200 CASE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



which may be there is authorized to take entry from and grant clearance 

 to the masters of such fishing vessels without requiring them to go on 

 shore for that purpose. Blank forms of entry and clearance are 

 furnished to the Captains of Cruisers ; these, after being filled in, are 

 to be forwarded by the Captain of the Cruiser to the Customs Officer 

 of the ports within whose jurisdiction they have been used. In 

 cases of distress, disaster, need of provisions for the homeward 

 voyage, of sickness or death on board a foreign fishing vessel, all 

 needful facilities are to be granted for relief, and both you and your 

 officers will be carrying out the wishes of the Department in courte- 

 ously and freely giving assistance in such instances. '^ 



Protective Measures by the United States. 



In view of the attitude of the Canadian authorities toward Ameri- 

 can fishermen during this period, it was deemed necessary by the 

 United States that some protective measures should be taken in 

 their behalf, and for that purpose the Act of Congress approved 

 March 3, 1887, was passed. This Act is entitled — 



An Act to Authorize the President of the United States to protect 

 and defend the rights of American fishing vessels, American fisher- 

 men, American trading and other vessels, in certain cases, and for 

 other purposes. 



It provided, in part, that, whenever the President of the United 

 States shall be satisfied that American fishing vessels or fishermen, 

 visiting waters or at any ports of the British Dominions of North 

 America, are denied or abridged in the enjoyment of any rights se- 

 cured to them by treaty or law, or are unjustly vexed or harassed 

 in said waters or ports in the enjoyment of such rights, or subjected 

 to unreasonable restrictions, regulations or requirements in respect 

 of such rights, &c., &c., it shall be the duty of the President of the 

 United States in his discretion, by proclamation to that effect, to 

 deny vessels of the British Dominions of North America any entrance 

 into the waters or ports of the United States; and also to deny entry 

 into any port or place of the United States of fresh fish or salt fish 

 or any other product of said Dominions or other goods coming from 

 said Dominions to the United States. The President has never 

 exercised the retaliatory power thus conferred upon him. 



The text of this act will be found printed in full in the Appendix.^ 



o Appendix, p. 921. & Appendix, p. 96. 



