Charles R. Lowell to Granville Leveson-Gower, March 2, 1881

Mr. Lowell to Lord Granville.

My Lord: I have the honor to acquaint your lordship that having inquired of Mr. Evarts by telegraph, of the nature of the assurance that I might give your lordship upon the receipt of the proposed indemnity in the Newfoundland fishery transactions, I received from him an answer by cable late last evening to the following effect:

The assurance I may give is this: That the sum paid is accepted in full of all claims arising out of any interruptions of American fishermen on the coasts of Newfoundland and its dependencies, up to this time presented to either government, and without prejudice to any question of the rights of either government under the treaty of Washington.

I am also permitted to say to your lordship, in giving this assurance, that as a matter of fact, no other claims than those inclosed in the Fortune Bay list, and those named in Mr. Evarts’ dispatch No. 109, which I have shown to your lordship, are within the knowledge of my government for presentation or for its own consideration.

I have already communicated to your lordship, orally, the substance of this cable message at the interview which I had the honor of having with you this morning. I understood your lordship to say, in answer to this communication, that Her Majesty’s Government adhered to the terms they had finally offered; that is to say, that the sum of £15,000 should be considered as received in full of all demands arising out of the interruptions of American fishermen on the coasts of Newfoundland up to date; otherwise that you would prefer to fall back upon the plan of a reference already suggested.

I sent a telegram to Mr. Evarts this morning informing him of your views.

I have, &c.,