10* EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



arc! Heury Dana, jr., of Boston, the well-knoAvn author of " Two Tears 

 Before the Mast," and a specialist in matters connected with maritime 

 law, and Mr. William H. Trescott, who had been Assistant Secretary of 

 State under Buchanan, and was well versed in all matters of diplomatic 

 routine. 



The British agent was assisted by leading lawyers from all the British 

 Provinces of Xorth America : Mr. Joseph Doutre, of Montreal, repre- 

 senting" Quebec and Ontario ; Mr. Louis H. Davies, of Charlottetown, 

 Prince Edward's Island ; Mr. W. Y. Whiteway, of St. Johns, Newfound- 

 land ; Mr. E. L. Wetherbe, of Halifax, Nova Scotia ; and John S. R. 

 Tliompson, of St. John, Ncav Brunswick, for those provinces respectively. 



Many hundreds of witnesses were produced on both sides, their testi- 

 mony, as might be imagined, being very opposite as to the value of the 

 pri\ileges conceded by the two contracting parties. An immense mass 

 of evidence was taken and printed day bj^ day, embodying a great deal 

 of valuable information respecting all subjects connected Avith the fish 

 and fisheries of the northern seas. After a full consideration of all the 

 evidence presented to the court and elucidated by the arguments of the 

 counsel respectively, an award was made by Mr. Alexander Gait and 

 Mr. Delfosse of $5,500,000, as representing the excess in value of the 

 privileges conceded to the United States for the period of twelve years 

 from 1873. Mr. Kellogg, however, dissented from this, and gave it as 

 his opinion that the United States received less than she gave, and 

 entered a protest against the payment of the awards by the suggestion 

 that this could only be binding by a unanimous decision of the commis- 

 sioners, the words of the treaty being " that any sum of money which 

 the said commissioners may so award shall be paid by the United States 

 in a gross sum within twelve months after such an award shall have been 

 given," and without specifying that an award might be made by a ma- 

 jority of the commissioners. After some correspondence, however, of 

 the State Department with the British Government on the points at 

 issue. Congress made the necessary appropriation, and the full amount 

 awarded was paid to Great Britain before the expiration of the year from 

 the date of the award. 



6. — RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES FISH-COMMISSION TO THE 

 HALIFAX CONVENTION. 



Having been invited by Mr. Evarts, the Secretary of State, in June, 

 1877, to assist the American counsel in the collection and preparation of 

 data to be used before the Halifax Commission, I was enabled to find in 

 the material gathered during the inquiry into the condition of the food- 

 fishes for the last six years, very many important facts bearing upon 

 the case. 



One special point to be determined, was the value of the inshore 

 sea-fisheries of the United States from the Bay of Eundy to Delaware 



I 



