CONGRESS. (TnE FISHERIES TKEATT.) 



217 



aimed at a reduction of reducing the revenue 

 to the extent of from $66,000,000 to $73,- 

 000,000; it dealt with all the schedules of 

 the tariff and was avowedly a revision of 

 the customs duties with the purpose of 

 maintaining their protective features though 

 it is not in all respects consistent with that 

 purpose. The heaviest reduction was on 

 internal-revenue taxation, tobacco being made 

 free and the tax on alcohol used in the arts 

 being reduced. The great reduction proposed 

 in the customs duties was the cutting down of 

 the tariff on sugar about one half. Some 

 articles were put on the free list, reducing the 

 estimated revenue still further; but in nearly 

 all the schedules the proposed changes might 

 be expected to increase rather than diminish 

 duties collected. To put the distinction 

 broadly, the Senate bill increased the internal- 

 revenue reduction provided for in the Mills 

 Bill and made the tariff reduction mainly in 

 the duties on sugar and molasses which the 

 Mills Bill had touched but lightly. 



The Fisheries Treaty. Another important mat- 

 ter dealt with was the fisheries treaty sent 

 to the Senate by the President, Feb. 20, 1888. 

 It was negotiated by Thomas F. Bayard, Secre- 

 tary of State, William L. Putnam, of Maine, 

 and James B. Angell, of Michigan, on the 

 part of the United States, and Joseph Cham- 

 berlain, L. S. Sackville West, and Charles Tap- 

 per on the part of Great Britain, and was de- 

 signed to settle u the interpretation of the con- 

 vention of Oct. 20, 1818," concerning which 

 much controversy had arisen with the Cana- 

 dian authorities after the terminatian, June 

 30, 1885, of the fisheries articles of the treaty 

 of 1871. The proposed treaty was signed at 

 "Washington, Febuary 15, and the President in 

 his message transmitting the document to the 

 Senate for consideration, said : " I am given to 

 understand that the other governments con- 

 cerned in this treaty will, within a few days, 

 in accordance with their methods of conduct- 

 ing public business, submit said treaty to their 

 respective legislatures, when it will be at once 

 published to the world. In view of such ac- 

 tion it appears to be advisable that, by publi- 

 cation here, early and full knowledge of all that 

 has been done in the premises should be afford- 

 ed to our people. It would also seem to be 

 useful to inform the popular mind concerning 

 the history of the long-continued disputes grow- 

 ing out of the subject embraced in the treaty and 

 to satisfy the public interest touching the same, 

 as well as to acquaint our people with the pres- 

 ent status of the questions involved, and to give 

 them the exact terms of the proposed adjust- 

 ment, in place of the exaggerated and imagina- 

 tive statements which will other wise reach them. 

 I therefore beg leave respectfully to suggest 

 that said treaty and all such correspondence, 

 messages, and documents relating to the same as 

 may be deemed important to accomplish these 

 purposes be at once made public by the order 

 of your honorable body." This was considered 



a sort of challenge to the Senate, and it was 

 promptly accepted by that body. The treaty, 

 contrary to the usual custom, was at once pub- 

 lished, and after May 28 it was debated in open 

 session. It is as follows : 



Whereas differences have arisen concerning the in- 

 terpretation of Article I of the Convention of ( > 

 1818, the United Suites of America and Her Majesty 

 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain 

 and Ireland,, being mutually desirous of removing all 

 causes of misunderstanding in relation thereto and of 

 promoting friendly intercourse and good neighbor- 

 hood between the 'United States and the pos?< 

 of Her Majesty in North America, have resolved to 

 conclude a treaty to that end. and have named as their 

 plenipotentiaries that is to say : 



The President of the UuitedStates, Thomas F. Bay- 

 ard, Secretary of State : William L. Putnam, of Maine ; 

 and James B. Angell, of Michigan ; 



And Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom 

 of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Hon. Joseph 

 Chamberlain, M. P. : the Hon. Sir Lionel Sackville 

 Sackville West. K. C. M. G. Her Britannic Majesty's 

 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to 

 the United States of America: and Sir Charles Sup- 

 per, G. C. M. G., C. B., Minister of Finance of the Do- 

 minion of Canada: 



Who, having communicated to each other their re- 

 spective full powers, found in good and due form, 

 have agreed upon the following articles : 



ARTICLE I. The high contracting parties agree to 

 appoint a mixed commission to delimit, in the manner 

 provided in this treaty, the Briti.-h waters. 

 creeks, and harbor of the coast of Canada and of New- 

 foundland, as to which the United States, by Article 

 I of the convention of Oct. 20, 1818, between the 

 United States and Great Britain, renounced forever 

 any liberty to take, dry. or cure fish. 



ART. II. The commission shall consist of two com- 



iiers to be named by Her Britannic Majesty and 



of two commissioners to be named by the President 



of the United States, without delay, alter the exchange 



of ratifications of this treaty. 



The commission shall meet and complete the de- 

 limitation as soon as possible thereafter. 



In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of any 

 commissioner, or in the event of auv commissioner 

 omitting^ or ceasing to act as such, the President of the 

 United S ::.:.- or Her Britannic Majesty, respectively, 

 shall forthwith name another person to act as com- 

 missioner instead of the commissioner originally 

 named. 



ART. III. The delimitation referred to in Article I 

 of this treaty shall be marked upon British admiralty 

 charts by a series of lines regularly numbered and duly 

 described. The charts so mark'ed shall, on the ter- 

 mination of the work of the commission be signed 

 by the commissioners in quadruplicate ; one copy 

 whereof shall be delivered to the Secretary of State 

 of the United States and three copies to Her Majesty's 

 Government. The delimitation shall be made in the 

 followins manner, and shall be accepted by both the 

 high contracting parties as applicable for all pur- 

 ;nder Article I of the convention of Oct. 20, 

 etween the United States and Great Britain. 



The three marine miles mentioned in Article I of 

 the convention of Oct. 20, 1818, shall be measured 

 seaward from low-water mark ; but at every bay. 

 creek, or harbor, not otherwise specially provided 

 for in this treaty, such three marine miles shall be 

 measured seaward from a straight line drawn across 

 the bay, creek, or harbor, in the part nearest the en- 

 trance at the first point where the width does not ex- 

 ceed ten marine mik-s. 



ART. IV. At or near the following bays the limits 

 of exclusion under Article I of the convention of Oct. 

 20, 1818. at points more than three marine miles from 

 low-water mark, shall be established by the following 

 lines, namely : 



