32 



rence seemed to be their northern resort. With the mackerel came 

 the menhaden. Now, where are the menhaden? The waters that 

 knew them will know them no more, and the mackerel, not even con- 

 sulted as to whether he will be caught, is intercepted at every mile 

 of his progress, the schools broken, the line of march destroyed, and 

 he, like the menhaden, cannot court the shore as formerby. So while 

 seining, according to the highest scientific authority we have, may 

 not perceptibly, and does not affect the great life of the ocean, still 

 it does affect localities and courses of migratory fish, and it undoubt- 

 tedly affected the shore fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and 

 our own immediate shores, so that the three mile limit is not what 

 it was in times past, and its value is one of the n^ths of the past. 

 The traps are a pureby local propert}' and should be operated only 

 by local fishermen in the waters of an} r country ; these with the net 

 and boat fisheries should never be an object of barter or trade or re- 

 ciprocity by anj r country, for b} - the very nature of their operation 

 they will not admit of foreign participants. If we want these shore 

 bait fish we must pay, the fishermen are glad to sell them, and it is 

 only idiots that make treaties to convey these inherent natural rights 

 that have any other view of this matter. The vessel fishery is an 

 ocean fishery and the mackerel and the fish have to be sailed for and 

 taken where the fishermen himself is sole arbiter of his rights. 



Now what is the summary of all this ? To my mind it is as fol- 

 lows : > 



1st. — The abrogation of all treaty clauses relative to the fisheries, 

 including the treat}- of 1818. 



2d — The maintenance of the tariff as it now exists " defining the 

 clause" fish, fresh for immediate consumption, to be fish not pre- 

 served by any artificial means whatever. 



3d. — Such legislation on the part of congress as shall define the 

 products of the American fisheries entitled to free entry to be ; all 

 fish of every kind taken by vessels of the United States licensed for 

 the fisheries in any waters, or b} r the crews of said vessels or by any 

 persons, means or methods, emploj'ed by the masters of said vessels 

 and which are delivered fresh on board such vessels and cured or pre- 

 served thereon and brought to the United States by such vessels, 

 shall be deemed the product of the American fisheries and entitled to 

 free entry. It being understood that the above liberty shall not ap- 



