624 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



Kimberley honored me with repeated interviews, and received my rep- 

 resentations with every attention and consideration. 



* * * ■:<• * * 



3. Fisheries — I urged upon Lord Kimberley the great importance 

 to Canada of the Fisheries, which employed a large number of sea- 

 men, and had many collateral pursuits and industries dependent upon 

 them. We possessed the whole of the herring and mackerel Fisheries 

 on the Western side of the Atlantic, the Americans having no inshore 

 Fisheries of any great value. This possession was of the first im- 

 portance to us, and we felt exceedingly anxious that it should be main- 

 tained in accordance with Treaty rights. Induced by a strong sense 

 of the responsibility involved in the matter, and out of deference to 

 Imperial views we had proposed in 18G5 the License System; we had 

 given every possible opening in this direction at a sacrifice of our 

 immediate interests in order that our affairs might not tend to en- 

 danger the peace of the Empire. This system had been continued to 

 the present year, and we were satisfied that no advantageous results 

 would be obtained from it. 



Lord Kimberley admitted that the time had come when Canadians 

 might reasonably expect that the state of things anterior to the Reci- 

 procity Treaty should be reverted to, or that some other definite ar- 

 rangements with the Americans on this subject should be arrived at. 

 He added that he was glad that I had not mixed up the two questions 

 of Reciprocity and the Fisheries, because he saw no reason to expect 

 a renewal of that treaty ; he agreed, he said, that the Fisheries ques- 

 tion should be treated by itself. I said that we in Canada had arrived 

 at similar conclusions. The policy of conciliation had been fully 

 tried, and we ceased to expect anything from the Americans from it. 

 We thought the only course now open to us was to ask the Imperial 

 Government to fall back upon the rights which we enjoyed and main- 

 tained anterior to the Reciprocity Treaty, and I was directed to re- 

 quest this at the hands of the Government. 



Lord Kimberley said there might be some difference with regard 

 to the Interpretation of the Treaty as to Bays. I replied that we 

 thought it clear upon that point, but that the suggestion made by 

 Mr. Adams in 1866, and adopted by Lord Clarendon, to have a joint 

 commission to settle on the ground the line within which, under the 

 Treaty, exclusive fishing was to be enjoyed would be a satisfactory 

 mode, as far as the Canadian Government was concerned, of disposing 

 of any difficulty which might exist as to the interpretation of the 

 treaty as regards Bays; but I urged that should a Commission be 

 appointed a representative from Canada should be upon it, and that 

 its sittings should be held in America, and if possible in Ottawa or 

 Halifax. 



Lord Kimberley said he concurred in the suggestion for the settle- 

 ment of whatever doubt might be found to exist as to the interpreta- 

 tion to be put upon the Treaty with regard to Bays; that he merely 

 spoke his views, however, but that he would bring the matter at. 

 an early day before his colleagues, and would then give a final answer. 

 ******* 



All of which is respectfully submitted, 



By Your Excellency's Most faithful servant, 



A. Campbell. 

 Ottawa. 10th September \ 1870. 



