BRITISH, COLONIAL, AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 537 



formerly President of the Boston Board of Trade, estimates it at 

 $7,280,000. It employs about 16,000 men afloat, besides many others 

 ashore. That the investment is a profitable one is proved by the 

 large amount of vessels and men engaging in it, and also the more 

 costly appliances which are provided in these fishing pursuits. If 

 the construction and equipment of vessels for the various fisheries 

 which United States citizens so persistently follow in British waters 

 was not proved to be highly advantageous, it is reasonable to assume 

 that it would cease to engage a large amount of capital, for the use 

 of which so many other attractive enterprises exist. It must be 

 concluded, therefore, that the inshore fisheries afford never-failing 

 occupation for men and money preferable to many other lucrative 

 industries. 



The advantages resulting to the commerce and supply of United 

 States citizens generally from the privileges to which American 

 fishermen are admitted by this treaty are most important. The de- 

 mand for fish-food in all parts of the American Union is yearly in- 

 creasing, and immense efforts are now being made to supply this 

 want. A population already exceeding 40,000,000, constantly aug- 

 menting in numbers by immigration from foreign countries, and 

 where the people consume the products of the sea to a very large ex- 

 tent, requires much more of this kind of food than the failing fish- 

 eries of the United States can now produce. Their productive power 

 is no longer equal to the consumptive capacity of the nation. The 

 rapid means of transport, and the improved methods of preservation 

 now available, are fast bringing the inhabitants of the interior practi- 

 cally within easy reach of the seaboard; and fish of all kinds, even 

 the most inferior descriptions, and qualities not hitherto saleable, 

 are required to supply the public want. The magnitude of the pres- 

 ent fish-trade of the United States is hardly conceivable from the 

 meagre and partial statements derived from official returns. These 

 tables publish only the " products of American fisheries received into 

 the customs district," which form but a small proportion of the 

 enormous quantities of fish landed from United States boats and 

 vessels, and much of which is obtained from the seacoasts of Canada. 



We have referred elsewhere to reports made by American officials 

 regarding the deteriorated condition of the fisheries, on the coasts 

 of the New England States. They affirm that owing to such decline 

 "the people are obliged to resort to far-distant regions to obtain 

 the supply which formerly could be secured almost within sight of 

 their homes." The above state of things already renders it necessary 

 for United States citizens to secure access to Canadian fisheries ; and 

 the growing demand for local consumption before mentioned, apart 

 from the requirements of their foreign trade, must tend greatly to 

 increase this necessity. 



Were United States citizens unable to supply such an extensive 

 demand in consequence of being precluded from fishing in British 

 Canadian waters, it would no doubt be supplied through British sub- 

 jects, who would also catch more fish in their own exclusive waters 

 than if fishing in the same limits concurrently with American fisher- 

 men. This consideration, therefore, forms an additional reason for 

 the compensation which we now claim. 



