could be come to immediately, Commissioners should be appointed to inquire into the question, with directions to report within a reasonable time.[1] The fishery question was settled in the manner proposed by Fitzherbert to Vergennes. Rayneval during his second visit to England had proposed a form of declaration to be attached to the Treaty, but Grantham objected to it, as not marking with sufficient clearness that the concession to France was not to be "exclusive" in character,[2] and he drew up another form of declaration, which Fitzherbert proposed to Vergennes. After a long debate, in the course of which Vergennes insisted most strenuously, but in vain, for the insertion of the word exclusive, the Declaration was made to stand in the shape in which it may be read attached to the Definitive Treaty; the English Government undertaking to see that the French fishermen should not be molested in their occupation.[3]
All difficulties were now removed, and on the 20th of January 1783 the Preliminary Articles of peace between England and France and England and Spain were signed. A truce was at the same time settled between England and the States-General.[4] It was high time. The war party in
- ↑ Fitzherbert to Shelburne, January 15th, 19th, 1783.
- ↑ "I find great pains have been taken to avoid mistating the fishery as exclusive, and the third article is cautiously worded for that purpose. However, it is very desirable that it should be left entirely out, and that the French should be contented with as strong assurances of not being molested as can be given in the King's name." (Grantham to Fitzherbert, November 23rd.)
- ↑ The three forms of Declaration mentioned above are here appended in extenso.
Form of clause proposed by Rayneval, November 15th, 1782:—
"Les pêcheurs françois jouiront de la pêche qui leur est assignée par l'article précédent, comme its ont eu droit d'en jouir en vertu du Traité d'Utrecht et Sa Majesté Britannique's'engage à empêcher ses sujets, par les ordres les plus positifs, d'interrompre ni de gêner, de quelque façon que ce soit, les pêcheurs francois. Bien entendu qu'il ne sera point permis a ceux-ci d'hiverner sur l'Isle de Terre-Neuve."
Form of Declaration to be attached to the clause as it now stands in the Treaty, proposed by Lord Grantham, January 1783:—
"Pour que les Pêcheurs des deux nations ne fassent pas naître des querelles journalières, Sa Majesté prendra les mesures les plus positives pour prévenir les enterprises de ses sujets au préjudice de ceux de la France qui pêcheront sur les côtes qui sont assignées à ceux-ci, et fera retirer les Etablissemens'sédentaires qui's'y seront formés."
The form of Declaration agreed upon by Mr. Fitzherbert and M. Vergennes, January 18th, 1783, is the same as the above; except that in the place of the words in italics, the following words are inserted: "que ses sujets ne troublent, en aucune manière, par leur concurrence, la pêche des François, pendant l'exercice temporaire qui leur est accordé, sur les côtes de l'Isle de Terre-Neuve."
- ↑ The Preliminary Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and Holland was not signed until September 2nd, 1783.
