lakes lying between the respective countries, at the same time I am surprised that any such expression as is contained in the report referred to should have been made, in view of the act of the Congress of the United States, approved June 19, 1878, entitled “An act to aid vessels wrecked or disabled in the waters coterminous to the United States and the Dominion of Canada,” a copy of which was submitted to you upon the 15th July, 1878, for the consideration of the Canadian Government, and which is presumed to have received their serious attention. A second copy of that act is herewith inclosed for your information; and I would be pleased to have you recall the earnest consideration of the Dominion Government to the fact that the full, reciprocity this act engages, only awaits concurrent action on the part of that government to become instantly operative, and thus remove a cause of serious and dangerous embarrassment to the shipping interests of the United States.

I have, &c.

F. W. SEWARD.

[Inclosure in Mr. Seward’s note of August 11, 1879.]

Chap. 324.—An Act to aid vessels wrecked or disabled in the waters conterminous to the United States and the Dominion of Canada.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Canadian vessels of all descriptions may render aid or assistance to Canadian or other vessels wrecked or disabled in the waters of the United States contiguous to the Dominion of Canada: Provided, That this act shall not take effect until proclamation by the President declaring that the privilege of aiding American or other vessels wrecked or disabled in Canadian waters contiguous to the United States has been extended by the government of the Dominion of Canada and declaring this act to be in force: And provided further; That this act shall cease to be in force from and after the date of proclamation by the President to the effect that said reciprocal privilege has been withdrawn or revoked by the said government of the Dominion of Canada.

Approved June 19, 1878.