DESPATCHES, BEPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE,, ETC. 629 



As to Mr. Bayard's observation that by treatment such as that 

 experienced by the " Everitt Steele " " the door of shelter is shut to 

 American fishermen as a class," the Minister expresses his belief that 

 Mr. Bayard cannot have considered the scope of such an assertion or 

 the inferences which might reasonably be drawn from it. 



If a United States' fishing vessel enters a Canadian port for shelter, 

 repairs or for wood and water her captain need have no difficulty in 

 reporting her as having entered for one of these purposes and the 

 " Everitt Steele " would have suffered no detention had her captain 

 on the 25th March simply reported his vessel to the Collector. As it 

 was, the vessel w r as detained for no longer time than was necessary 

 to obtain the decision of the Minister of Customs, and the penalty 

 for which it was liable was not enforced. Surely Mr. Bayard does 

 not wish to be understood as claiming for United States fishing 

 vessels total immunity from all Customs regulations or as intimating 

 that if they cannot exercise their privileges unlawfully they will not 

 exercise them at all. 



Mr. Bayard complains that the " Pearl Nelson," although seeking 

 to exercise no commercial privileges, was compelled to pay com- 

 mercial fees such as are applicable to trading vessels. In reply 

 375 the Minister observes that the fees spoken of are not " com- 

 mercial fees; " they are harbor masters dues which all vessels 

 making use of legally constituted harbours are by law compelled to 

 pay, and entirely irrespective of any trading that may be done by 

 the vessel. 



The Minister observes that no single case has yet been brought to 

 his notice in which any United States' fishing vessel has in any way 

 been interfered with for exercising any rights guaranteed under the 

 Treaty of 1818, to enter Canadian ports for shelter, repairs, wood 

 or water; that the Canadian Government would not countenance or 

 permit any such interference, and that in all cases of this class when 

 trouble has arisen, it has been due to a violation of Canadian Cus- 

 toms law, which demands the simple legal entry of the vessel so 

 soon as it comes into port. 



The Committee, concurring in the above report, recommend that 

 your Excellency be moved to transmit a copy thereof to the Right 

 Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 



All which is respectfully submitted for Your Excellency's approval. 



(Sd.) JOHN J. McGrEB, 



Clerk, Privy Council. 



No. 229. 1887. January 18: Report of the Committee on Foreign 

 Affairs of the United States House of Representatives. 



[49th Congress, 2nd Session. House of Representatives. Report No. 3648.] 



NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 



JANUARY 18. 1887. Committed to the Committee of the whole House on the 

 state of the Union, and ordered to be printed. 



Mr. Belmont, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted 

 the following report (to accompanying Bill H. R. 10241). 



