No. 173.
Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. West.

Sir: Referring to your note of the 9th of October last, concerning the revision of the fishery treaty, and adverting to the language of the President’s last annual message to Congress relative to appointing a Commission to consider the subject, I now have the honor to inform you that Congress has adjourned without reaching any action on the President’s recommendation. In such an important international question, in which Congress has intervened at every stage hitherto, it is deemed best to defer definite action on the British proposal until December.

I have, &c.,

FRED’K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.