1866 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Seward, which is quoted on page 16 of the British reply to the United 

 States Answer. Mr. Secretary Seward said : 



Will the Senate please to notice that the principal fisheries in the waters to which these 

 limitations apply are the mackerel and the herring fisheries, and that these are what are 

 called "shoal fisheries," that is to say, the best fishing for mackerel and herring is within 

 three miles of the shore. Therefore, by that renunciation, the United States renounced the 

 best mackerel and herring fisheries. Senators, please to notice also, that the privilege of 

 resort to the shore constantly, to cure and dry fish, is very important. Fish can be 

 cured sooner, and the sooner cured the better they are, and the better is the market price. 

 This circumstance has given to the colonies a great advantage in this trade. That stimu- 

 lated their desire to abridge the American fishing as much as possible ; and, indeed, they 

 seek naturally enough to procure our exclusion altogether from the fishing-grounds. 



Mr. FOSTER. What year was that? 



Mr. THOMSON. 1852. Touching the mode in which the Treaty of 1818, 

 as regards large bays, shall be construed, Mr. Secretary Seward said 

 this: 



While that question is kept up, the American fisheries, which were once in a most pros- 

 perous condition, are comparatively stationary or declining, although supported by large 

 bounties. At the same time, the provincial fisheries are gaining in the quantity offish ex- 

 ported to this country, and largely gaining in their exportations abroad. 



Our fishermen want all that our own construction of the convention gives them, and want 

 and must have more they want and must have the privilege of fishing within the three in- 

 hibited miles, and of curing fish on the shore. 



Certainly the circumstances which induced Mr. Secretary Seward to 

 use that language in 1852, have not since changed in such a manner as 

 to authorize the United States or any of her public men to use differ- 

 ent language to day. 



Senator Hamlin, after describing the magnitude and importance of 

 the American fishery as the greatest fountain of their commercial pros- 

 perity and naval power, declared that if the American fishermen were 

 kept out of our inshore water, an immense amount of property thus in- 

 vested would become useless, and the fishermen would be left in want 

 and beggary, or imprisoned in foreign jails. 



And in the House of Representatives, Mr. Scudder, of Massachusetts, 

 referring to this subject, said : 



These fish are taken in the waters nearer the coast than the codfish are. A considerable 

 proportion, from one-third to one-half, are taken on the coast and in the bays and gulfs of 

 the British Provinces. 



Now, upon that question, not only as to the value of our fisheries, but 

 also as to the proportion of the catch which is there taken, this seems 

 to be very strong testimony coming from an American statesman. He 

 continues: 



The inhabitants of the Provinces take many of them in boats and with seines. The boat 



coa*t, with few unimportant exceptions, are secured to the Provinces alone. 



Mr. Tuck, of New Hampshire, said : 



Thli shore fishery which we have renounced is of great value, and extremely importaut 



ican fishermen. " From the first of September to the close of the season, the 



run near the shore, and it is next to impossible for our vessels to obtain fares with- 



ib within the prohibited limits. The truth is, our fishermen need absolutely, 



have, the thousands of miles of shore fishery which have been renounced, or they 



must always do an uncertain business. 



He may well call them thousands of miles, because we have shown by 

 evidence here that they amount to no less than 11,900 square miles. 



