BRITISH, COIXXNIAL AND OTHEB COBBESPONDENCE, ETC. 265 



conceive, under existing circumstances be unjust and suicidal, par- 

 ticularly in view of the impositions of the United States Government 

 upon British caught fish, and would certainly eventuate in general 

 dissatisfaction of the most aggravated kind. I trust therefore that it 

 is unnecessary to dwell upon this point. Upon the second, viz: 

 The conditions upon which, if permitted, the liberty to fish is to be 

 enjoyed by the subjects of the United States, difference of opinion 

 may no doubt exist, and the character and form of those conditions 

 are of course subject to question. The experience of the past may, 

 in this particular as in others, be a guide for the present. I shall 

 therefore examine the operation of the license system during the last 

 three years, and present the results. In 1866, the tonnage duty under 

 that system was 50 cents per ton. In 1867 was $1.00 per ton, and 

 in 1868, $2.00 per ton. In 1866 about eight hundred vessels were 

 engaged in the fisheries of the Gulf and Eiver St. Lawrence, of which 

 number 454 took out licenses, the aggregate amount of tonange dues 

 paid by them being $13,016.85. In Nova Scotia there were 354 

 licenses issued, the collections on which amounted to $9,368.50. In 

 Prince Edward Island 89 licenses were taken out, and dues paid to 

 the amount of $3,339.35. Only 10 licenses were taken out in the late 

 Province of Canada, the payment on which was $296. But one was 

 issued in New Brunswick, yielding $13, and none were granted in 

 Newfoundland. 



In 1867, in Canada and New Brunswick no licenses were issued. 

 In Nova Scotia the whole number issued was 269. The amount re- 

 ceived therefor was $13,929. This amount is proportionately greater 

 in consequence of the double rate or $1 per ton as against 50 cts. per 

 ton in the previous year. The actual diminution in the number of 

 licenses may be regarded as owing in some measure to the practice 

 of giving three warnings to intruders, before enforcing acceptance of 

 license, or making seizure. 



In 1868, 49 American fishermen took out licenses in Nova Scotia, 

 the tonnage dues on which at $2, per ton amounted to $4,691.50. 

 The diminution in this year of the number of licenses accepted, is 

 attributed to the high rate of tonnage duty. From personal ob- 

 servation and enquiry I am disposed to charge it to another but addi- 

 tional reason, and that is the exemption from all restrictions prac- 

 tically enjoyed by American fishing vessels at the several ports and 

 on the shores of Prince Edward Island. In this connexion I would 

 submit the very strange and startling fact that only five or six licenses 

 were issued by the Island authorities in the past year. Free fishing 

 upon grounds within the most liberal interpretation of the phrase 

 " prohibited limits " was the rule and not the exception. This un- 

 questionably passive toleration on the part of the Island authorities 

 is certainly quite inconsistent with the arrangements entered into 

 with regard to the mutual adoption of the license system and the 

 exaction of a similar rate of tonnage dues between the Government 

 of the Island, and that of Canada. 



On the assumption that the policy of exacting tonnage dues from 

 the American fishermen for the privilege of fishing in British waters, 

 will be continued for the present, the question naturally presents 

 itself, at what amount such exaction should be placed. The sta- 

 tistics of the last three years shew a decided diminution in the ac- 

 ceptance of licenses by the Americans in proportion to the increase 



