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edge of the immense fleets of American fishermen, which under the 

 hand-line system and the use of immense quantities of bait, would 

 develop the mackerel fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence as much 

 or more to the profit of the Provincials as to themselves. But the re- 

 sult of their folly still remains ; unadapted as it is either to the pres- 

 ent development of our fisheries or to the principles of amity and fair 

 dealing. This clause of the treat v forms the basis of all the harsh 

 and coercive legislation that Canada will use against us. If it were 

 not for that clause in the treat}-, Canada would not dare to so out- 

 rage the comity of nations, but under its provisions she presumes to 

 seize our vessels for buying bait, or for alleged fishing within her ju- 

 risdiction, and vessels have been condemned upon evidence that no 

 other nation except the United States would ever have submitted to. 

 I received letters from the Hon. Secretary of State, Mr. Fish, at the 

 time of the seizure of our vessels from 1869 to 1872, saying that the 

 United States would not acknowledge the power of the colonial courts 

 to settle matters of treaties between the United States and Great 

 Britain, and the cases would be settled in the courts of higher record. 

 I have never heard of any further settlement. 



Our own government has been as weak as Canada has been aggres- 

 sive, and the treaty of 1818 should, like all other legislation that 

 stands as a relic of barbarism, be consigned to oblivion. The Unit- 

 ed States should waive all so-called privileges under this treaty, 

 which are wholly and totally worthless, and demand for Amercan 

 vessels in Canadian ports all the rights that Canadian vessels have 

 in American ports. The government has no right to allow the out- 

 lawry of any of her citizens for no offence or crime. We have been 

 so weak as to be pusillanimous in this matter ; therefore one of the re- 

 sults of this convention should be a unanimous demand for the abro- 

 gation of the fishery provisions of the treaty of 1818. 



Upon the termination of the present treaty of Washington in July 

 next, the provisions of the treaty of 1818 are in force'. In fact they 

 are to-day in a large particular, for by the treaty of Washington we 

 obtained no commercial rights ; all the concession given by that 

 treaty was simply to fish in shore, so that if Canada, taking the 

 wood, water and shelter clause as a basis, sees fit, she can by legis- 

 lation, exclude our vessels from every commercial right of buying 

 bait, supplies or ice. This fact should be uuderstood, although such 



