15 



and has been fearful to take hold of this interest and say to Great 

 Britain just what it ought to have said. I do not know much about 

 international law, but sometimes when I have had correspondence 

 about fishery matters, and found that treaty of 1818 standing in the 

 way. I have felt that there should have been a sword somewhere to 

 cut that gordian knot, and say to Great Britain — as we ought to 

 have said in 1842, when Mr. Webster was considering the Ashbur- 

 tou treat}', which said that the flag of the United States protects all 

 who are under its folds — to say to Great Britain also that the rights 

 of 1783 were inalienable and ought never to have been surrendered. 

 (Applause.) On motion of Mr. Cunningham a Committee on Reso- 

 lutions was appointed as follows : Sj'lvester Cunningham of Glou- 

 cester ; O. B. Whitten of Portland ; Oscar Coinstock of New York; 

 T. B. Baker of Harwichport, and Luther Maddocks of Boothbay. 



During the absence of the committee the president read a number 

 of letters expressive of the sympathy of Congressmen in the object 

 of the meeting. 



Senator Dawes expressed himself as opposed to a renewal of the 

 reciprocity treaty, giving it as his opinion that our first dut}' to the 

 fishing industry, and all others possible and profitable, is that Amer- 

 icans should control American markets. There is an additional rea- 

 son to be found in the fact that our fisheries are a school to which 

 our navy and merchant marine must look for able, hardy, well trained 

 and brave seamen. 



Senator Hoar expressed full sympathy with the movement. 



Senator Frye of Maine expressed great interest in the revival of 

 •our merchant marine, the rebuilding of our nav}' and the encourage- 

 ment of the fisheries, the three being as united as were the Siamese 

 twins. It was his opinion that the fisheries provisions of the treaty 

 -of Washington were an outrage upon the rights of our fishermen. 



These provisions will expire next Jul}'. From this death there 

 will be no resurrection. 



Representative Stone did not anticipate unfavorable legislation to- 

 ward the fisheries at present, but intimated that we should keep an 

 eye on the Canadian efforts for a renewal of the reciprocity treaty. 

 He said he had reason to think that the President did not favor a re- 

 newal of the treaty, and it was pretty certain that nothing would be 

 done adverse to the interests of our fishermen daring this administra- 

 tion. 



