Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, For the Year 1887, Transmitted to Congress, With a Message of the President, June 26, 1888

No. 303.
Mr. Bayard to Mr. Phelps .

Department of State,
Washington , December 13, 1880.

No. 474.]

Sir: On the 8th instant I received from the British minister at this capital a communication dated the 7th of this month, accompanied by a copy of the minutes of the honorable privy council of Canada, in relation to the action of Captain Quigley, of the Canadian cutter Terror, in lowering the flag of the United States fishing schooner Marion Grimes whilst under detention by the customs authorities in Shelburne Harbor, on the 11th of October last.

As this occurrence had been made the subject of an instruction to you by me, on the 6th ultimo, whereby you were requested to bring the incident to the attention of Her Majesty’s Government, I hasten to inform you of the voluntary action of the Canadian Government and of their expression of regret for the action of the officer referred to.

The copy of the correspondence and proceedings of the Canadian authorities discloses the dates of their action in the premises, of which, however, my earliest information was on the 8th instant, in the note^* of Sir Lionel West, a copy of which is herewith sent to you.

I am, etc.,

T. F. Bayard.

1. Printed page 491, Foreign Relations, 1886.