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barrels, hoops, lumber, wood, &c., was at once the character and result of the intercourse which sub- 

 sisted during the existence of the Ecciprocity Treaty. 



" And here I may olTer some observations as to what, in my judgment, woidd bo the probable 



efi'i'cts of dealing wiih the American tlsliernicn in tlio more liberal .s])irit of ehea]) licenses. In a former 

 ])iut of tlii-s eonnuunication, L have refeired to the active and advantageous huiiiness relations sul)sistiiig 

 between them and the merchants, traders, and others, in the eastern lountie.t of Nova Scotia, and 

 ]iarticularly at the Strait of Canso, during the existence of the Iteciiirocity Treaty, and jminted out 

 the very prosperous condition of our own people during that i)criod. Much dei)i'ession has jirevailed 

 .since its abrogation, cau.sed princijially by the exai'tiou of a high rate of tonmige dues, which has 

 inchiced tlie Americans to transfer their former business relations to I'lincc; Edward's Island, where the 

 terms of the Convention of 1818 are practically permitted to be unrecognized." 



The value of this trade during the period of tliat Treaty is tiuis stated by 

 Sir John A. Macdonald, in the debate in tiic Dominion Parliament, May 3, 1872 : — 



" Tlie people of Xova Scotia and tlie other provinces found that the Treaty, while it yiehled a 

 nominal right, conferred many and solid advantages. A great trade, wjiich they hud lu^ver anticipated, 

 s]iruiig up in cuusecpience of the admission of American iishermcn ; and, instead of lia^ ruin they 

 fcavcd, they gained so mucli in every respect that they desired a continiiance of the Treaty, and 

 lamented its reiieal. It was found, too, that the ]ieo]de of rrinec Edward's Island also ixiierienccd a 

 grejt advantage IV(an the Treaty, in respect to trade in coarse grains with the I'Mited States, wliicii was 

 largely increased liy the permission granted to .Vnunicans to frefpient their coasts for lishiiig iiuqioses. 

 in that colony, too, there had been apprehensions, — and he doulitcd not they were sincere, — that the 

 Treaty would not be really benelicial to tlu jieople ; luit, wlien i\u: jinvileges given to ( itizens of tlui 

 rnited States were freely enjoyed by them, they, in return, brmiglit so many heuetits that we beard 

 no complaints from the (."ohiuy. No injury was done to the lishermen of the ishnul ; on the contrary, 

 the trade which grew u]) was found to be profitable in many different ways. More goods were imported 

 than ever before ; connnerce was la'isk ; stores were opened, and prolits made, whicli never would have 

 been realized but for the existence of the Treaty." 



In the same debate Mr. Power, of Halifax, who was described by another 

 speaker as " a man who had devoted his whole life to enterprises connected witii 

 the fisheries of the maritime Provinces, who had given them the most careful study 

 and attention, and had become possessed of every information concerning them," 

 declared that— 



"The hnrbo\n's on the entire line of co.a.st were visited by United States' ve.ssels, lor the jan-poso 

 of obtaining sup])lies of bait, ice, &c., for the deep-sea ami other fisheries ; aiul, if Me wished to have 

 the |iroleetion elfcc'tual, we wiadd prevent this. IL: .ni'jlit, /luuvvrr, say Ihut Jir luul ulirm/.-; lion 

 ('liposcd to UaHtd tilak-<i rca^cls liciiiij prevented from ubtaiiiituj tlic.-iC stipiilit^ from anr pra/ile. It luoLed 

 fuo mveh I He the euttimj cff the iw^c to he rcrentjeil on the J'uee. Tlie enliie nf ttrlicle.s snpplud lii. thin 

 irui/ ir(is nr/i liiriie,ti.iul the revenue, ii.-i inll ((■< tlie iiiIi((tiit(inl-<, mi.-i henejited hi/ it ; whilst the only injury 

 that would be done to the Americans l)v i)rohitiiting the Ivade was to oblige them to bring the su]i|ilies, 

 with tlicm fiom home, or drive them to I'rince Edward's Island, where every I'luility was readily given 

 them, lie understood that, until the Treaty was linally ratified, it was the intention of the (lovcrn- 

 ment to jaevent Anuiican vessels from laiuling their catch in ]i(U'ts of the Dominion. He nnich 

 diaibted the wisdom of this restriction. It might be all widl enough if they were not pernutled to do 

 .so in I'rince Edward's Islaml. That island lay almost in the centre of the lishing-grounds ; and there 

 they were allowed to take ;ill supplies they might reijuire, and land tlii.'ir fish, which was veship])ed in 

 Anuaican steamers that plied weekly between Churlottetown and I'lOSton. Such action on the j)art of 

 the (lovernment wcjuld hardly Ibrm any restriction to the Americans while they had I'rince J'Mward's 

 Islaml o]icn to them, and would oidy deprive our people of the Strait of Canso of the adviintage of 

 8l(nnge and harljour attendant on the landing of cargoes, and our vessels oi liie beuelit of the freighting 

 of them to the United States." 



Tlic condition of tilings in 1870 appears from the reports of Vice-Admiral 

 Fansiiawe, and the other oHiccrs in command of the war-vessels cruizing off the 

 Canadian coast, for the protP' 'on of the fisheries. — Canadian lle])ort of the Depart- 

 ment of Marine and FisherLo, 1870, pp. 324, 338, 339, 341, and 349. Admiral Fan- 

 shawc says : — 



"The strong interest that bolli the resident Uritish traders and the United Slates' fishermen have 

 ill maintaining the trade would, in my opinion, render its su)i])ressioii extremely ilillicult, even wero it 

 thouglit judicious to continue the attemjit; whilst the eonibiiiation between these two bodies to evade 

 Iiritish hiw, and the .sympathies arising therefrom, must be very undesirable." 



The Commander of Her ^Majesty's gun-boat " Britomart," in his report on the 

 fisheries of the Bay of Fundy, says : — 



" The iiihiibiiants on the Xova Scotia coast, from St. Clary's liay to Ciqie Siible, I believe, prefer 

 the .Vmeii'iiiis coining in, as ihey iiiv in the habit of selling them stores, bait, ami ice, and give them 

 every informaliou as to my movements. 



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