1304 MISCELLANEOUS. 



in the number of vessels which took put such licenses in 1891 as com- 

 pared with 1890, there is an actual increase of 20 vessels over 1889, 

 when the licenses issued by Newfoundland and Canada on the 

 same terms were jointly valid in the Dominion and Newfoundland 

 respectively. 



LICENSES FOB FOREIGN FISHING VESSELS. 



Parliament having sanctioned the continuance of the system of the 

 issue of licenses commenced under the modus mvendi appended to 

 the Treaty of Washington, 1888, similar licenses were issued for 

 the year 1891, and the charge of one dollar and fifty cents per ton 

 formerly made was continued unchanged. 



Report for 1893. 

 SEIZURES. 



Two seizures were made during the season, one of the Lawrence A. 

 Munro, U. S. fishing schooner, seized at the Magdalen Islands for the 

 infraction of the customs laws. This vessel was taken to Gaspe, but 

 was released on the payment of a fine of $1,200 after a short period ; 

 and the Lewis H. Giles, U. S. schooner, seized off Cape Egmont, east 

 coast, Cape Breton, by Captain Knowlton, in the Dominion cruiser 

 Vigilant. This vessel was fishing inside the three-mile limit, the 

 master pleaded he was not inside, but the vessel was taken to Sydney 

 and partially dismantled; she was released on payment of a fine of 

 $2,500. 



Report for 1894. 



Two seizures were made on the Atlantic coast, viz., the United 

 States schooner H. L. Phillips for fishing inside the limits at Anti- 

 costi. This case is still pending in the Admiralty Court. The 

 Schooner Mabel R. Bennet was seized for curing fish inside our limits, 

 but was released on taking out a license. 



Report for 1895. 



It will be of interest to give the history of these modus mvendi 

 licenses issued to United States fishing vessels. As I have remarked 

 in a previous report, the issue of these licenses simply shows our 

 good feeling towards the United States, and from a fisherman's point 

 of view, is very much in favour of our neighbours. 



Under the modus vivendi which forms a protocol to the treaty of 

 1888, pending ratification, the British plenipotentiaries agreed to a 

 temporary arrangement, not exceeding two years, by which United 

 States fishing vessels, on payment of the sum of $1.50 per ton regis- 

 ter, were allowed the privileges of 



(1) The purchase of bait, ice, seines, and all other supplies. 



(2) Shipping crews, and transshipping catch. 



If, during these two years, the United States should remove the 

 duties on fish and fish products, these licenses should be issued free. 

 The United States Government made no such concession. During 

 1888 and 1889, the two years specified, it was practically obligatory 

 for the Canadian Government to issue these licenses, but not so 

 after 1889. 



