AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



1,328 barrels. In 1875, 1 vessel, which took 205 barrels, showing a dis- 

 crepancy between the two affidavits of 1,297 barrels. I regret to say 

 that this is no solitary instance, as you will see if you will kindly follow 

 me while I state the result of these conflicting depositions. 



I objected, as your excellency and your honors recollect, at the verv 

 outset, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, against the system of 

 putting in these affidavits at all. I have no faith in them no, not the 

 slightest. I wanted the matter to be tried by living witnesses who 

 should go on the stand there, tell their story, and be cross-examined, 

 and then if they came out of the orde.al of cross-examination untouched 

 and unscathed, their evidence would be entitled to weight; but these 

 men can sit down and make up what statements they like ; they have 

 not to submit to any cross-examination. No eye can see what they are 

 about except the eye of the Almighty. 



Now, I have shown by the figures which appear in the affidavit, No. 

 70, and the statement in Appendix O. that a discrepancy of 1,297 barrels 

 exists between these statements, the latter of which was filed by Mr. 

 Foster in October last, only last month ; and I say that these figures 

 cannot be reconciled in any way or, at least, if this can be done, 1 will 

 be very glad to hear it. 



Mr. FOSTER. You know all that is to be said about that is this, the 

 last statement is more favorable to you than the first one; and it was 

 prepared with great care. 



Mr. THOMSON. It is an extraordinary fact that both of these state- 

 ments were produced from the books of David Low & Co., and I can 

 only say that when persons file two statements, one of which is diamet- 

 rically opposed to the other, that it is very little to the credit of the i>er- 

 son who filed them to say that the last statement is more favorable to 

 the persons they were intended to injure than the first. 



Mr. TBESCOT. There was no intention to injure. 



Mr. THOMSON, If a statement was put forward with a view of making a 

 correction it would be another matter, but this is not the case, and the next 

 one to which I will call your attention is to be foun'd in letter L, Appen- 

 dix O, affidavit No. 75, both made by same parties, which says that tin- 

 number of trips which were made by the vessels of John F. \Vuiison ,S: 



crepancy of 25 barrels. You may say this Is a small number, but reool- 

 lect it is said that these two statements were taken from the books of 

 the firm ; and these are the books which we were asked to go to (llou- 

 cester and examine, and this matter I beg to call to the attention of 

 your excellency and your honors. 



In 1873, they say, in this affidavit, that two trips were made and -I 

 barrels of mackerel taken, while in this statement, Appendix O, they 

 say that in 1873 four trips were made and 9SO barrels taken. 



.In 1874, according to affidavit No. 75, they say that 510 barrels of 

 mackerel were taken in two trips; and in the statement, Appendix O, 

 they say that three trips were made and G20 barrels taken. 



In 1875, they say, in the affidavit No. 75, that one trip \vas mud. 

 120 barrels taken; and in 1875, according to the statement con t 

 in Appendix O, two trips were made, with a catch of 203 barrels 

 other words, there exists a discrepancy of C98 barrels between 

 two statements. One or the other of them must be untrue. 



Mr. FOSTER. That gives the same result; the latter .< 

 more carefully prepared and is more favorable to you than the f 

 115 F 



