236 



Mr. Sherman : The chair notices present here a gentleman who has been very 

 vigorous in the fish interests, propagation and culture, and who has well repre- 

 sented their interests in the legislature — Senator McNaughtonof Monroe County 

 — and the chair suggests to the meeting the propriety of his participating 

 in the discussions of the meeting. The chair also notices the gentlemen from 

 the St. Lawrence Anglers' Association — Messrs. Skinner, Thompson and Grant 

 — the chair makes the same suggestion in regard to them. Is there any objec- 

 tion to their acting as advisory members of this committee ? Mr. Folger of 

 Kingston is also present and it is moved that he be invited also to participate in 

 the discussions ; and Judge Danforth, lately of the Court of Appeals is also in- 

 cluded in this request. These gentlemen will be considered advisory members of 

 the committee, if there is no objection, and the chair hears none. (Carried.) 



Chairman's Address. 



The Chairman (Gen. Sherman) said : 



In entering upon our business as a committee, it is proper that the chairman 

 should state the circumstances which have called us here. 



In the winter of 1891 a Commission was appointed by the Government of the 

 Province of Ontario to confer with a Commission from the State of New York 

 with reference to an agreement upon a uniform system of fish laws, applying to 

 the international waters between the State of New York and Canada. 



In the year previous, a Commission appointed by the Legislature of the State 

 of New York for the purpose of revising and codifying the laws of that state for 

 the protection of Fish and Game, had been several months in session. They had 

 given to the various interests involved, exhaustive hear'ngs and close study, and 

 had perfected a code which, in their judgment, fully meets the needs of the case. 



This code was, by the requirements of the law, to be reported to the legisla- 

 ture on or before the 15th of January, It was completed before the date required, 

 and reported at the first meeting of the legislature that occurred thereafter. 

 After the report had been thus completed, a communication was received from 

 the Ontario Commission, stating their desire for a conference. The term of office 

 of the New York Commission having expired by the completion of the work as- 

 signed to them, a joint resolution introduced by Senator McNaughton, was passed 

 by the two houses, continuing the term of the Commission until such time as would 

 enable them to confer " with the Fish Commission which has been appointed by the 

 province of Ontario, and also with the Commission of Fisheries of Canada for the 

 purpose of procuring uniform legislation covering the fisheries over the waters 

 between the state ^f New York and the Dominion of Canj,da." 



Under this authority the New York Commissioners held a correspondence 

 with the purpose of fixing upon a time and place for a joint meeting. Finally it 

 was agreed that the conference should be held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the 

 city of New York on Thursday, the 22nd of October last. 



At that time and place appeared the New York Commissioners, Messrs. Sher- 

 man, Roosevelt and Whittaker, Messrs. MacCallum and Stewart, the Commissioners 

 from Ontario, and Mr. Gregory representing the Fish Commission of Quebec, 



There were also present by invitation of the members of the C )mmission, 

 Messrs. Ford and George H. Welshons, Pittsburg, and Louis Strubler, Erie, repre- 

 senting the Fish Commission of Pennsylvania; Dr. H. M. Smith of the United 



