icaii ])i'opk' as an ovickiic-c ol wcakiR-ss on tlir part ul Ciirat 

 Britain, and of an indisposition to maintain thi^ rif^Lts of the 

 colonies." The answers of the Canadian Government to the 

 despatches from the imj^'rial authorities are distin}j;nished 

 tljrout:;hoiit by an assertion of the rights and interests of 

 Canada. Concession after concession was made to the 

 United States, until at one time; it did look, as Mr. 

 Mitchell, the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, pointed 

 t)ut to his colleagues, there was every danger that " the 

 hesitation on the part of England to assert an undoubted 

 national right would be misconstrued and be made the 

 gi-QUud for other and more serious exactions, until such a 

 point is re:ich(>d that neither country can recede from with 

 houor." However, the Canadian Government acquiesced in 

 the suggestion of Her Majesty's Ministers at the very outset, 

 and adopted the temporary expedient of issuing season 

 licenses to American fishing vessels, at a nominal tonnage 

 rate, " so as formally to preserve the right of sovereignty 

 without occasioning any dangerous complications, such as 

 were apprehended by the imperial autlunities." American 

 fishermen were restrained at first to bays under ten geo- 

 graphical miles, and subsequently to those only under six 

 miles in width — a concession entirely in accord with the de- 

 mands of the United States before and since 1854. During 

 the four years this system remained in force it was evaded, 

 and at last became practically worthless. In the first year 

 of its existence 354 licenses were taken out, l)ut they dropped 

 to 25 in 1869. Vice-Admiral Wellesley, then in com- 

 mand of the North American fleet, considered it his duty to 

 point out to the Secrc^tar}' of the Admiralty that, " as acon- 

 secjuence of the continued indulgence toAvards the Ameri- 

 cans, very few colonial fishermen are engaged in fishing, 

 owing to the taritt" imposed by the United States on fish 

 imported in colonial vessels, and colonial fishermen, there- 

 fore, in considerable immbers, man American vessels. ' The 

 government of Canada, led then, as now, by Sir John Mac- 

 donald, felt called upon to state that they viewed " with 

 very serious concern the effect upon our vidritivic jxp'i^ntioit 

 of such, dependence upon American einploners. It creates sym- 

 pathy yyitli forciyn sentivicnts and tJistituf ions, and affords op- 

 portdnities'for instilling into the winds of our people ideas 

 and expectations (dtoycther inimical to British connecfnm. 

 There is actually presented to them the example of subjects of 

 a reputtlican power and citizens of a foreiyn State prosecuting^ 

 their calli7ig at the very doors and in the exclusive limits of 

 British suttjects in Canada, loho arc themselves shut out of 

 the vtarket.s of that country hy a p>rohi\ntire tariff\ adopted in 

 the interest of their own fshermoi, ivhile onrs cannot even 

 enjoy their own crclusive privileges. The in/luence of these 



