DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 375 



I need not remaind [remind] you that the treaty between Great 

 Britain and the United States, in relation to the Fisheries of British 

 North America, is equally operative on the coasts of Prince Edward 

 Island as it is on the coasts of Nova Scotia, under the facts as I assume 

 them to exist. The knowledge of such being the scope of the treaty, 

 on the part of my constituents, largely aggravates the very serious 

 damage to which they have been subjected. 



Under these circumstances I deem it my duty very respectfully to 

 solicit the attention of the Government to this important subject, and 

 it will be a matter of great gratification to myself and to those on 

 whose behalf I am interested, to learn at as early a day as may be con- 

 venient, that steps have been taken by the Government to ascertain 

 the facts in relation to this matter with a view to some practical and 

 beneficial result. 



I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, 



(Signed,) STEWART CAMPBELL, M. P., 



Guysborough, N. S. 



Hon. H. L. LANGEVIN, C. B., 



Secretary of State, Canada. 



No. 140. 1868, September 15: Memorandum of Mr. CampbeU, M. P. 

 for Guysborough, Nova Scotia. 



MEMORANDUM. 



Mr. Stewart Campbell, after communication this day with the Hon- 

 ourable the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, begs to submit the fol- 

 lowing remarks in connection with his letter of yesterday's date con- 

 ceived in general terms, and addressed to the Honourable the Sec- 

 retary of State. 



During the continuance of the Reciprocity Treaty, and even during 

 the season of 1867, a very large and lucrative trade and business, 

 extending a distance of 25 miles interiorly from the Strait of Canso. 

 had existed between the merchants and inhabitants of the County or 

 Guysborough and the American fishermen passing through the Strait. 

 This trade and business consisted in the sale to the Americans of very 

 many thousands of barrels manufactured by the people of that 

 county ; in the sale of salt, bait and necessary fishing and other sup- 

 plies, in the storage of the cargoes and materials of such vessels and 

 in the refitting of the same. This trade and business had rendered 

 the western side of the Strait of Canso (embracing three convenient 

 harbours and forming a portion of the County of Guysborough) the 

 constant resort of American fishing vessels, and a very prosperous 

 and progressive section of the Province. 



During the present season, the Department of Customs, through its 

 officers, by a strict construction of the treaty between Great Britain 

 and the United States, have put a stop to all commercial intercourse 

 between the American fishermen and the constituents of Mr. Camp- 

 bell, in consequence of the refusal by the former to pay the ton- 

 224 nage dues now exacted from them. The effect of this prohibi- 

 tion has been to transfer to Prince Edward Island the whole 

 of the advantageous trade heretofore subsisting and as a natural con- 



