The Fishery Question. 59 



fishermen, by Dominion acts of 1868 and 

 1870, and by an Order of the Governor Gen- 

 eral of Canada, were warned off Canadian 

 waters and the nature of the restrictions was 

 communicated to the United States Govern- 

 ment, which in turn, by a treasury circular of 

 1870, called the attention of the American 

 fishermen to the regulations. Canada, Nova 

 Scotia and New Brunswick were united in 

 1867, and the Fisheries erected into a depart- 

 ment under a minister. All intention of in- 

 terference with American ricrhts was dis- 

 claimed, but the spirit interpreting the en- 

 forcement of the laws remained unfriendly. 

 Bait and supplies were denied. There was 

 an intimation that the transshipment of fish 

 in bond would be stopped, and the headland 

 dispute was held in abeyance, pending some 

 satisfactory arrangement with the United 

 States. Canadian cruisers cost their govern- 

 ment nearly a million of dollars in the years 

 1869 and 1870, and the practice of giving 

 warninors ceased. Against the enforcement 



o o 



of these ** technical rights" the United States 

 Government protested.^^ The Canadian posi- 

 tion was, that the Fishery needed protection, 

 especially against the Americans who had 



