FISH, HAMILTON (1808-1893), American statesman, was born in New York city on Aug. 3, 1808. His father, Nicholas Fish (1758-1833), served in the American Revolution. The son graduated at Columbia college in 1827, and in 1830 was admitted to the bar, but practised only a short time. In 1843-45 he was a Whig representative in Congress. He was governor of New York from 2849 to 1851, and was U.S. senator in 1851-57, acting with the Republicans during the last part of his term. In 1861-62 he was associated with John A. Dix, William M. Evarts, William E. Dodge, A. T. Stewart, John Jacob Astor, and other New York men,. on the Union defence committee, which (from April 22, to April 3o, 186 2) co-operated with the municipal govern ment in the raising and equipping of troops, and disbursed more than $1,000,000 for the relief of New York volunteers and their families. Fish was secretary of State during President Grant's two Administrations (1869-77). He conducted the negotiations with Great Britain which resulted in the treaty of May 8, 1871, under which the "Alabama claims" were referred to arbitration, and the same disposition was made of the "San Juan boundary dispute," concerning the Oregon boundary line. In 1871 Fish pre sided at the Peace Conference at Washington between Spain and the allied republics of Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, which resulted in the formulation (April 12) of a general truce between those countries, to last indefinitely and not to be broken by any one of them without three years' notice given through the United States; and it was chiefly due to his restraint and moderation that a satisfactory settlement of the "Virginius affair" was reached by the United States and Spain (1873) . Fish was vice-president general of the Society of the Cincinnati in 1848–S4, and president general from 1854 until his death. He died in Garrison, N.Y., on Sept. 7, His son, NICHOLAS FISH (1846-1902), was appointed second secretary of legation at Berlin in 1871, became secretary in 1874, was chargé d'a ff aires at Berne in 1877-81, and minister to Belgium in 1882-86, after which he engaged in banking in New York city. See A. Elwood Canning, Hamilton Fish (1918).