No. 365.
Sir Edward Thornton to Mr. Blaine.

Sir: With reference to your note of the 6th instant, relating to the discussions which have recently taken place between Her Majesty’s [Page 590] Government and that of the United States with regard to the losses alleged to have been suffered by United States fishermen in Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, on the 6th of January 1878, in consequence of certain acts committed by natives of that colony, I have the honor to inform you that Her Majesty’s Government is prepared to meet the views of the Government of the United States upon this matter by the payment of the sum of £15,000 sterling in full satisfaction of all claims for disturbance of American fishermen in their fishing operations on the coasts of Newfoundland and its dependencies up to the 4th of March last, including the occurrences at Aspee Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in the Dominion of Canada, a statement of which is made at pages 138 to 141, inclusive, of Ex. Doc. No. 84 of the second session of the House of Representatives of the Forty-sixth Congress.

It will, however, be clearly understood that the above-mentioned payment will be made without prejudice to any question of the rights of either of the two governments under Articles XVIII to XXV, both inclusive, and Article XXXII of the treaty of May 8, 1871, between the United States and Great Britain.

I have, &c.,

EDW’D THORNTON.