112 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



tioned by those in authority. Accordingly, y?z',? j)'<?////f /it/^/jr were arrested for 

 throwing stones at the crew of the Minnesota while they were engaged in taking 

 bait, and four of them were convicted and fined. 



Early in 1878 efforts were made to secure compensation for the losses of 

 American fishermen in consequence of the unlawful acts of British subjects. 

 One excuse after another was offered in justification of the course pursued 

 by the riotous fishermen, but none of them could stand against the plain 

 language of the Treaty, as interpreted by the evidence introduced before 

 the Halifax Commission, which gave our fishermen an undoubted right to 

 fish as they pleased in the provincial waters. The negotiations were pro- 

 longed until the Summer of 1881, when the United States received from 

 Great Britain the sum of ^15,000, which was accepted in full for all claims 

 to date on the part of American citizens against the government of Great 

 Britain. On the loth of July a portion of this sum was disbursed among 

 the Fortune Bay lieet of 1878, leaving the losses at Aspey and Conception 

 Bays for future consideration. The Fortune Bay fleet put in claims to cover 

 the actual expenses of the voyages, including charter money, outfits, port 

 charges, seamen's wages, etc., and the probable profits of the trips, had 

 they been allowed to secure cargoes, based upon the profits of preceding 

 years. The latter item was disallowed, and payment was made on the basis 

 of the actual expenses, less value of cargo secured, with seventeen and one- 

 half per cent, interest, or at the rate of five per cent, per annum. 



The following is a list of the claims presented, with the amounts actually 

 disbursed in settlement thereof : 



