DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 781 



V. THIS TREATY COMPARED WITH THE COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENT 

 STYLED " THE RECIPROCITY OF 1830." 



This treaty proposes liberal reciprocity to us, confined to fishing 

 interests, ancl gives us all the time we may choose to claim in which 

 to consider our best interests and determine whether we will accept 

 or reject the overture. 



The right of choosing between this proffered commercial reciprocity 

 and the privileges accorded to us under what is termed "the reci- 

 procity of 1830 " is a decided advantage in f avcfr of our fishermen. 



The products of our fisheries in Canadian waters are not permitted 

 to enter Canadian ports on any ships of the United States by the 

 British proclamation of November 5, 1830. That proclamation de- 

 clares " that the ships of and belonging to the said United States of 

 America may import from the United States aioresaid into the Brit- 

 ish possessions abroad goods the produce of those States, and may 

 export goods from the British possessions abroad to be carried to any 

 foreign country whatever." 



This cannot apply to fishery products taken or purchased in the 

 Canadian waters or ports, and was not intended in any manner to add 

 to the four purposes for which our fishermen may enter Canadian 

 ports under the treaty of 1818, as we understand that proclamation, 

 or to repeal that treaty. 



This proclamation was a month later than that made by President 

 Jackson, and was the British response to our proclamation, under 

 which " British vessels and their cargoes are admitted to an entry 

 into the ports of the United States from the islands, provinces, and 

 colonies of Great Britain, on or near the North American continent 

 and north or east of the United States." The full text of these proc- 

 lamations is hereto appended as Appendices A and B. 



These proclamations set forth the entire concurrent action of the 

 two Governments (which is called the reciprocity of 1830). There 

 having been no change in the situation since that time, that is " the 

 reciprocity " which still exists, as matter of law. 



The broad liberality of our concession is in very striking contrast 



with that of great Britain; but we have lived under this inequality 



of rights for more than fifty years, without a serious 



469 protest until within three years, and the complaints we have 



made arose from the British construction of our fishing rights 



and not of our commercial rights under that reciprocity. 



Our fishing vessels are equally barred (under the British conten- 

 tion) by the treaty of 1818, and by the British proclamation of 

 November 5, 1830, from entering their ports with cargoes of fish taken 

 in Canadian waters, without reference to the rights to touch and 

 trade or to any other commercial character, that we may give them 

 under our laws. To gain these rights for our fishermen, we have a 

 choice of grave alternatives. 



But the cost of the naval and military preparation that would be 

 necessary to give confidence to our own people, in supporting any ex- 

 treme demand or stringent measures connected with this subject, 

 would be greater than the whole value of these fisheries for the next 

 half century. 



