134 



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oF the debate, the numerous issues there ruisod innp|)lical)]u to the present diacussioii 

 and the Forcible arguments otTcred iu speeches not quoted, that the Commissioners 

 will only give such weight to opinions as are relevant to, and consistent with, the 

 testimony to be produced before them. 



The debate in the United States' Senate on I he subject of the adoption 

 of the Treaty of Wasliington was lield with closed doors, and thus it is not 

 possil)lc lo cite the opinions then tjU'cred. It may, iiowcver, be mentioned that 

 many eminent statesmen and public writers in tlw United States maintain that Tree 

 act ess to the Hrilisli Anieiicaii fisheries is highly promotive ol' lier conunerce, and 

 absolutely essential to her mercantile and naval greatness. 



And when tlie Heciprocity Treaty was under discussion Ijcfore the United 

 States' Senate in 1852. distinguished Anu-riean statesmen lully acknowledged the 

 value of the Canadian fisheries to the fishermen of the United States. Mr. Secretary 

 ScwanI said : — 



" Will till' S(|i:ltf ]ili';isi' In IKiticc tliut till' |ilinri|i!il li^ill'lic-i ill till' wilttTJl (ii wliiili tlicsc liliiitil- 

 liniis applv, mr llif niiirki'Vil Jinl lln' luMriiu; li--lii'tics, miil tliul llu'si' iirr whnt iin^ riilk-il ' sliiiiil 

 tislii-rics :' tli;it ]•< tn s.iv. llic lii-;t lUliiii',' 'iir iiiinlvcri'l ami lu'iiiiii,"* i^ williiii tliiic inili's ul' tin- sliori'. 

 'riHTi'turc. liv lliiil rciiiiiu'iuiinii, i!u' I'iiIumI Stul.-^ icumiiiicil llic lii'si niurkcicl uikI luiiiiii; lislu'ries. 

 Si'iiiilms, jilciisc ti) niitici', iilsn, tliiil tlii' |>rivil(':4i' nl ivsort in tiic slicnc I'linsiaully In cun? iiiid dry li.sli, 

 is Very im|ioiiaiit. Ki'^li laii 1»' riiivil ■ikimci, ;iiii| llic sihuh'I' i'IiiimI ilic lictici- llicy iiii'. iiml llufclicUer 

 IS lint m:iri;i'l iniic, Tliis cili illlistlllirf \ii\-i ;,'ivi'll lo tint ( 'nlnliirs ;| i^liiit ;ul\MI1tiii,'i' iiVcr IIS ill this 

 tr.nlc. It lias sliiiiiilatcil tlii'ii- disiii' t.i nl lid.'.' llii' Annlic an lisliiii'.' a ■■ iiiinli as jjnssililn ; iilul, iiiduutl. 

 tlii'y seek liallirally •■licilli;li In |ifnrurr iiMr i \ilusinii alln'^i'llii'r IVcilu tin' lisliiln,' tjl-nllllds." 



l-'iirtiur oil. ailiidiiig to the construction of the Convention of 1818, as regards 

 large bays, .Mr. Seward said: — 



" Wliili' lliat iiucili'iii is kept up. llii' AiiH'rii'aii lislii'sics, which were niicc in a iiicist pi'dNpemus 

 riiiiditiiiii, mi' icinpaialivi'ly stiilinimry uv ihMliiiiiit;, allhi)iiL.'li .siip)Hirlcd liy lai-'jc Imimtics. At tho 

 saiili- liliii' the plii\ iiii'ial lislii'iit's ale ;;uiliiliK ■■> ihe ^uitiitity nl' lisli cxpnitol In this coiiiitry, iillil 

 laii,'ely naiiiiii;; in llirir cspmlalinus iilnnail, 



" ( 111! tislu'iiiuMi \Naiit all that nur nwii (■niislnnlinii nl' the ( 'iiiivi'titinii uivcs tliciii, and want and 

 niiisl havf ,((")■■-_ ihcy want ainl inilHt Imv tho |irivih-;-:i' I't' li-hiii;,' within ihe tlnw inhiliitid mill's. 



.Illil nl' cliritl',' li~h nil the '■linM'." 



Senator Hamlin, of !\laine, alter describing the magnitude and importance ot 

 the Vnicrii'.in tishiries " as the great loiintains of commercial prosperity and naval 

 power," declared that if American fisltermen were kept out of these inslH)re waters, 

 the " immense amount of property tiius invested will become useless, and leave them 

 in want and benn-ary, or in prison in t'oreign gaols." 



In the lloiis( ol Kc|)resentativcs, Mr, Scudder, of Massachusetts, referring to 

 the mackerel, said : — 



"Thrse lisli an- laui'ii in ihc walri-s iii'an r ihc i niust than tint cndlish arc. A cniisidnruliln 

 |,rn],,,iiinii, tin:n nin' lliir I In nni'diall'. .iiv taken mi ihe inasls. ami in the hays ami ','iilts nl' the Uritish 

 l'ln\ iniis. The ilihalitaiil.s lit' tin' rniNiheei I. ike iii.iliy nl' tlieiii in lupals ami Willi M'ini's. The linal 

 and siiiie li-lierv i.s the iimre sneeessl'iil ami prnlitalili', and .vniild he piiisii.'d hy iMir li^hernieii, were ii 

 linl I'nr ll;e stipulatiniis nl' the ('..nveiilinii nl 1S|S, liet«i\t til" I'liiled ■'>lat.'s aiidliivat liritain. hy 

 whieh it is I nnleinleil that all the lislnries within three miles nl' llic enasl-i, \fith lew iiniinpnrlaiii. 

 exeeplii.ii-. all' -^ii ined In t|.e l'rn\ill^lt^ alnli.'." 



.Mr. Tuck, of New Hampshire, said :- 



© 



" rill-, slmie lishery uliieli We li.ive lei.iaiiii eil i", nl' \^n';il valmt, and e\tremily iiiipnrtanl in 



.Viiniiean li-lienuen. 



• . • » • » • 



" I'riiii the lirst nl' Septeiiiher to the elose fit' t!ii! seiwoii, tlm iiiaeki'iid mil near tint slinre, aiiil 

 i' iv ncM In iiiipiissilile |nr mir vessel-, in nhtaill I'ari's witlimit takili'.,' tlsli williin the prnliihititd 

 liliiit.s. 



" The liMlli is. mil lisliernieii need .ilp-njiitelv, aiiil must have, the tlmii^ imls nl' niileM ol' slime 

 litiliei\".Hlin h li;i\e lieiii reimiiU' c il. nr tliev iiiusi alw.iy-. tin u:' iiinirlain Ini.-'iiiess, It' mu iiiaekeiel 

 men are pmliiliitid I'miii 'jnimj^ within three inile-i nl' the shnre, ami are Imvilily kept away (^and mitlii 

 hill Iniee Mill dn i! . llieii liny may ai weU ^i\e lip their hii-iin'ss lirst as la-l. It Hillhealwa 

 illleerlaiii. 



" They fllii' .Vinericaii lisherineii) wiint the shme lisheries ; thev want a ti'.dit In eii'el :taA niaintiiin 

 strintni'fs nil sjiniT tn rine end-lish as snnii as taken, tlnm siuiiiu' '"sl, and iiiakilii.' U'ller lish I'ni 

 Iiiail.et ; ami he|ie\ imj tin ir wishes tn I a-y nl' aee'iiMplishliieiil. liny will lint i niiselil In the 



iiulunun.o lit' fuiiuer ntstriclinns, thi' aiiiinyam.i:.s and tiniihles nl' which tln'y have .-, j Imij,' I'ell. ' 



