64 



this Important concession can he l)nt iniporfi'ctly dctcrniini'd hv reference merely to 

 tlic precise niiinl)eror vessels nnihisliernieiienf:;:)}'T(l in the hnsinessol' lisliinjjin these 

 waters, or to tiie exact (piantily oi' llsli (aVicii llierelio!)! in tlie course of each 

 successive season. Doubtless the amount ol" capital tiuis iiivcHted. the eni|>loyment 

 afVonied, the trade niui industry thereby promoted, anil ihc necessary lood supplied, 

 will he justly rejjardcd l)v the Commission as Ibrniin!:; material elements in the 

 calculation of probable beiu lits derived by thr Ameruan nation. Ibit, as it is 

 desirable to refer to such specilicdataas may fairly establish tliee(piital)le foundation 

 and practical character of the present claim, we propose In show, i»y such evidence 

 as the case atbnits, • 



(1.) The number of Unitrd States' rishin};- vessels fre(|uentini;' these waters; 



(2.) The kinds and qua-.ilities of tish it is customary lor them to lake, and the 

 profits accruing to them thereby ; 



(.1.) The amount of capital embarked in these operations, and other advantdgcs 

 accruing to L'nile«l States' citizens thereby. 



First. — The oHicial records of the I'niied States' (loveniment show that in 18(18 

 the "enrolled and licensed " vessels cni;ai>;ed in I Ik- cod .■iiid mackerel lisheries 

 numbered 'J,'i20 ; in lh(i!l there were 1,71-4 vessels so em|>lo\eil; in 1870 their 

 numbers were *_»,'J!)2 ; in 1871 there were 'J,42G vessels thus cni;ai;<'d ; and in 1872 

 there were 2, .'^8.'). 



The classitication of decked lishinj^ vessels in the United Stales is confined 

 nominally to the cod and mackerel lisheries, but no doubt iiiihides such vessels as 

 embark als(» in the herring, halibut, haddock, hake, pollack, and bait lislieries on 

 the coast of Canada. There are, certainly, lluetu.itions from year to year in the 

 number of vessels eng.'iged, as well as in the success of their n'specli\e voyages, 

 but there is .a remarkable coneurreiue in the stalcnu iits made by vacimis inlbrniants 

 that an average munber, ranging belween 7()<t hkI l.'JOO, of the United States' 

 vessels have aiuiualh resorted to lirilish waters I'm lishing purposes for many years 

 past. 



These vessels are variously occupied on the shores of Canaila throughout each 

 season. Some of them resort to the (iidf of Si. Lawrence from earls spring time to 

 late autumn in pursuit of cod, mackerel, herrings, an.! iialibul. Others Irecpient the 

 western coast or Nova S«'olia .ind the Hay of Kmidy Ihroiighoul I he season. During 

 the existence of the Ueciprocity Treaty, when lire access \\;is .itlbrded to British 

 waters, it was atlmitled by ai American authority, Mr. I'i. il. Dciby, that about 

 GOO of these vess<'ls fished evcrv \car for maeken-l alone <in the (lidf coasts ot" Can.'ida ; 

 and it is piobable that as many nioie fished along the .Vtlantic coasts of Canada, 

 and also on the banks and ledges olf shore. Captain Scott. It. N idnimanding the 

 Marine Police, and Captain Nickeison, of the same force, Imlit siite that as many 

 as 1,20') Unitod States' lishing vessels have been known to pass through the (iul of 

 Canso in a single season. Inspj'ctor Venning stales that, du:ing the existence of 

 the Ueciprocity Treaty the annual number wa;' Irom l,2iK) to |..")0n. 'I he K\eeuti\e 

 Council of Prince Kdward Island, in a Minute dated 17tli l"'"l)rnarv, lN7l, states thai 

 1,000 sail of United States' vessels were i-ngaged in tiie niackenl llshery alone in tlie 

 year 1872. The former commander of ihetiovernmen'. crui/er " La Canadieiuie," in his 

 Report of IstJ.'j, estimates that tin le were in thai year from i.O.'iO to 1.200 American 

 vessels engaged (jxclusively in ihe mackerel fishery of the (iulf t)f St. Lawrtnee. 

 Subsecpicnily, in l8(J(i, the actual number of United Stales' vessels duly licensed by the 

 Canadian (iovernment on passing throiigli the Gut of Canso for the inshore mackerel 

 fisheries was 4.'')4, as shown by ollieial returns of the local Collectors of Customs. 

 The exact number of other vesse's vvhicli then nWiised to take out licenses, on the 

 pretext that they intended tishing in outside wat'-rs. was not, ol course, recorded; 

 but we are juslilied in assumiiiu from tin observations ol (pialilicd persons, whose 

 oral or written testimony will be olfercd to the ('omiuissioii if recpiired, that at 

 least GOO more were .also engagid in the mackerel and other lisheries in Drilish w .iters. 



It is stated in the Xnnii.il Report of ihe I'ni'cd States ^eerelaiy ol the Treasury 

 for 1871 that "The district of (iloiieester is most extensively engaged in this 

 occupation. Mer cod .and inackciel licet amounting t't .")4S vessels, 2n.."j<)'J tons, 

 showing an increase of ',>7 vessels since .Iiine ;'>", 1870.' The same a\ilhority states 

 in the Annua! Report for 1^<72 tlnit "the tonnage enijilnv d in the cod ;hi(1 mackerel 

 fisheries has incrc'sed somewhat for the past tiiiee year.>." 



'i'iiirty nine new lishing sessels were built at the port of (iloncester. M.-iss.a- 

 l*husetls, alone, in \>^7A, ;inil ;il)()nt fifty more wei'c to be built in ihc next following 

 yioftr ; and as there are several other important outtilling porlh in the same State, 



