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legislation may belong to a semi-barbarous age, and its exercise 

 would be to the detriment of and almost the destruction of her own 

 people ; for many of her fishing communities derive a large part of 

 their sustenance from selling bait to the Americans. And while un- 

 der the present treaty our vessels with their immense seines could 

 have taken all the bait and left the people to starve, they have not 

 done it, but have continued to buy their bait of the local fishermen 

 as though no treaty existed. So that actual reciprocity of free fish- 

 ing, if carried into effect, would take their entire living from many 

 of the Dominion shore fishermen. Therefore it is utterly impractica- 

 ble. I know this personally, for I have held town meetings in many 

 of their little fishing hamlets, and these poor fishermen, who are nev- 

 er represented by treaty commissioners, will fight to preserve their 

 only means of subsistence for their wives and families, and I do not 

 blame them either. Their government is as ignorant of their real 

 wants and interests as ours is. The treaty of 1818 enforced against 

 us will starve them ; and practical reciprocity will starve them. 



The reciprocity treaty of 1854 was the result largely of the coer- 

 cive policy of Canada under this treaty. And as at that time the on- 

 ly method of taking mackerel was by hook and line, and the profuse 

 use of bait, it was thought advisable to secure the inshore fisheries 

 of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and at the same time be relieved of the 

 hostile annoyance of Canadian cutters and British men of war. No 

 one will deny that at that time there were some benefits derived from 

 the exercise of the privilege. It had the effect to stimulate the mack- 

 erel fisheries of Canada, and by the use of immense quantities of men- 

 haden as bait, and which do not go as far north as British waters, 

 the mackerel were kept together instead of scattering for food, and 

 being then made available both to the American vessels and Cana- 

 dian shore boats, large quantities were taken. 



It was to this feeding process of the Americans that the Gulf 

 mackerel fisheujes owe the prominence that has been given them, and 

 the results of our methods were the chief dependence of Canada in 

 enlarging upon the value of these fisheries before the Halifax commis- 

 sion. Now, as you all know, there is neither hook and line or men- 

 haden used in the mackerel fishery to any extent. Mackerel shun 

 the hook, and what few menhaden are taken are used principally for 

 oil or codfish bait, and we could not if we would renew the old meth- 

 ods. 



