CO885-(10-11) — Page 882

3664.

No. 697.

(CANADA.)

LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE.

Temple, April 4, 1871. MY LORD,

We are honoured with your Lordship's commands signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 1st instant, stating that with reference to his letter of the 24th ultimo respecting the boundary between the Dominion of Canada and the United States at the mouth of the River St. Clair, he was directed by your Lordship to transmit to us a further letter on the subject, with its enclosures, which had been received from the Colonial Office, and he was to request that we would take the same into our considera- tion in connexion with the papers enclosed in his other letter.

In obedience to your Lordship's commands we have the honour to

Report

That by the first report of Mr. McMicken, dated 1st August 1870, it would appear from tracings, probably accurate, of the maps referred to in the report of the Boundary Commissioners quite evident that the whole of the canal now being constructed is within Canadian waters. It appears, however, that on Mr. McMicken subsequently employing Mr. Forster, who is represented as a gentleman of the highest competence to make an accurate survey, Mr. Forster reports on the 22nd November 1870 that according to the map a small portion only of the canal is in Canadian waters.

On the principles applicable to the construction of the report of the Commissioners we have nothing to add to our former remarks, and have only to observe that it still seems to us very difficult to contend that the report and the map are irreconcileable, and that in our opinion where the written description of the boundary is vague, as it certainly is in many places, the map referred to by the Commissioners must be looked

to for its clear definition.

We have, &c. (Signed)

R. P. COLLIER. J. D. COLERIDGE.

TRAVERS TWISS.

The Earl Granville, K.G.

&c. &c. &c.

0 16270.-912. 25.-5/86.

།་།། །

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

6

C.O. 885

11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO