744 APPENDIX TO BRITISH CASE. 



conduct, to allow the free entry of Canadian fish and other products 

 into our markets as the price of their fair treatment of our fishermen. 



Yet ; during the last two or three years of this course of studied 

 injustice and of outrage, while no American fishing vessel, even bear- 

 ing a full commercial character under the laws of the United States 

 and with the flag of the United States at the fore, could enter a port 

 of British North America for any purpose without being exposed 

 to seizure and forfeiture, or enter a British North American harbour 

 for shelter or to repair damages or obtain wood and water without 

 being subjected to this unjust and even outrageous treatment, the 

 fishing vessels of British North America could lawfully and without 

 molestation enter any harbour or port of the United States, sell or 

 tranship their cargoes, and do every kind of trade, and depart in 

 peace. 



This condition of things became so intolerable that, at last, the 

 remonstrances of the executive became vigorous and urgent, and on 

 the 8th December, 1886, the President sent to Congress the following 

 message of the subject : 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: 



I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, which is accom- 

 panied by the correspondence in relation to the rights of American fishermen in 

 the British Xorth American waters, and commend to your favourable considera- 

 tion the suggestion that a commission- be authorised by law to take perpetuating 

 proofs of the losses sustained during the past year by American fishermen, 

 owing to their unfriendly and unwarranted treatment by the local authorities 

 of the maritime provinces of the Dominion of Canada. 



I may have occasion hereafter to make further recommendations during the 

 present session for such remedial legislation as may become necessary for the 

 protection of the rights of our citizens engaged in the open-sea fisheries of the 

 North Atlantic waters. 



GBOVEB CLEVELAND. 

 EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, December 8, 1886. 



Justly influenced, doubtless, by this message and by the state of 

 affairs shown in the documents accompanying it and by the evidence 

 taken by, and the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela- 

 tions on the same subject made on the 19th of January, 1887 (Rep. 

 No. 1683, 49th Cong., 2d sess.), Congress came to the conclusion that 

 the period of negotiation and unavailing remonstrance had passed, 

 and with almost absolute unanimity and without any party division 

 enacted the Act of March 3, 1887, hereinbefore mentioned, by which 

 the duty was imposed upon the President of withdrawing from Brit- 

 ish North American vessels, etc., those liberties and advantages which 

 by the pre-existing laws they were enjoying in the harbours and ports 

 of the United States, whenever and as often as it should appear to 

 him that similar rights and liberties were denied the United States 

 fishing vessels, etc., in the ports, etc., of British North America, or 

 whenever it should appear to him that American fishing vessels 

 should have been subjected to outrageous or unjust treatment in the 

 exercise of the rights secured to them by the treaty of 1818. 



All that remained unprovided for according to the sense of self- 

 respect and of just policy on the part of the United States was to 

 obtain indemnity from the British Government for the injuries that 

 had thus far been committed. 



In view of this state of affairs, thus briefly mentioned, we come to 

 consider what the proposed treaty undertakes to provide in regard to 

 American vessels engaged in fishing. 



