THE NORTHEAST COAST FISHERIES 501 



and probably caring little for, the diplomatic wrangles 

 over the legal nature of their rights, the fishermen took 

 immediate advantage of the privileges just opened to them, 

 and sought to restore their industry to a paying basis. 

 In the course of a few years, however, a harvest of new and 

 unforeseen troubles ripened to confound the men who had 

 fishing interests in charge. Fresh quarrels grew alarm- 

 ingly, and in the course of some years reached a degree of 

 intensity that forboded another war with Great Britain. 

 Happily such a calamity was averted in time, though not 

 before the " Fishery Question " had given evidence of its 

 liability sooner or later to embroil the nation in armed 

 conflict. 



In 1819, Parliament enacted a statute to carry out the 

 provisions of 1818. This statute authorized local regu- 

 lations to declare it unlawful for foreign vessels to take, dry, 

 or cure fish within three marine miles of any coast, bays, 

 creeks, or harbors in any part of His Majesty's dominion 

 in America, not included in the limits of the treaty. It de- 

 fined with particularity the privileges of American vessels 

 in all such bays, creeks, harbors, etc., i.e., to enter only 

 for the purpose of obtaining shelter, repairs, wood and water, 

 and it provided that if any vessels were caught violating, 

 or preparing to violate, those laws, or that refused to depart 

 from such bays, etc., when ordered to do so, they should be 

 liable to certain enumerated punishments and fines. No 

 objection could be found to this act itself, but in alleged 

 conformity to it, and for the purpose of carrying out its pro- 

 visions, the provincial legislatures of British America, from 

 time to time, enacted series of laws relating to the fisheries 

 that were far more stringent and rigid in their nature than 

 justified by the original parliamentary act. These provincial 

 regulations manifested a spirit of unfriendliness, and it was 

 often asserted that they were executed with a severity and in 

 a manner wholly unwarranted and improper. By the narrow- 

 est construction of the terms of the treaty they restricted the 

 rights of Americans in every possible way. In accordance 

 with these laws, the Canadian police authorities detained 



