THE NORTHEAST COAST FISHERIES 511 



Notwithstanding these very urgent reasons for altering the 

 laws at the end of the stipulated ten years, it is probable that 

 the regulations would have continued in force for a longer 

 period had it not been for the Rebellion in the United States. 

 At the beginning of the Civil war trade conditions in the 

 United States materially changed. The necessary increase 

 of taxes, together with radical changes in currency values, 

 producing increased cost of labor, enabled the Canadian 

 farmer to supplant the American in his own markets. The 

 unfriendly attitude of the Canadians toward the Government 

 during the civil conflict furnished an additional incentive 

 to withdraw the advantages which the treaty of 1854 con- 

 cededly gave them. The Canadians had exhibited a marked 

 disposition to profit by the difficulties of the United States ; 

 Montreal and Quebec harbored the most virulent enemies of 

 the Northern cause, and at one time the Provinces were sus- 

 pected of contemplating the seizure and annexation of Maine. 



Notice was given in March, 1865, and the following year 

 the treaty was terminated. With the abrogation of the 

 reciprocity treaty, the provisions of the agreement of 1818 

 again came into force, the stipulations contained in the treaty 

 of 1854 having been based upon and declared to be "in addi- 

 tion to those of the convention, of 1818." Therefore the old 

 scheme of restricting American fishermen to certain limited 

 areas of inshore waters of Newfoundland, to the coastal 

 waters of Labrador and to the southern shores of the 

 Magdalen Islands, together with contracted landing privi- 

 leges, was revived. 



The Canadians were greatly disappointed by the reces- 

 sion of the reciprocity treaty. The largely increased vol- 

 ume of their export trade and the gratifying prosperity of 

 their fisheries, both directly resulting from the freedom of 

 the American markets, immediately declined and withered. 

 Referring to economic conditions in Nova Scotia, the editor 

 of the Halifax Chronicle said that from the abrogation of 

 the reciprocity treaty, " we have retrograded with the most 

 frightful rapidity." Bitter complaints of the "selfish pol- 

 icy " of the United States arose from every side. 



