Jesse Lewis (The David J. Adams) Claim (United States v. Great Britain)
Claims Arbitration under the Special Agreement of August 18, 1919
6 U.N. Rep. Int'l Arb. Awards 85
Under the Treaty of London of 1818, the United States gave up its citizens' right to fish in Canadian waters, except for entering Canadian bays for shelter, repairs, wood, or water, and "for no other purpose whatever." In 1886, the American fishing boat The David J. Adams entered Canadian waters to buy fresh bait and was seized by Canadian authorities for violating the Treaty and related Canadian legislation; a Canadian court condemned the ship accordingly. The United States (plaintiff), on the shipowner's behalf, sought damages from Great Britain (defendant), arguing the seizure rested on an erroneous interpretation of the Treaty, and the dispute went to arbitration, with Britain arguing the tribunal couldn't second-guess the Canadian court's treaty interpretation.
Whether a State may enact its own legislation to enforce the provisions of an international treaty to which it is a party.