BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 421 



in the year 1838, the said Province of Nova Scotia complained by ad- 

 dress to the Queen of such aggressions and asked for naval force to 

 prevent them. That force was supplied by the British Government, 

 and seizures of American fishing vessels became common. 



Down through the years until 1854 the same conditions applied, 

 when, on the 5th of June, 1854, a comprehensive reciprocal trade 

 treaty was entered into between His Majesty's Government and that 

 of the United States, under which Americans were granted the right 

 to fish within the limits prohibited by the treaty of 1818, under cer- 

 tain restrictions. That treaty terminated in the winter of 1864 by a 

 vote of the Congress of the United States. 



Between 1864 and 1871 the policy of issuing licenses to American 

 fishermen to fish in the waters from which they were excluded for 

 fishing purposes by the treaty of 1818 was adopted by the Canadian 

 government, and, during the year 1866, 354 licenses were issued by 

 that government at the rate of 50 cents per ton. The next year the 

 license fee was increased to $1 per ton, and the number of licenses 

 issued amounted to 281. In 1868 and 1869 the license fee was doubled 

 to $2 per ton, and, in the years 1868 and 1869, 56 -and 25 licenses re- 

 spectively were taken out. The Canadian government then changed 

 its policy and enacted exclusive laws against American fishermen, 

 forcing them to keep without the three-mile limit. 



In the year 1871 another reciprocal trade treaty was entered into 

 between His Majesty's Government and that of the United States, 

 which provided that, for a period of ten years, fishermen of the 

 United States should have, in addition to their rights under the 

 treaty of 1818, the privilege of inshore fishing in the waters of 

 British North America under certain limitations. In return for 

 that privilege it was provided that the fishery products of this colony 

 and of the neighboring Dominion were to have free entry into the 

 markets of the United States. On the 1st of July, 1885, that treaty 

 was terminated by the Congress of the United States, and the fishing 

 rights of United States citizens reverted back to those outlined in 

 the treaty of 1818. 



In the year 1888 an attempt was made by His Majesty's Govern- 

 ment to negotiate another reciprocity treaty with the United States 

 of America on behalf of the Dominion of Canada and this colony. 

 Those negotiations resulted in what is known as the Bayard-Cham- 

 berlain Treaty, which was signed on the 5th of February, 1888, but 

 which was subsequently rejected by the Senate of the United States, 

 and was never ratified. This treaty was intended to convey to United 

 States fishermen the privilege of entering the ports, bays, and har- 

 bors of this colony, free of charge, for the following purposes: 



1. The purchase of provisions, bait, ice, seines, lines, and all other 

 supplies and outfits; 



2. Transshipment of catch, for transport by any means of con- 

 veyance ; 



3. Shipping of crews, in return for the free entry into the United 

 States of fish oil, whale oil, seal oil, and fish of all kinds (except 

 fish preserved in oil) being the produce of fisheries carried on by the 

 fishermen of this colony, including Labrador. 



In the year 1899 the government of this colony approached His 

 Majesty's Government with a view to negotiations being opened with 



