245 



sion.' Ill ucc()r(liiiii'i' tt itli the L'xi)lii'it iinck'ntiitnliiif,' tliuH ariivi'd at lu'Lwi'ou tlii! two (lovcriiiiiiMiU, 

 Kiivl (iriiiivilli' issiicil iiiHlniclinns to IIim' Miiji'sly'.s JIij,'li (-'niiiiiii.sHinii, wliidi, in tlir cipinidii cjf tlio 

 (.'(iiiuiiillcc iii' the I'livy Ciiuik^I, fovuri'd tlio whole gruiiiid dl' I'oiitruviT.sy. The I'liilcil Slalcrt huve 

 never pic(ciiih;il Ici eliiiiii n rij,'lil mi the pari nl' tlieir eitizell^^ Id lisli within thiee niaiine niih'H of the 

 coa.slM and liays, aeciirdin;,' tu their liiniteil delinition nl' tlu^ latter ti^nii, and altliDn^'h the ri^lil to enjoy 

 the use III' the insluai^ lisheries inij,'ht hiirly have been made the mihjuet oC ne^'otiation, with the view 

 ol' aseerlainiiiji vhi'ther any ia'o|ier ei|uivaients could he found t'nr sufh a conces.sion, the I'nitud 

 States Was iireeluded, hy the original idriespoiidenee, I'roiii iiiHistin;,' on it as a eomlilion ol' the Treaty. 

 The aliandoniiieiit of the exclusive ii;,'ht to the inshore lisheries without adiMpiati! eonipeiisiition 

 — iiiaiK that, ' the aiiandonmcnt ol' the exclusive rij,'ht to thi' inshore lisheiies without adec|uate com- 

 pensation' was not tln'rehii-e necessary in order to come to a satisl'uctoiy undcrslandin;; on ihc points 

 really al issue. TheCniiiniiltee ol' the I'rivy Council hahear I'roiu entering; into a coniiovcisial discussion 

 lis to the e\|icdieiicy oI'lryiiiL,' to inllueucc the I'nilcil Slates to adopt a more lilier.il commercial policy. 

 They must, however, disclaim most cniphatii'ally the ini]iulatiiai ol' desiring; to im]ieril the peace of the 

 whole Empire, in order to I'la'ce the American lioverniuenl to cliani,a'. its ('(Mumercial jiolii'y. They have 

 for a consiileralile time hack ceased to urye. the I'nilcd States to alter iheir commi-icia! policy ; but 

 they are of opinion that when Canada is asked to .surrender hiu inshore lisheries to foreii^'iu'is, she is 

 fairly entitled to naini' the proper etpiivalent." 



I nci.-d jiol ;^o iiny ftirtiuM*. Von can read it if you wish. 'I'lieu, of cours(>, Lord 

 Kiml)erl(') rc|iii('(l to lluil comniimicatioii. The reply it is not wortli wliilc to read. 

 Tilt; I'rivy Coiiiifil tlien rc|)lii;d lo iiis strictnres upon their opinion, and their coin- 

 mnnicalion is the point lo which I wish to come. 



" In the course of the nei,'otialiiais, tia.' rnited Slates' Commissioners had oU'eivd, as an eiiuivalent 

 for the ri'ihls of lisheiy, to admit Caniidian co;d and salt free of iluty, and lumlicr alter the 1st 

 July, 1.S71-. This was deemed both liy the Imperial and Canadian (loverniuenls an inadc(piate oll'er, ami 

 a (■(ainler proposili(ai was made, by the liritish Commissioners, that lumlier should bi> lahnitted free 

 iinniediatidy, and that in consideration of the eoiitiiiuud exclusion of cereals, livi^ .slock, and other 

 articles admitteil under the Treaty of lcS,'J4, a sum of money slnaild be ]iaid to Canada. The I'nited 

 States' Coinmissioncis not only refused the counter propo.sitioii, but withdrew their former oll'er, 

 sub-^lituliiiL; one which the Committee of (,'ouncil infer from the Karl of Kimlierley's des])atcli was, in 

 the opinion of Hi'r Alajesly's (ioverniuelit, more favourable to Canada than that which had been 

 reji'cteil as inadeijuate. Wide, however, as are the dill'ereiii'es of opinion on tbi.s Continent reu'ardin;,' 

 the Trc.ity, there is but one opinion lai the point under consideration. It is clear thatthii I'liiled States 

 )irefeii'cd ]iayin,<,' a sum of money to the concession of commeri'ial advantaLres to Canada, and thu 

 (,'ianniittee of Couia'il I'eid assured that tlu'ie is not a siiit,de member of the Canadian I'arliana'nt who 

 woidd not have much ]irel'erred the I'ejecled pro|iosition to that which was linally ado]ited. 



