1854 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



WEDNESDAY, November 21, 1877. 



The Conference met. 



Mr. Thomson continued his closing argument in support of the case 

 of Her Britannic Majesty. 



YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR HONORS : When we adjourned yes- 

 terday I was referring, I think, to a statement produced by the Ameri- 

 can witness, Low, the figures of which were prepared to show the re- 

 spective values of the fisheries on the American shore and in the Bay 

 St. Lawrence for a period of years, from 1858 down to 1876 inclusive. 

 It appeared, however, on cross-examination that the earnings of the 

 vessels engaged in cod-fishing averaged each $393 per month after paying 

 off the crews and liquidating the " stock charges ;" the vessels mackerel- 

 fishing on the American shore made $326 per month ; while those mack- 

 erel-fishing in Bay St. Lawrence averaged each $442 per month. These 

 figures, as determining the relative values of these fishing-grounds, to 

 which I will hereafter call your attention, are, I conceive, conclusive. 

 While Low was on the stand he put in statements from the books of 

 George Steele and Sinclair and Low. The statement of Steele, which is 

 to be found on page 402 of American evidence, shows when the figures 

 are examined that the bay-catch from 1858 to 1876 was 33,645 barrels, 

 of the value of $403.832. It shows that the catch extending over the 

 same period of time on the American shore was but 5,395 barrels, of the 

 value of $43,101. The average price of the bay-catch per barrel was 

 $12, and of the shore-catch $7.99. Now that, your honors will see, is 

 important, for it comes from Major Low, who came here for the purpose 

 of proving directly the opposite. He came here to sustain the extraor- 

 dinary view that was presented in the American Answer and by Amer- 

 ican witnesses, namely, that the fish caught on the American shore were 

 more valuable than the fish caught in Bay St. Lawrence. Unfortun- 

 ately the figures by which it was attempted to prove that, proved di- 

 rectly the reverse. Your honors have only to take up the American 

 evidence at page 402, and take the statement A, to find the result. The 

 statement of Sinclair and Low, which is found at pages 380 and 381, 

 shows that in the years 1860, 1861, and 1862 the bay -catch was 3,645 

 barrels, bringing $23,059, or an average of $6.32 per barrel, whilst the 

 catch on the American shore was 1,024 barrels, bringing $5,532, or an av- 

 erage of $5.42 per barrel. Sylvanus Smith, an American witness, when 

 on the stand, produced a statement, or his evidence will establish, that 

 from 1868 to 1876 his bay-catch was 10,995 barrels, realizing $111,703, 

 averaging $10.16 per barrel ; whilst the United States shore-catch was 

 19,387 barrels, bringing $176,998, or $9 per barrel, $1.16 less per barrel 

 than the bay -catch. Procter's statement shows that his bay-catch from 

 1857 to 1876, for 19 years, was 30,499 barrels, realizing $345,964, or an 

 average of $11.57 per barrel. Procter gives no American shore-catch. I 

 suppose he had good reason for not doing so. I presume that the figures 

 would not have compared favorably. 



It is remarkable that the statement of Sylvanus Smith (which is to 

 be found at page 330 United States evidence) is taken for the period 

 from 1 168 to 1876, when the American fisheries were said to be at their 

 best, I think. But be that as it may, he shows although he came here 

 for a different purpose that his bay-catch was 10,995 barrels, realizing 



11,703, or an average of $10.16 per barrel ; whilst his catch on the 



American shore was 19,387 barrels, realizing $176,998, or an average of 



'9 per barrel. Now these statements are put in by Mr. Low, with the 



exception of those of Sylvauus Smith and Procter, who, though brought 



here for another purpose, was obliged in cross-examination by Mr. 