"The Committee of Council cannot, with the Kail of Kimberley's des]iatcli before them, continue 

 to allirm that Her Majesty's (iovernmeiit are of o[iini(ai that the cession of the tishery ri,:,dits was made 

 for an inadcipiatc^ ciaisiileration, but they regret that they are themselves of a different opinion. 



'• While .still adherinj,' to their expressed o]iinioiis as to tiie Fi.shery Arti(des of the Treaty of 

 Washiii'j:ton, they are yet most anxious to meet the views of Jler JIajesty'.s (loveriiment, and to hu 

 placed in a ]iosition to propose the necessary lej,'islative measures, and tliey W'ill tlatrel'ori' proceed to 

 make a su;,'^cstion which they earnestly hop(; may riHcive a favourable rcs]ioii.se. 



" The adoptiiai of the |n'inci|ile of money payment in satisl'aciioii of tln' expenses iiaairreil by the 

 Kenian raids, would not oidy lie of no assistance with ivference to the Treaty, but mii;ht leail to smue 

 complications. It is not improbable that dill'erences of opinion would ari.si' in the discussion of the 

 detail-i of those claims lietucen the two Ciivernments, which mi.Lrht lead to nuitual dissatisfaction. 

 Airain, such a soliiti(ai of the i|uestioii W(aild necessitate adiscussion in the lni]perial Parliament, in the 

 course of which o|iinioiis mii,'ht bi' exja'csscd by membiTs which nuLjlit irritati' the people of Canaila, 

 and nii'^ht moreover eiiccHU-aue tiie l*'enian leaders in the United States, who have not ceased their 

 aL,'itation. 



" 'I'hcrc is, in thi> opinion of the Commitlee of Council, a mode by which their hands mi,i;ht be so 

 materiallv stien^theneil, that they wouhl be enabled, not only to abandiai all claims on accouiil of the 

 Fenian raids, but likewise to ]n'o|iii.se, witli a fair ]irosiiect of success, the measures necessary lo j:fivo 

 elVect to those clauses in tlii^ Treaty of WashiiiLjton which reipiire the coucurience of the ])ominiou 

 Parliament. That moile is by an Imperial ,i,'uaianteo to a jiortiou ol the loan which it will be necessary 

 for Canada to raise, in order to ]a'ocure the consti'uction of certain important public work.s, which will 

 b(! hi.Ljhlv benelicial lo the rnited Kingdom as well as to Canada." 



l!^ow I ask, if, in tlie face of tiiat oiiicial demand for a guarantee of tliat loan in 

 compensation for the sacrifice of tlie lisli'jries, wliicii demand was recoi;-ni/.ed as Just, and 

 grjinted hy tin; liritish (Joverinnent, it is possil)le to chiiin tlial tliose interests were not 

 sacriliees wliich were comiien.satcd, or wlietiier any construction is just, wliicii, isolating- 

 the Articles of tiiis Treaty, and converting it into a separate negotiatitm, determines 

 thiit there were certain Imperial advantages gained by tiie Britisli (Joverimient in return 

 for the sacrifice of those lis'ierii^s, and tlien chums tliat that compensation sliould be 

 made ptirt and parct.d of the consideration in ii ctise like this'? I beg you to tuiderstand 

 di.stinctiv that 1 do not contend tiiat this Commission is not bound lo equalize the two 

 exchanges which iiave been committed to them. That is their duty. But 1 mean to 

 say, that in making that eiiualization, they are bound to consider Uvithing but the specific 

 (280 1 ^ ^ 2 L 



